Drug Deals and Discernment
Greetings sisters!
I pray you are redeeming the time for the Lord (Ephesians 5:16) for the days are evil. There is much to be learned and maturity to be had and if we strive every day, enduring through this world, we will be victorious over sin and gain in wisdom.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
(James 1:5-8)
James tells us that if we lack wisdom that God will give it to us as long as we don't waver, lest we be like a double minded man tossed about.We need wisdom in this world of deception for false teachers are on every corner and in every source of media. Not only are false teachers out there but false mindsets that we grew up with that might not seem like they pertain to faith but oftentimes they do. For instance I just wrote a post about disciplining children and in my mind I thought of 'Spare the rod, spoil the child'. I looked it up in God's Word and it said "HATE instead of spoil."
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. (Proverbs 13:24)
The word 'spoil' is different than the word 'hate' isn't it? That's just one example of a worldly mindset that we have to be wise and examine. What about this one: Brother Jim just asked a man (who claimed to be a believer) if he takes off his hat for the national anthem and the man said yes. (No we don't promote patriotism.) Brother Jim asked him why he kept his hat on while they were talking about the things of God when 1 Corinthians 11 teaches men to not be covered. This man blindly followed the things of the world without testing them to the Word of God even while claiming to be a believer.
The reason for this post is because I just had an example of how evil can happen right before your eyes and you might not even see or discern it.
We were sitting at a table and as I looked out the window over brother Jim's shoulder, I saw an old beat up pick up truck pull in by the curb. Two young men were sitting there and it caught my eye because I saw no reason for them to be sitting in that spot, based on the location. I thought to myself that someone is going to drive up and just a few minutes later a white truck drove up and one of the men got in the back seat and the truck took off, leaving the other man sitting there. I knew within a short time the white truck would be back to drop off that man, and that's exactly what happened. The man got back into his truck and the two drove off. That's how drug deals happen. Right before our eyes, things like that go on and many people don't 'see' it. I'm not saying everyone should recognize a drug deal (unfortunately I learned that in my unregenerate state) or that I catch everything going on, my point is that satan does evil against God, right in the wide open, and most Christians are blind to it because they are not discerning.
That shouldn't be so because our Father in heaven has promised us discernment if we come to Him (James 1). He promises that we won't be led astray if we keep in His Word and obediently follow it.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 20:12)
And we are warned to test / prove all things:
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
(1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Jesus commanded us to take heed not to be deceived (Matthew 24) and the Word of God equips us to protect ourselves. Even as keepers at home we need to have discernment because we will be out in the world doing what we need to do and therefore need to discern all things. If you have children you will need a lot of discernment when it comes to homeschooling, associations, activities etc.
We see Israel was destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)
By testing and proving all things we will learn to see what is of satan (even though it looks good) and what is of God.
Be strong sisters:
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
May God be praised!
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
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