Watchful Sobriety

Due to the potential threat of the storms to hit the Carolina's this weekend, we left today and drove straight through. I decided to do Freedom Fighter tonight in the event I can sleep in. I will share two more devotionals from Bernie Bostwick on Monday and Tuesday. If they have been helpful, please let me know so I can share your feedback with Bernie.

Watchful Sobriety (1 Peter 5:8)

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

How carefully do you think about and live your life? With what kind of awareness do you walk through your day? How much do you see that part of the fruit of the Spirit called "self-control" in your life? These questions warrant our frequent attention.

The Apostle Peter was onto something when he wrote these words. He knew his own failures. He had been around the block often enough to know of other's failures. His adversary, the devil, used the same tricks in Peter's day that he uses in ours. Peter warned his readers to be careful. He knew Satan can lull us to sleep and fool us into living without that much-needed thoughtful self-control.

Be sober, says Peter. He warned his readers, and us, to exercise self-control in all things. One translation takes the "sober" thought one step further. It says "Be sober-minded." The instruction has the idea of disciplined, under-control thinking. It's important to guard how we think because we have a true and crafty enemy, Satan. He knows all the tricks, and they work better on those who don't think carefully.

Let's think about "thinking" for a minute. What might Peter have had in mind when he wrote this warning? Perhaps he wanted his readers to think about the habits they allowed into their lives. Maybe he wanted them to think about the thoughts going through their minds during their free time. He might have seen a need for them to exercise self-control in thinking about their lives as Christians. He well could have had all these issues and more on his mind as he wrote. Whatever specifics may have been on the table, Peter is definitely telling all of us that we need to live life with a level of "gravitas," a "high seriousness about life. To do otherwise gives our adversary all the room he needs to devour us.

How you use your mind will determine the quality of your walk with Jesus. It will also protect you from or make you vulnerable to the attacks of your adversary. How sober is your thinking these days? -- John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 27; Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6

Great Quote: Bring Christ's Word - Christ's promise, and Christ's sacrifice - His blood, with thee, and not one of Heaven's blessings can be denied thee.

Adam Clarke