14/07/2015 - THE SLEEP OF DEATH

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Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Psalm 13.3

Since we cannot understand the motivation of our thoughts, words, and actions, we must look with attention to the Lord, who knows all things. If Jesus had not paid attention to Peter, the apostle would have kept speaking, and maybe, would do something wrong. But the Master saw him being guided by the devil, and He rebuked him (Mk 8.33), and therefore, the beloved disciple remained faithful to the Son of God. We want this same treatment from the Lord!

The Holy Scriptures declares that the heart is deceitful above all things (Jr 17.9). Therefore, it does not matter what comes to your spirit; you must confront it with the Bible, and if it is contradictory to the divine revelation, reject it. The children of the Most High who start enjoying things that are contrary to God’s teachings put themselves in the hands of the evil one, and then, nothing goes right in their lives any longer. Therefore, never despise the Word.

The attitude that you take during a temptation determines the Lord’s response: whether to listen to the prayer of someone struggling with evil thoughts, or to despise the clamor of another. Thus, reject the devil’s offers. However, if the temptation dominates your thought, enter in prayer. In case he does not leave, begin to fast and to open your heart to the Father. Therefore, if after all of this it still persists, ask for the intercession of a servant of God.

Whenever something annoys you, do not leave to pray later, because if it remains in your heart, your decision can be badly made (Eph 4.26). If you do not get rid of what bothers you, your wrath will dominate your heart, and if it is not removed, the enemy will use it to do something against someone. Then, being a victim of wickedness, you will also do other wickedness. 

A simple annoyance is able to lead some servants of God to think on acting against the divine will. If it were not for the sensible attitude of the beautiful Abigail, David could have destroyed Nabal’s family, and even with Abigail herself, who actually became his wife later (1 Sam 25.25-27). It is necessary to listen to the sent ones of the Lord in order to let all bitterness go. Those that the evil one sends only bring you hatred.

If death (the devil’s nature) involves you, the Most High needs to enlighten your eyes, so that you do not sleep under Satan’s sovereignty (Psalms 33.18, 19). When you feel the first sign of something from the enemy in your heart, refuse it; on the contrary, you might never awake spiritually again. Then, your dreams will be ruined and your family and other people will suffer.

Our spiritual understanding needs a touch from the heavenly Father. When He brings light, we will see the light (Ps 36.9). In the road of life, we do not understand why, many times, we are driven to desire iniquity and to act in a way that makes us suffer. With the Lord’s help, we will have the necessary comprehension to see the way out of our problems.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares