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Be sober; be vigilant; because your enemy, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8
Where we live there are many birds and amongst them are a number of Kookaburras (the ‘laughing’ Australian bird). They are very sociable creatures and happily sit on the verandah railings while we chat to them or hand them tidbits. The latter is not advisable as they may well take advantage, as you will see. Recently our neighbours were enjoying a nice steak on their verandah when a Kookaburra came for a friendly call. He sat awhile and watched them eat. Suddenly spying an area of opportunity, he swooped on a piece of steak. Only my friend’s quick-witted work with a fork averted the loss of the steak. (The bird lived; it was the steak that she speared!)
Peter warned his readers of a similar thief, Satan, who is always watching for his chance to rob us of abundant life; peace, joy, provision, growth, health and all the other good things that God wants us to have as his children.
Have you ever experienced a boost of faith and excitement when you read your Bible or hear a sermon preached? The word seems to just leap at you and touch your heart with hope but no sooner had you left that place; your quiet time place, church meeting, or retreat, and circumstances came upon you to totally rob you of the faith and the hope that had begun to grow within your heart. The strength you had drawn from that word is snatched away and you sink into gloom once more and hopeless thoughts and feelings overwhelm you.
Jesus spoke of the word of God as seed being sown into the various types of soil (Mark 4:13-20). He said that the seed can, if not sown into good soil, fall by the wayside and Satan will come (immediately) and take away the word that was sown in the hearers’ hearts (vs15). It is important to care for the soil of our hearts and prepare it to receive the word (rhema) from God that will build us up. We also have to water it and guard it, just like I have to guard my vegetable garden from the possums and birds that want to destroy it.
We are in a fight for our faith. We have to earnestly contend for it (Jude 3). How do we do that? Jude goes on to say “..building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…. “ (Jude 20,21). We also need to feed on God’s word (even when we don’t seem to be ‘getting anything’ out of it), and fellowshipping with other believers.
Hold onto that word from the Lord as if your very life depended on it – it does. To walk in the abundant life requires persistence and faith. You can do it because God will give you the grace you need to contend. Just cry out to him when you feel weak and helpless, but whatever you do, don’t let the enemy snatch your ‘steak’!
Prayer: Jesus, Lord and giver of life, thank you for the life you have given me. Help me to contend for all the blessings that belong to me and faithfully trust you to help me through the difficult seasons. Amen
Where we live there are many birds and amongst them are a number of Kookaburras (the ‘laughing’ Australian bird). They are very sociable creatures and happily sit on the verandah railings while we chat to them or hand them tidbits. The latter is not advisable as they may well take advantage, as you will see. Recently our neighbours were enjoying a nice steak on their verandah when a Kookaburra came for a friendly call. He sat awhile and watched them eat. Suddenly spying an area of opportunity, he swooped on a piece of steak. Only my friend’s quick-witted work with a fork averted the loss of the steak. (The bird lived; it was the steak that she speared!)
Peter warned his readers of a similar thief, Satan, who is always watching for his chance to rob us of abundant life; peace, joy, provision, growth, health and all the other good things that God wants us to have as his children.
Have you ever experienced a boost of faith and excitement when you read your Bible or hear a sermon preached? The word seems to just leap at you and touch your heart with hope but no sooner had you left that place; your quiet time place, church meeting, or retreat, and circumstances came upon you to totally rob you of the faith and the hope that had begun to grow within your heart. The strength you had drawn from that word is snatched away and you sink into gloom once more and hopeless thoughts and feelings overwhelm you.
Jesus spoke of the word of God as seed being sown into the various types of soil (Mark 4:13-20). He said that the seed can, if not sown into good soil, fall by the wayside and Satan will come (immediately) and take away the word that was sown in the hearers’ hearts (vs15). It is important to care for the soil of our hearts and prepare it to receive the word (rhema) from God that will build us up. We also have to water it and guard it, just like I have to guard my vegetable garden from the possums and birds that want to destroy it.
We are in a fight for our faith. We have to earnestly contend for it (Jude 3). How do we do that? Jude goes on to say “..building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…. “ (Jude 20,21). We also need to feed on God’s word (even when we don’t seem to be ‘getting anything’ out of it), and fellowshipping with other believers.
Hold onto that word from the Lord as if your very life depended on it – it does. To walk in the abundant life requires persistence and faith. You can do it because God will give you the grace you need to contend. Just cry out to him when you feel weak and helpless, but whatever you do, don’t let the enemy snatch your ‘steak’!
Prayer: Jesus, Lord and giver of life, thank you for the life you have given me. Help me to contend for all the blessings that belong to me and faithfully trust you to help me through the difficult seasons. Amen
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