Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Because the active animosity of Satan and the demons (Revelation 9) is manifested against Christians, we need spiritual strength to “stand” (Ephesians 6:14). Having “our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15) involves protection and stability. It also includes mobility and maneuverability. In Genesis 39:22, we read that Joseph “fled forth” from the evil allurements of Potiphar’s wife, thus retaining his personal integrity. II Timothy 2:22a is direct: “Flee also youthful lusts.” I am reminded of a really lame joke. A man stumbled into a doctor’s office and blurted out, “Doctor, I broke my leg in three places!” The laconic medico replied, “Well, stay out of them places.” A Christian who is spiritually prepared will strive to stay away from people and places of temptation and, if caught unexpectedly in a bad situation, will flee. As my father used to say, “I’d rather they say, ‘There he goes’ than ‘There he lies.’” of Course, we do not have to flee from Satan; in fact, we must “stand” instead. James 4:7 confidently commands, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When we flee temptations, we are resisting Satan and the demons, and the promise of God is that they cannot prevail against us but will “flee.”