Stirred, Not Shaken

Ian Fleming’s fictional British Secret Service agent, James Bond 007, is well-known for many things, one of which is his martini order. Since 1964, Bond has ordered his martini to “shaken, not stirred.” According to the Official James Bond website, this particular phrase was selected in 2005 as one of the 100 most famous lines in films. I honestly have no idea what the difference is between a shaken and a stirred martini, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want either one. However, I have come across both of these adjectives in Scripture, and thought I might look at the difference between a shaken and a stirred relationship with Jesus. I believe, unlike James Bond, that I much prefer to be “Stirred, not shaken.”

King David affirmed, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure” (Ps 16:8-9 NIV). This is the prayer of a man who knows where he stands, and he knows he is solely dependent on the Lord. He knows that as long as his eyes are fastened on God, he will not be shaken from his foundation. David states this confidence he has in God again when he says, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Ps 62:1-2 NIV). David also advises us to give our cares and burdens to the Lord because he will sustain us. “He will never let the righteous be shaken” (Ps 55:22 NIV).

What does it mean to be shaken? This word gives me a mental picture of an earthquake and buildings being shaken from their foundations, crumbling and falling to the ground in a heap of rubble. The Hebrew words translated in the NIV is “shaken” means “an instance of instability with sudden motion and loss of balance, which the resulting falling motion is then dangerous to the body” (DBL Hebrew 4573). Yes, sounds pretty much like a building collapsing into a pile of rubble in the middle of an earthquake. I do not want to be shaken down to my foundation in that manner. The good news is that as long as I keep my eyes and my focus on the Lord, I won’t be shaken, according to the psalms quoted above.

We don’t want to be shaken, so what does it mean to be stirred, and why would that be better than being shaken? Many things can be stirred up, most of which are not good. We can stir up trouble (Neh. 4:8), conflict (Prov 6:19), war (Ps 140:2), anger, (Prov. 15:1), and jealousy (1 Kings 14:22). But there are good things that are stirred up as well. The writer of Psalm 45 said his heart was stirred to speak poetic words of praise as he addressed the king. The Lord stirred up the hearts of the people who “came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God” (Haggai 1:14 NIV).

Think about another picture of stirring something up. If you have a fireplace (with real logs and kindling, not gas like we have) or a campfire and the fire is dying, you might use a fire poker to stir it up and bring the fire back to life. You might need to move things around or maybe add some kindling to the embers that are still glowing to get them to reignite before they are completely cold and extinguished.

Paul wrote to Timothy about his strong foundation in the faith, which was first cultivated in Timothy’s life by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. Paul then told him, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim 1:6 NIV). The Voice translation renders this verse as, “This is why I write to remind you to stir up the gift of God that was conveyed to you” (2 Tim 1:6 VOI).

Anazopyreo, the Greek word translated as “stir up” or “fan into flame,” means to “reactivate, formally fan a flame, inflame, rekindle” (DBL GK #351), or “to re-enkindle: --stir up” (Strong’s Greek #329). Paul told Timothy, "Do not let that fire die. It must not go out. Don’t ignore your foundation of faith or the gift of God has given to you. Keep it fresh, keep it alive. Keep stirring up and re-kindling that fire."

When Paul gave these instructions to Timothy, I wonder if he had in mind the instructions given to the priests in the book of Leviticus. God instructed Moses, “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out” (Lev. 6:12-13 NIV).

Sometimes we may feel as if we are being shaken. We may feel like the very foundation of our life is crumbling beneath us, and we are about to end up as a heap of rubble on the ground, good for nothing but being swept out of the way. At times like these, it is vital that our faith and our hope in God is stirred up and rekindled, that our eyes are redirected onto Him rather than the earthquake going on around us. The fire of our faith and the gift God has given us must not be allowed to burn out. Stir it up. Rekindle the flame. Keep it burning. Keep your eyes on the Lord so the fire will not go out and you will not be shaken.

