Threats

Last week, my wife and I were in the wilderness. Really, we were. On vacation. The wilderness is full of wildlife. One afternoon, I took a hike by myself and came up on some bear cubs. I froze until I could find where Mama Bear was. And once I saw her, I made haste in another direction.

Throughout our vacation, we saw lots of signs about bears. Watch for them, do not feed them, use the special trash receptacles, secure your food, etc. And if we hadn't been careful, we could have encountered big problems.

But now, looking back, the only damage we experienced was from the mice—a creature no one warned us about.

A lot of churches are like this—alerting people to the consequences of 'the big sins'. And if the warnings aren't heeded, there can be terrible consequences. But in my experience, we don't talk enough about those little transgressions, those subtle compromises of integrity and character. Collectively, these do the most damage.

Good posture

Want to be healthy and avoid injury? Pay attention to your posture.

I mean your spiritual posture.

Wherever God places you, whatever he gives you to do, two things:

1. Bow down.
   See God's majesty. Recognize his worth. Remember that he alone is all-knowing, all-powerful, and good. Surrender. Trust him.

2. Take hold.
   God is offering you everything you need for this moment. Take hold of it. Stretch out to receive it. Jump up to pull it down. Possess it.

Bow down and take hold. This is faith.

How many times have I bowed down, but failed to take hold of the grace I've been promised—moving timidly in my own strength?

How many other times have I taken hold of something God has given me, without first bowing down—and the 'tool' intended for blessing has become a weapon in my hands?

Pay attention to posture.

Pyrite

“And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”

— 1 Samuel 8:7 ESV

Israel wanted a king like everyone else. Someone to tell them how to live. Someone to lead them into battle. Someone the other nations would notice. Someone they could identity with and be envied.

But God wanted to be their king. And he wants to be ours.

We must resist the temptation to chase celebrity. And to rely on men to tell us how to live. To wait for another to motivate us to good works. Jesus is the risen Christ. He lives. He sits on the throne. And he invites us: "Come follow me." He's given us the Holy Spirit, his word, and direct access. To reject these is to reject him as king.

"My glory I will not give to another." (Isaiah 48:11)