12 Unto whom it was revealed, that
not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which
are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto
you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels
desire to look into. 13 Wherefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the
grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As
obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former
lusts in your ignorance: -I Peter 1:12-14 (KJV)
Have you ever had the experience of getting
a small cut on your finger which caused a surprising amount of discomfort?
Paper cuts may be the worst, but any sort of cut, no matter how small
can be painful. We must have a large number of sensitive nerves
in our fingertips because these small injuries can be troublesome.
A few days ago I sliced the tip of my thumb on my right hand and this
has bothered me all week. I am still not certain how it happened.
Try doing anything without using your thumb. My, that little appendage
is far more important than we realize. This tiny cut causes pain
just about every time I use my hand.
The Word of God warns us of the need to be
sober, prepared, and ready to face the challenges life daily throws
our way. We are called in Jesus Christ to walk forward in faith
rather than fear, and to live daily in the blessed grace God has give
through Christ. The grace of God in Christ is spiritual power
which inspires us to humility and steadfastness. Each day we have
an opportunity to grow in our walk with God. Instead of being
brought down by the trials of life we are instead made stronger.
We often think of the bigger problems as having the potential to knock
us off our feet, spiritually speaking, and indeed they can. However,
be aware of the seemingly smaller issues which can create larger problems
for us as well.
Be careful of allowing a small sight, an
unkind word, an immoral thought, or some perceived lack of consideration
to derail us from the spiritual victory God intends for us. Life
is a veritable minefield of temptations, distractions, and irritations.
Sometimes the seemingly smallest problem can become a landslide that
throws us into confusion. Many years ago a friend of mine was
working as a delivery driver for an auto parts company. The weather
was warm one day and he was driving his rounds with the window down.
A bumble bee made its way into the van and attempted to land on my friend’s
face. As he swatted the bee away he lost control of the van and
crashed. The van ended up on its side, but fortunately my friend was
uninjured. This is an extreme example, yet even the smallest distractions
have the potential to take our attention from what we truly need to
be focusing upon.
I have no way of knowing what sort of day
you are having right now, yet I know the power of Christ is awesome
power for rising above the problems we face and walking in spiritual
victory. A relationship with Christ is all about going forward.
Walk ahead today in confidence that the Lord is with you and will empower
you to spiritual victory. It’s going to be a great day.
God bless you.
