The devil is a very wily adversary. After all, he has had millennia of experience tempting people versus my few years of fighting it. But his common ruse is to present something bad as good, true, or beautiful.
Hardly anyone will take the life of another person. But the devil has a way of making people believe that that is a good thing to do. Like, most people will not willfully harm or cause pain or suffering to another. But there have been times, I have done so in the guise of teaching the other person a lesson or letting justice to be served or just having a little fun.
In my younger years, the devil would present me with a panoply of very good choices and in the end I find that with my flitting from one good thing to another, I have ended up not doing anything at all. When I am immersed in doing good and serving others, then I get distracted by how good it is to spend time in prayer and I might go off and do so stopping whatever the good I was doing. Or, I might be engrossed in prayer and I suddenly remember I promised to do something good for a friend or family. I leave my prayer and hie off to another distraction.
Today, the devil come sin the guise of all the good memories that I have been blessed with. I remember my good old days and miss all the good things I was doing then. I have kept my life style today simple, humble and small. Then, I begin missing my glory days. If I don’t watch out, I soon find myself wallowing in bitterness, regrets and self-pity.
Today, I spend most of my time waiting: waiting for the next simple thing to do, waiting for the small things to accomplish, waiting for the humble chores through which I can serve others, and waiting for the Lord to come. Meantime as I spend time in silent prayer and solitary meditation, “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, I think on these things.”
It is a simple and humble life. But I walk my paths these days with peace and equanimity for the Master may come anytime now and I will be ready with my lamp burning to meet Him.
The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
~ Psalm 85
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”
Luke 12:35-38