September 26

Have you ever had plans for a leisurely day and had those plans sidelined? It happens all the time! My itinerary was to go to the doctor, and then spend some time gathering items needed for a combined birthday party for some of my favorite people scheduled for today. As usual, well-laid plans are thwarted when we have to tend to the needs of others. I ended up spending the day caring for a family member who wasn’t feeling well and sat with them in the emergency room while the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong. All the tests came back good, but they didn’t come up with a diagnosis; however, after they pumped him full of liquids, he miraculously felt better, so my diagnosis is that he was dehydrated. He also needed some of that Living Water that I talked about yesterday, but he’s too stubborn to drink it. What’s funny is that it didn’t take me all day to gather what I needed for today’s party. The moral of this story is for you not to get too upset or anxious over a change of plans; remember, we make plans, but God establishes our steps; it is especially true when someone needs a little extra love and care. Stay flexible, so you don’t break when you get bent!

For those of you who are caregivers, don’t allow yourself to become exasperated over your current situation. I know you need a break, but often that break will only come when someone passes away. You are right where God wants you to be; stay in close contact with him, and he will help you get through it. I began hearing God’s voice while caring for a loved one many years ago, and that is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. Wait for it; the good will come.

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

September 25

 

Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? When I write my post each morning, I begin by telling a story. At that point, it’s just a story, and I have no idea where the lesson is leading. By the time I get to the end of it, the Holy Spirit gives me the answer; it’s not until then that I understand. Sometimes when I’m going through a situation, I can see the lesson spelled out before me, but that’s usually when a crisis has unfolded. Jesus taught in parables, and I learned everything I know about teaching in parables from him; he is my teacher, counselor, and savior.

In most cases, the scriptures I’m reading that day will draw my attention to the lesson. If I use a verse that doesn’t seem to fit the story, I can guarantee you it was that verse that led me to the revelation. What I’m trying to teach you today is to begin thinking about your day, and try and figure out what God is revealing to you through the everyday things. It’s better to learn through the minor occurrences than to have him teach you through dramatic events. When I heard him tell me to follow his steps, that’s what I did. What he told me was not only for me; it’s also for you. Follow his steps and see all that you can learn from him.

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Matthew 13:10-11

September 24

 

Jesus held nothing back in his teachings, so neither will I. 

No matter what President Obama said, the United States is a Christian country, and the founding fathers based our constitution and the amendments on biblical principles. Our safety and security have always given us the peace we needed to go about our daily activities without worry. The problem we see now is that many have rejected Jesus and have turned their backs on him, and though some think they are rejecting the things of the past, they have become slaves to the evil parts of it. The difference between then and now is the enemy is using the spirit of slavery to keep people in line to do his will, and cause chaos. Anyone who falls in line with the party of slavery is still a slave to them and is a useful tool of the enemy. When the enemy establishes Planned Parenthood in poor communities, he is purposefully there to kill their children; they can’t see it because they are hoodwinked. I am pro-life and will always side with the party that promotes life; there is no if, ands, or buts about it! If you think you are doing God’s will by voting another way, you need to do some soul searching and ask God if you’re doing the right thing and confirm your salvation. Reject the spirit of slavery, Satan is the one pulling strings and is behind the whole thing!

Will the same fate be ours, as will be Capernaum?

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” Matthew 11:23-24

September 23

Yesterday, I bought a bird feeder. I set it up and began to watch. It sat there for a while before it drew in the first guest, but when he found it, he was delighted! Guess who was back for more this morning, the same little bird. I watched as more came and perched on the fence waiting to jump in and enjoy, but still a little skittish, not believing that the trough is there just for them. Then, along comes my noisy little dogs, barking and intimidating them, and they fly away. They don’t realize that the dogs can’t reach them, but the noise is enough to keep them away. 

This same thing happens to people as their eyes begin to open to Jesus. It takes a heart strengthened by the Holy Spirit to believe and to overcome the obstacles placed by the devil as a strategy of intimidation; he’s like my noisy dogs scaring the birds away from the feeder. Don’t let anything stop you from feeding at the trough; it's free, eat, and enjoy!

