BEWARE of the LION!

Good morning, blog readers, from clear and cold (10 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk which was cut in half by the cold, I did not see any of God’s creatures! Thank You, Jesus, for keeping me safe!

This morning, in my devotions, I was reading through Paul’s second letter to Timothy and was struck by verse 1 where Paul wrote: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

First of all, thank you to those of you who have served in the military. I was never in the military, but did serve as a hospital chaplain for 25 years and a police chaplain for 13 years where I was an eyewitness of the hardships that both of them face.

Sometimes, I think that, as Christians, we forget that we are in a war against an enemy, aka, the devil who, according to Peter, in I Peter 5:8, “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter then added these very important words in verse 9: “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” And, if you dare, read Hebrews 11:17-40 to see what some of the saints in the Old Testament went through for God and Jesus. And, should the Lord tarry, we might just be put to the test like they were. So, dearly beloved in Christ, let us keep watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Jesus until He comes.

And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, why not become one today, even right now, by simply agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). Blessings in Christ, Doug (2/17/24)