May we continually stir up the flames of faith, keep our eyes on the Lord, and never be shaken. Let James Bond go with “Shaken, not stirred.” We will be “Stirred, not shaken.” 

"What do you want me to do for you?"

A good friend of mine recently prompted me to reconsider a question that Jesus asked a blind man, as recorded in Mark 10:51. It was a familiar question and context for me, at least to some extent. Just hearing the question, without looking up the passage, I could recall to whom Jesus was speaking, and exactly how the man answered the question. However, surface familiarity with the narrative participants and the words that were spoken is much different than considering how I would answer this question myself.

As a reminder, in this narrative Jesus walked by a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, who was calling out to Jesus for help. The crowd alerted Jesus, telling Him, 'Hey, this man over here is calling for you,' so Jesus stopped, called the man over, and engaged him in a conversation. Jesus asked this blind man, who was in obvious need, "What do you want me to do for you?"

At first glance, this seems to me like an overly obvious question. "Really, Jesus? What do you think the man wants you to do for him? He's blind, for heaven's sake!" And in response to this obvious question, Bartimaeus offered a an equally simple, straightforward answer. He said, "I want to see." I'm thinking, 'Of course you do. That was easy.'

But actually considering what my answer to this simple question might be, were it posed directly to me sparked a great deal of thought and reflection. "What do you want me to do for you?" It's a very simple question, but at the same time, it's a huge, loaded question when asked by Jesus, isn't it? I reflected for several days on what my answer to this question might be. Almost anything I came up with seemed almost trivial, and frankly, not big enough when considered in light of this specific question.

"What do you want me to do for you?" 

Here are a few of my reflections on this question:

1. My first thought was: "Nothing, thank you. Jesus, You've done enough for me already." And this is true. He has. But if He really asked me this question, as He did Bartimaeus, I should give Him some other answer besides "Nothing." But on the other hand, shouldn't I be happy and fulfilled just resting in His presence? Shouldn't that be enough? It should be, but we all still have a need, as did Bartimaeus, or even a list of needs and wants we could ask Jesus for.

2.  Related to the answer above: Why would Jesus ask me what I want Him to do for me? He has already given me His life, His love, His blood, His forgiveness, His grace, and His Spirit. I should be the one asking the question. I should be asking Him what I can do to express my love and gratitude for what He has already done for me.

3. My next thought was that maybe my answer should be the same as Bartimaeus' response: "I want to see." I'm not really in need of physical sight. As long as I have my contact lenses in, my eyes can see just fine. I'm referring to a different kind of vision. I want to be able to see His plan, to see what He has for me to do, and who He has for me to reach. I want to see His face. I want to be able to see the world and other people as He does, through His eyes. I want to see.

4. If Jesus asked me, "What do you want me to do for you," I would want to sort through my prayer list and weed out all the non-essentials. I would want to eliminate all the things that I can (or should) do for myself. If I am offered help from the King of Kings, I should make a request for something big...something that I have no hope of accomplishing on my own...something so big that it can only be accomplished by God...something as big and impossible as a blind man asking for the ability to see. In answer to this question, Bartimaeus could have asked Jesus for a job, a decent meal, a bed, or a friend. All of these things are good and necessary, but they are fairly easy requests to fill when compared to sight for the blind. Bartimaeus, the blind man, asked for the impossible. He asked for the ability to see. Do I ask Jesus for what seems to me to be impossible?

5. Of course, asking for something so big that it seems impossible to me doesn't mean it is something in line with the will of God. There are things that I want, that would be good, but maybe they are more the equivalent of Bartimaeus forgoing to opportunity to ask for sight, in favor of asking for a meal. Do I ask for what is good, or what is best. I know what seems best to me, but it may not always be the best for the Kingdom. I want to know the difference and ask for the best, which goes back to #2: I want to see.

6. Bartimaeus also asked Jesus for something very specific. When I come to Jesus and share what it is I want Him to do for me (or for my friends, family, co-workers, etc.), I should just go ahead and tell Him. Be specific rather than praying phrases like, "Be with them/me, bless them/me, guard them/me." Instead, Jesus I ask you for physical and emotional healing of my friend and her young-adult daughter who fell prey to a drug dealer and sex trafficker; for physical healing of a friend who is battling a very aggressive form of cancer; for successful surgeries; for complete freedom and healing of family and friends struggling with all manner of anxiety, mental and emotional battles; for the restoration and strengthening of struggling marriages; for true, deep-seated, unshakeable joy in spite of the confusion of life's circumstances; for the comfort and mutual encouragement of close friends in community with one another; for clear vision and purpose for those struggling with direction; for specific doors of opportunity to open; for wide-spread, effective influence for the Kingdom; for wisdom and discernment.

After several days of reflecting on possible answers to this question, I pulled up Mark 10 on my Bible app to read the narrative in context one more time, and I was struck by another verse that I had previously highlighted. This verse appears just prior to the narrative about Jesus and Bartimaeus. Do you know what Jesus said in the immediate context before this encounter? The last thing Jesus said before His encounter with Bartimaues, according to Mark, is "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Does this context hit you upside the head as it did me? Jesus said that He came to serve, and then he asks Bartimaeus 'how can I serve you?' Jesus said He came to serve, but He didn't come to serve us coffee and biscotti or other niceties of life. He came to serve through giving His very life as a ransom. How can anyone give more that that? Immediately after this statement about coming to serve, the very next words of Jesus that Mark recorded for us are His calling Bartimaeus over for a conversation and asking him, "What do you want me to do for you?" His entire life was one of giving and serving.

A final observation on this question is that when Jesus asked Bartimaeus this question, Bartimaeus had to give Jesus an answer to the question. If he had doubted Jesus' ability to help him and give him his sight, if he had not answered the way he did, would Jesus have healed him and granted him the ability to see?

Why do you think Jesus even asked Bartimaeus what he wanted? Didn't Jesus already know? Did He ask him in order to test Bartimaeus' faith? Did He ask in order to find out if Bartimaeus had the courage and faith to ask Jesus for what he truly needed and wanted? Or to find out if Bartimaeus was aware of his deepest need?

Jesus asked the question, and Bartimaeus answered the question in faith. He had faith that Jesus could deliver the answer and Mark tells us that "Instantly, the man could see" (Mark 10:52 NLT). Jesus said that it was the man's faith that healed him. If Bartimaeus had asked Jesus for money or for a job instead of his sight, I'm sure Jesus would have answered that request. After all, Jesus asked the man what he wanted. Answers like a job or a decent meal required a lower level of faith to request them, and Jesus' response would have been to give him what he asked for, which would have been a lower level of healing. Perhaps Bartimaeus would have enjoyed a good meal or the ability to provide for himself without resorting to begging, but the bottom line is that he would still be blind. His deepest need would have gone unmet.

What do you need that only Jesus can provide, that requires great faith for you to even have the courage to answer this question...

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Through the Storm

I don’t like storms, and I really don’t like to drive in them. I do not want to drive through a torrential downpour or get beat up by hail stones or attempt to keep the car on the road and make it to shelter during a threatening tornado. If I had to guess, I’d say that there are not many people who do like to be out in this type of weather. It’s scary. Probably most of us prefer the safety of solid protection. Strong, reliable protection. Tested protection. Something we know is going to outlast the storm.

During a recent worship service, I was struck by one particular phrase in the chorus of “Cornerstone,” an updated version of the old hymn, “The Solid Rock.”[1] The song speaks about putting our hope in Christ alone and building our lives with Him as our foundation. The chorus is:

Christ alone, Cornerstone,

Weak made strong in the Savior’s love

Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of all.[2]

Jesus is Lord through the storm. He is the firm, unmoving anchor that we can put our hope in, even during the storms of life. What really struck me recently about this is that if we don’t go through any storms in life (whether they be spiritual, emotional, financial, or anything else that threatens to shake us up), how can we sing with conviction that Jesus is Lord through the storm?

