Our son is a car guy. He loves automobiles, has owned a number of them and I like to think that he gets his penchant for keeping them neat and clean from me. I haven’t been as active with vehicles the last decade or so, but I have always appreciated driving something that isn’t the kind of car you see on the street very often. And throughout my life, I’ve owned my fair share of neat autos as well.
Back in 2015 or so, Andrew found a great deal on a used 2007 Corvette, the kind of car that every red blooded American boy wanted to have when I was growing up. It’s black, with a black interior and black wheels as well. And, it’s got a six speed manual transmission! I learned to drive stick back when I was a teenager but I was way too practical to own one when the kids were small and I was deeply involved in the corporate world.
Andrew drove the car for the summer season and then decided to sell it. Guess what? Janet and I bought it – finally coming to the conclusion that it may be fun to have a sports car in the garage. I won’t bore you with all the details, but it has been well maintained – and I don’t drive it during the winter months. For my 70th birthday earlier this year, Janet and Andrew replaced the sound system with a state of the art unit. There were installation issues but now, finally months later, it works great and was worth the effort to invest in the new system.
The next thing on the agenda was to work with the car finish and try to get out all the scuff marks and swirls out – those that have happened since the car was new in 2007. Andrew works in the business and so he made us aware of the latest and greatest technology to bring the car back to its showroom condition.
I have to admit that he picked up the car, asked a crew to work on it for several days and when it was delivered back to us, I couldn’t believe how good it looked. In fact, it wasn’t good – it was GREAT! Both Janet and I were thrilled with the whole experience. We took it for a drive this weekend.
So, the black paint glistens and the entire car was covered with a ceramic coating that is remarkable. Dust just seems to slide off and I shouldn’t have to wash it as often. However, it all comes at a price. They don’t suggest that I run it through a traditional car wash. Touchless or hand wash only… I can live with that. With a little care, the car should look great for years to come.
I was so impressed that I couldn’t help but be reminded of a Bible verse. In tonight’s offering, Paul reminds us that we must stay alert and protect ourselves from evil. He even tells us how to do it… He tells his church at Ephesus, and us, in Ephesians 6:11-13, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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 saints.”
My encouragement this evening is that Satan is always lurking but we have divine protection all around us – and its much stronger than any ceramic car finish. My prayer is that we will always keep ourselves protected with the full armor of God that can, and will, prevail against anything that may distract us from our mission to advance the kingdom of God. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…