Beware of the Thief

We have been on the road for 6 weeks now. We’ve driven nearly 7600 miles, traversed 2 countries, 16 states, 4 provinces and streamed 6 events. The pace has been hectic to say the least! Short of our friends in ministry, we have seen very little Christ centered activity. Our ears have been filled with rock and roll music from the 70’s and 80’s instead of the Christian music we are use to hearing at home.

Yes, we like the music we grew up with, but there is a danger, a frog in the boiling pot type of threat, we must be aware of. The secular world has pressed in hard on us as our country turns further and further from the Lord. Between what we hear and see, as Christ followers we must make a concerted effort to stay connected with the Lord. I do that through my daily devotionals and I also receive a few Twitter feeds, emails and check in on my Christ following brothers and sisters through Facebook.

I often think of what it was like during the early Christian church and all the followers dealt with in those days. Life was a struggle less alone to be a follower of ‘the way’. I think we have it pretty easy in comparison.

We were created for relationship with our Father, how are you growing yours with Him today?

Blessings

Beware of the Thief
by Os Hillman

“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.” Luke 12:39

What are the times when you and I are most vulnerable to being caught off guard by the enemy of our souls? One of those times is just after you’ve had a great victory. Consider Jesus when He was baptized and was about to begin His public ministry. He was taken away into the desert to be tempted by satan.

Leisure time is another place in which satan seeks to take us off our normal routine of personal quiet times. In the normal routine of life, our senses are tuned to the need to draw upon God’s Spirit to see us through the activities of each day. However, when we get away from our routine and go on vacation, we can often drop these routines. We wrongfully think that we do not need to spend time with the Lord during leisure times. This is a grave mistake. The vacation becomes a test of character. During vacations we turn freely to what we love most. It reveals to us what is at the core of our existence.

A teacher in a large school reportedly said, “The greatest difficulty we encounter is the summer vacation. Just when we have brought a student to a certain discipline and place in their study habits, we lose him; when he comes back we have to begin all over again.” It is the same in our spiritual lives. It only takes a small crack in the door of our heart to lose our spiritual focus.

This summer, be on guard when times of retreat are made available to you. Use these times for spiritual refreshment, not just physical refreshment, and you will keep the thief from entering your house.