“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV
For some people life is extremely hard. Abuse at the hand of another, addiction, poor self-esteem, debilitating anxiety, poverty, injustice, constant physical pain and suffering seem to be a way of life for them from which there is no escape. Life is not lovely and they hear no music except for satanic death chants. Many of these people are even more desperate because they don’t know God, nor do they know how to find him. Others simply have lost their way and can’t find the gate back into the garden. Their life has left them bitter, depressed, and despairing.
But for some believers the garden that surrounds their life is so good and so beautiful that they have no need to go deeper into the garden of their heart to fellowship with Jesus. They especially don’t have time to go to the garden. But make no mistake; the garden of our heart is the exact place where every believer needs to be. It is in the garden of our heart where our spirit has opportunity to join in agreement with God’s spirit. Even if life is good, daily fellowship with Jesus can make it better.
For others they can hear nothing but the music of “Life’s Lovely Lullaby”. These people hear the call of eating, drinking, parties and fun. They know that the brass ring is out there if only they can grab on. They hunger and thirst for entertainment, education, prestige, power, and success. These people are being lulled to sleep by “Life’s Lovely Lullaby” of pleasure and what they believe to be security and knowledge, and the singer of this lullaby is none other than Satan. Some of these people even call themselves Christians, yet it is very clear that they love their sin more than they love God. The call to the garden of their heart has been ignored so long that they no longer hear the call to come into the garden. However, the garden gate to God's heart always remains open.
Others think they already have it all together and they hear a sweet melodic lullaby as they snuggle under the covers of wealth, power, and fame. In their garden is found sculptures of self, setting high on pedestals made by their own hands. They are towering so high above others that they can’t even see what real happiness looks like. They absolutely have no need of God and for sure they don’t have time to find him. The music of the beaches, resorts, stages, and decision rooms of the world are far more inviting than the garden.
If you are a believer, a few words of caution. You and I are not exempt from hearing the music of “Life’s Lovely Lullaby”. This lullaby is heard in our minds. The music starts softly in our emotions, the music rises from our greed, lusts, and selfishness, and crescendos at our point of discontentment with life and others. We think we deserve to listen to this selfish music so we turn up the volume. At first the song is sweet and alluring. Then Satan turns the music into a subtle, seductive, comforting lullaby that is hard to resist. We don’t look upward, we look inward and in a moment of weakness we are seduced into sweet sleep as we give in to sinful behavior in word, thought and deed.
I am becoming more and more aware that Satan is working hard on everyone. Satan wants to keep non-believers away from a close intimate relationship with God. Satan knows that unforvgiven sin separats a person from God and that it will lead to eternal damnation for that individual. On the other hand lukewarm individuals who want to keep one foot in the world and one foot in heaven, are also people of interest to Satan. He wants to distract these individuals all the more. Jesus said, “So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 NIV Satan is delighted to distract people with the lure of the world so that they will remain lukewarm.
But it is in the active believer’s life that Satan seems to cause the most trouble. This is because we who love God are on the right path. Even though believers belong to God and Satan cannot snatch them away he knows that believers speak God’s truth and do his work. It is the believers who lead non-believers to Jesus Christ and influence lukewarm people to choose to end their indifference. Believers teach God’s Word and encourage God worship! So at best, Satan’s plan for believers is to distract and subtly attack their mind, and orchestrate temptation. Satan wants to cram our schedules so full of the “stuff of life” that we become stressed and weak. At that point Satan fills our minds with discontentment and fosters selfishness within our hearts, thus making believers preoccupied and ineffective for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Satan is more aware that the Last Days are upon us than we are. He knows his time is short so he is wild with energy. He is pulling out all the stops and roaring full speed ahead, looking for whomever he can devour! He is no respecter of persons. His goal is the destruction and damnation of humanity.
The Bible gives us a very clear picture of what godlessness in the Last Days will look like. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal; not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV
Jesus is coming again! Each day we live we are one day closer to that truth. If you are a believer, the Holy Spirit within you will equip you to know the mind of Christ, stand firm, and to resist temptation. “You dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you (Jesus Christ) is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan).” 1 John 4:4 NIV
No matter where you are in life, desperate for God, a non-believer, a believer, a lukewarm believer, the message is the same: hear “Life’s Lovely Lullaby” and resist the message of the lullaby. Sit up…stand up…run! Exchange “Life’s Lovely Lullaby” for God’s “Heavenly Song of the Redeemed”. Be alert, Satan knows his time is short! My friends, we must not be lulled to sleep! When non-believers stand before God they will be judged for refusing to accept Jesus Christ. When believers stand before God we will give an account of how well we lived this life. Did we leave a mark of influence for Jesus? Will we be remembered for our faith and our faithfulness? Will we hear Jesus say, “Well done”? Or will we come up short and suffer loss of our full reward because we were lukewarm and indifferent? Remember, this life counts!
Questions:
What is your spiritual status at this time?
Are you: - Desperate for God – A Non-believer – A Lukewarm Believer – A Believer who is walking in a loving relationship with God and seeking to know him more everyday?
Have you ever heard Satan’s lovely lullaby? What do the lyrics of that song say to you?
Are you currently listening to Life’s Lovely Lullaby?
If you are a believer, when did you last hear Satan’s lullaby? What did you do?
Do you believe that the Holy Spirit is able to give you the power to resist sin’s lovely lullaby?Have you experienced singing the "Heavenly Song of the Redeemed"?
If you are not a believer and would you like to become a Christian, look to the right column of this blog and read the section: “How do I know if I am a Christian”
Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I believe that you are coming again. I also believe that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I pray for those who are so lost they think they cannot find their way. Send your messenger to them. Please speak to their tortured minds and let them know there is always a way for everyone to find God. I especially pray for those who are lukewarm and living for the moment. I pray you will answer the prayers of their believing parents, grandparents, family members and friends who are crying out for you to draw them to yourself. I pray they would choose to repent and walk with you. Jesus, I pray for those who have no need of you. I pray you will create need in their life. In addition I pray for all believers to stay alert and learn to say no to Satan’s distractions. I pray that believers will spend time with you in your Word and in prayer so they will be equipped to stand against the schemes of Satan. Jesus, help us to always choose your song over the lure of the lullaby.
In your name I pray. Amen.
