Unshackled Echo ~ February 1, 2019 ~ Update Virus Protection

My computer went through its paces slowly, freezing ever few seconds like a child trying to cross a yard while playing red light, green light. Finally it stopped trying at sat there loading one page on my web browser for what seemed like hours, but what was more likely about 45 seconds. I pushed the button and forced a reboot. As soon as everything came back up, which took so long that I knew I had turned my patience mode off without realizing it and said a quick prayer, I ran an anti-virus scan.
It finished and informed me that it found 4 files infected with malware but had done nothing about it.

What? It hadn't quarantined the bad files. Nothing had been cleaned or deleted or isolated. It didn't even bother to tell me what the files were. That's not how it's supposed to work. I have an awesome anti-virus program. I glanced up at the top of the box and read the words Not Protected. In small print below I saw that there was an update available. I clicked the button and began the download. After the installation  process finished, I ran the scan again. This time everything worked as it should.

I do have a good anti-virus program, but if it doesn't learn more, update to keep up with the new attacks, it can not protect my computer. Yesterday's understanding and knowledge isn't always enough. The same is true with our spiritual condition. We have a daily relationship with Christ, a 24 hour reprieve from the bondage and chains of our old nature and our addictions. That reprieve is contingent upon the maintenance of our spiritual condition.

As we begin our journey, sometimes a shallow understanding of spiritual things and who God is provides sufficient protection from the enemies and temptations of our souls. That is one amazing thing about grace. When we trust God with faith, even a small bit of understanding can move the mountains in our lives, do what we can not do ourselves, and provide refuge and peace that can not be shaken. But relationships must grow or deteriorate, even our relationship with God. His desire is for us to know Him more deeply, to close the gap between us, and for our understanding to mature.

In order to keep our spiritual condition effective and up to date, we can't rely on what we learned last year or even last month. We can't stand firm on the understanding of yesterday. We must continue to be teachable and allow for further and deeper revelation and understanding of who He is and His truths. The Word of God is alive, and as we take it in, we can receive more each time. We can gain deeper understanding, other meanings, and yes, even areas where we were wrong. We don't get all revelation right away. We couldn't handle it if we did. But learning is growing. If we don't grow, we don't learn. The enemy does learn though, and sees our weaknesses. He will adjust his attempts to bring us back into captivity based on the areas where we have holes in our shields. If we don't update our spiritual condition to close the gaps between us and God, we leave ourselves vulnerable to new and different traps. Sooner or latter we will crumble and fall.

To stay free we must constantly stay up to date with our protection by ever moving closer to the One who protects us. Let us not relay on yesterday's protection and understanding for today's dangers and trials. Let us renew and refresh our relationship and allow the Spirit to give us whatever information and make whatever changes in us that need to be made so that we can function as we should and remain strong, faithful and secure as we go through our day.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 1, 2016.

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