Point Man – Day 5

It’s an interesting day today as this devotional is drawing to a close and the work week is just kicking off. Ever had one of those days where you wake up and God speaks to you through His Word and then you go to church and the sermon is speaking the same words to you? That was yesterday when after posting my post on Point Man – Day 4 along with my 2005 to Eternity post THRIVE: Make the most of your day by living with purpose, on purpose, and for a purpose! I went to church and the sermon series Finding Joy in the Journey with the title I’ve Got No One Like You spoke with the words: purpose, the sphere of influence, and serving others. The sermon was speaking to the reality of knowing and acknowledging that there is nobody like you in our lives! So as I step into today and consider what God has to say in and through His Word, I realize that I am to live my life to the full, on purpose, with purpose, and for God’s purpose! Let’s jump back into today’s devotional. The introduction put it this way:

If you are a husband or father, then you are in a war—because war has been declared on the biblical family. Today, leading a family through the chaos of American culture is like leading a small patrol through enemy-occupied territory. But Jesus is not asking you to die for your family; He’s asking you to live for them.

Point Man – A 5-Day Reading Plan By Steve Farrar

Scripture from Today’s Devotional:

What better way to jump into a devotional than to turn to God’s Word first and see what He has to say before turning to see what will be taught through this devotional? God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path! God’s Word is perfect and refreshing to the soul! God’s Word is trustworthy, making wise the simple! Let’s take the time to read and meditate on God’s Word!

Let’s be the dads who turn to God as our light and our salvation! Let’s be the dads who lean in and trust God rather than allowing the noise and the attacks of the devil to try and create fear in us and paralyze us by making us afraid! Let’s be the dads who cling to God who is our fortress, protecting us from danger and giving us no reason to tremble and even rebuking the lies and the attacks that try to make us tremble! Let’s be the dads who trust God and lean in on God because we know that when evil people come to devour us when my enemies and foes attack us, they will stumble and fall! Let’s be the dads who choose to live by faith, trusting God, standing with and clinging to God, because we know that even though a mighty army surrounds us, our hearts will not be afraid! Let’s be the dads who choose faith over fear! Let’s be the dads who stand firm in confidence that God’s plan is for good and not for evil and that what the enemy plans for evil He can use for our good! Let’s be the dad who even if I am attacked, I will remain confident!

Let’s be the dads who aren’t being misled by the lies of impersonators and deceivers! Let’s be the dads who know the truth and allow the truth to set us free! Let’s be the dads who don’t and won’t panic in the midst of hearing of wars and threats of wars! Let’s be the dads who don’t and won’t panic because we know these things need to happen but the end won’t follow immediately! Let’s be the dads who aren’t misled or panicked when nations go to war against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms! Let’s be the dads who aren’t misled or panicked when there are famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world! Let’s be the dads who aren’t misled or panicked when we see believers or experience being arrested, persecuted, and killed, being hated all over the world because we follow Jesus! Let’s be the dads who stand firm in the midst of the turning, betraying, and even deceiving of our love, trust, and faith in Jesus! Let’s be the dads who aren’t surprised or shocked when we see sin running rampant everywhere, and the love of many growing cold! Let’s be the dads who endure to the end and will be saved because we know that the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it, and then the end will come!

Today’s devotional has been provided to us by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information, please visit: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/606866/point-man-revised-and-updated-by-steve-farrar

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Surrounded but Not Subdued”

• Where do you see the world today after you reflect upon the scripture for today?
• When you consider the stories of the Bible, do you ever see the pendulum that swings between people following God and then walking away?
• Consider where you are living today and what is taking place around you, are the people moving towards God or away from God?
• Consider where you are living today and how far or how bad things have to get before people turn back to God.
• Be it in the Old Testament times, in recent history, or even today, can you see the pendulum of the hearts of people swaying to and fro with God and away from God?
• Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality of what we read, see, and learn so that we choose to stick close to God in and through it all!
• Today’s devotional opens up as follows:
  • “At times, God’s people find themselves governed and sur­rounded by the godless. Any government or nation, when it leaves the principles that God has set down in Scripture, can become a prison. Babylon became a prison for Daniel and the exiles. The na­tions that fell to the Nazis in World War II became prisons. The United States is becoming more and more a nation of bureaucracy and endless regulations set by unelected offi­cials and judges, along with tyrannical governors and may­ors who want to close down churches that preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.“
• Let’s be the dads who choose to study and follow God’s laws and His directions and instructions!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that “a culture that ignores the law and constitution is smothering and claustrophobic“!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that “when the law is ignored, we look around and find that—just as the Lord Jesus indicated in Matthew 24:12—lawlessness is increasing. As a result, we have out­breaks of rioting, looting, and anarchy from sea to shining sea“!
• Let’s be the dads who trust God rather than our own understanding!
• Let’s be the dads who lean more toward God when things around us seem to go crazy!
• Let’s be the dads who consider that when things are starting to look like the pieces are falling apart they may be finally starting to fall into place!
• Let’s be the dads who know that nothing surprises God!
• Let’s be the dads who remember that God is omni, that’s right He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that God gave us all free will and as such there are people who may choose to live apart from God and not live in alignment or accordance with His purpose, plan, or calling!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that God gave us all free will and as such there are people who may choose to reject God and His Word and His commands!
• Today’s devotional raises an interesting question: “So what do we do?“
• Today’s devotional gives us some great advice to help us be on point, stay on point, and be the point men our wives, kids, and our world need for us to be:
  • “The Lord Jesus Christ has not sounded the retreat; He has instructed us to occupy until He comes (see Luke 19:11-13). We are to serve Him in our work; love our wives; teach, nurture, discipline, and love our children; and be a rock for Christ in our homes and churches.“
  • “As Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it, “Faith is a refusal to panic.” God has a plan and He intends to use you in its achievement. It is no accident that you were born in these days or that you are raising children in such a time as this. God has promised to give you the tools and the skill to wage this new kind of battle, and He will fight for you because He is on your side.“
  • “God is looking for men who will follow Jesus Christ and burn their ships be­hind them. When He finds those men, He will take extraor­dinary measures to buttress, bolster, and carry them along in His limitless strength: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9).“
• Let’s be the dads who will follow Jesus Christ and leave the ways of the world behind us!
• Let’s be the dads who choose to live lives that will raise the average, the standards, and the way of living!
• Let’s be the dads God is looking for!
• Let’s be the dads who lean in and trust God to give “us the strength to withstand the onslaught of His blessing“!
• Today’s devotional closes with the following challenge:
  • “In what ways do you feel that your nation or culture is closing in around you? In light of these circumstances, what does it mean for you, today, to hold fast to Jesus?“
• Today’s devotional shared some additional reference material and encouragement to close when it says:
  • “We hope this plan encouraged you. Learn more about Point Man, Revised and Updated by Steve Farrar click here.”