Have you ever been driving in heavy traffic, and realized, too late, that your exit was coming up. Traffic was too heavy for you to make it across the lanes and you miss your exit? Or have you been in a sports stadium or concert venue walking in a large crowd, and realize that you walked right past your section because you were moving along with the crowd.

In some ways life can be like this. We get so wrapped up in things of this world, chasing earthly things we think will make us satisfied, money, power, experiences, that we neglect our relationship with God and fall away. When we neglect our faith, we become more vulnerable to temptation and can be easier led astray. In Matthew 7:13,14 Jesus says, “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

It is essential that we keep our eye on that “small gate and narrow road” Jesus describes by maintaining our faithful relationship with God.

John writes in 1 John 5:21, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

Dear Lord help us keep our focus on you and put the energy into maintaining our faith so that we don’t end up blindly following the easy path to destruction. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There is an account in 2 Kings 5 about the leader of the army of Aram named Naaman who had leprosy. The king of Aram heard there was a prophet, Elijah, in Israel who could heal diseases. The king thought so highly of his commander that he sent 750 lbs of silver and 150 lbs of gold, worth $5+ million in today’s dollars to the king of Israel asking him to heal his commander.

This very important man came to Elijah’s house with his entire entourage, and expected to see Elijah, but Elijah sent a messenger to meet him instead. The messenger relayed Elijah’s simple instructions for Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River to be healed of his leprosy.

This would be like a celebrity entertainer or famous business executive with a incurable disease showing up for an appointment at the Mayo Clinic or John’s Hopkins University and being met by a clerk with message to pick up some over the counter medication at the pharmacy. Obviously Naaman was surprised and offended by the response and was about to leave when one of his men said, in 2 Kings 5:13,14, ” “Sir,if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!”

Just like Naaman, we need to trust God’s power first. Though He may work through means of science and medicine, as Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

Dear Lord it is so often difficult for us to simply trust that you will take care of us. We agonize over exactly what to pray for and how we want you to answer. Help us just give our concerns over to you and trust in your power. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intimidate: Definition – to frighten into submission

Intimidation is used by our opponents to make us do things they want us to do, or to prevent us from doing things they don’t want us to do. It is the primary tool used by bullies, criminals, and terrorists. It can also be considered to be how the devil prevents us from doing what we know we should, by making us fear the perceived embarrassment, fear losing out, or fear being defeated if we stick to our integrity and morals.

Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote his letter to the Philippians. In Philippians 1:28 he wrote, “So don’t let your opponents intimidate you in any way. This is God’s way of showing them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved.”

With our faith in God’s strength, not our own, we can stand up to any opponent, be it a person, temptation, ridicule, or risk.

The, well known, story of David and Goliath is written in 1 Samuel 17. In verse 47 David describes what happens when we put our hope and faith in God’s power, “Then everyone gathered here will know that the Lord can save without sword or spear, because the Lord determines every battle’s outcome.”

Dear Lord, you control all things. Often we experience situations, people, and temptations that would intimidate us into improper behavior or inaction when we should be doing your will. In these times, help us remember to rely on your power to overcome and not be intimidated. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There is a story about Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer and John Sculley, who was hired by Steve Jobs to be the CEO of Apple in the mid 1980’s. John Sculley had been a vice president at PepsiCo, where he had made Pepsi the number one Cola brand.

The story goes that when John Sculley was reluctant to leave PepsiCo for Apple, Steve Jobs asked him, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”

In a similar way, we have a calling to do God’s will while we are doing our daily work and in our daily activities

Paul writes in Acts 20:24 his view, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus; the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”

And Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Dear Lord, We know the question you have for us, “Are we going to spend all our lives focused on getting everything we want for ourselves, or are we going to be part of your work in the world?” Help us choose wisely. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is important for each of us to have a standard of behavior by which we measure ourselves. For example if we say, I am going to read my Bible each day, we measure ourselves to that guideline and strive to achieve it. We may not always achieve it, but we know what the objective is, and we should regularly ask God to help us live to high standards.

David describes his standards in Psalm 101, which begins, “I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.”

He goes on to list a number of standards of behavior that he establishes for himself, which we can learn from also.

I like the expression describing the reason for standards. “The standard is the straight line so we know what a crooked line looks like.”

Ultimately, all our standards can be traced back to the two most important commandments Jesus tells us in Matt 22:37-39, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Dear Lord, Like David, we ask that you come help us strive to live to the standard you set, Love you and love our neighbor. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.