Today's Scripture
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NIV)
Thoughts for Today
Satan's tactics with Eve show us how, from the beginning, we've been tempted to listen to the wrong voices about what's good and right for our lives. About what choices draw us closer to God or push us further away.
Our enemy is a deceiver who tries to convince us to reject God and stop listening to him. But Satan doesn't care about our future or God's truth. His objective? To separate us from God for all eternity. His most effective strategy? His deadly game of doubt.
Satan wants us to question God's care and love for us. He engages in character assassination of God's essential good nature and loving heart.
Consider this …
Satan came to Eve twisting the truth. He misquoted God: "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" (Genesis 3:1 NLT). Eve took the bait. Satan exploited his distorted picture of God by adding an outright lie: "You won't die!" (Genesis 3:4 NLT).
In the same way, abortion rhetoric rejects the truth of what God says about the value of every human life with an outright lie: "It's not a life at all!"
But now our hearts know better.
Maybe we didn't resist the lies back then. We made a terrible choice. But we can choose to resist the lies now. Satan wants us to think all is lost. That God doesn't care. Or that he could never forgive what we've done. Don't listen to the lies. Resist the devil. Turn to God.
Here is the truth: God loves you. He cares. Jesus died on the cross so your sins could be forgiven. In him, you do have hope.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (Romans 5:8-11 NLT)
Lord, I've listened to Satan's lies too long. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for every sin, including the sin of abortion. Restore my friendship with 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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