Hosea 13:9-10 “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?”
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Ecclesiastes 7:15-16 “All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?”
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
We know that our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. “ (I Peter 5:8) He truly seeks to destroy us. Yet, it is easy to forget that our greatest enemy might not come from without, but instead from within. We build a fortress around ourselves to protect us from threats from the outside, while often neglecting the fact that the most potent threats arise from the inside. We are vigilant about external threats, but complacent about internal threats. We secure the perimeter, but neglect the interior.
We are prone to self-destruction – as individuals and as institutions. It is true for nations, maybe even our own nation. As much as we would like to blame our environment, our adversary, or our situation, it is internal rot that often leads to our destruction. We frequently erode from the inside out, with no one to blame but ourselves.
There is a broad way that leads to destruction. Yet, there is a pathway that leads to a fulfilling, meaningful, joyful and impactful life! That pathway is one that we must follow in our actions, but also in our thoughts, in our intents, in our perspectives, and in our motivations. It must permeate our worldview, infuse our understanding of self-worth, and orient our relationships. It must draw us back to the Lord as our king.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO PROTECT AGAINST INTERNAL THREATS THAT CAN LEAD TO SELF DESTRUCTION. We must tend to concerns on the inside as much as we treat the threats on the outside.
