Welcome friends to YOUR BIBLE BOOST! It is my prayer for each one of us that our few moments together will be a time of encouragement but also a time when each one of us is challenged to live more faithfully for our Lord Jesus Christ.
You have heard the phrase “BE CAREFUL”. In fact, in many ways this phrase “BE CAREFUL” is almost meaningless in our modern society. We have heard it so many times that it has become just another trite saying like “good bye”, or when a person says “how are you” we expect people to say “fine” and they usually do. It doesn’t matter how many problems they have or how much they are hurting…the answer is still “fine”.
However, care and caution, especially concerning Biblical themes are of great importance. Jesus warned His disciples many times with these words “take heed” and “beware”. These disciples’ adversaries would deliver them up in their councils and scourge them in their synagogues. Their situations would be extremely dangerous. They were like sheep in the midst of wolves. Whoever put them to death or made life miserable for them, thought they were doing God a great big favor. It is logical, then, to conclude that the warnings of the Bible were taken seriously by the disciples.
WE, AS WELL, SHOULD TAKE BIBLICAL WARNINGS SERIOUSLY.
Do you remember the story of King Jeroboam of Israel in the Old Testament? He had the opportunity to create a lasting kingdom like his grandfather King David (I Kings 11:38). His success, however, DEPENDED upon his OBEDIENCE to God. Jeroboam failed his test immediately. His very first official act, as king, involved idolatry and false religion (I King 12:25-33). He set up altars far away from Jerusalem in the city of Bethel.
That brings us to the “rest of the story” in I Kings 13. God’s word to Jeroboam came through a man simply known as “man of God”. This prophet rebuked Jeroboam at the pagan altar at Bethel. God confirmed the message with signs and wonders. King Jeroboam was so impressed by this “man of God” that the king invited him home for dinner and gifts.
Here’s the response of the man of God, “even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: you must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.” I Kings 13:8-9. Did you hear that? God has specifically told the “man of God” not to eat or drink.
We give this prophet high marks for courage in confronting the king. However, the rest of the story is in the scripture of First Kings 13…the man of God DID eat and drink water at Bethel, and he died for his disobedience. The reason he died; God told him NOT TO EAT AND DRINK AT BETHEL.
You know, we are much like this “man of God” at Bethel. He knew what God said, He had heard the word of the Lord, yet something happened in his life that broke the concentration of obedience. We do the same thing. We know and have heard what God’s Word is all about yet many times our attention is diverted or we just simply chose not to obey.
My friend, God’s Word is true and sure when it tells us “BE CAREFUL”. Hear our BIBLE BOOST for today…it comes from Ephesians 5 and verse 15.
“BE CAREFUL HOW YOU LIVE”. So my friends, today is a good day to do a self evaluation. Am I being CAREFUL in how I live? Am I CAREFUL in what I say? Am I being CAREFUL to fulfill God’s teaching revealed in His Word? Am I being CAREFUL to do all God is calling me to do from His Word?
I am Pastor Leonard Navarre of Valley View Christian Church in Edgewood, NM, encouraging you to
“Be Careful” how you live.
God bless.
