Thursday, August 16th> 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15
Just as in a regular "lineup", what disguise does the enemy use that requires us to point him out? He comes camouflaged in light, always with the outward appearance of good. The more determined we are to grasp the things of God firmly, the more subtle and sneaky he becomes. But there are some "red flags" that will immediately give him away -- if we are sober, alert and paying attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
One of the things we must watch for is the deviation of the enemy's counsel from the Word of God. Whatever he's trying to convince us to do may APPEAR to bring God glory, but at a closer glance, the only thing it will accomplish right now is bring ME instant gratification. For example, if I'm being tempted to purchase something that costs a lot of money, the enemy's counsel might be, "God wants you to be blessed. He said He'd supply all of your NEEDS according to His riches in glory." What we may decide to do next when we hear that makes all the difference in the world.
The enemy is hoping that we will be so wrapped up in the fact that God's Word is used that we won't go any further. But that is only the beginning of the process. What about our motives? WHY do we really want that thing? Is it vanity, or something our family really needs right now? Is this purchase something the family can afford at this time, or will we be set back because of it? Which leads to the question --how will we be paying for this? Have we saved up for this item, or getting it on credit that will get in the way of our tithing and giving according to God's will?
It's not enough that the messenger talking to us seems bathed in light. Today's passage warns us that the enemy can imitate light. It's what comes BEHIND that light that will reveal how true to God's Word the messenger is. As we expose our motives to God's light through His Word, we'll be able to tell whose agenda is really being presented: God's, or the enemy's. After this process, we still have to decide whether we REALLY want to do things God's way, or our own. I pray that we've lived through enough destructive decisions to know that ONLY God's way works FOR us rather than AGAINST us. But no matter what, it's time to "snitch" on the lying, scheming thief who only wants to steal from us, and destroy our lives. So WATCH OUT FOR THAT LIGHT!!!
It's not enough that the messenger talking to us seems bathed in light. Today's passage warns us that the enemy can imitate light. It's what comes BEHIND that light that will reveal how true to God's Word the messenger is. As we expose our motives to God's light through His Word, we'll be able to tell whose agenda is really being presented: God's, or the enemy's. After this process, we still have to decide whether we REALLY want to do things God's way, or our own. I pray that we've lived through enough destructive decisions to know that ONLY God's way works FOR us rather than AGAINST us. But no matter what, it's time to "snitch" on the lying, scheming thief who only wants to steal from us, and destroy our lives. So WATCH OUT FOR THAT LIGHT!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment