We are at the end of August, my friends. I don't know what the weather is like in your part of the woods, but in my part, things are really heating up. I came upon a list of several ways to beat the heat at home. As I was reading through it, I thought how many of those listed apply also to our spiritual walk with God. I started looking up verses and this is what I came up with. First, I listed the ideas that were given for beating the heat at home, followed by a verse and explination of how we can also work to "beat the heat" of the devil's attack on us, as Christ-followers.
10
Ways to Beat the Heat:
1) Put
Up Sun Blockers: Closing curtains and blinds (ideally with
sun-deflecting white on the window side) can reduce the amount of heat that
passes into your home by as much as 45 percent, according to the U.S. Department
of Energy.
·
Eph 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
God has thought of you, and has sent
his amour for you; put on the whole amour of God, for each part of your needs
to be protected, and you need suitable weapons for assailing all your foes.
Then, you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil.
2) Don't Blow Hot Air: Give your A/C some TLC.
Clean or replace the filter in room and central air conditioners about once a
month during the summer. If you have central air-conditioning, have the ducts
checked for leaks, which can reduce a system's efficiency by as much as 15
percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
·
Proverbs 21:23 (The Message) "Watch your words
and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief."
We have all heard the proverb, "Speech is silver, silence is gold." One who thus takes heed of his words, keepeth his soul from troubles. We all need to keep check of our speech and learn to replace negative words with positive ones.
3) Give a Squirt: Spritz
yourself. Keep a spray bottle in the
refrigerator, and when the going gets hot, give yourself a good squirt.
"It's all about thermal regulation," says John Lehnhardt, an elephant
expert at Disney's Animal Kingdom, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. "As the
water evaporates, it cools you."
Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the end of the earth.”
The Bible tells us that the Spirit of God does many things within us
· helps us in our prayers
· helps us to understand the deep things of God’s Word
· guides us
· teaches us
· AND empowers us
But most importantly, the Holy Spirit is almost indispensable in our witnessing. The Holy Spirit is the power of God that lies within us. And He can assist in our witnessing:
- By guiding us to people we can talk to
- By giving us boldness to speak to others
- AND
by working in the hearts of those we care about to convict them of
their personal sin, their need for righteousness, and the real
possibility of the coming judgment.
Guess you could say that a "squirt" of the Holy Spirit's power goes a long ways!!
4) Observe Key Notes: Let your computer take a nap. Set it to go into low-power "sleep" mode if you
are away from it for more than 10 minutes and it will give off less heat. When
you're finished for the day, shut the machine down completely. Despite what
some IT guy may have told you years ago, properly shutting down and restarting
modern-day computers won't put undue strain on the hardware. And forget about
working with a computer on your lap―it's too darn hot.
·
Mark 6:31 "And he said to them, “Come
away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming
and going, and they had no leisure even to eat."
God
Knows You Must Rest to Recuperate; Even in Ministry.
5) Vent a Lot: Run
a fan and an air conditioner simultaneously.
You can use the air conditioner at lower power and still feel cool if the fan
is blowing over you. That's because the air conditioner removes humidity from
the air while the fan helps evaporate sweat and moves heat away from your body.
James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
(vs. 22-23) "You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's
friend."
James explained that Abraham's faith, which was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousnes. In the same way, if we are going to bear the fruit
we mustn't do it on faith alone, and be destined for failure. To complete faith, our beliefs and actions must work together.
6) Lose the Hot Stuff: Shuck your shoes.
As the sweat on your feet evaporates, it cools the skin and the blood in your
feet. Blood vessels then whisk that blood to other parts of the body, so
"you're getting a greater sensation of coolness," says Donald R.
Bohay, M.D., a member of the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society.
· Two verses came to mind, when I read this:
Psalms 55:
22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and he shall sustain thee: he shall never
suffer the righteous to be moved."
Whatever
cares, afflictions, trials, etc., that may be with which you are oppressed,
lay them upon him.
·
Ephesians 4:31
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with
every form of malice."
Here
perhaps it signifies, the first offence taken in the mind, against any person,
upon any account, which should at once be put away, and not encouraged:
7) Stay Hydrated: Swig
often. To replace the moisture that you
lose as you perspire, be sure to drink. As you lose water to dehydration, your
body temperature rises, so replacing fluids is essential to keeping cool. Avoid
beverages that contain alcohol, caffeine, or lots of sugar, which are
dehydrating. "Also opt for hydrating foods," says Deena Kastor, a
marathon runner and an Olympic bronze medalist.
John 4:14 "…whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.
Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up
to eternal life."
By this water our Lord means
also his doctrine, explaining and promising the gifts and graces of the Holy
Ghost, which proceed from Jesus Christ their fountain, dwelling in a believing
heart. If ever that thirst returns, it will be the fault of the man, not the
water. But the water that I shall give him - The spirit of faith working by
love, shall become in him - An inward living principle, a fountain.
8) Eat
light. There's a reason we
reach for salads in the summer. They're easier to digest than, say, a fatty
hamburger, which leaves you feeling sluggish in the high heat. Instead, go for
fruits and vegetables, which are watery and help keep you hydrated (and
cooler), says Robert Kenefick, a physiologist at the U.S. Army Research
Institute of Environmental Medicine
Galations 5:19-23 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law."
The point that Paul is making here is
if we are willing to be honest, if we are willing to look at things as they
really are and not hide behind clever tricks(fast food), then when we are in the flesh it will be
quite obvious to us.(which leaves us feeling sluggish and pulled down) Likewise, if the Spirit is bearing His fruit that too will
be obvious; it will not be hard to discover.(feeling energized and refreshed) The difficulty is in being honest,
in being willing to examine ourselves.
9) Take Some Dry Measures: Give the clothes dryer a break, too. Hang a clothesline and let your towels and sheets flap in
the breeze.
Psalm 23:2 "He makes me lie down in
green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."
To lie down in green pastures reminds me of taking time to get out in the fresh air. Take in the smells, sights, and sounds around me. Feel the breeze, (if there is one on a super hot day.) Stick my feet in the water of a stream or lake.
I'm also reminded of the pure river of water of life
Christ leads his sheep to, and gives them to drink freely of: communion
with God, which the saints pant after, as the hart pants after the water
brooks, and Christ gives access unto.
10) Think Cool: Relax with
A Winter's Tale, The Call of the Wild, Doctor Zhivago, or Smilla's
Sense of Snow. "Reading about cold can take your mind off the
thermometer, evoking one's own experience of ice and snow," says Walter A.
Brown, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the medical schools of Brown and
Tufts Universities and an expert in the placebo effect.
Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally,
brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if
anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
The apostle Paul offers real answers to the stresses of life. Here he encourages us to “Think about these things,” This means more than a momentary thought. We are to think through these things. We are to ponder them. We are to give them weight. We are to give them value by the time we spend on them.
We are to think how we are going to put these qualities into practice.
Because when we do that, we will be able to follow Paul’s admonition from verse 9. We will be able to consistently practice what we profess. The true peace of God will be ours.
Our hearts and minds will experience calm even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.(when the heat of hardships are the worst).
Refernces:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/
http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/23-ways-to-beat-heat-10000001630362/index.html
1,456 - The neighbor's field of buffalo...what an amazing animal!
1,457 - Some very nice, sunny days; (prior to the heat)
1,458 - Having dinner on the patio with my hubby.
1,459 - The taste of fresh grilled fish!!
1,460 - God's colorful creation, as seen in this vibrant flower garden!
1,461 - Memories of time spent with my hubby and son...as I look through pictures I had taken.
1,462 - Enjoying the artwork of creative people.
1,463 - The artwork of stained glass and how the sun shining through it makes it so beautiful!
1.464 - The intrinicate lines and shapes of old architecture.
1,465 - Finding a place of peace and quiet, and feeling God's presence there!
