Patti Burris

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

A breastplate is an item worn by warriors/soldiers over their torso to protect them from arrows and/or bullets that are fired at them from the enemy.

As Christians, we must get in the practice of putting on our breastplate of righteousness every morning to protect our hearts from the arrows of confusion, chaos, sin and negative emotions that Satan fires at us. It is our heart that he aims for, so we must protect our hearts with the breastplate of righteousness. How do we do this?

We must know God on an intimate level. God is righteousness. We must learn how to be righteous from Him through His Word, the Bible. Get into the Word. Make a commitment to read the Bible through. You don’t have to read it through in a year. I want you to really study the Bible, looking for hints as to who God really is. I want you to soak in what He is saying to us, His children. I want you to really understand the characteristics of God and build that intimate relationship with Him.

We must be open to the Holy Spirit as we go throughout our day. God has used a situation with my 20 year old daughter to open my eyes to how He parents us. This last year has been rough as I try to parent her through some tough times, but through this process, I have felt how much God loves me, even when He may be frustrated with me. He never gives up on me. He deals with me tenderly, with love and patience. Feeling that love, I in turn have dealt with my daughter in the same way. I put on my breastplate of righteousness in this situation. The arrow that Satan meant to cause chaos and heartache, I turned around and used as a growing tool. I didn’t do it alone. God sends the Holy Spirit to guide us, every step of the way.

Protect your heart. Be aware that Satan may be using a situation to get you to act in sin. Make the choice to act in righteousness. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, giving you the strength to do what is right.

Know that you are never alone in this struggle to be righteous, in a sinful world. If you find yourself in need of encouragement, contact me. I am here and I understand. Be Blessed, single mom!