October 22nd

Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. Luke 21:34

The Lord gives us a light heart and the world gives us a heavy heart. The world can weigh us down with all forms of self-centeredness to relieve anxieties and live in worldly passions. This heavy heart keeps us from being able to discover the Lord’s will for us or being able to hear Him. These anxieties can trigger behaviors which divert our attention from following the Lord’s Word and obeying Him. We must be careful to avoid these traps and not fall into a prison of sinful behavior.

We can avoid these traps by developing a consistent prayer life and reading the Word of God, which provides a plan to follow Jesus. Jesus will help us to be aware of the grip of sin and snap the traps set by Satan. Jesus will empower us to love one another so that we will not be isolated and unprotected in a time of increasing darkness. There is a joy in love that is not found in anything else we do. When we love consistently, we will avoid the anxieties and associated behaviors which cause us to fall into deception and fear.