“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:10–12 NLT)

 

When he was little, my son Jonathan had a habit of wandering. One day, we were in a hotel and came to an elevator. He ran ahead to push the button. I told him, “If the elevator comes, wait until Dad gets there.” Just as I arrived at the elevator, the doors were closing, and he was inside. He was gone. I frantically pushed the button for the other elevator and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the doors opened, and I jumped in. I went down to the lobby. He wasn’t there. I ran back to the elevator, pushed every button for every floor, and as the doors opened, I would scream out his name. I didn’t care about decorum. I wanted to find my son. And I found him, about three floors up, wandering around. But you know what? After that experience, he didn’t wander anymore. He got separated from his dad, and it was scary for him. He learned how important it was to stay close to me.

As Christians, we should want to stay as close to our heavenly Father as possible. Our enemy, the devil, is a powerful adversary, and we are no match for him in our own strength. The apostle Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).

We don’t want to venture out into this life on our own abilities and suffer spiritual defeat. I have a healthy respect for the devil’s ability. That’s why I want to stay as close to the Lord as possible. I want to be strong in Him.

Wanting to stay close to your Father may seem like a childish instinct, but it’s actually evidence of a mature faith. In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul instructs us to “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” and to “put on all of God’s armor” (NLT). He leaves no room for solo outings or wandering journeys.

Staying close to our heavenly Father gives us more than protection by an all-powerful God. Psalm 94:17–19 says, “Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer” (NLT).

If ever there was a time to be walking closely with the Lord, it is now. This is not the time to be playing games with God. This is not the time to wander away.

 

Reflection Question: How can you tell when you start to wander away from God?

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