Devotionals: Active Word - July 7, 2011

Devotionals www.crosswalk.com Active Word - July 7, 2011 7 Jul 2011, 5:00 am    July 7 Heads up! And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. Proverbs 7:10 (NKJV) Proverbs Chapter 7 tells a tragic tale. It’s a cautionary account of a young man lacking in wisdom. He encounters an attractive woman who seduces and destroys him. The moral of the story is obvious: Stay away from sinful relationships! But there’s a subtle wrinkle in the wording of this story that demands our attention. The woman, who really represents the attacks and enticements of Satan, is said to have a “crafty” heart. Back in Proverbs 4:23 we’re told to diligently “keep” our heart because it’s the wellspring of all life. The idea behind the Hebrew word for “keep” is to guard it as a watchman would watch over a city’s gates. Interestingly enough, the same Hebrew word is also used for the “crafty” heart of the enemy’s agent! Here’s the significance of this: Just as we need to take measures to guard our hearts, our enemy is going to take measures to guard and conceal his true nature from us. He won’t show us all his cards, so to speak. Instead, he cunningly hides them from us. Then, when he tempts, it looks good on the surfaceâ€"just as the seductive woman looked good on the outside. But bubbling under the surface is his true objectiveâ€"to steal, kill, and destroy us. Don’t be fooled by the craftiness of our adversary. We shouldn’t be paranoid or in awe of him or his tactics. But we do need to be aware of them. Keep in mind that just as you’re trying to guard your heart for good, he’s going to deceptively guard his techniques for evil. When it comes to his subtle strategies, keep your chin up…and continue to cover yourself with the armor of God. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. (Ephesians 6:11 NLT) Think About It… What does this passage reveal to me about God? What does this passage reveal to me about myself? Based on this, what changes do I need to make? What is my prayer for today? SPECIAL OFFER New 365 Devotional Volume 2 God's mercy is new every day. That's because it's needed daily. So to help you walk through a fresh new day, the Active Word has put together this second volume of the 365 Devotional.  Our hope in creating this series of devotionals, is to help you connect with God's Word 365 days a year. And the best thing is, you can start any day of the year. Stay in step with God's Word, His will, and learn to live out your faith, daily.   You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.