Monday, January 7, 2013

i know my rights!

Most Americans are familiar with the term, "Miranda Rights."  The U.S. Supreme Court decided the case to protect our Fifth Amendment rights.  Though probably not personally acquainted with the procedure, most of us have heard at least the beginning of it from movies and television.

You have the right to remain silent; (point one of six)
Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law;
You have the right to consult with a lawyer and have that lawyer present during the interrogation;
If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you;
You can invoke your right to be silent before or during an interrogation, and if you do so, the interrogation must stop;
You can invoke your right to have an attorney present, and until your attorney is present, the interrogation must stop.

And that got me to thinking:  There's a profound spiritual revelation contained here.

When the enemy of our souls comes at us, we should instantly seize our rights!  "You have the right to remain SILENT."  That means that before you even open your mouth to say, "Oh, poor me...how could this day get any worse...why me?...etc., etc., etc., stop! and think about the reality of those thoughts and words. Fear tolerated is faith contaminated.  I'll admit that it is hard to think fast, but we must stay one step ahead and remain confident that whatever is happening did not surprise our heavenly Father.  He has everything under control.  As the psalmist often wrote, "Selah," (which means "pause and calmly think of that")

If we don't resist the temptation to blurt out something stupid, then what follows next actually makes sense.
"Anything you say can be used against you..."  Boy, do we ever know what that means!  The enemy takes off and runs with it and uses our own words against us.  And all the while we are trying the patience of the one Who loves us most.  He's waiting, with mercy and grace, for us to grow up.  Let's not disappoint Him.

"You have the right to consult with a lawyer and have that lawyer present during the interrogation."  That's simple enough.  God's Word is the definitive law in our lives here.  When we take the time to consult His Word, we are reassured that He is for us and not against us.  And, when we allow Him to, He will be present with us in the midst of the trial, no matter how severe it may seem.

"If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you."  That's a fact.  While we absolutely cannot afford an attorney who is capable of standing before the enemy in our behalf, one has already been appointed for us.  His name is Jesus.  He was, and is, and evermore shall be, our advocate and friend.  Pause and calmly think of that!

"You can invoke your right to be silent before or during an interrogation, and if you do so, the interrogation must stop."  Did you catch that?  The instant we refuse to speak on our own, the attack (interrogation) must stop!  Why waste precious time trying to figure out who you can blame, when all you need to do is be silent and let Jesus plead your case.

"You can invoke your right to have an attorney present, and until your attorney is present, the interrogation must stop."  Don't waste a single moment.  Call on the name of Jesus.  He will be swiftly at your side, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against Him.  Without Him, we will face one loss after another.  There will be no peace in our lives.  Happiness and joy will elude us.  All we have to do is to stop trying to handle everything on our own.  He wants us to lean on Him when we are attacked.  He wants us to live a blessed life that will enable us to be a blessing to many others.  We have obtained great mercy at the throne of grace and all of our wrongdoing has been wiped away...no charge.  All because we owed a debt we could not pay...and Jesus paid a debt He did not owe.  He has already thought of everything.  When we submit ourselves to His wise counsel, we win...we always win.  Now that is cause for celebration!