Icy 365 days per year

Bulletins

Brian Nielsen
02/04/24 - General

After a few steps outside toward my car on a morning with freezing rain, I realized I shouldn't be driving anywhere. What good was it going to be if I made it to the gym and went through a healthy workout only to slip and break a few bones on the way back to my car? Or wreck my car?

If only I can be as wise and careful about my spiritual life. Regardless of the weather, we need to have the wisdom of Proverbs 22:3 saying, "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished." On this icy day, you can't wreck a car you don't move. In life, we should be leery of going close to temptations and giving the devil a chance. You can avoid much danger in life by remembering 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, "Abstain from every form of evil." The New International Version of Ephesians 4:27 says, "and do not give the devil a foothold."

Granted, sometimes a job or other responsibilities make it necessary to proceed on icy, less than ideal roads. Doing this or in other aspects of life, we can still follow Ephesians 5:15 -- "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise." This kind of caution might still mean swallowing some pride and letting a more skilled driver take the steering wheel. I finally learned this. But all of us need to give the steering wheel to God in our lives as Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the lord and depart from evil." Certainly, the Lord does not need a backseat or passenger seat driver. Following God's word from the Bible, we don't need to question Him or even see out the windshield while remembering 2 Corinthians 5:7 which says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

While this was written on an icy day in the Midwest, even a clear, sunny day can be dangerous if we aren't living in fear of the Lord and heeding instructions like Proverbs 1:32-33 -- "For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.’ "

Written January 22, 2024

Scriptures referenced are New King James Version unless noted otherwise.