Watch Where You’re Going
2 Peter 3:17-18 “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
When our children were little and getting ready to cross the street, we would often take their hand and tell them, “watch where you’re going, be careful!” Why? Because they were stepping into an area where things were coming at them from both sides. The traffic surrounding them was a danger to their safety and they had to be alert so as not to be hit, injured, or worse.
As believers, we have to be alert to those spiritually dangerous zones as well. Unbiblical teaching can come at us unexpectedly, even from sources that we may trust. And that’s often when our guard is down. Extra-biblical ideas and rules can creep in and begin to sound a lot like Scripture, yet have no basis. We begin to believe the authority of the speaker versus the authority of Scripture. Taking scripture out of context can warp the meaning and purpose of God’s words so that they become a method and means of herding believers into areas of belief and doctrine that are man-made, not God-ordained. We need to watch where we’re going and the direction of those who are teaching and leading.
Today, let’s pray for our sons’ and daughters’ personal Bible study time, that time alone with the Lord when He can teach us, convict us, encourage us and increase our wisdom and knowledge. It’s not easy...sometimes it can take years before someone really finds a way to do purposeful study of the Word and enjoy it. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit stirs in their hearts and works in them to give them a hunger and thirst for God’s Word. Pray that they find joy in their time with the Lord. Pray that their wisdom and discretion are sharpened so that they operate in the grace and knowledge of Jesus and that they can identify and reject ungodly teaching. Pray that they are alert and sober-minded, spiritually, so they are not caught off guard or deceived by the enemy and his operatives. Pray that they will watch where they’re going.
“Father, You long to have us spend time with You each day, reading Your word and communing with You in prayer. It’s so important, yet, we often sacrifice that time with you on the altar of busyness. I pray that today, (name) would be convicted in their heart to make time with You a priority. Help me to do the same. Lord, it’s so, so very important because that’s how we will grow in knowledge and gain understanding so that we can be wise and discerning. I pray that (name) would grow to love their quiet time with You. Give them a hunger and thirst for Your word. Open their eyes to see wonderful things in Your word that would propel them to want to learn more (Ps. 119:18). Help them to hide Your word in their heart so they would not sin against You (Ps. 119:11). May Your word be a lamp to their feet and a light to their path (Ps. 119:105) so they can clearly see the path of righteousness and avoid the dangers and deceptions that might harm them or lead them in the wrong direction. Lord, I pray that they would grow in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and they would have vibrant joy and a strong passion to follow You without compromise. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Follow the Leader?
1 John 3:7-9 “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”
“No one who is born of God will continue to sin.” That’s a true statement right there. If one is a believer, their heart has been changed, their motivations are redirected, their heart is attuned to the Savior and their desire is to do His will. So when someone ‘claims’ to be a Christ-follower, yet continues to sin, that should bring into question the authenticity of their faith. They may ‘talk the talk’, but if your spirit is unsettled by that person, that’s a good indication that all may not be as it seems.
We MUST be on our guard to avoid being led astray. Think about that statement ‘led astray’. It indicates that someone is a willing follower. They are ‘escorted’ to a place of sin, deception, danger and destruction. They’re not forced or dragged, they’re led, willingly following. Why would someone willingly follow a deceiver?! Well, because they’re not alert and watchful to the danger. They believe what they hear rather than evaluating the words and actions against Scripture. Friends, just because someone quotes scripture, does not mean they love the Lord, it only means they are able to memorize something. It doesn’t mean their heart has changed. Just because they carry a Bible does not mean they believe what it says. Far too often we look for ‘surface-y’ signs of Christianity and we jump on the bandwagon of someone’s message because they say or do something that remotely-reflects godliness. We are gullible and far-too trusting. We see it all the time - (can you say “politics”?) But even Satan quoted scripture. Think about that. Imposters are everywhere. Are we alert or are we oblivious. Look, there is no middle ground. Either you’re a believer or you’re not. The one who does what is right is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil. Period. No one who is born of God will continue to sin. Are we taking the time to truly evaluate who we trust, spiritually?
As the Day of the Lord grows nearer, the deception will grow more intense. Are we prepared? Are we alert? We cannot be complacent. We cannot be lukewarm. We need to shine the light of Jesus on everything we see, hear, and experience. We need to filter it through the lens of Scripture. Is it of the Lord or is it deception? Friends, it’s time that we step up and address the evil that’s trying to infiltrate and destroy believers. it’s not going to be a tidal wave, it’s going to be a gentle, unassuming current that begins to slowly move believers from their foundation into the stream of complacency and the river of indifference that will erode their faith.
Let’s pray that our sons and daughters critically analyze and evaluate what they see and hear according to Scripture. Pray that they would determine who they listen to and follow based on what the Bible says, not by what their ears hear and our hearts ‘feel’.
Take time to pray through these things today. Pray over your sons and daughters by name. Spend some time listening to the Lord as well. What is it that He’s calling you to pray over more faithfully?
Pray without ceasing.