Yahoo! Voices website was hacked by a hacker group called “D33ds Company,” which proudly claims responsibility for leaking 450,000 usernames and passwords. Did you hear about that Daily Cup family?
These malicious cyber criminals confiscated sensitive information and made it publicly available to those seeking to infiltrate users’ private networks for their own personal gain.
This is crazy.
In a culture where cases of identity theft abound, it always makes me uncomfortable to think about online crooks lurking, phishing, and waiting to pounce.
Now, this probably wouldn’t be on my mind so heavily if I were not a Yahoo! email client and if they hadn’t gridlocked all my email accounts because they “suspected” my “passwords had been compromised” over the weekend.
Yikes! O_o
When I tried to log in as I typically do, I had to jump through a series of hoops and over hurdles, and still was denied access to my messages. I even lost the ability to get business emails on my Blackberry which was enough to send me into a panic.
You see, there are lots of important and time sensitive communications I have to read from colleagues that were blocked because of this major snafu.
But I knew panicking wouldn’t fix this.
All I could think was, “How ironic that I blogged about tech glitches and all their ‘breakdowns, setbacks, and mishaps’ Friday.” The blog post I’m referencing is titled, “The Mature Approach to Setbacks” and points out the importance of taking things in stride, and not allowing them to consume you.
If you didn’t read it, take a moment to do so now and then you’ll see why I was pondering, “Hmmm…could God be testing me?”
It seemed so, that’s for sure.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were filled with technology malfunctions—the kind that could have serious implications, both in business and privacy-related matters.
I had to make a conscious decision not to have a conniption.
Throughout this process, it became abundantly clear to me that I could choose one of two options: I could simply “talk a good game” or I could “walk my talk” by personally applying the lessons God had led me to share.
Was I merely going to be content preparing a fresh cup of inspiration for others, while failing to drink and benefit from it myself?
No!
So you know what I did?
I prayed my way through the test, while cyber attackers preyed on me. I kept a good attitude about the whole thing and didn’t wig out. I worked with Yahoo! to resolve the issue and remained patient with the process, even when things weren’t going well.
With God’s help, I took those divinely inspired lessons stirred into Friday’s cup of inspiration, swallowed them down and allowed the power of the word of God to help me peacefully navigate the situation.
So what about you? When you’re confronted with an obstacle that directly challenges the word of God in your life, do you begin doubting the very word you once faithfully believed and spoke?
Do you become double-minded and double-tongued? Does your faith-filled conviction get reduced to a fear-filled confession of doubt?
God wants us not only to speak the word to ourselves and others, but to believe and apply that same word, both in good times and bad.
To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring I Corinthians 9:27 NIV into your cup of inspiration which says, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup of inspiration, you will be reminded of the essential nature of biblical application, unwavering faith, and firm conviction. In times of trouble, you will be even more resolved to be the first partaker of every divine word you take in and give out.
You will both "talk it and walk it," making that a principle by which you live.
In times of trouble and testing, your belief will not be shaken nor your confidence shattered. Instead, you will cling even more tightly to the God's word and let His word, not the circumstance, control you.
Now let’s pray together.
God, it’s easy to say I believe You and claim to be governed by Your word. It takes very little effort to say that with my mouth, but I want to believe it in my heart and see evidence of it in my life. Please help me to remain consistent, stand boldly, walk confidently, and live unwaveringly according to my faith in Your word alone. In times of hardship and testing, please remind me that everything else fails, but Your word stands forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
