40-Day Devotion, Day 28

PREPARATION: READ EPHESIANS 5:15-17

Heed God’s Warnings

As any parent can tell you, the moment a child comes onto the scene the world become a much more dangerous place. The moment you hold a baby and realize you are charged with keeping him safe is the moment you become aware of all of the painful snares that surround us each day. Potential troubles lies in every direction. Try as we might, there is no way to protect a child from them all.

We all try, of course. We follow young children around, reminding them all the while to “be careful,” and cringing at every shaky step. We encourage them to try new things like hanging upside down on the swing-set, but then hold our breath as they do it, knowing what will happen if they slip. We exhort them to be brave enough to dive head first into the pool, swim in the ocean and ride a bike with no training wheels, but we give strict rules about how to do those things safely: Never dive in shallow water. Never swim alone. Only ride your bike at safe places. We encourage them to enjoy the outdoors, but we warn them to avoid muddy paths and steep drop-offs and busy roads. We do our best to help them make good decisions, knowing that even though we can’t protect them from pain and hardship, we can at least guide them past the worst of it if they will only accept good counsel.
I wonder if God experiences similar feelings as He watches us journey through this life. God never pretends life on planet earth is exempt from pain, difficulty or trouble. On the contrary, He affirms we will experience trouble and continue to do so until the glorious day Christ returns. But in the midst of these danger-areas, God does give us wisdom to avoid the worst pitfalls along the path – those places that wreck your life and harden your heart.

Several different places in Scripture seem to shout: “Be careful! Slow down! Look out! Turn back! Don’t choose that path!” Like any loving parent, God looks past this moment to the eventual results of our actions. He wants to keep us safe. Unfortunately, like stubborn children, we trot along oblivious to any consequences until we fall and get hurt.

That’s why so many of you can tell stories about times when you crashed spiritually – times when you lived recklessly or stepped carelessly and plummeted. Even today you may be trying to recover and pick your way back up the mountain. Others of you may feel your feet slipping or your grip weakening and wonder how much longer you can hold on. If that’s you, listen carefully, because your Heavenly Father who loves you wants to keep you safe and He has a message for you.

During the fifth week of our study, we will discuss those slippery slopes that lead to big trouble in our relationship with Christ. We will discuss why God, who wants to keep us safe, refuses to bless certain paths and why, often, the way He protects us is to point to those paths and say, “Don’t walk here! Stay away! Danger ahead!” When we ignore the warnings, the result is often great pain and devastation.
The overwhelming message of this week is clear: God loves you, and He wants what is best for you. As you ponder these devotions and reflect on your own climb, pray God will give you clarity, perspective and strength to move past those danger-areas that continue to cause your feet to slip. Instead, pay attention to His warnings, honor His instruction, walk in His way and answer the call. God wants to lead you to a higher place and position you to walk with Him on solid ground.

OUR CHALLENGE
Pray for the other members of your Home Accountability Group.
Look back over the devotions from the past week. Which ones were most meaningful to you?
Complete the table below to show how our culture views spiritual danger areas vs. how God approaches them:
DANGER AREAS Culture says God says
Temptation
Anger
Pride
Words
Friendships

Read 2 Corinthians 10:2-5. In a practical sense, how do Christians wage war differently than those in the world? What weapons to we use?