God's Word is swift and powerful and sharper than a two-edged
sword. It actually divides our soul and our spirit - separating us from the
deceitfulness that comes to us in disguise, masquerading as words of light.
These concepts seem right to us; but in the end, the wisdom
of the world and the lies of the devil only lead us to death for eternity -
both spiritually and physically (Proverbs 14:12, 21:16). They ring true to us
now, because they agree with our human philosophy; however, they are
destructive (Proverbs 16:25).
When we follow advice and wisdom that cause us to forsake
God's Words of Truth, the Bible calls us fools. This may anger us, or make us
embarrassed or resentful; but if we simply heed wise, Biblical truth, we avoid
the shame inherent in worldly, human choices (Proverbs 12:15-16).
We may need to pick and choose our friends and associates
more wisely too. The advice they give, and the example they live will only lead
us more astray than we already are (Proverbs 12:26). When we choose
Christ-followers to hang out with instead, we find the way of righteousness and
life (Proverbs 12:28).
It is normal and human to surrender to temptation. Yet, God
is faithful, and He will keep us from falling into temptation if we consult Him
first and foremost for our choices (Proverbs 3:5-6). We are able to see the
Truth, and to walk away from satanic and carnal influences (1 Corinthians
10:13).
When we repent of our self-righteousness, and realize our
need for the righteousness of Christ in our life, we actually decide to stop
walking in sin, and we turn around and walk in the opposite direction. We start
to rely on the Holy Spirit of Christ in us to guide our every decision.
Prayer:
Father God, we ask You to help us to change from carnal,
earthly behavior to Godly, spirit-led decisions. We no longer want to make a
practice of sinning, and we decide to pursue holiness through the leading of Your
only Begotten Son, Jesus. We will make a practice of serving You with our life
instead, by putting You first rather than our own goals and desires.
Continue to teach us that although we still live in the
world, we are not part of the world nor do we participate in worldly, sensual behavior.
We still have our vocation, take care of our home, and provide for and supply for
the needs of our family. However, we focus on the aspects of spiritual wisdom of
those issues now, rather than our own choices. We love You above all, and
continually give praises to Your holy name.
Thought for the Day:
We no longer allow sinful desires to control our thoughts,
words, emotions and actions, because we do not want Satan to use our body and
soul as his tools for destruction; instead we totally and completely give our
self to God, in order for Him to use us for His purposes while we live in this
earthly realm.
- Romans 6:12-14; Galatians 2:20
