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God gave us his Word


I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. (John 17:14-17)

God gave us his Word - not to just thrill us, but to keep us safe when all manner of evil is surrounding us on every side. We can trust that evil will abound on this earth - that is an assurance we are given in the scriptures. We can trust even more in the commitment of God to protect us from all that evil, regardless of how much it abounds. 

As we are taught the Word of God, truth invades every core fiber of our being. That truth 'solidifies' our strength to withstand any evil attack the enemy hurls our way. Jesus never asked his Father to take us out of the world, but to give us the tools to live in the world. To that end, we are to take the Word of God, learn from it, and then stand upon it right where we are today.

We do not belong to this world - we belong to Christ. As believers, we find our strength and balance in him. Did you know it is possible to be too smart, or even too physically strong? We can 'build' our intelligence, while being pretty foolish in our actions. We can 'build' our physical endurance and muscle strength, while neglecting the greatest strength - our spiritual strength.

If Jesus cared enough to give us his Word, how is it we don't care enough to use it as the standard by which we combat all manner of evil around us? Just askin!
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