John 15:4-5 (NKJV) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Did you know that it’s possible for an airplane to end up in an entirely different location if they are off course by just one degree? As a matter of fact, if a plane continues to travel off course just one small degree, it will be off course ninety-two feet for every mile it travels. If it’s a 1,000 mile trip, they will miss the runway by 17.42 miles! While I’ve never seen this happen on one of my airline trips, I’ve seen it happen all too often with believers as they travel on that dusty road following Jesus!
It’s too easy to veer off course into areas and situations that we have no business being involved with, even if it’s just one small degree. The story shared by those who have veered off course spiritually is all too familiar. It always starts off with a strong response; a solid beginning; a positive start. They steady on in that direction for a while, sometimes a long while, until… (Yes, there is always that ‘until’) something derails their faith. A little compromise is embraced. A secret sin begins to develop. Their heart begins to callous. They continue on in that direction, harboring sin, nursing bitterness, holding on to that ‘little’ sin, and after a while the person you see at the end is nothing like the person that started out so strong!
Be extra careful to stay as close to Jesus as possible, abiding in Him. Take a moment today and pray for God to reveal things that have taken root in your life, all the while taking you slowly off course in your once-vibrant relationship with Jesus. When something is revealed, repent and forsake it! You’ll be blessed that you did.
By Grace,
Pastor Ed
Response
I enjoy your emails so greatly. Especially when they are what I need to hear and sometimes it feels like God made them just for me. Right now I find myself waiting for the Lord. My husband and I have been trying to become pregnant but have found that I have a condition that makes it more difficult. We decided I would take some medicine to encourage my body. After 4 months it just didn't feel right. After discussing it and praying about it a lot we have come to the decision to quit taking the medicine and to let it rest in God's hands. I feel we just rushed in to fix the problem. I have now come to learn that first of all, having a baby is not even just about me and that's a selfish way of thinking. And second, I find a great comfort in knowing that God truly knows what is best and his will be done. I know it is not his intent to leave me sad and that he has something else in mind for us. I admit I still struggle with my feelings, but emails like this help me get back on track and remind me that I need to wait on the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment