Corona Devo 353

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.  (30) The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land. ~Proverbs 10:29-30 

I was mailing a package at the customer service desk when I noticed a little white case on the floor by my shoes.  I had seen similar cases, but it didn't excite me.  As I completed the transaction, our oldest walked over and he followed my nod down to the floor.  The little white capsule-case excited him. 

He picked it up and upon inspection found it held a pair of earpods, or in this case, Apple AirPods, which are the latest method of what we used to call headphones.  They are tiny and stick right in your ears for listening to music, etc.  They are tiny, but their cost is not.  They run about $129.00 even at Walmart.  My son does not have a pair...until this moment.   

I say nothing.  

We walk away from the counter and he is gushing (as much as a 14 year old boy gushes).  These are a momentous find, he says.  He knows how to sterilize them, he tells me, and he shares how much they are worth.  He is extremely excited to have found them.  

I say nothing.

We shop.  We finish paying for our things at the main checkout and at the last minute he digs into his pocket and thrusts the AirPods toward the cashier reluctantly explaining, "I found these, do you have a Lost and Found?"

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity...  ~Proverbs 10:29

A "stronghold" is defined as a place that has been secured tightly in case of attack, or a place where a particular belief or ideology is firmly believed and staunchly defended.  Also, a "stronghold" is a place of security or survival, a well-fortified place; fortress (yourdictionary.com).

We all do our best to raise our kids to know right and wrong, but God gets the credit for their (and our) good traits and qualities, because left to ourselves we usually reason our way into serving self.  (There is no one righteous, not even one ~Romans 3:10).  

But, if God's ways are our stronghold (particular belief or ideology firmly believed and staunchly defended) then the stronghold stands even in case of an attack.  Such as a teen desire for the latest earphone technology.  But I have my own examples of temptation that have dangled in front of me, don't you?  However, if the way of the Lord is a stronghold to us, then will respond with integrity.  It's like God's Word/ways/teachings have built a well-fortified place or fortress around us and our choices.  Lord, may it be so.

 And even when we falter, may God and His ways be our stronghold.  

And to be completely honest, even as we walked to the car, my son faltered.  He was kicking himself for turning them in and muttering about his "stupidity".  But I knew that wasn't how he really felt, that was just the rollercoaster of what could have been rolling around in his mind.  The decision he had chosen was defined by his stronghold in the way of the Lord.  

Lord, give us strength to do the same today.  The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity. (Proverbs 10:29).

As I saw with my son, (and we no doubt see within ourselves), God's ways are often a struggle for us to maintain.  We know the right thing to do (and may even do it), but the pull of human/instant/mortal satisfaction is so strong that it can be hard.  Very hard.  

But let's review that a "stronghold" is defined as "a well-fortified place; fortress, a place that has been secured tightly in case of attack".  Choosing the way of the Lord provides a protection around us: "a well-fortified place/fortress"/stronghold whose protective power is of God.  We may not understand or appreciate it immediately, but choosing God's ways is like building a fortress around our lives.  

If choosing God's ways provides a stronghold to protect us, then the opposite also proves true.  And I imagine that I am not the only one that has made foolish decisions, none of which "protected" me or provided a stronghold of God's ways. 

Would keeping the AirPods have punched my son's ticket to Hell?  Of course not.  And no one would have known if he had decided to keep them.  But on the off-chance there is another 14-year old retracing his steps and asking stores if they have found a little white case on the floor, this time the store can say "Yes", and that "reunion" will be exciting.

And maybe next time we will be the ones that misplaced something and another whose stronghold is the way of the Lord will make an exciting decision of integrity.  

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.  The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land. ~Proverbs 10:29-30 

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/