Daily Devotional for Tuesday November 2, 1999

Stand Firm

(2 Thessalonians 2:15)

In answering the thousand-plus emails I receive every day, dealing with every kind of issue possible, one of the common threads is that most problems result from compromise on our part. Think back on your life and the difficulties you have experienced. The majority of the time, I guarantee you, your problems were a result of you ignoring God?s Word and doing what you wanted at the time. God has given us free will to do what we want, when we want, how we want. The decision is totally ours every time to obey God or disobey God. It is our disobedience that is the cause of 95% of our problems in life.

Standing firm simply means doing what we know we ought to do. God has given us His plan for our lives in the Bible. It answers everything we need for living this life. It deals with all of the issues we face each and every day. That is one reason it is so important to read your Bible every day, so you know what to do. READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL! Having done that, and knowing what God says about an issue, it is now our responsibility to do it. God didn?t put those instructions there to hurt us, slow us down, or keep us from enjoying life. Quite the opposite. He put those instructions there to protect us, keep us on track, and get everything there is to get out of this life.

I want to encourage you today to stand firm. Ask God to help you, give you the strength. You know those areas of your life you are weak. You know the areas you need God?s help to follow His plan. I am praying for you today to have the courage to stand firm and live by God?s instructions. You can ignore them, but it will only cause you much heartache and pain. Why go through that when it can be avoided? Does standing firm insure a life of no problems? Of course not. There are always going to be trials and tribulations living in this sin-filled world. But with God on your side, you are always going to be victorious.

I love you and am praying for you. God has so much for you, so many blessings you can?t even imagine. I pray that today you will recommit to stand firm and not to compromise. Follow the instruction book. Know the joy and peace of being in God?s perfect will.