Devotional Thought by Joshua: The Rip Current of the World

According to Wikipedia: A rip current, commonly referred to simply as a rip, or  "rip tide", is one specific kind of water current that can be found near beaches. It is a strong, localized, and rather narrow current of water. It is strongest near the surface of the water, and it moves directly away from the shore, cutting through the lines of breaking waves.

Rip currents can be hazardous to people who are in the water. Swimmers or floaters who are caught in a rip and who do not understand what is going on, may not have the necessary water skills, may panic, or may exhaust themselves by trying to swim directly against the flow of water. Because of these factors, rips are the leading cause of rescues by lifeguards at beaches, and in the US rips are responsible for an average of 46 deaths from drowning each year.

I got caught in the force of a rip current. It was last weekend and we were swimming at a beach in Manual Antonio. I had my boogie board and was enjoying big waves. Suddenly I realized that the rip current was pulling me deeper and deeper into the ocean. I was going farther and farther away from my family. My mom yelled for me to come in closer but I could not because the rip current kept pulling me out farther. I was so scared. My mom and dad realized I was in trouble and my dad swam out to help me. I was so happy to see him until we both were stuck. We kept trying to catch a wave that would push us back to shore but it was no use. Then a wave finally came and pushed me to shore. My dad was still far out but He was able to swim back in. Both my dad and I were so scared. 

I was surprised how quickly I got caught in the current and strong the pull was. This whole situation reminds me of the rip current of the world. The strong current is like the things of the world that pull us away from God. It so easy to get caught and pulled away from safety and protection of living according to God's word. In my story, my dad is like a brother or sister in Christ who go to help others that they see are in danger of being pulled away by sin and temptation. 
How can we avoid being pulled into the rip current of the world?
The Bible tells us to put on the FULL ARMOR of GOD!

Ephesians 6:10-1810 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (THE RIP CURRENT OF THE WORLD!). 12 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

This week I am going to focus on putting on the belt of truth. The belt of truth is knowing and trusting what God's word says... and not getting pulled away by the lies of the world.