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44

September 22

After spending a few days at the beach, we’re back home. I try to keep my routines the same, whether at home or away. I’m a creature of habit, but there are slight differences in our homes because it’s nearly impossible to duplicate an environment, even though I’ve tried. While at the beach, I must reach into the cabinet above the coffee pot to get my k-cup to make that delicious jewel that helps me wake up a bit, so I did the same thing this morning without thinking; it had become a habit. By 8 a.m., I’m usually wide awake, and the scriptures are leaping off the page, but this morning the coffee tasted bad, and I was still sleepy; I blamed the bad taste on the different water sources, and my sleepiness on, well, just a bad day. When I went to make my second cup, I realized what I had done; I had reached into the cabinet, but all that’s in the cabinet is decaf! My regular coffee sits in a canister on the counter. That second cup woke me right up! 

Is your daily routine too routine? Maybe you need to mix it up a bit, do something different, so it doesn’t become stale and ordinary. Look at what a mixed up routine did for me; it made me realize that I may be too dependent on coffee. God help me; I love coffee so much. The mix-up happened for a reason, probably so I would have a story, but it became twofold by teaching me a lesson. Listen for God’s voice in the mundane; he speaks in many ways.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

September 21

 

Jesus taught with authority, and the people hearing him, knew it; there was no denying it. Matthew wrote down one of his sermons, and Luke gave a bit of a summary of the same sermon. In Matthew, his sermon spans three chapters and lays down the law on how you should live and how you should treat others. I read the whole thing making sure I didn’t miss anything. Surprisingly, there was no “but” at the end of it! He didn’t say, ‘when I die on the cross, it’s over, and you don’t have to follow what I’m commanding you anymore.’ We have to remember that Jesus is the final authority; there is no other authority! If he says to lay down all other ways of living and live your life following his ways, you had better do what he says. I challenge you to go and read Matthew 5-7 and see if you don’t agree.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28-29

September 20

I got up, got moving, and walked five miles on the beach yesterday. I walked past some charming homes of either extremely wealthy people or extremely poor because the cost involved in owning a beachfront home is crazy. Everyone has their own taste when it comes to their residence, and the styles vary from traditional Florida style to modern, to the “why would you build that on the beach in Florida” style. Some people are just plain quirky, and included oddities as decoration, like the people who have mannequins displayed in their yard, one of them has no pants! I’m sure they must have a good reason for it, but I can’t figure it out. Maybe to creep out robbers when they come in the darkness to do their stealing. God made us each different with our own personalities and preferences; if not, then those mannequins wouldn’t be entertaining to see. 

The Bible has one source, the Holy Spirit, but the personalities of the writers differ; that’s why when reading the gospels, you get a slightly different spin to the same story. Remember, the Holy Spirit has a reason for the things he includes and the things he leaves out. I use an app called e-sword that allows me to read them simultaneously, which helps me see the whole story; it’s a great tool to have for in-depth study. Do whatever you can to help you get to know God; the closer you get to him, the less you will concern yourself over what seems like the crumbling of the world around us. He is in our midst, nothing gets past him, and your trust in him is all you need to calm your concerns, and to quail your anxiety.

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

September 19

When furnishing the kitchen of my second home, I chose not the purchase all new items; instead, I went to Salvation Army and got small appliances, cooking utensils, and other needed accessories. However, you don’t realize what you are missing until you need it, or in this case, want. I’ve enjoyed eating a cheesy, garlicky waffle to break my fast lately; it’s delicious and crispy. Trying to make the concoction as a pancake just isn’t as good. So yesterday, I took a trip to Salvation Army to see if they had a waffle iron, and to my surprise, they did, but they had it marked too high, an amount that I could get a new one! After finding a few other things, I headed to the checkout with the waffle iron in tow, to see if I could get it marked down; thankfully, they want to sell it as much as I want to buy it, and he agreed to mark it down, and I went home with my new, but slightly used appliance. 

The waffle I make has no grain in it; if you’re thinking, “how can she be off sugar and eat a waffle?” The answer is that it’s possible, but not ordinary; it’s more of a savory option. I consider it to be a bread replacement. 

As a teacher, I’m teaching what I’ve learned from the master. I give you tidbits of information that make it easier to understand the lesson, but I’m not the Master; I’m more like the moon or a star.

“The moon and the stars are lost when the sun rises.” Matthew Henry. 

Remember my waffle; it’s merely a bread replacement, not “the Bread!” As a teacher, I’m more like the Salvation Army, discounted, but still good, but not brand new like Jesus! If you want to know Jesus intimately, follow his footsteps through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He is the Bread of life!

