Who Are You Listening To?: Don't Be Impressed
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7 NLT
Thoughts for Today
When we try to figure things out on our own instead of trusting God, we are actually "playing God." Women aren't the only ones deceived when abortion tempts us to play God. Panic over pregnancy can make women and men, family members and friends, and even spiritual leaders listen to the lie that abortion will give a woman an easy out from a difficult situation. By endorsing and choosing abortion, we become vulnerable to one of our enemy's trademark enticements:
"You will be like God." Genesis 3:5 NLT
Those were Satan's words to Eve. Many voices have repeated this temptation through the ages ... and in particular to each of us deciding about abortion.
You must decide for yourself what's right.
You're the one responsible for making good things happen in your life.
And so we ignore God and listen to these lies. Trust in our wisdom instead of his. But what does God's Word warn? "Don't be impressed with your own wisdom."
Consider this …
Kim's story continues:
When I learned of my unplanned pregnancy, I turned to the man, who rejected the pregnancy from the onset. My self-image was so low that I didn't fight for deeper conversations or try to get counsel together with him.
My two confidants were not in a position to give material help and offered no alternative to abortion. One tried to ease my guilt by saying, "It's not a baby yet—just tissue." She might as well have said, "You determine when life begins, Kim, not God."
Another told me, "It's up to you, Kim. I stand by you either way." She was granting me permission to be like God. I had landed in the hands of those who said there was no child yet at that stage of pregnancy. And I embraced their lies.
Abortion deceived an entire generation. One-by-one we swallowed the lie. In the aftermath, we can choose to remain apart from God, hiding and clinging to our shame. Or we can choose to listen to Jesus Christ. Listening to him dispels our doubts. In Jesus, God has overcome all deception—not to cast us out but to cradle our hearts in his loving protection and care.
Prayer
Lord, my actions in the past show that I was impressed with my own wisdom instead of trusting yours. Please forgive me. Today I choose to listen to you. In Jesus' name ...
These thoughts were drawn from … Cradle My Heart: Finding God's LOVE After Abortion by Kim Ketola. In this book, Kim seeks to help those hurt by abortion to grieve with hope. Sharing her story and the stories of ten other women, she reveals that God's love is not a casualty of the abortive process. With an appendix of helpful resources and a study and discussion guide included, Cradle My Heart is a timely and important resource for the hurting woman, the counselor, and the church.
With an understanding and empathetic voice, Kim Ketola exposes the hurt in your heart, reveals the healing in God's heart, and brings the two together to create a whole heart where restoration and celebration are possible.
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