Tag: pay attention

A Prayer for SIL, Day 72

On By LindaIn prayersLeave a comment

Lord, open her eyes when she’s clueless of what’s happening outside her self-focused world. Show her what You are doing, and what others are doing.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert… Acts 20:28-31a

Jesus, I pray that SIL pays careful attention to what goes on both in herself and to those she impacts. The enemy will come speaking lies, drawing her away from You and trying to destroy her progress in improving her relationships with those You have put into her life. I pray that SIL becomes alert to what is happening around her so she can recognize the enemy before any more damage is done.

In Your Watchful Name,

Amen.

Life is Like a Beach, section 2: Red Flags

On By LindaIn allegories, analogies, and parables6 Comments

The following is part of a book I would like to publish someday. It’s too long to blog as one post so I’m breaking it up section by section.  Each section can be read as a stand-alone, and hopefully my analogies will provide food for thought as well as encouragement to keep on going no matter where you find yourself in life.  I’ve added links  at the end to the previous sections to make them easier to find should you want to read them. Oh, and all photos were taken by me and are untouched other than cropping when necessary. God’s creation is so awesome just the way it is!

 

Red Flags

Sometimes after that long walk towards the beach, my plan to dive into the cool water is crushed when I see that red flag.

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Red flags mean danger, and that’s exactly what this flag is telling me. The water is dangerous right now. Wait for a better day. Sometimes the danger is evident, such as a group of large sharks swimming just off shore. But other times the danger is hidden, like an undertow. I could ignore the flag and go in “just enough to cool off” which may or may not end in disaster. However, to keep safe, I can respect that the flag is there for a reason and choose to obey it. Especially when there is a double red flag!

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There are dangers in life too. God is good at putting up red flags in our lives, sending us warnings of dangers we may or may not see.  A check in our spirit, advice/comments from friends or family, scripture, and dreams are the most familiar. But God can and does use even unexpected methods to get our attention such as traffic delays giving us time to think, lost keys keeping us from going somewhere, words that pop out at us on billboards, a quote in a totally nonspiritual, unrelated book we’re reading, and random emails with titles that go right to the heart. The only questions are if we are paying attention, and if we choose to listen.

But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm. Proverbs 1:33

So, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 3:7-8

Previous sections:

Section 1: The Path