If you agree with me that life is indeed a wonderful spectacular journey, then traveling its many paths as a professed and confessed Christian can be and often is a hazardous adventure. Choosing the path that Jesus walked is by no means easy, and to do it publicly is, at times, tantamount to putting a bull’s eye on your back. I’ve used that analogy before about celebrating your faith and thereby giving the devil an easy target in a crowd, on a bus, in your marriage, or on your job. Satan will put these things and all of your so-called faith to the ultimate test. I have come to believe that as long as you’re not doing anything to attract the devil’s attention, more than likely you won’t. If you buy into the premise that life is somehow a random series of events and challenges, that how you live your life is insignificant in the cosmos. There are no consequences to your actions, then realize Satan is just fine with the prospect of you winding up in hell.
He has no reason to seek you out. Do you remember the movie Dead Man Walking? The title seems to make my point better than I can. However, if you begin to pay attention to God’s Word, listen to Jesus’ teaching, and attempt to abide by scripture, please understand the devil is intent on wreaking havoc on your world. You see, he, like the Lord, is in this thing for keeps. Most of us cannot understand this because there is little in the physical realm that we are willing to put it all on the line for. Some of you can remember the first time, as a kid, you played marbles maybe for keeps and lost. Maybe it was cards for money or a sports bet, or perhaps you gave away your heart and got burned. That sinking feeling was enough to avoid playing for keeps in life and, to some degree, in love. Please realize the devil only knows one way to play. He plays to win and your soul is the prize. It’s his Super Bowl. That’s what makes God’s mercy and grace so extraordinary.
In God’s game, it’s never over until you take your last breath. You see, God’s got next. He is the originator of this game and the creator of its rules. He’s fixed things in our favor. All we have to do is read His rule book. You can never foul out as long as you’re playing by His rules. You can keep on playing. As long as you’re moving through the game of life with an eye on Christ, an ear for the Word, and a heart stuck on others, you win. But as long as you let the devil convince you it’s a lost cause, no fun, and you can’t win, he wins because you wind up simply thinking it’s not worth your time and effort and stop playing for keeps. Not playing God’s game is playing Satan’s game. Playing Satan’s game is like expecting to win in Vegas. You might win a game or two. But over time, you cannot beat the house. The odds are against you. Soon, you’ll get on a plane and wonder where all the good times and money went. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather dance with the One thing that ‘brung’ me.
May God bless and keep you always.