God sometimes calls his people headlong into the dangers of their day. He led the nation of Israel into Canaan despite the challenges they would face. However, earlier in his ministry, “when he heard that John had been arrested, Jesus withdrew into Galilee” (Matthew 4:12). Clearly, there are times God calls us to serve him in dangerous places and times he leads us from danger to safety. How can we know which is true for us?
Ours is a day of declining commitment to evangelism, fueled in part by a growing belief that sharing the gospel is wrong in a culture that elevates tolerance above all other values. But the “passive congeniality” that is unwilling to speak of Jesus in everyday conversation is not enough.
Yesterday we discussed Satan’s temptation strategies and the importance of seeking God’s power over our Enemy each day. Today, let’s focus on a very practical way to do so.
While God forgives all we confess and forgets all he forgives, Satan does not. You may think you erased your sins from your spiritual “hard drive,” but he keeps them until a time he can use them most effectively against us.
Yesterday we discussed the temptation of “private” sins that seem to have no public consequences but keep us from being used and rewarded fully by God. Today, let’s accent the positive: private godliness positions us to be used by God in ways we cannot imagine beforehand.
I encourage you right now to take a moment for a spiritual inventory. Ask the Spirit to bring to your mind any “private” sins you are committing, then confess whatever comes to your thoughts, claim God’s forgiving grace (1 John 1:9), and ask for his help in refusing them in the future (1 Corinthians 10:13).
King David knew where to turn for the help he and his nation needed: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ our God” (Psalm 20:7). How can we offer such hope to our broken culture? How can Christians be part of the solution rather than the problem?
Documents reportedly show how Facebook ignores Instagram’s adverse impact on teens and the spread of misinformation on its platform. In addition, it reportedly makes alterations to its algorithmic feed that boosts user engagement while simultaneously increasing hostility and discontent.
"Put simply, the governments of today seem incapable of offering both representative and effective governance. And ordinary citizens have had enough."
Imagine the anger if the Court essentially overturns Roe v. Wade. Or if it doesn't.
