There is a song from my teen years called ‘What if I Stumble’ by DC Talk. You may currently recognize the lead singer as Toby Mac. DC Talk starts the song by saying “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge these with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
In several discussions I’ve been involved in lately over various subjects, I have seen different things. I saw my own faults and weaknesses, which came precariously close to hauling me over the edge of the cliff in the last week. At one point last week, I asked God why He would show me something so amazing that is not within reach. His answer was that there was something better just right around the corner, if only I would be patient enough to see it.
David writes about enemies in the book of Psalm, and he is not only talking about enemies who try to harm us. He is talking about enemies that our greatest enemy puts in front of us to take our focus from God. Those enemies can be anything – money, television, lust, success, prestige –you name it as something making your focus turn from God and it can be added to the enemy list.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins.
19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many,
And they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.
For I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins.
19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many,
And they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.
It is far more difficult to get away from the enemy inside ourselves than the one outside of ourselves – in my opinion. We can physically walk away from something, but when we start allowing satan to keep a hold of our minds, our body and soul becomes affected. I cannot count the times I have been successfully dealing with a problem and it comes back into my brain at the most unexpected moment, bringing my progress to a screeching halt and throwing me right back where I was.
Remembering God’s grace at this moment is the key.
I have many things in my life I have been ashamed of doing, but I have been forgiven by my Heavenly Father. I do not want the world to see me doing something that would bring shame to the name of Christ or put doubt into someone’s head as to my integrity and uprightness. I want to be blameless (even though I am a sinner). Accountability is important when these situations pop up in our lives, as is prayer.
Where is your walk taking you?
