John 10:10 warns us that the thief comes to steal, kill and to destroy. Jesus says He has come so we may have life and have it more abundantly. We must keep watch, because the enemy of our soul wants to do more than wound us, he wants to annihilate us. He is after the seed!
You see, it is a very real and personal battle. The devil roams around like a roaring lion to seek who he can devour. How does a lion hunt prey? He will go after the stragglers, the isolated ones, the weak ones, and the ones who are not aware that he is lurking just behind the bushes. The devil is not all knowing, he cannot read your mind, but he is a good student. He has watched you from day one. He knows what buttons to push. He knows what/who is closest to you and he will use it. He knows the areas you are weak in and he knows your strengths and he will use it against you.
The devil is a supplanter. He will attempt to snatch up every seed the Lord has planted.
Luke 8:5-8 tells us the parable of the sower and the different kinds of soil.
A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.
Hear me... WE MUST GUARD THE SEED!
We can not do this on our own. Know this. If you try to do this on your own, you will fail. You need the power of His Spirit. You are not wrestling flesh and blood. The Amplified describes it as this:
Ephesians 6:12
For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
How do we guard the seed? By taking every thought captive, learn to discern the voice of your thoughts. Do not assume every thought is your own. Do not assume every thought is truth. Do not even trust your own eye sight, learn to walk by faith, because the devil is also the master of parlor tricks.
[ Meditate on These Things ] Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Stay close to Him and remain in fellowship with His people. Surround yourself with those who will speak truth into your life and situation. Know His Word, know His voice, and know His promise for you.
Be Free & Stay Free
What does it mean love covers a multitude of sins? 1 Peter 4:8
Take a minute and read Genesis 9:21-27
James 5 tells us to confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed. Our enemy loves secrets. These secrets (unconfessed sins) keep us in darkness. We cannot truly walk in freedom when we are afraid our sin will find us out. These "secrets" invite fear into our lives. We monitor what we say, we fall under conviction, and we begin to separate ourselves. We cannot have true fellowship with Christ or each other when we are trying to cover our tracks.
What is the remedy? Confession, that leads to repentance.
We know Jesus is faithful and He forgives our sin. Sometimes sin can leave a stronghold. We struggle. The best way to defeat the enemy and win the struggle is to allow yourself to be held accountable. This is why we confess our sins to one another.
This does not mean we must broadcast our sins to everyone. If in your sin you have offended someone, hurt someone, then you must go to the one you offended and make things right (to the best of your ability, make peace. Mt. 5:23-23
Use wisdom, sometimes it is just between you and God. Remember, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. If you have confessed and repented, you are free and that sin no longer has a hold on you. Christ paid for our sins at the cross, there is no need to carry guilt. You do not have to beat yourself up. You fell down, now get back up, brush your knees off and walk in freedom.
I started this with a question of what does it mean to cover a multitude of sins with love. Yes, it was Gods love for us that brought Jesus to the cross so that we may be forgiven, he took our sins upon Him. I believe it also means, as ambassadors of Christ, when a sister or brother comes to us and confesses a sin, if they have repented, we are to pray for our brother/sister. We are not to gossip, spread tales, or "share" with others. We are to cover the sin in love, with forgiveness, understanding, compassion, and discretion.
Did you read Genesis 9? Shem and Japheth covered their fathers nakedness, their faces were turned away and they did not see their fathers nakedness.
Just as Jesus forgave us, we are to forgive others. Sin entangles us, this is why Jesus came, to set us free from the law of sin and death. Even as He was on the cross He said, Father forgive the for they know not what they do. Forgiveness releases us from the grasp of sin and offense. Forgiveness agrees to no longer hold a wrong against a person. This does not mean there are not sometimes consequences to sin. But, if we cannot practice discretion, if we defend ourselves against the offense of others, if we display the sin of someone for others to see, then we must question motive. We must take inventory and ask ourselves if we are truly walking in love and forgiveness.
No doubt, we sometimes get hurt, and sometimes the hurt is deep. We must find the healing from the hurt through Christ, lest we unwittingly fall into sin ourselves. We should not judge others, or rate their sins. We have all sinned. Christ forgives a repentant sinner, as He forgave us, so must we forgive others.
It is always best to walk in grace and mercy towards each other. We are called to be ministers of reconciliation.
Be Free & Stay Free
The term covenant means "coming together." In the Bible it is translated in the Hebrew over 300 times. In the Old testament the word is bond. It is a bonding.
In marriage a covenant is intended by God to be a lifelong, fruitful, relationship between a man and a woman. It is a vow to God, to each other, our families, and the community, to remain steadfast in unconditional love, reconciliation and sexual purity, while purposefully growing in the covenant marriage relationship. It is the binding, or establishing a bond between two parties, with the concept of "cleaving" or "sticking together." This is a promise not to be taken lightly.
Marriage is a holy union (Mark 10:9) it is to be held in honor by all (Hebrews 13:4)
Look beyond the emotions and the butterflies; because these euphoric feelings will pass. Until death do us part may be a long time. Love is not always a feeling, it is a choice. Luke 14:28 says, no man builds a house without first counting the cost.
Consider and choose wisely. Ephesians 5:21-33