"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."  John 6:35

September 18

Have you ever asked God to enlighten you on the scripture you are reading? If you ask, he will give you wisdom concerning his word. I began reading the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament a couple of days ago, but today I asked for the Holy Spirit to shed some new light onto what I was reading, and you know what? He did! I only read a small section of chapter four about the temptation of Jesus, but I also read the account in Luke to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Since Jesus hadn’t eaten in forty days, his brain was utterly cleansed, not to forget that he had just been baptized by John forty days earlier, so if there were any impurities within him, (Jesus was perfect, so I doubt there were), his baptism and fasting would have cleansed him to begin fresh for his ministry. 

When the devil began tempting him, he combated every scripture taken out of context by using scripture in context. You must be on your game and know the Bible, so when scripture is misquoted or taken out of context, you know how to answer it or refute it. When the devil begins to lie to you, as he lied to Jesus, be ready, but if you get weary of dealing with Satan, just tell him to “Be gone” just as Jesus did.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:8-11

September 17

The Feast of Trumpets begins tomorrow evening. It is thought to be a memorial of the day that the Israelites were called to Mt. Sinai to enter into a covenant with God. That day the trumpet sound was loud and began at sunrise and continued until sunset. Some think since it represents the beginning of the Jewish new year that it may be the anniversary of the creation of the world. It seems reasonable to believe that, being it is an institution of God. 

We are children of the New Covenant, which was celebrated by the disciples and instituted by Jesus at what we call The Last Supper. We remember this day by the breaking of bread, which represents Jesus’s body and dipping it in wine, which represents his blood. This covenant with Jesus atones our sins. This institution may be why we, as Christians, do not celebrate God’s appointed feasts. I know most of us are not Jews, but if the feasts were important to Jesus, then they should be important to us; he celebrated them. At the very least, we should acknowledge them and acknowledge him for creating them. 

Do your best to celebrate God’s appointed feast. I was never taught about them in church and only learned of them by reading my Bible. Do not neglect reading the scriptures; if you do, everything you are taught about Jesus will be the product of your culture rather than scripturally correct.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” Leviticus 23:23-25

September 16

I miss sugar. I quit eating it a couple of years ago to help me lose weight, but now I do it for my health. Think about it, if sugar can rot out a hard surface like your teeth, what is it doing to your soft tissue? I believe it’s like a drug addiction and nearly impossible to quit. Try and quit; I’ll bet you can’t. It takes determination, motivation, and you have to take control over your will; and that is the key! And another thing, the idea that you need to eat first thing in the morning to be healthy is just a lie. My last meal of the day is usually around 5:30 pm, and I don’t eat again until 11:00 am, and only an occasional snack. However, my meals are full-blown, high protein with plenty of necessary fat, to help me stay satisfied. Fasting for around 18 hours gives my brain time to clean up. I no longer have the ups and downs in my weight and have maintained the same size for more than a year and a half! I have more energy as a 55-year-old than I can remember of my entire life. It is the same will power that it takes to be consistently in God’s Word. You must be determined and motivated to get your spiritual health in check. You can’t do it alone, you need the Holy Spirit for both your spiritual health and bodily health, but you also have to take control over your will. The most important food you can eat is scripture; when you eat it, you will be satisfied!

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

September 15

We are not of this world. We changed the moment we accepted Jesus as our Savior. We died to this world and were given a new life filled with the Holy Spirit; this makes us different than others. If we don’t see eye-to-eye on issues, it’s because they are dead and still live in the flesh; we crucified our flesh, and live by the Spirit as ambassadors for Jesus. We are set apart from the rest, so we should not be living like the unsaved. 

The Lord placed a burden on my heart for those who struggle with strongholds, such as fear, unbelief, trauma, and rejection. Sometimes these things aren’t easily overcome, but if you set your mind to do it, and genuinely want relief from such burdens, you will work on getting past them. It’s not something you do alone; you must seek God and accept the assistance of the Holy Spirit; listen and follow his instructions. One caveat, you must be saved! Without Jesus, freedom is impossible, and your efforts will fall flat. When you’ve accepted Jesus, you turn away from your old habits and sins, and you start living a new life for him. If this change hasn’t taken place, you’re probably not saved and need to ask him to forgive you and to give you a new life devoted to him. 

