Do you pick up coins when you spot them on the ground? Would you stop to pick up a single penny? After all, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Jesus used a parable about a penny to teach His followers an important lesson. To do the study A Penny Saved, just click on the link!
Photo Euros, Cash and Coins by Stuart Miles
A big snowstorm the night before had dropped lots of snow in our city—so much that the schools were closed for the day. But of course that didn’t slow down my 9-year-old son, and he and his neighborhood friends had been outside for hours playing. After awhile, the boys split into two groups and began building snow forts in preparation for a massive snowball fight. They needed strong, sturdy walls to keep the enemy out and to protect “command central” from which they would stockpile their ammo (lots of snowballs) and plan their warfare.
With preparations finally complete, I watched as the boys tried to break into each other’s snow forts, knowing that if they could breach the enemy’s walls, they could probably win the battle.
Today, I’m fascinated by the history of city walls and gates. According to BibleHistory.com, in ancient times, walls around cities were of utmost importance to both cities and villages. Cities were large areas with many homes, a metropolitan area, and were surrounded by protective walls. Villages were smaller areas than cities and did not have walls around them. They were often located close to a city and depended on that city for commerce and protection.
The walls of a city were very tall and several meters thick, with a flat top and towers. The flat top enabled guards to walk along the top edge and see far in every direction—both inside and outside of the city. They could watch for criminal activity inside the city, and they could watch for enemy invasions coming from outside the city.
Towers were built higher than the rest of the wall and were often positioned on top of a gate. They were also located where the walls turned a corner (called corner towers). The towers allowed even greater visibility and also provided a protected place to fire off arrows and hurl other weapons at the enemy. The gates themselves were an important part of a city’s life. The gates were open during the day to allow for commerce and travel and were closed at night to protect the city. Important meetings were often held at the gates.
Ultimately, a city depended upon its walls for protection. If the walls were breached or knocked down, an enemy could overtake the city. Understanding the importance of a city wall helps us understand this analogy as God compares a man who has no rule over his own spirit to a city without walls.
When we go through our days without taking charge over our own spirits, we are like a biblical city that didn’t have a wall to protect it. We are vulnerable to attack from the enemy.
So, how do we have rule over our own spirit? By protecting our “walls.”
I believe the main way is by putting on the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:10-18. God does not leave us without protection while we are living on this earth. We have our armor to protect us from enemy attacks, we have prayer to fight the battle, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need to be proactive to protect ourselves.
However, the threat is from more than outside sources. Just as the soldiers of an ancient city could see criminal activity within their own city walls, we must also protect ourselves from the battle we fight with our flesh from within ourselves, because it’s just not outside enemy attacks that can hurt us—our own decisions and choices can lead to our downfall as well. Having control over our own spirits means that we live as mature believers, taking control of our emotions, actions and words. It means walking in the Spirit so that we do not gratify the desire of the flesh. We must set a guard on what we watch, read, hear and do.
When we set boundaries, our “walls of protection” can’t be breached, but when we ignore our own boundaries, we can end up saying things we regret; we can end up dwelling on negative, fearful thoughts; or, we can end up in places we shouldn’t be doing things we shouldn’t be doing. We have then breached our own walls of protection, giving the enemy a foothold into our lives. If we repent and make a better choice, we can move forward. If we repeat the bad pattern, it can become a stronghold.
Just as a bunch of 9-year-old boys understood the importance of walls in winning the battle, as Christians we too must be savvy enough to maintain the walls of protection in our own lives.
Thought: Keep your wall of protection in good repair.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, We thank You that You have not left us defenseless. You have given us the armor of God to protect us, prayer to wage the battle and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Help us to make the right choices each day so that we can live in freedom, not in bondage. Amen.
What were you born to do? Perhaps you were born to sing. Maybe you were born to run. Possibly you were born to shop! God’s Word says that if you are in Chirst, then you were Born to Win! To do the study, please click on the link!
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What do you live for? Is there something that you often say you can’t live without? For many of us it’s coffee! In the Bible, Anna lived for something much more significant than coffee. As a matter of fact, she spent her whole life waiting for one beautiful moment. To do the study One Anna, One Purpose just click on the link!
Do you have days or months or maybe your life (!) where you feel scattered and fragmented, pulled in 100 different directions?Perhaps the last thing you feel is complete, like you have life under control.
Well, that’s because in reality, we don’t! But I know someone who does, and He has the perfect promise for us.
I love the verse in Colossians 2: 10 that says ” and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” What does the word complete mean? In the Greek pleroo, it means “to make full, to abound, to be liberally supplied, to fill to the top, to carry out some undertaking.” Notice it doesn’t say perfect!
Right now I possess everything I need to step out and do what He wants me to do. I don’t have any excuses. Gulp. Maybe like me you’ve heard God calling you to start something, but you’re waiting for someone with far more wisdom and gifts to step up. Maybe you’re waiting until … your kids are grown, you get that degree, you’re in shape or your health is better.
The truth is that if God has put a call on your heart, then He’s waiting for you to get started now. Yes, there are times for waiting and resting and learning, but if you feel that continual nudge to do something, then you need to step out and be obedient. He’s made you complete where you are for what He has you to do, and He will provide for your lack with resources and other people as you’re obedient to Him.
I’m there myself today. I’ve felt a nudge to be involved in an outreach ministry that I’ve kept putting off. I know it’s time. What’s on your heart today? Let’s take that step together.
Pray on!
Have you ever worked long and hard over a document only to have your computer crash and send your work to cyber space? Thankfully, God never crashes. Our work in Him will never be in vain. I want to know that what I’m doing through Him has a purpose, that it will make a difference and that I am affecting my world for Christ. I need a reason to get up every day. At this point in my life, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling God has used me to accomplish a work for His kingdom in the life of another person. To do the Bible study just click on the link:
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