But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Be careful how you walk and where you walk. Be alert to warnings. My Holy Spirit in you and on you discloses to you what is to come. Overriding a warning does not show trust but foolishness. It is one thing to know I will take care of you, it is another thing to use that to bulldoze past a warning I give you in your spirit to do what you plan anyway.
There is no one in an accident or snare of the devil that I did not try to warn before it happened.
And that is today’s Life Lesson about what to do when Satan attacks: “Be alert to warnings.” For it is I who deliver you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:3.
“Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; the snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:7-8.
When Jeroboam was king of the northern kingdom of Israel when it divided from Judah after Solomon’s reign, I sent a prophet from Judah to confront him at his pagan altar at Bethel where he led the people into false worship to keep them from going to My temple in Jerusalem for fear they would reunite with Judah. The altar broke in two and Jeroboam got a withered hand when he tried to harm the prophet I sent but then Jeroboam cried out, and the prophet spoke healing and Jeroboam was healed. Jeroboam invited the prophet to take refreshment with him but I had warned him not to stay, and I had a reason I did so, so he said to Jeroboam, “If you were to give me half your house I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’” So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel. 1 Kings 13:1-10. An old prophet in Bethel wanted the one I sent to eat bread with him at his house and he lied to the man from Judah and told him that he was a prophet as well and I had told him that the prophet from Judah was to turn back and go to eat bread with him. The prophet from Judah believed his lie and disobeyed My warning. After eating with him and heading back to Judah a lion came up upon the road and killed him. I had warned him not to be there at that time, but he disobeyed the warning. Be careful about this.
My Spirit warned Paul when he was taken as a prisoner to appeal his case in Rome not to set sail as they would be shipwrecked. So Paul began to admonish those running the ship and said to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. Acts 27:9-12. They very soon got caught in a terrible storm and ended up being driven by the storm for over two weeks without let up. Not listening to My warning cost them deeply but during the height of the storm I sent Word to Paul that for his sake I would save all the men on the ship that were traveling with him but that they would lose the ship and its cargo, which they did when they shipwrecked at the island of Malta. But Paul did not get upset or discouraged or resent the men for ignoring his warning, he was a constant source of encouragement to all, including the natives on Malta among whom he began a healing ministry that cured everyone who came to him and converted the island to Christ. They all ended up enjoying their time on Malta, well provided for by the natives, and then a better ship than they had set out with picked them up to continue their journey. One obedient person who loves Me, though others do not heed My warnings can turn a disaster into a victorious outcome. Because of Paul, and his efforts to obey Me, I did not let anyone lose their life. It pays to obey, but if others force you not to do so by imprisonment or military power, I can still make it work out for you and all those with you.
And while others on the ship had panicked in the storm, Paul did not. He knew Me and whether he lived or died he was with Me forever. The devil tried very hard to stop Paul from completing his mission but he could not because of Paul’s great love, appreciation and honor for Me. Paul was fascinated by My grace and was overwhelmed that I forgave his prior persecution of the church and entrusted him with the glorious work of preaching the unfathomable riches of Christ. Life meant being with Me to him and thus he was content wherever he went, whether it be a lovely place or a prison, beautiful weather or a storm. He had no fear because he knew Me in whom he believed. And he knew I would deliver him out of all his trials. He took every thought obedient to Christ and never allowed himself to be caught off guard by Satan.
He was true to the things I revealed to him so you know that he rejoiced always, prayed without ceasing, and gave constant thanks. And he was a man of prayer, for if you really love Me that is what you will be because you cannot give up spending time in their presence. And he tells you that he prayed in tongues more than you all.
How do I warn you? First, by My written Word. There are certain things I tell you never to do. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Let no bitter root take hold in your soul. I tell you not to talk rudely, speak obscenities or talk of obscenity, no slander or malice, no judging or gossip, no dishonoring but only to speak so as to encourage, exhort, and edify. Have no anxiety about anything but in everything cast your care on Me by prayer and petition with thanksgiving Do not worry but seek the Kingdom. And I am very definite about not marrying or joining yourself as business partners with unbelievers. I told the Israelites that when they came out of Egypt and went to the Promised Land. I told them it would be a snare to them and the unbelievers would pull them away from Me. But they went ahead and disobeyed and ending up going into captivity, conquered by unbelievers. And believers are still doing this. But I have warned you for a reason. I am trying to spare you heartache after heartache. And you have the ten commandments but you should be well past that stage and into walking in love, for love never harms the neighbor and it fulfills the law.
Mary, My precious handmaid who brought My Son into the world and raised Him as a child, told you very good advice that she always followed, “Do whatever He tells you.” I never do things as a whim or for no reason, if I warn not to do something, don’t do it. It seemed a good choice to proceed with the journey to the ship captain, but My warning was the best choice and he would not have lost his ship.
If I tell you not to do something is it for your good and the good of others. Obeying My Word has great rewards.
Next, I warn you by My Spirit in your spirit. If you do not have peace about a decision you are making it is time for you to draw close to Me and get My input. A check in your spirit should be enough for you to hold back from pursuing that plan until you evaluate with Me.
Sometimes I will show you very clearly exactly what you should be doing and other times just partially as a perception from your spirit to your soul. But if you will take heed, the devil will never trap you.
A Word of wisdom and a Word of knowledge are key. Stay awake. Do not let the thief catch you off guard.
I love you. It is not My intention that any should perish but that you should all be saved. Jesus is your answer and He is your good shepherd. A good shepherd keeps the sheep from harm.