I write this post to “The followers of Christ” as a way to draw attention to anyone who considers themselves saved, to help them turn and indeed follow him, knowing full well that many who identify as a Christian are not truly saved. Check your heart today, leave the past behind, and start fresh with Jesus as your Savior.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

September 14

People don’t want to believe in God’s wrath, but I assure you, it still exists in our New Testament times. Those of us who trust in Jesus have no worries because he has saved us. However, the world is full of evil, and disaster will come upon them for denying the power of God. When you read about the Old Testament disasters, you get a clear view of how powerful God is; he doesn’t play games. If you deny him, as many do today, he will impose his strength upon you, and you will either believe in him, or you will spend your eternity in hell. His wrath is not only for our afterlife, but it is in the here, and now, though many will say the power of weather has nothing to do with God and that it’s just a natural occurrence, I will say they are wrong! God uses earthquakes, storms, rains, fire, hail, plagues, insects, and other “natural disasters” as lessons to teach us to trust in him alone. Many things are out of our control that we must expect him to handle. We get into trouble when we try to control our situation when we alone have no source of power outside of God. If you are struggling today, look to God as your source; he is mighty. If he can control the weather conditions, you can bet your life; he can handle the trouble in your situation.

I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. Zephaniah 3:7-8

September 13

Are you fed-up yet? I am! I’m blazing through the minor prophets and nearing the end of the Old Testament, but today I’m lingering in Habakkuk. Though many of the Old Testament prophecies seem to resemble the issues we are dealing with today, Habakkuk seems to be mirroring it. The rioting and looting that are taking place before our eyes, the drunkenness, and idol worship, seem to mimic the Bible prophecy of old. Pay close attention; evil people govern these cities. Eventually, God will require payment from those who build up their wealth on the backs of the ordinary citizens and allow them to rot in the squalor of a downtrodden city. Doesn’t this sound familiar?

“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. Habakkuk 2:9-10

The mayors and governors protect their properties with the taxpayer’s money and let the rest of the city become ravaged by vandals! Their day of justice will come! If you have a chance, go and read Habakkuk. It’s only three chapters and well worth the read.

September 12

Finding out that an evangelist you once trusted has been accused of filthy misconduct can be devastating. Isn’t there anyone we can trust? Protect yourself, and remember that the enemy is waiting for anyone who speaks the Word of God to mess up so that he can shout it from the rooftops. He knows we are only human, and continues to push sin in our faces, and exploit any weakness we might have. We don’t know what lies beneath the surface, or what evil is hidden in the darkness of other people. What must we do? Ask for wisdom and stop relying on evangelist and preachers to feed you. You’re an adult; it’s time for you to begin feeding yourself. Everything we need to know is in the Bible. If you need help to ensure that you hear the Holy Spirit correctly, get a Bible commentary to use as a guide. A free source that is accessible to anyone online is called biblehub. It has several commentaries; you can use them all or select the one you like the most and use it to follow along with your daily reading. You need to get used to studying for yourself because the world is chipping away at our freedom of religion daily. The only way to be sure you are getting fed is to pick up the fork and eat!

I put the link to biblehub in the comments.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:12-14

September 11

Many of us remember this day like it was yesterday. We remember the emotions of fear and panic as we watched our country come under attack. I ran from school to school, gathering my children like a mother hen gathering her chicks, and rushed them home, hoping we would be safe there. Here I am, years later, wishing I could gather them up again and rush them to a place where we would all be safe, but they are all grown, and some have children of their own, and where would we go? Every country has its own set of problems. The terrorists of today are domestic. Who are these people destroying us? They are spoiled children who don’t know what it’s like to go without, so they cry like babies because of their overwhelming feelings. We need to force them to live in the mess they are making; then maybe they will know what it’s like to survive with nothing. One day we will stop paying so much attention to our feelings and recognize the truth. My only hope is that my children and grandchildren will all be fleeing with me when we hear the trumpet call to be gathered to our Savior. He is our only hope and our only safe place. It will be Jesus gathering us like a hen gathering her chicks, covering us, and protecting us from the brutality that exists all over the world today. Until that day comes, continue to trust in him, and hold on to your faith, because that’s all we have.

