Ignoring My Security Alarm System

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

                After years of decorating the outside of my house for Christmas – and then having to bring everything back inside weeks later in the freezing weather – I wisely realized that less can be better.

 Translation: instead of multiple lights on my house, porch railing and shrubs, I instead placed a small, artificial tree on each side of my front door. And with even more wisdom, I put two strings of led battery operated lights on each tree! I programmed them to turn on at 6 pm each evening and turn off six hours later.

Can I just share that I was feeling pretty proud of myself? Oh I was. Because now, instead of going outside and freezing, just to turn on and off the Christmas lights, I could simply wait and watch as that happened automatically. It was a great idea but I had not counted on one thing: mischievous boys.

One evening about 8 pm, I realized my tree lights had not come on. When I went outside to check them, I saw why. Someone had turned off all the lights on all four sets!  I found myself wondering who in the world could have done something like that.

Suddenly I remembered that I had a security system! And one of the cameras was on the front porch, aimed right at the door and trees! But just as suddenly I remembered something else. When I woke up the morning after the lights were turned off, I noticed that I had received several notifications during the night of movement around my home.

But I had assumed, wrongly, that it was because the trash trucks were driving through the neighborhood and so I had – without even looking – deleted ALL the notifications I had received! If only I had simply stopped and checked I would have seen exactly who turned off the lights.

Today’s Scripture from Matthew 26:41 is simple, practical advice to us. It’s a security alarm system for our lives. “Watch and pray.” Why? “So that you will not fall into temptation.” In other words, the Lord is telling us “Wake up, child! Keep your eyes open. Things are going to come your way – evil things. Things that will try to pull you away from Me. You are not strong but I am and I will protect you. So listen to me and to my Word.”

We have the Holy Spirit living in us. He is part of our security alarm system. He nudges us to warn us when we are headed in the wrong direction or toward the wrong thing. Maybe it’s a flirting relationship but we are married. Perhaps it is watching movies or stories on the internet that are far from what God wants for us in our lives. Satan knows our weaknesses and he will attack each of us in our weak areas.

We have been blessed with a Security Alarm System from the Lord so use it! Consult it! Don’t ignore the protection it gives you! Remember it’s warning to watch and pray. Don’t ignore the nudging that tells you to run from whatever your weakness may be. Don’t glance back. Don’t long for what you know is wrong. But instead run! The Lord will be at your side. He will never leave you.

As for my Christmas lights, I found out from my neighbor that the night they were turned off, he had seen two boys walking through a yard toward my home. But what they don’t realize is that if there is a next time, I will be sure not to ignore my security alarm system.

Father, you have placed your word in our lives to keep us from turning to sin and away from you. Please continue to nudge me in my Spirit to follow you and to always watch and pray. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Can you think of a time when you ignored the nudging of the Holy Spirit to turn away from something that you should not be doing or saying? Did you regret your decision?

Apply

·         Write “Security Alarm System: Holy Spirit” on note cards and place them by your TV, computer, on your desk at work and any other place that you may be tempted.

·         Memorize Matthew 26:41 and ask the Lord to help you to stay alert to His security alarm system for your life. And pray.

Power

·         Matthew 26:41 (NIV) “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

·         Hebrews 2:1 (NIV) “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”

·         I Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”