Saturday Ruminations

           I don't think that 'temptation' is the best word....it's more the 'lure.' It is an almost Spring-like Saturday today here in Western Pennsylvania. We have a mix of tulips and daffodils and pansies on the porch....ready to plant in a few weeks....Lord willing.....very colorful....and my wife has friends over for lunch....the first get-together really since the pandemic began....and laughter fills the house. I'm the husband that helped get everything ready....and cleans up the dishes as her guests retired to another room to continue the visit and bring each other up to date on what new may have happened with them over the long and cold winter.
           The lure is to forget the situation that we in America find ourselves in....and fall back into a slumber. So after putting away the dishes....and politely joining in the conversation for a little while....I listened to Ligonier.org's Renewing Your Mind Saturday broadcast....and the lure had weakened. I'll recommend to you R. C. Sproul's teaching today on Elijah....just Google....ligonier.org and the Daily Audio is right there.
            Folks....we are in a real fight. We cannot let our guard down for long....or before we know it the enemy will have serenaded us to sleep. We are indeed pilgrims....but we are also soldiers. It's not a constitution that we fight for....but the glory that is due God. Spurgeon and Ryle used this analogy of the soldier often in their sermons....but we don't hear this motivation today....and the result has been.....well....just read the daily papers or listen to the news.
            How often have we all read Paul's analogies like this....and maybe nodded....but never really let his message and warning sink in? Maybe you will stop the next time that you come across these verses...maybe it will be today....for that is the only purpose of this post. I hope that it did some justice to our calling as soldiers....for another warning of Paul's comes to mind.....1 Corinthians 14:8...."For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"