Luke 22:31-32
The Message (MSG)
31-32 “Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”
It’s so easy to get turned around when you are trying to find your way, especially when you are driving in new areas. We experienced this on the staff retreat this past week when we were trying to find somewhere to eat in Georgia using our GPS. We trusted the voice on the device to get us where we were going but at times we were distracted by our own conversation or we missed our turn altogether. The voice was very forgiving in that she allowed us to make a legal U-turn when possible.
It’s the beginning of the year but how many of us have gotten turned around already? You can be headed in the right direction and get side-tracked so easily but the good news is that God allows U-turns. The enemy’s job is to get you side-tracked. Jesus told Peter, satan has asked to sift you, that is to separate all of who you are in God into distracted and diverted pieces.
It’s easy for us to lose our way and this is how; Satan tries to sift you or divide you. He tries to compartmentalize your life into separate rooms. There is your Spiritual self and your Physical self. There is your agenda and there is God’s agenda. It is only when we sync up with God’s will that we are able to get back on track.
We get back on track by:
Thank you for keeping me when I got off track. I am more determined to strengthen others who got side tracked, now that I have turned back. Thank you for taking me back!
In Jesus Name,
Amen
The Message (MSG)
31-32 “Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”
It’s so easy to get turned around when you are trying to find your way, especially when you are driving in new areas. We experienced this on the staff retreat this past week when we were trying to find somewhere to eat in Georgia using our GPS. We trusted the voice on the device to get us where we were going but at times we were distracted by our own conversation or we missed our turn altogether. The voice was very forgiving in that she allowed us to make a legal U-turn when possible.
It’s the beginning of the year but how many of us have gotten turned around already? You can be headed in the right direction and get side-tracked so easily but the good news is that God allows U-turns. The enemy’s job is to get you side-tracked. Jesus told Peter, satan has asked to sift you, that is to separate all of who you are in God into distracted and diverted pieces.
It’s easy for us to lose our way and this is how; Satan tries to sift you or divide you. He tries to compartmentalize your life into separate rooms. There is your Spiritual self and your Physical self. There is your agenda and there is God’s agenda. It is only when we sync up with God’s will that we are able to get back on track.
We get back on track by:
- Prayer. Jesus told Peter that I am praying for you. Prayer helps us to stay connected to the voice of God in our lives. Prayer is like the voice on the GPS that lets us know we have missed our exit. Prayer is the USB cable that connects our device to our vehicle. We should pray for God to keep us on track even when we have our own sense of direction.
- Faith. Faith is being sure of what we hoped for and certain of what we do not see. If you ever lose your faith you will give up on pursuing where you were going. No matter how long it takes you have to have faith that what God has begun in you he will be faithful to complete. God is faithful even when we are not. We cannot give in or give out.
- Turn Back. Once God shows you how you have gotten off course, it’s up to you to make a Legal U-turn as soon as possible.
- Strengthen those that you left behind. Sometimes, the people who are best at giving directions are those that got lost but found their way back. David asked God to forgive him when he got distracted and committed adultery and murder. David’s promise to God was that if he got back to his place in God that he would teach “other” transgressors the ways of God.
Thank you for keeping me when I got off track. I am more determined to strengthen others who got side tracked, now that I have turned back. Thank you for taking me back!
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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