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“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17 (ESV)  “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” Ephesians 6:14a (ESV)

Edging down my front steps in early morning darkness is quite tricky with an injured foot. Yes, I was wearing an ortho sandal – quite stylish as I maneuvered each step slowly. And just as I got to the last one and stabilized my footing on the landing, I glimpsed something white and black moving in my lawn. Memory cautioned me that skunks, raccoons and all kinds of creatures often frequent our lawn since a farm borders our property. Frozen in place, I had no idea what was lurking within feet of me.

Best solution was to slowly (with injured foot) navigate the steps back into my house. My feet couldn’t get inside my house fast enough, and now I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t want to wait for daylight, so Plan B had to come into play. I grabbed an apple off my counter and decided to aim it right toward that moving  white object in the dark. And to my amazement, my aim was right on – revealing a white plastic bag moving in the breeze. Nothing to fear….just an illusion of what could have been.

Perhaps you have also landed here dear friends – facing what you perceived, and it was totally different than the truth. Sometimes reality paralyzes us or it  liberates us; totally depends on clarity in the moment.

Illusions can easily mislead us and deceive us. The historical tactic of our enemy dangling that apple in front of Eve’s eyes gave the illusion of knowledge and equality with God. And his tactics can mislead and confuse us as well. Delighting our senses with perceived good in an attempt to discredit our worship of the True One who always leads us. Taunting us about abundant lack tied to our devoted worship of God. Planting lies deep within our minds which eventually make their way to our hearts creating doubts and uncertainty. And unfortunately, once those illusions enter our thoughts and impact our desires it results in actions based on illusions not truth.

Think we’re immune to this – sweet friends, let’s not fool ourselves. Social media posts and podcasts are full of illusions posing as truth, convincing stories and attempts to paint a picture void of reality. Deceptions that invoke emotions which end up infiltrating our minds and impacting our actions. Often exchanging inner peace for envy, jealousy, covetousness, confusion and twisted half-truths from influencers.

Best plan of action is to always guard our mind, eyes and ears. What or who is consuming our thoughts? Where is our gaze focused? Who are we listening to? Simple yet profound questions. Reminders that worldly influencers are usually an illusion to the truth. Sound Biblical teaching and influencers based on the truth of God’s word will draw our hearts into a closer relationship with Him. A sure guarantee that we are grounded and truth roots run deep giving us a firm foundation when the enemy’s illusions seek to slay us.

None of us are immune to the illusions of this world. They can pop up at the most inopportune time, especially when tragedies hit, challenges arise and we are the most vulnerable. Preparation today positions a tight fortress around us keeping us protected from the enemy’s attacks. Choose carefully sweet friends, who will influence your life and make daily wisdom deposits from God’s word to ensure truth sustains you.

“Father, we are blessed to surround ourselves with Your truth and act upon profound wisdom found in Your word. Give us discerning eyes and ears to guard what we allow to take up residency in our minds.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life