It's Just Noise!

When I was getting my wife up this morning, my attention was drawn upward as I heard our big black Australian Shepherd going through her morning antics in the master bed room above us.  Since my wife is not currently able to traverse up and down the stairs to the master suite, we now sleep in one of the smaller rooms downstairs.  But the dog still likes to find her way up there in the middle of the night to sleep under the bed!

Just about every morning the dog follows the same wake-up routine.  She jostles herself around as she squeezes out from under the bed, walks across the room to the top of the staircase and then flips herself over on her back, rolls about and barks happily!  I had to laugh as I heard Mandie in the midst of her routine today.  When she was done she went down to the first landing on the staircase and sat there expectantly.  I guess that was my queue, so I tip-toed over to the bottom of the steps and looked up at where she was perched.  With that she bounded down the stairs wiggling with glee and bumped past me into our downstairs bedroom so she could greet my wife!

It was liked she was boldly and loudly proclaiming what a beautiful day it was, and even though it was overcast outside, inside the house as well as in us, it was a glorious day to rejoice and be glad!  Then when my wife finally opened her eyes, they glistened brightly with frolic and mirth along with her heart-warming smile that just seemed to confirm the joy of the Lord about us this day!

But wait… it gets better yet!  When I helped my wife to the kitchen table and began to assist her with her breakfast, I clicked my laptop sitting on the table to Pandora and on to our personal mix of contemporary, traditional Southern Gospel, and oldie but goodies like the 2nd Chapter of Acts and Keith Green.  Within a moment the sound of a large audience applauding as an orchestra played a fast beat dramatic introduction came vibrating through the external speakers and filled the room with joyous expectation!  Then the announcer began to shout and vivaciously encourage the audience to welcome the up-coming singer and backup choir who began to shout and sing: “♪ The blessings of Abraham are upon you ♫!”

At that point I could contain myself no longer and loudly exclaimed to my wife: “Wow…  what a way to start out the day!” then we both burst out into joyful and almost uncontrollable laughter!  If someone peeked through the window as they walked along the walkway in front of our little cluster house today, they would NEVER had surmised that we were dealing with the life threatening attack of Alzheimer’s upon my wife.  We looked like we were having too much fun to be concerned about the potential anxiety or cares that the enemy of our souls would like us to be distracted with!  …And you know?  We were!  Halleluiah!

Earlier in the morning I had been reading from I Peter chapter five where Peter was talking about how our “opponent the devil is prowling about like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8 God’s Word ©)  While I read that, I immediately thought of one of my wife’s favorite object lessons that she would teach the kids in our children’s church classes through the years about how the devil has been dis-armed and de-feeted by Christ’s actions at and after Calvary.  (See Colossians 2:15 - As she talked, she would pull out a paper cut-out that she had drawn of the devil and tear off his arms and feet!)

You see the only weapon that the devil now has left at his disposal is his big mouth!  He prowls about as a roaring lion making a lot of noise, but has no bite to back up his claims!  So, even though my wife may not look or be acting quite the same as she has in the past, I know that this is just a lot of blaring noise being produced to try and knock our expectation off from the truth of God’s Word.  The bottom line is what the Word tells us… and it assures me that “by whose (Christ’s) stripes you (You, me, your loved ones, MY WIFE and any other born-again Christian) were healed.” (I Peter 2:24 MKJV)

So why not look that silly roaring lion in the face and laugh like we did at the kitchen table this morning?  Are you going to believe that old worn out, toothless spectacle in the cage trying to scare you with his pitiful growls, or believe the mighty, active and sharper than a two edged sword Word of the living God?  Duh!  What do you think?  Okay… case settled!

So why not start right now, right where you are!  Think about that defenseless old lion and start laughing at the victory you have been afforded today by the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s!  Go ahead… LAUGH and rejoice at what His love and His grace has given you!  Have a great, carefree weekend.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”