With the cold weather and the wintry mix that we've been
getting I placed an order for some rock salt. I want to be prepared. My eyes caught a good deal on some ice melt so I proceeded to order this bucket that
would carry me through the rest of the winter.
What keeps me and holds me together as I live my life? I am
a believer. What does that mean? I have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. I trust
Jesus. He came to save my life. I believe that he died on the cross and on the
third day rose again. When he left the earth, he sent what he promised, the
Holy Spirit, which guides me daily.
And she lived happily ever after.
There are forces, a spiritual war that believers are caught
in. My life is redeemed and belongs to the Lord. Yet there are entities trying
to diminish my effectiveness.
Everything is not what it seems to be! Read the fine print!
The warning - stay on the alert! I'm an excellent shopper
yet I got caught off guard in my recent purchase.
I’m savvy, I was confident. As I shop online I often ask the Lord to show
me what I need because often my shopping cart is filled with what I want. That is a discipline that I continue to learn daily.
As a believer I must remain vigilant. It's more than an online shopping experience.
The repercussions are costly.
Everything must be filtered through the Word of God. My emotions may be easily fooled. The heart must be examined by the Lord. A constant dialogue with the Holy Spirit must be my daily pursuit. My heart might try to trick me. My emotions can
be easily fooled. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Everything must be tested.
The apostle Paul spoke to the Corinthians and warned them!
The enemy of our soul is a great deceiver. He lies, he deceives, he tricks, and
if we’re not careful his influence can lead us astray.
Many have been led astray by false teachers and doctrine. (2 Corinthians 11) This is not a pit that the
people of old fell in. This hole exists and consumes people today.
It's beautifully decorated. The road is wide, lined with
trees. If you listen carefully, you
might hear the conversation. It is not the birds chirping and praising the Lord
early in the morning. The rustle of the tree leaves speak of danger.
It's the same conversation that Adam and Eve had with the
serpent. A little twist here and a little change of language and mankind was
deceived and fell. Disobedience left a
terrible imprint.
The Bible says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is
the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and
only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
God’s Word reminds us, that he who delights in the Lord, “That
person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in
season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 3)
Pick up the sword! It is the Word of God. Pray and ask the Spirit
of God to give direction. He can open our eyes to really see and cause our ears
to hear correctly. Pride can come in and begin to tell us that we are secure.
But we must consult with our heavenly Father. Fight to remain!
My online order status said it would take a little longer
for delivery, so I cancelled the order.
A few days later I received a package in my mailbox. I
don't have a big mailbox. The item was
wrapped in plastic. I looked at the package and I was baffled. I had no recent orders. I began the unwrapping
process. I'm still unsure. What could this possibly be? As I removed all the packaging, inside this plastic bag was
an item the size of a handball.
Lo and behold, there was a tiny little mini bucket of
rock salt. Now if you are as confused as I was - now we can laugh! The item that I ordered (in
my savvy shopping excursion) was not a big bucket of rock salt. The small print
under the item description read that this was a miniature rock salt bucket to
be used as a Christmas tree ornament! It’s January!!
Oh, the lesson isn't finished. This tiny replica cost me
$23. Praise the Lord I got a refund!
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1
Peter 5:8)
It can happen that quickly. Deception, trickery, accusation,
pride, a world wind of confusion, anger, misrepresentation, lying, stealing, a
whisper laced in gossip – be on the alert!
There is a battle waging!
I'm not as savvy as I thought I was.
I'm thankful that as a believer I have a great Counselor to
give me advice and direction. He teaches me about what I need, not what I want.
Lord, I am your child. Lead me and I will follow.
The Lord does not use fine print. He makes it
very clear to all who will listen. He loves us.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John
10:10)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)
The quickest decision we can make that leads to life is to
say yes to Jesus! That's NO DECEPTION - it is life!
God bless you!~Liz
