My husband and I looked down row after row of items placed on tables at the auction. The elderly owner had moved to a nursing home and her prized possessions were on display for all to see and hopefully buy.
I don’t think I have ever witnessed a more complete collection of extremely old dishes and glassware and I am certain that I have never even seen a picture of the stunning porcelain doll reclining on white tissue in its original box.
The delicate features were hand painted and beautiful blonde hair was woven into a bun at the nape of her neck. The empire style cotton gown she wore had at one time been snowy white but was now yellowed with age. Two faded silky pink ribbons tied the dress together in the back.
“Can we bid on it?” I whispered to my husband. He smiled and replied that because of the perfect condition of the extremely old doll, it was a collectible and was completely out of our price range. He was right. The bidding began $100.00 higher than what we could afford.
Very quickly a bidding war began for the antique doll and just as quickly it narrowed to two very different people: an older gentleman with a ponytail and black beret and a woman in her 30’s wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans. But they were alike in one important way: their determination to own the doll.
At first the auctioneer jumped the bid in $20.00 increments but he immediately saw the battle ensuing so he increased each bid by $50.00 as he looked from the woman to the man. Neither would back down as each was determined to outbid the other.
As I watched in astonishment at the increasing price of the doll, it occurred to me that the gentleman and the woman had not one but two goals in common. First, both obviously wanted the doll. But secondly, each one was determined to win the bidding war no matter the cost.
We too are in a bidding war every single day of our lives but unlike the battle between two people for a doll, our fight “is not against flesh and blood” as we are told in Ephesians 6:12. Our fight is against Satan.
Let me be very clear. Satan hates us as believers. And he will try everything that he can to “outbid” the Lord for our souls. The cost is irrelevant to him as he tempts, deceives, lies and accuses. What he fails to understand is that the bidding war is over because the price has already been paid on a Cross.
By the way, the winner of the bidding war for the doll? Well, that depends on how you look at it. The woman in the sweatshirt bid the most and got the doll but she paid $550.00 more than its value. She won the bidding war but was it worth it? I encourage you today to hold fast to the One who paid and won the highest price of the bidding war for our souls with His life.
Father, may I always be on guard against the war raging against me. Thank you for the power of Jesus who has paid the price and won that war. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
R.A.P it up . . .
Reflect
“Can we bid on it?” I whispered to my husband. He smiled and replied that because of the perfect condition of the extremely old doll, it was a collectible and was completely out of our price range. He was right. The bidding began $100.00 higher than what we could afford.
Very quickly a bidding war began for the antique doll and just as quickly it narrowed to two very different people: an older gentleman with a ponytail and black beret and a woman in her 30’s wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans. But they were alike in one important way: their determination to own the doll.
At first the auctioneer jumped the bid in $20.00 increments but he immediately saw the battle ensuing so he increased each bid by $50.00 as he looked from the woman to the man. Neither would back down as each was determined to outbid the other.
As I watched in astonishment at the increasing price of the doll, it occurred to me that the gentleman and the woman had not one but two goals in common. First, both obviously wanted the doll. But secondly, each one was determined to win the bidding war no matter the cost.
We too are in a bidding war every single day of our lives but unlike the battle between two people for a doll, our fight “is not against flesh and blood” as we are told in Ephesians 6:12. Our fight is against Satan.
Let me be very clear. Satan hates us as believers. And he will try everything that he can to “outbid” the Lord for our souls. The cost is irrelevant to him as he tempts, deceives, lies and accuses. What he fails to understand is that the bidding war is over because the price has already been paid on a Cross.
By the way, the winner of the bidding war for the doll? Well, that depends on how you look at it. The woman in the sweatshirt bid the most and got the doll but she paid $550.00 more than its value. She won the bidding war but was it worth it? I encourage you today to hold fast to the One who paid and won the highest price of the bidding war for our souls with His life.
Father, may I always be on guard against the war raging against me. Thank you for the power of Jesus who has paid the price and won that war. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
R.A.P it up . . .
Reflect
Have you ever bid on an item at an auction and paid more than it was worth?
How does that compare when you think of how much the Lord gave in exchange for your soul?
Apply
Draw a vertical line on a page in your journal and put Jesus in one column and Satan in the other and “war” at the top of the page.
Look up Scripture that describes our value to Jesus and to Satan in the bidding war for our souls and write it in each column.
Power
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 10:10 (NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)
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