The Prudent Take Refuge

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is:

The Prudent Take Refuge

Proverbs 22:3 (NIV)

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty."

As I reflected on this Bible verse, I was reminded of how important it is for you and me to recognize the dangers of false teachings that detract from the free grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The apostle Paul, despite all his knowledge, always remained grounded in the simple, pure doctrine of God's grace in Jesus Christ. Remember what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4?

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

Jude also wrote in Jude 1:3:

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people."

Let's be encouraged to be prudent today. The prudent recognize spiritual danger and take refuge in Jesus Christ alone. Let us continue to stand firmly in the simple gospel of God's grace, never allowing anyone or anything to draw us away from the finished work of Christ.

Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.

You Are Chosen

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Consider this: today, for those of us who have the faith of Christ, we are:

** Chosen by God.

** A royal priesthood in the Kingdom of Jesus.

** A part of God's holy nation—the kingdom of God.

** God's special possession—His private property.

** We have been chosen so that today we may proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light!

Forming The Wrong Alliance

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: 

Forming The Wrong Alliance

“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge."

Isaiah 30:1-2 NIV  

Reading this reminded me that as followers of Jesus, we can be tempted to run to many worldly sources for help, when what we really need to do is encourage each other to run to the Rock that is higher than us—Jesus!

When trouble comes, let's remember Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV):

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

This verse emphasizes that our true help comes from the Lord, the Creator.

And when we cannot see the outcome or "end plan" of our situation, we can be encouraged to follow this advice from Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV):

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

As we navigate the challenges of life, it’s easy to seek help from worldly sources, just as the people in Isaiah's time looked to Egypt. However, we are called to remember that true help and refuge come from the Lord alone.

Focusing on these scriptures gives us a powerful reminder of the importance of turning to God, the Rock that is higher than us, in every situation we face.

Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.

Soldiers for Christ

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is:

Soldiers for Christ

Ephesians 6:10–18 (NIV)

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are His soldier. Every day we face a spiritual battle. Our struggle is not against people but against the enemy who wants to discourage us, distract us, and draw our hearts away from Christ.

The wonderful news is that we are not left to fight alone or in our own strength. The Lord has given us everything we need in His Son:

* The belt of truth — Jesus is our Truth.

* The breastplate of righteousness — Jesus is our Righteousness.

* The shoes of the gospel of peace — Jesus is our Peace and the Good News we proclaim.

* The shield of faith — We trust in Jesus to extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy.

* The helmet of salvation — Jesus is our Salvation and our eternal hope.

* The sword of the Spirit — The Word of God, revealed in Jesus.

* Pray in the Spirit — We depend on Jesus through continual prayer.

There will be days when the battle feels intense. We may face temptation, discouragement, fear, conflict, or doubt. But we don't have to face those battles by ourselves. Jesus walks with us, strengthens us, gives us His armor, and reminds us that the victory has already been won through His death and resurrection. So today, let's stand firm—not in our own ability, but in the mighty power of our Jesus.

Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.