Do Not Pass Go

Greetings in the Lord!


With all the excitement of the move this year I've been a bit slow (understatement!) to blog the different words and teaching moments the Lord has put on my heart for this season. And while I enjoy reading what other prophetic voices are publishing about restoration and rebuilding for this season, and certainly am seeing the truth of those words, the Lord is also drawing my attention to another aspect of this season I will share with you.

Let's consider King David for a moment. Remember how he was fighting for years with Saul and also against the Philistines? But a day came when he had relative peace and quiet, staying in Jerusalem as King over Israel and ruling without too much trouble--at least not like what he had seen up till then. He sat in leisure while his men were out at war. It was then that David saw and had a rendezvous with Bathsheba.

Or let's consider King Solomon, whose reign is trademarked by peace and prosperity and the gift of wisdom...but did he not also behave unfaithfully to the Lord by marrying foreign wives? This spiritual compromise on his part led to the ultimate split of Israel into two kingdoms.

So, what is the word for us today? I discern the Lord to be saying to the Body of believers that temptation can come during this time of rest and relaxation. Have you found that personally so? I have to some extent, I must admit. Oh, I'm not tempted to do grave sins, but there has been a general loosening and quiet tug to get spiritually lazy, even indulging some in secular entertainment like I used to not do. After a while I actually began to feel dull and came to my senses. "What happened??" I found myself asking the Lord. It had been a very gradual, almost pleasant experience--which added to the slippery feel of the temptation. For me it began when I stopped working out and allowed myself to watch too much TV on the weeknights. Yep, it started with TV--comedies and 80s movies. Nothing trashy, just too much of a good thing really. Lots of it; evenings of laughing and lounging, it felt really good.

Anyway, around January I could not stand the "dulling" spiritual feeling I felt and went to another believer who was experiencing similar things, than another, and soon found that it was pretty widespread, so we began praying for each other. Of course, prayer has helped and the unity we found in praying together was really nice, so I'm glad to report that we all are doing much better these days, but I wanted to pass this "teaching moment" along to other believers. If you think you are "slipping" or being spiritually lazy or dulled from too much worldly entertainment, you probably are. Get with other believers today and begin to pray for each other. Allow the presence of God to surround you and strengthen you while you are an encouragement and support for another believer.

Also, be honest....it's time to do some "housecleaning" with our thought-life and how we spend our spare time. Have we been allowing ourselves to gaze and dream about people "forbidden" to us? Have we allowed ourselves to become smitten with the attractiveness of another person that we have no business even thinking about? Job shielded his eyes from such a view....it would be wise for us to do the same. Don't allow the enemy to steal the peace and prosperity of this rebuilding year; don't allow trouble to enter your gates by holding the door open for it.

~Be blessed and be a blessing.

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