Which Light do You Follow?

Which Light do You Follow?

by David Brenneman 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

"Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.  You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth." Deuteronomy 6:10-15.

It's very easy to fall into complacency and to neglect when things are going the way that people want them to go. 

Israel indeed did exactly what the Lord Jesus had said would happen when people forgot all that He did for them.  

They shifted their focus from decades of learning to trust in the Lord with all their hearts to living as if He hadn't done those things for them.  

In these houses they came upon that are described, they found household idols.  They found writings of idolatry.  They didn't destroy these things, they allowed them into their lives because they thought they were harmless and it was just to them as the tree of life was to Adam and Eve.

We too can fall into these things.  People are the same over the centuries regardless of how technology goes.  Satan makes use of our sin nature and people sin against God.  All current technologies do at times is make it easier to sin without the guilt.

Jesus quoted this passage in Deuteronomy 6:5 and added "You shall love your neighbor as yourself".  

Regardless of the centuries in-between this commandment has never changed.  

Are we running after vain things as these did when this was written?  It's easily safe to say that we have. 

We need more prayer for discernment than we ever ask for.  Satan's schemes include disguising himself as an angel of light.  He's working his deeds to blind the minds of the unbelieving and to distract the Believer in what is God's light and his light. 

We can have all kinds of creature comforts.  That is, material comforts that contribute to physical ease and well-being, such as good food and accommodations.

We easily turn to apps and services to satisfy rather than spending time and money wisely.   

We easily take what belongs to God and give it to ourselves or to others.  Many reasons exist.  We don't realize that we have because we never considered the dangers of doing so.  We don't agree with that still small voice within us telling us danger is around the corner.  We just see the supposed joy that's to be had.  Not realizing it's a trap.

Many times we just don't realize that we are in a spiritual war.  We don't see soldiers in our everyday lives going against us, fighting over our hearts and minds, so there must not be a war to be fought.

We seek ease and comfort and can go buy such things on a whim in most cases.  We pay big money to see concerts and events.  We spend thousands to escape our world for a week out of the year.  Never once considering our hearts and minds and where we need to really be in our relationship with Jesus. 

Idolatry existed from the beginning of human history.  It still exists today.  Humans might have developed new and supposed better ways to live but it's still here today and most of the 8 billion people on this planet can't recognize it.  

Idolatry has not gone away.  

People spending billions per year on merchandise to showcase their idols.  That's the truth of our battlefield of our minds.  

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we." 2 Corinthians 10:3-7.

What are you intentionally doing to follow Jesus?  Are you truly loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit?  Are you truly loving your neighbor as yourself?  

Are you more upset at missing a television show, a movie or a sports game than you are when you neglect to spend time with Jesus? 

Be brutally honest...are you more upset at anything taking away time you set aside for your special interests than you are at anything interrupting your time with Jesus?

This is a key indicator of the state of your heart.

Scripture says we are not our own, but that we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  He took our place on that cross and we owe Him ourselves.  Our very lives.  He died for us, we live for Jesus.  That's how it is supposed to be.  

We easily justify the supposed little things that will eventually trap us.  We declare what is or isn't harmless.  We trust our judgment on what we add to or take away from our lives rather than asking Jesus.  

We are a culture of wanting what we want when we want it.  We are a culture of me first.  It's a global problem not a problem by country. 

When we don't live any differently than the world there's no reason for the world to want what we have to offer in Christ. 

When we aren't offended by sin then we aren't any different than those who aren't saved.

When we stop asking God for guidance and direction then we aren't any different than those who aren't saved.

When our schedules are the same as the rest of the world in its priorities then we are no different than those who aren't saved. 

Those who name the name of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are supposed to be different.  Displaying the true Light of Jesus Christ to this world of imitators...the fake preachers and false prophets.  

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.  Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.  Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.  Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established.  Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:23-27.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.

"Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.  Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." 2 John 1:8-11.

Does it sound like God's Word has something to say about this war we are in over our hearts and minds?

The worst foot forward starts with "I got this...I really don't believe that I need to ask Jesus about it".

The second worst is "It's harmless!  It's just something that I am interested in.  I've got it under control!".

Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

That's supposed to be 100% trust.  Not 50-50, not 60-40.  Not even 99-1.

The battlefield is our hearts and minds.  We truly cannot trust ourselves.  I can't trust myself, you can't trust yourself.  

Does someone trash talking something of this world that you have taken a keen interest in bother you more than when they say something about God or of Jesus?

That's a huge red flag. 

We're admonished to examine ourselves.  Make sure of our salvation in Christ Jesus.  Be mindful of our ways.  Setting our minds on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world.  To love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit.  To love your neighbor as yourself.  

Which light are you following?

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.