How to Protect What’s Important
Preparing any kind of food in our house is challenging. Our Maine Coon cat, Wynslow, rarely misses an opportunity to jump up on the counter and lend a paw. Everything from shrimp risotto to quinoa burgers is fair game in his opinion.
On days when he actually seems to be behaving, I’ve let my guard down. Moving quickly to the refrigerator for a final ingredient, I’ve returned to the counter to find him investigating the contents of my mixing bowl. The boy would eat everything if I let him.
A solution
Enough is enough. The only way to guarantee my curious Wynslow will stay out of the food is to put him in the basement and close the door.
Satan’s tricks can be just as sneaky as those of my pesky cat. As I read and listen to God’s Word:
*a seed of truth takes root
*the Holy Spirit provides favorable conditions for the seed to sprout
*the sprout begins to grow
The enemy isn’t pleased
Distractions come with the ability to stunt the growth that’s taking place. Jesus warns us of the enemy’s plan:
The sower soweth the word…And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mark 4:14,18–19; KJV
Putting a plan in place
If I don’t heed Jesus’ counsel, my life can become empty — with little evidence that I’m a child of the King. So how do I protect the seeds of truth God has planted in my heart?
*submit myself to the Lord
*resist Satan’s distractions
*confess my sin
*draw near to God
The apostle James, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, put it this way:
Submit yourselves therefore unto God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:7–8; KJV
Your turn
Do you feel you’ve been distracted by the tricks of the enemy? What step will you take today to protect the precious seeds of biblical truth in your life?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for warning me about the tricks of the enemy. Help me to submit to Your will, resist the devil, confess my sin, and draw near to You. I want to produce ‘fruit’ in my life that will bring You honor and glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
