1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Luke 21: 34 (ESV) “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
So, guard yourselves! One of the devil’s greatest ploys is to rock us into a gentle sleep. His attacks are mostly subtle and are there to get us just a little side-tracked. All too often this is what I sense when I visit a normal church service. The worship team might be on fire, the pastor’s sermon might push conviction on us to repent. But typically, I feel an underlying boredom or inability to react properly to the stimulus offered by the worshippers or the pastor by the audience. I plan to address this issue at a later time. But the weariness is present and it’s as if the entire church body is unaware that they have fallen into a spiritual coma. Yet they plod along because they feel it necessary to maintain their allegiance to Christ. This makes me very sad.
The determined disciple must guard his or herself from drowsiness and fatigue. How about a thermos of hot spiritual coffee? That means immersing yourselves into the Holy Bible till it wakens you back to a life filled with eagerness for your relationship with the Father.
Enthusiasm cannot be manufactured by imagination. It comes from dedication to seeking out God through His word. If you find yourself beginning to lag in your desire for Him, delve deep into the scriptures and seek Him out. His guarantee is that you will find Him!
Watch and pursue! Keep your relationship fresh! Be determined for it!
Amen?
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