“Devil you are not going to win today!”

In the summer of 1975, my family on a Sunday morning was running late to Chouteau Baptist Church where my dad was a deacon and Sunday School Director.  Being in a family of five children getting anywhere on time was a real challenge for my parents.  We were about half way to the church when the right rear tire blew on the Ford Station wagon.  We pulled over and my dad got out of the car and started changing the tire leaving all of us kids in the car but except my bigger brother.  I had my window down and was hanging out of it watching my dad spinning the 4-way lug wrench and I could hear him talking and there was no one else around and he was saying, “Devil, you are not going to win today!” 

As I think back to that day now as a grown man I know exactly what was going on in my dad’s heart.  To be a Christian husband and father takes perseverance and at times in our lives, we feel something fighting against us to be the man and father God has called us to be and we are tempted to just give up.    Dear father’s, just keep spinning that 4-way and tell the devil he is not winning today and your children will remember it the rest of their lives, just as I did.  May the Lord bless our fathers with godly perseverance this Father’s Day.  Pastor Mark