Slipping off the right path can happen so slowly and insidiously that we aren’t really aware of it until something drastic happens. We compromise a little here…we give in a little there…and before we know it – we’ve wandered far from where the Lord wants us. That’s why it’s so important to be ever vigilant…ever on guard for things that will cause us to jeopardize our faith.
Tag: family of god
Psalm 95: 6-7 ” Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”
We are the sheep under the watchful eye of the Good Shepherd. Ever protected and cared for, we need not wander away from His ever present safety and security. Thank you Lord for being such a good Father.
Proverbs 22:6 ” Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
As Job mused in Chapter 12:12, “Is not wisdom found among the aged?” Sometimes it will take until a child has matured to adulthood that they finally grasp all the Godly instruction they’ve received at home. From early on, we try to impress on our children the importance of living a life for Jesus…but many times it seems like it falls on deaf ears. But don’t give up, for this is a scripture with a promise for all parents. Keep pouring good into your children…and good will come out.
Psalm 95: 1-2 “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”
We tend to go to the Lord in bad times only…when life is treating us unfairly and we’re filled with sadness. But the Psalmist is telling us – Go to God when your happy and content…Go to Him when life is good and you feel truly blessed of Him. For He desires to hear you during the hard times…but He delights in hearing your praises.
I Samuel 1:10 ” In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.”
Hannah wasn’t just upset…she wasn’t just sad. Hannah was totally heartbroken and in anguish for what she saw as insurmountable odds. From deep within her being she poured out her soul…pleading for God’s mercy. And the Lord heard her and moved. You may be feeling as hopeless as Hannah today, but remember, God is listening to your prayer and He will move.
Proverbs 25:28 ” Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. “
When a city has no defenses…the enemy can come in – invading and conquering without opposition. When we allow our inner self to act out without restraint…the enemy comes in also. He comes in to overpower our dignity and flaunt our volatility. He holds captive our discretion and boasts of our instability.
Joshua 24:31 ” Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who out lived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.”
Moses had mentored Joshua as his successor…but Joshua had failed to do the same…and as a result, the next generation after Joshua’s death succumbed to idolatry. God’s people are always just one generation away from turning their backs on everything their parents and grandparents believed in. Todays Church needs to be focusing on young people…drawing them in, encouraging, and disciplining them, for they will be the ones carrying the Word of God on in the future.
Isaiah 30:15 ” This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’ “
God really does know best, and always has our best interest in mind. But we sometimes think we know better. Exodus 14:14 is an excellent example of what the Lord is trying to tell us in the verse…”The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Our strength is derived from hope and obedience, not sheer force and brute determination.
Psalm 88: 2-3 ” May my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.”
There comes a time in everyone’s life when anguish, grief and heartache takes over our body. We truly feel that we are approaching death…the pain is that intense. But we can’t allow the pain to overwhelm and consume us…rather, we need to allow the Lord and others to help pull us from the abyss…until the darkness subsides.
Ephesians 6: 17 ” Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The Roman soldier’s helmet was a defensive weapon…covering and protecting the head, while the sword was an offensive weapon…used to attack the enemy. Each day we need to intentionally cover our mind with the blood of Jesus…asking Him to guard what we look at, listen to, and think about. We need to then take up our sword – the Scriptures – and armed with that Truth, we are then able to cut through the deception of the enemy.
Safetypinlove 