If I build a house on the beach and try to guarantee that it will withstand hurricane-force winds, how will anyone believe me unless that house has been through a storm and has stood firm? If I claim to be anchored to Jesus and stand firm on Him as my foundation, how will anyone believe me unless I have been through the storm and lived to tell about it?

I have been through a number of different storms. Some of them were only a little summer rainstorm, but others involved hurricane-force winds. Some of them threatened to knock me loose from my foundation. But they didn’t. Every time I hit bottom, the Lord speaks to me in some way –through a friend, through a Scripture passage, through a sermon, through a song –and tells me that He is still here. He is still with me. A foundation built on Christ can withstand the storms.

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.’” (Is 28:16 NLT)

Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of all.

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[1] Text by Edward Mote; Music by William B. Bradbury

[2] Edward Mote, Eric Liljero, Jonas Myrin, Reuben Morgan; CCLI Song #6158927

The Glory of God

I’ve been slowly making my way through the gospel of John, and this week, I came to chapter 11. John 11 is likely a familiar chapter if you grew up going to Sunday School. You might remember that John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept,” so you might also remember that John 11 is about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. 

Before I read this familiar chapter again, I wondered what practical application could possibly be found in this chapter other than an assurance that Jesus has power over life and death or that we will rise "at the last day" (vs 24). Let's be real -- no one expects to visit a cemetery four days after a loved one was buried and expects to see them walking out of the grave. 

As I read through John chapter 11 this time, I was struck by the very similar comments directed at Jesus by Martha, Mary, and the crowd.

• Martha said: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (vs 21-22).
• Mary said: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vs 32).
• The crowd asked: “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” (vs 37). 

Their statements all communicate a belief that:

• Jesus was not there. He had abandoned them in their time of need.
• Jesus had the power to do something, but for some reason He refused and now it is too late.
• The situation was all Jesus’ fault. He could have prevented it if He wanted to.
• They were confused as to why Jesus didn’t use the miraculous power they had seen Him use in the past.

Martha communicates a tiny spark of hope when she says, “but I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (vs 22). I think she wants to believe this, but she is struggling to do so because when Jesus asks them to move the gravestone away, she says, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days” (vs 39). In the span of a few verses, it seems that she decided that it was too late --even for Jesus.

One study Bible note says that “In Jewish tradition, the tomb was typically closed permanently on the fourth day –after three days of mourning. According to rabbinic tradition, a three-day period assured the person was actually dead.”[1] Martha’s warning is essentially telling Jesus, ‘This is an impossible situation. I believe that you could have done something earlier, but now it is way too late. Even for you.’

Jesus’ response to her was: “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (vs 40).

Mary and Martha wanted (and expected) Jesus to heal Lazarus while he was still alive. That would have been a great miracle and a demonstration of Jesus’ love for them as well as His power over sickness and physical health.

But He didn’t do what they expected. He did something even greater. He brought Lazarus back to life after he was dead, the grave had been sealed, and he was beginning to decompose. By delaying action and not meeting their expectations, Jesus performed an even greater miracle than what they expected and they saw the glory of God through their pain.

Do you have anything in your life that is seemingly dead and buried in the tomb that makes you want say, like Mary and Martha, to Jesus: “You weren’t here. You could have prevented this if you wanted to, but now it’s too late. This is all your fault”? I know I do.

As some of you may know, after being called into ministry, trained for ministry at seminary, serving in ministry for several years, and being ordained into ministry, that all ceased last fall when we moved to Colorado. I expected Jesus to open a door here so I could continue in worship ministry, just like Mary and Martha expected Jesus to come heal their brother.

But He hasn’t come, and He hasn’t open any doors. After a year, that calling into vocational ministry seems to be buried in the grave and I’m left staring at a sealed gravestone, telling Jesus ‘it’s impossible even for you now –it’s been so much time now that it is beginning to decompose and stink.’