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Revelation 3:10-11

September 10

I think God has a sense of humor. We are made in his image, and I imagine our minds are like his in some ways. Yesterday, I woke up with a song in my mind, not just any music, but an old Jerry Reed song that I haven’t heard since I was a child, and that’s a lot of years! I had just finished reading Joel the day before and had probably glanced at the next book coming up, but had not dwelled on it. The song was Amos Moses! Here’s why it’s humorous:

Now Amos Moses was a Cajun

He lived by himself in the swamp

He hunted alligator for a living

He'd just knock them in the head with a stump

The Louisiana law gonna get you, Amos

I think the Holy Spirit was excited for me to get up and start reading this book and woke me up to this tune. I didn’t understand that until today. From humor to seriousness, and a call to pray and mount up to help if able.

We have forgotten our fellow countrymen in Louisiana and Texas who are still dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Laura. We are at ease in our air conditioning and refrigeration, while many are still suffering in this oppressive heat. The media is so fixated on the coronavirus that nothing else matters, so our attention is not given to the disaster of these two states. If you can help, please help; if not, please pray.

The following verses were in my reading for today and are similar to what Louisiana and Texas are dealing with, but may not be entirely in context because this was a prophecy against Zion. However, indeed, we should not rest easy while our brothers and sisters suffer from disaster.

O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, Amos 6:3-4

The photo is of my friend Suzy’s niece. She’s doing all she can to help. My friend is from Louisiana.

September 9

With all that’s going on in the world today, it’s easy to get caught up in the desire for Jesus’s return. Those of us who are saved are waiting for the call to meet him in the sky, which is different from his return; these are two other times. I imagine, when he calls us to meet him, and all his followers are brought home, mass chaos will break out on the earth. The Holy Spirit will be going home with us, which means that anyone wanting to receive Jesus as Savior will need to be prompted by their own conscience because his works will have ended. 

I learned a lot by reading part of Amos today. One particular thing that was brought to my attention was lamenting. Did you know that there are people skillful in lamenting? Sure you do! We all know people who cry over everything; we call them empaths. In biblical times, they would have had a job. You can see how weeping and mourning could cause you to desire Jesus to come now, but there is a “woe” that goes with that desire. 

Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light, Amos 5:18

Continue to pray, and get past your discomfort of living at the end of the end times. Do what you were called to do, and spread the word about salvation through Jesus. Our misery is nearly over, but the rest of the world will face much hardship; do not desire their hardship because, at that time, everyone will be skillful in lamenting, but it will have teeth!

September 8

Praise him when you’re stressed. Praise him when you’re anxious. Thank him for what you have, knowing what you’re going through is just a minor blip on the timeline of your life. You will get past this current dilemma, it is not here to stay, but it will serve to strengthen your character. Let me assure you, at your weakest moment; you will see the power of God. When you have nothing left, that’s when he can show you he has you wrapped up in love. Because of him, we hold the advantage, and even when it doesn’t seem to be working in our favor, I can assure you that it will, but we must wait on his timing. Guaranteed, we will win because of our faith in him and his faithfulness to us. Stand firm in your faith, but weak in yourself, because we are nothing without him. He holds us up when we are about to buckle and gives us the strength to carry on. Don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring, but trust that God has your back. 

As practical advice in troubled times, look outside of what you are expecting. Sometimes he helps you in other ways that push you along and keeps you afloat.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

September 7

A while back, my grandson and I were swimming at the beach, while Richard watched from the shore. We had gone out to a sand bar that was a little ways out. Richard began motioning that there was something big coming our way, but he couldn’t tell what it was. I love the beach, but the creatures that reside in the water freak me out! I tried not to overreact because I didn’t want to scare my grandson, so I remained calm and looked to see what it was; thankfully, it was just a manatee because it came within five feet of us!

Just yesterday, I was wading out to cool off from the heat of the sun; I was in water up to my neck; the further I went out, the colder the water became. Suddenly I was surrounded by tiny fish, which always causes me concern because I’m sure something big is chasing them. I stopped worrying about it and moved toward the shore. As I was enjoying the coolness, without noticing my surroundings, a fish ran into me! What the heck! I’ve never had that happen, but before I got out of the water, it had happened to me two more times! Not only was that a surprise, but I saw a fish that was about 5 feet long jump out of the water, and it wasn’t a dolphin! I think it was a tarpon. 

Just like there are great wonders in the ocean that we cannot see, there are wonders within our atmosphere that are hidden. We are surrounded by heavenly beings that are our allies. Though the enemy is among us, there are more that are on our side. Only one-third of them are against us, which means two-thirds are for us. Rest easy, though the scary ones make a lot of noise, the heavenly hosts are watching and protecting.

His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. Revelation 12:4