Satan Wants Us Off Track
Be Strong, Be Well — Tuesday, June 16
While we were spending time with our family recently, we had opportunities to discuss the current unrest in our country. No doubt this is a discussion your family and friends have had, or at least a topic of your own personal reflection. We can’t escape it. It has come to our own community.
The Jenkins Institute is a website designed for preachers to receive prayer, support, encouragement, and food for thought. I want to pass along some excerpts from the 4R Monday article from yesterday. I believe these thoughts will be beneficial for every Christian.
“Coronavirus. Isolation. Loneliness. Civil unrest. Partisan politics. Divided country. Murder. Chaos. Confusion. Rioting. Divided churches. Health concerns. Family issues. Economic stress. Job loss. Temptations. Trials. Turmoil. Tribulations.
Any one of these alone is difficult, but all at the same time? It’s enough to make the strongest among us lose our focus...”
“I am fully convinced that Satan wants us to get off track. He will use any and every means possible to cause men of God to lose focus. If he can get us to lose our focus, we will become discouraged, disheartened, dejected, and depressed. If he can get us to lose our focus, it will be easier for him to disqualify us from the work.”
Every Christian (elders, preachers, fellow workers in the kingdom of God—all of us) need to be careful not to allow anything in this world to overwhelm us and cause us to become like the world. Being worried and feeling hopeless should not describe the child of God!
When we are tempted to fall into that kind of mindset, remember, we have help. We are not alone. We can overcome.
“If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul” (Psalm 94:18-19).
“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Psalm 56:3).
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand“ (Isaiah 41:10). —Chris