Watch

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober; watch. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking someone to devour.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch, stand firm in the faith, be full-grown men, be strong.

The Lord's speaking is so direct and clear to me today. Many hours have been wasted in vanity of vanity chasing after the devil's bait, going a never ending merry-go-round in vicious circle.The devil knows too well how to lay trap and catch his prey. Therefore, I must be watchful. For the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking someone to devour. This has been my experience time and again. A little looseness, a little spiritual slumber is sufficient to be looped into the circle of nowhere. With this shortcoming, the Lord, in His mercy, has given me a strong word today, in fact, reminding me of my need for watchfulness. "Be sober; watch."

The Lord said well to his disciples to watch and pray that they might not enter into temptation. He also taught us to pray in this way, "And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one- Matthew 6:13a". Often, I took it for granted the grace and protection of the Lord. And in such nominality, I bait myself a delicious prey to the devil. And the result at best is repentance, and mostly an indulgence of the flesh, inducting me into a life of Romans 7, when I should be triumphing in Romans 8 by living and walking according to the spirit. Nevertheless, this failure taught me lessons of life in minute detail. Perhaps, a lesson learned the hard way. 

Recently, a brother and I were setting up an FTP network for office data synchronization and for which the password he sent was a reference of 1 Corinthians 16:13. When I read the verse, I was revived afresh. It was so striking that it made my adrenaline pumping as I digested it. Moreover, the verse so emphatic and timely, "Watch, stand firm in the faith, be full-grown men, be strong." This is indeed should be my daily password to log into my daily living to have an access to the holy of holies. The initiation of this living is worth the lesson learned, "Watch, stand firm in the faith, be full-grown men, be strong."

These are wake-up calls from spiritual stagnancy to be vitalized for the Lord's present move. How I thank the Lord for this lesson and I pray that I daily may exercise to be watchful.

Lord, grace be to be watchful all the time and pray.