Depantsed

Yes, it has been a long while. Forgive me as this year is packed full of mile marker anniversaries, birthdays, and graduations. Perhaps the celebrations will slow a bit and we here at God’s Word Girl can return to a more regular schedule. Perhaps . . . Without further ado, let’s dive into today’s post.

We were at a picnic at the in-laws’ home. Bob was carrying a crock pot into the house for his mom when he stopped dead still and turned to me. I was maybe about 20 feet away from him. He had a peculiar look on his face, like a fawn found in the thicket without its mother. I paused my conversation with a niece-in-law and looked at him, not understanding what he wanted.

“What?” I asked.

He continued with that odd expression.

“What?”

His voice was low, so only those of us in close proximity could hear: “I’m not wearing a belt. My pants are falling down. I’m not going to make it (to the house).”

I got up from the bench, grinning, and went to his rescue, hiking up his jean shorts. He was wearing such nice, red, silky boxers. It seemed a pity to hide them but I understand his not wanting to put his underwear on display for the entire family. 😉

Bob’s experience made me think of several verses in the Bible that refer to “girding up the loins” (Proverbs 31:17, Job 38:3, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Kings 18:46). People in Bible days wore long robes, down to their ankles. When in action, they reached between their legs, pulled the robe from the back to the front, and tucked it up into a girdle, in essence a belt, (which then probably looked like a baggy pair of shorts), so as not to restrict their movement.

Stay with me . . .

Mum saw the brightly colored field of flowers again, the one that has given us so much hope. It was nearly 3/4 of the way full. What she didn’t anticipate was seeing a black line under the green of the field. It alarmed her. Then she saw 2 ravens.

“What does this mean, LORD?” she asked.

“satan is trying to steal away the blessing. It is here, but he is trying to take it.”

Great, just what I wanted to hear.

I joined her vision with Bob’s near depantsing and considered all that we have been praying for as individuals and as a nation. We can’t quit. We can’t give up believing for and decreeing vocally what God wills until it is done. People, we must not be caught with our pants down! satan isn’t quitting, so neither should we.

There’s also a lesson to glean from the crock pot that Bob was carrying. I was attending a mid-week Bible study recently and the teacher was saying how we are a microwave generation, wanting things instantly, when food actually tastes better when slow cooked in a crock pot. I have heard her reference to this many times prior. But suddenly I had a new revelation that pertained not to our impatience, but how we behave while we’re waiting. When I assemble my meal I do not sit and watch it cook; that’d be pointless. Instead, I go about my day, attending to other things, and let the crock pot do the work. When we’ve committed our petitions to God, we must leave them with Him. He is capable. Continue in faith, trusting that it shall be done as He has said. Let’s give our prayers time to “cook” so we will taste and see how good the manifestations are. God will have His way.

After Mum saw the black, we returned to fortify our prayers concerning the original vision by reiterating our trust in His will and goodness toward us by praising Him. Guess what? Yellow flowers began popping up where Mum was seeing black. God is on the move. Let’s not doubt that. Join me in tucking our righteous robes into our belts, moving with God, and continuing in earnest to run for ourselves, our families, and our nations.

If we happen to see a brother or sister about to be depantsed, let’s not sit still and let them be humiliated. Go alongside and hike up their pants. Help is on the way. If you have it, offer it; if you need it, ask for it.