Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful weekend. We have company coming this morning and later we will pack the car as we will be
going to WI tomorrow to see Taylor and Ethan who you have prayed for in the past. We plan to stay overnight with them and
go to their church and potluck. Taylor is due next month to have their first baby and we hope she comes on Al’s birthday.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We have been living here at Northern Lakes for nearly seven years. When we first moved here, the tree outside our bedroom window where I daily write was small and the top did not reach up to our second story windows. I could see the service road, the courtyard, the woods and the front of other apartments. But gradually, this same small tree has been growing little by little, and now is very big and fills three-fourths of our window so that my view of those things is blocked. I can see somewhat to the very right, which is assisted living, but I can no longer see the flowers growing in the middle of the service road, only a side of the courtyard, etc.
The blocking of my view did not happen overnight, for it was so gradual that I was scarcely aware of what was taking place. What was once just a cute little tree is now a big looming tree that has overtaken my vision of what is before me. Isn’t that just like sin and the little compromises we start making to justify our behavior that do not line up with the Word? We may think such a little white lie won’t hurt, or slightly adjusting the financial books at work isn’t really stealing, but it does matter more than we are aware of at the time. Soon we may have to tell another lie to cover up the first one. Or we may have to do more adjusting with the financial records and soon we are in big trouble.
The enemy will always minimize the resulting seriousness of the temptations he puts before us. But let us be on guard, nip it at the bud by saying “NO” immediately and refuse to take his bait. We can stand on the Word and quote it back as Jesus did. When tempted to lie say, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” (Prov. 12:22) Or when tempted to cheat say, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.”
Whom do we want to please? If it is the Lord, we must say no to the enemy and yes to Him. He will give us the power to resist and we can call upon Him anytime and anywhere. (Jer. 33:3)
Challenge for today: Meditate on I Cor. 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy