Pam Padgett ... teacher
1 Thessalonians 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch
and be sober.
For many of us there may be no obvious, physical "war" going on
around us. People around us may appear to be pleasant, even
smiling. Our own flesh may not be rising up at the moment.
We may be lulled into thinking there is no danger, nothing to watch
for, and fall asleep rather than staying alert to danger around us
and to our own flesh wanting to rise up.
We must watch, being awake and alert, aware that there is danger
whether it is seen or whether it is not apparent.
Jesus warned us ...
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak.
-- Watch what goes into my heart, what comes out of my mouth, what
actions I take. Is this in line with the Word of God?
-- Watch what affects me ... things above, what God has said ... or
things of this world?
-- What am I thinking about ... seeking to know God's will in what
I'm dealing with today ... or thinking of tomorrow or lusts of this
world?
-- Where is my trust .. in God and His wisdom, guidance, and power
... or my own ideas, or wisdom/guidance of the world?
And we need to be aware that few of the people we come in contact
with are going in the ways of God. Few find the way of life, but
many are going in the ways of destruction. Jesus told us that we
are sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves ...
MATTHEW 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in
the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you
up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their
synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings
for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye
shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour
what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the
Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the
father the child: and the children shall rise up against their
parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be
hated of all men for my name’s sake: but
he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
(endure in the Word and ways of God until the end)
Sheep in midst of wolves ... they bring their own ideas,
wisdom and ways of this world, wanting us to follow them not Christ
(the Word), seeking to devour us by consuming us on themselves.
But in the midst of the evil God helps us, even giving us the words
to speak. As we hold to what God has said conforming ourselves to
HIS Word, and speak that given to us by the Holy Spirit, we are
saved, kept in the ways of God in the midst of the evil.