I wish this blog was a story of victory that is on the other side of Jesus' pronouncement of “Lazarus, come out! [And] the dead man came out…” (vs 43-44). I wish I could testify to a story of dreams and callings brought back from the impossible and from the dead. But I’m not there yet. I’m still standing in front of the grave looking at the sealed stone. You may still be there too.

However, those of us who are still standing in front of the grave prior to a miracle can hold on to Jesus' words: “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). Maybe Jesus is going to do something even greater that will bring God even more glory than what any of us have planned or expected. Let’s hold on to faith in Jesus and to the hope and anticipation of seeing the glory of God in a way we could never imagine (Eph 3:20).

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[1] Kent Dobson, “Study Notes on John 11:17,” NIV First Century Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 1360.

Whose Voice are You Going to Listen to?

On her Unguarded CD from 1985, Amy Grant recorded a song that says, “You gotta know who to and not to listen to.” These lyrics pretty much sum of the theme of Steven Furtick’s book, Crashing the Chatterbox.

The book’s subtitle, “Hearing God’s Voice Above All Others,” is what intrigued me, but this book does not contain a list of the top ten ways to be able to better hear from God. It is more of a discussion on how to know which voice in your head to listen to, and how to recognize and listen to the voice of God rather than the voice of the enemy, or the “chatterbox.” Or as the Amy Grant song says, “who to and not to listen to.”

Are you familiar with the tricks of the chatterbox? Do you battle a constant barrage of destructive, self-condemning, accusing, hope-crushing, fear-inducing, faith-shattering chatter? I know that I do, and from this book, it seems that the author does as well.

Throughout the book, Furtick is very transparent about the struggles in his own life and the chatter that goes on inside his own head. He acknowledges that sometimes the condemning, discouraging voice of the enemy sounds so loud that it can be difficult to hear anything or anyone else, and he makes this observation about the differences in volume:

“If God wants us to hear and know and obey His voice, why does He whisper? I don’t know all the reasons, because God has never consulted me in His methods of communication. But here’s how I’ve come to understand it. He whispers because He’s close. The enemy has to shout his threats because, although he can distract and disarm you, he knows he ultimately can’t destroy you. He can’t get to you…He can only forecast fear into your future” (pp. 106-107).

He addresses a number of the enemy’s tactics, including his propensity for attacking us with unfounded fear and lies. Because of this, we must be able to distinguish between these lies and the truth of God. Similar to a bank teller’s training on recognizing counterfeit bills, “…maturity in Christ is largely about becoming familiar enough with what is true to see through what’s false” (pg. 128).

Near the end of the book, Furtick delivers the news that we must have a strategy to tune out the chatterbox because the chatterbox is not going to go away on its on. There is no secret way to completely crash the chatterbox so that it will cease talking to us. As long as we continue to follow Jesus, we will never reach a point in our lives when the enemy is going to give up and move on. Furtick says, “…the chatter will keep coming. Every day of our lives for the rest of our lives…The more you grow in Christ and the closer you get to fulfilling the things He put you on the earth to do, the more intense the battle with your chatter becomes” (pg. 157).

While this sounds like bad news, we don’t have to listen to the chatterbox if we focus on listening to God. I think the bottom line of this book is that “Every Christian has a calling. And the chatterbox is assigned to interrupt that calling. The ability to overcome discouragement is driven by our intentional decision to reassure ourselves: God says I can” (pg. 171). So who’s voice are you going to listen to?

I received this book from "Blogging for Books" for this review. 

Stand Your Ground!

Why am I so overwrought?

Why am I so disturbed?

Why can’t I just hope in God?

These are not my words, although there are so many days they could be. They were written thousands of years ago by the sons of Korah, as recorded in Psalm 42:5, 11 (VOI). Have you ever experienced such an intense struggle with discouragement? The psalmist knows God is real, and that He is with him day and night, but still he still cries out to God:

“‘Why have You forgotten me? 

Why must I live my life so depressed, crying endlessly while my enemies have the upper hand?’

My enemies taunt me. They shatter my soul the way a sword shatters a man’s bones. They keep taunting all the day long,

‘Where is He, your True God?’” (Psalm 42: 9-10 VOI).

I can relate to so much of this psalm, but when I read this last part, I thought, “I don’t really have any enemies. No one says that to me.” And then, I think the Holy Spirit spoke to me and reminded me of the truth, as Jesus said He would do (John 14:26; 16:13). Yes, I do have enemies who say these things.

I was reminded of Paul’s words to the Ephesians: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12 NLT). Yes, I do have enemies that taunt me and “shatter my soul,” and so do you. Their attacks can seemingly come out of the blue, and if we’re not prepared, they can assault us and knock us down just like a massive tidal wave. How can we prepare for and protect ourselves from these kinds of attacks?

1. Always keep in mind that the enemy is real and that he is going to attack. The apostle Peter warns us to “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” (1 Peter 5: 8-9a NLT). Be aware and don’t become complacent.

2. Be committed to standing your ground. Because of the nature of the enemy we are fighting against, Paul says, “you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground” (Eph 6:13 VOI). This reminds me of the scene in Princess Bride when a large squadron of men is stationed to guard the castle. As a giant, engulfed in flames, is approaching, uttering menacing threats, the head of the castle guard keeps shouting at his frightened men, “Stand your ground! Stand your ground!” Don’t believe the enemy’s lies and empty threats, and don’t run away. Stand your ground.   

3. The verse quoted above also says we are to wear protective armor. We are to stand our ground protected by truth, righteousness, and peace, but the most important piece is the shield of faith. Paul says, “Don’t forget to raise the shield of faith above all else, so you will be able to extinguish flaming spears hurled at you from the wicked one” (Eph 6:16 VOI). In her e-book on Ephesians 6, The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience, Stormy Omartian says these flaming spears that are hurled at us “are designed to pierce our heart with discouragement and make us fearful, anxious, uncertain, or incapacitated.” To prevent us from being such an easy target, we must remain under the cover of our shield of faith. The apostle Peter says that through faith, we are “shielded by God’s power” (1 Pet 1:5 NIV). It is God’s power, extended to us through our faith, that protects us from the enemy’s words, taunts, barrages, jabs, and flaming arrows. Reflect on some of these passages describing God as our shield, our source of protection.

•       “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety” (Ps 18:2 NLT).
•       “Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers, will protect you under His great wings; His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you” (Ps 91:4 VOI).
•       “He is my tower of strength and my deliverer. He is my shield of protection and my shelter” (Ps 144:2 VOI).
•       “Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle” (Ps 140:7 NIV).
•      “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high” (Ps 3:3 NLT).

4. Finally, we need to stand our ground together. We don’t have to fight this enemy alone. Paul says that we are to “Carry each other’s burdens…” (Gal 6:2a NIV). I am reminded of when the Israelites were fighting a battle, and Moses was atop a hill holding up the staff of God. “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning” (Ex 17:11 NIV). When he grew tired and unable to hold up his hands on his own, “Aaron and Hur held his hands up –one on one side, one on the other –so that his hands remained steady till sunset” (Ex 17:12 NIV).

I am so very thankful for the Aarons and Hurs that God has placed in my life that help hold up my hands and reinforce my shield of faith. Just as with Moses, it makes a difference in the battle.

If you see a brother or sister who is under attack who is struggling to hold up their shield of faith, encourage them. Pray for them. Hold up their hands and help support their shield. Likewise, if your shield of faith is sagging and you feel targeted by the enemy, reach out to a fellow soldier and allow them to help you, to encourage you, to pray for you, and to help bolster up that shield to protect you from those arrows of discouragement. Let’s stand our ground together.