December 1 – Moving Forward or Slipping Back?
Dear Marisa,
«Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.»
(Hebrews 2:1)
It’s happened to all of us. We get a little of the Word of God under our spiritual belts. We have a few victories. Our lives are going great for the first time in years. Then suddenly we slip and it all falls apart. We find ourselves having to start all over again.
Hebrews was written to a people like that. They made such great spiritual progress that they got to the place where they should have been teachers. Then they slipped back so much, they needed baby food again. (See Hebrews 5:12.)
What caused them to fall so far? They let other things get in the way of their faith. They let the promises of God slip, so they slipped.
That’s happened to a multitude of believers in the last several years.
«Well, Brother Copeland,» they said, «we’re tired of that faith stuff.» Or, «We just don’t have time to spend that much time in the Word.»
They turned their attention away from the promises of God. It’s not that they didn’t believe them anymore. It’s just that they directed their attention to other things. They let their Word level drop and since low Word level equals low faith level, they soon began suffering defeat in areas where they once had victory.
Don’t let that happen to you. When things are going well, don’t just ride the tide of God’s blessing. Dig deeper into what God has for you. Give more earnest heed to the promises of God. Concentrate on moving ahead, on becoming so strong in the Spirit you can not only get your own needs met, you can meet others’ needs as well!
Remember: Low Word Level = Low Faith Level = Slip.
Don’t get so busy enjoying today’s victory that tomorrow ends up in defeat. Look into the things you’ve learned. Give the Word more of your attention–not less. Keep moving from faith to faith. Instead of trying to trip you up, Satan and his bunch will be crying, «Oh no, that faith man is coming after us again!»
