"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)
Be alert.
"Alert" literally means "to stay on guard" or "to keep watch." Our Father wants us to stay alert and always be on guard. Columnist Herb Caen wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. And every morning a lion wakes up knowing that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up you'd better be running." It doesn't matter how long we have known God, we must get up each day, prepared to guard against sin, knowing we will face temptation.
Get in the Word
Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (NIV).
The best way to stay alert and the greatest deterrent to sin is the Bible. It is important to remember that God's truth came before Satan's lies. When God's truth comes first in our lives, we will be able to recognize the lies of Satan and temptation will be easier to withstand. When we get away from God's Word, however, we become an easy target for temptation and sin. Sin will keep us from God's Word or God's Word will keep us from sin.
Pray continually.
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "never stop praying." But many times, we pray only as a last resort. I read about a kindergarten class that went to the fire station for a tour. The fireman was explaining what to do in case of a fire. "First go to the door and feel the door to see if it's hot. If it is hot, fall to your knees. Does anyone know why you should fall to your knees?" A little voice spoke up, "Yeah, to start praying and asking God to get us out of this mess!" How true! The power to withstand temptation comes from a praying heart. The devil will do anything to keep us from praying. He laughs at our religious activities and mocks our human wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.
Let's Pray
Lord, today I come to You with a new commitment in my heart - to pray continually and to read and study the Bible. Strengthen me through Your truth and empower me to stand against temptation and sin. Make me more aware of Your presence and power, Lord. I want to be a godly man/woman, a man/woman of discipline, a man/woman whose life honors you and draws other to You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
by Mary S BGW
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