If you have access to the news, and are aware of developments in our world, then certainly you must agree that there is ample evidence that the end of the world is approaching rapidly. Jesus told us to watch for the signs, as given in Matthew 24, and many other places, and these signs are increasing in intensity, just like the labor pains of a soon-to-be mother.
So what does the Bible urge us to do in light of the times in which we live? 2 Peter 3:10-18 gives excellent counsel which is summed up with the admonition to “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” How do we grow in grace and knowledge other than by increasing our exposure to the Word?
Satan is busy setting a trap for each one of us. He wants to catch
us off guard. He wants to deceive us. How can we prepare ourselves so as not to
be caught in his snare?
Many know they need more time with God in prayer and study, but life seems to get more hectic as time goes on. If we wait until we have more time, that time will never come. Satan is making sure we are busy, busy, busy, and the pressures of life increase daily.
If we continue on in our lukewarm, sleepy, distracted state, we will miss out. Jesus admonishes, in Luke 21:34-36: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
In Ephesians 5:14-27, we are being startled to Wake up! Redeem the time! Let Jesus wash you with the Word! God is doing everything He can to get our attention so that we will get into the Word, so He can prepare us for the end times. Satan can quote scripture, false prophets can misquote scripture, so we must make sure we are familiar with the Word. We must know what it really says.
God is, as it were, blowing a trumpet into our sleepy ears. He is pleading with each one of us, Get ready, get ready, get ready, I am coming soon!
Getting ready means that we need to have the Word of God, which is His living seed, abiding and remaining in us, so that we will not sin. (See 1 John 3:9.) So again, it all boils down to our desperate and urgent need to get into the Word of God, so it can get into us. In short, we must be Wordkeeping more and more and more! We will soon run out of time.
In our quick and easy society, we expect instant results. God requires perseverance, not just an instant fix. We need to build up our spiritual muscles by diligent exercise. We can’t let someone else do it for us. We can’t depend on our pastor or priest to get all the good stuff out of the Word, and then feed it to us. That would just make us spiritual invalids. We’ve got to dig it out ourselves!
Jesus commands us to WATCH! Over and over again He repeats it. He isn’t talking about watching the news here. He’s commanding us to give strict, focused attention to our spiritual condition, and to fortify our minds by immersing them in the Word.
How can you WATCH all day long, with your spiritual eyes wide open? The only way I know is to have your mind on the Word of God. Every decision, every plan, every proposal needs to be weighed by the Word. You can’t do that unless the Word is internalized. You need these scriptures to be running through your mind all day long. That’s why becoming familiar with the Word, through prompterizing, memorizing, or whatever method you choose, is an absolute necessity for the watchful Christian. Otherwise, Satan will catch us in his trap.
Lord, please help us to wake up, and to diligently watch in Your Word, so that we may be prepared for the snares that Satan is secretly setting for us!
Here are your ten texts for today.
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Pro
15:1 |
Asataw: bgwsua. |
Proverbs
15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. |
|
Pro
17:22 |
Amhdglam: babsdtb. |
Proverbs
17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth
the bones. |
|
Pro
22:6 |
Tuacitwhsg: awhio, hwndfi. |
Proverbs
22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will
not depart from it. |
|
Pro
29:18 |
Wtinv, tpp: bhtktl, hih. |
Proverbs
29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the
law, happy is he. |
|
Ecc
7:9 |
Bnhitstba: faritbof. |
Ecclesiastes
7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of
fools. |
|
Ecc
12:13 |
Luhtcotwm: FG, akhc: ftitwdom. |
Ecclesiastes
12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep
his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. |
|
Ecc
12:14 |
FGsbewij, west, wibg, owibe. |
Ecclesiastes
12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil. |
|
Isa
1:18 |
Cn, alurt, stL: tysbas, tsbawas; ttbrlc, tsbaw. |
Isaiah
1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool. |
|
Isa
8:20 |
Ttlattt: itsnattw, iibtinlit. |
Isaiah
8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this
word, it is because there is no light in them. |
|
Isa
9:6 |
Fuuacib, uuasig: atgsbuhs: ahnsbcW, C, TmG, TeF, TPoP. |
Isaiah
9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. |
In His Love,
Linda Kirk
(805) 239-1120