“Watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.” (Gen.4:7).
“The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour“ (1Pet.5:8).
“Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold…” (Rom.12:2 – Phillips).
With amazement, Stephen proclaimed, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man—Jesus, is standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56)
Lord Jesus, like every other year, month, and day—2025 will be a year in which we will encounter powerful influences. We don’t need to be paranoid, but wise. We don’t need to look for “a demon under every rock,” rather we need to lock our gaze and set our affections on you—the Author, Treasure, Perfection, and Perfecter of our faith. Because …
- Sin isn’t just “crouching at our door,” it also lives inside us—enticing, tantalizing, lying. It seeks to seduce, control, and obliterate us.
- The devil—our defeated foe, knows his time is short, and that he’s lost us for eternity. So he’s always looking for ways to impact us with “larceny, lies, death, and destruction” (Jn.10:10).
- The world—not the physical creation you made, love, and will redeem. But the “world system”—with its values and idols, Abba-denying illusions and delusions. Unless we resist, it will “squeeze” us into a Jesus-void mold.
Jesus, that’s why, like Stephen, we must see you standing in triumph and tenderness at our Father’s right hand. You stand as our last Prophet—the “Yes” to every promise God has made. You stand as our wonderful, merciful High Priest—always advocating and interceding for us. You stand as our King—ruler of the kings of the earth, and the one who is making all things new. You stand as our Bridegroom—getting reading to run “down” the isle from heaven, to have and hold us forever. Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.