Watch Out!

January 3

The caution in Hebrews 3:12 is a sobering one. It says, “Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the Living God.” We must be ever on the look-out for the subtle seed of deception that the evil one sets about to plant in the one spot where it does most harm.

That vulnerable spot is within ourselves, within our own hearts. The Word tells us that our hearts are deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9) and this is where the enemy endeavors to work his mischief.

There are erroneous belief systems, false religions, duplicitous politicians and self-serving acquaintances who can undermine our faith and cause the joy of the Lord which is our strength to become depleted within us. These challenges to our faith can wear us down and render us anxious and fretful.

But it is our own hearts that must receive and harbor the lies that negate our faith in Jesus. It is the tolerance for deception within ourselves that can undermine our foundation of trust in the integrity of the Lord and cause us to doubt His truth. Watch out! Guard your heart carefully against the intrusion of doubt!.