The Devotional - A Look at the Book #744

 

by Jesse Abel

Psalm 19:7a – Is this not exciting and does not this verse of scripture and those remaining in this Psalm just thrill your soul?. The law of the LORD is perfect and Isaiah 26:3 says: “I will keep him in perfect peace who’s mind is stayed on Me”. Notice too; Philippians 4:6-9

Good Morning

Normally the Sonar Room on a submarine is eerie quiet, there is the hum of electronic equipment and other minor noises too but these become common to those in the room. It is those noises that are not common; these cause all concerned to immediately zero in and identify what is heard. While the sonar room is quiet, the ocean can be a very noisy place, full of life and each life can be identified by the experienced Sonar Technician.

On the other side of this are sounds of metal, machinery, steam, water cavitation and footsteps; these are not normal ocean sounds and it is these sounds that calls for the technician’s wisdom and knowledge to be sober and vigilant. Being sober is not always associated with getting drunk. The word is actually a word to bring a person’s mind to a serious state of awareness and of course awareness is associated with being vigilant.

Still the picture of the sonar room is not complete. There is another threat to a submarine under water. The listening ear is passive and what is described so far is the ability of the sonar equipment to listen like the ear to hear. Also, in the sonar room you will find equipment that is actively searching for obstacles. Like the bottom of the ocean floor or a mountain under the water.

Active sonar is the ability see objects with the ear. Well without a lot of detail all of this technology works because the men who operate the equipment are trained to be seriously aware of the dangers surrounding the vehicle they are in. These men learn to trust wisdom and knowledge rather than responding by emotion to the sight in front of them.

Now here is the rub: 1 Peter 5:8. The world is not sober or vigilant to the spiritual conflict that the apostle Peter is focused on in his epistle. What then is the condition of the world? Is it drunk and unaware; will from the casual eye one might answer yes. But I think not; more likely the world is not serious minded about the noise of spiritual things, thus the world is not aware of spiritual activity.

We have a charge from the Word of the Living God to study, this charge is found in 2 Corinthians 2:15. When I first heard of this charge I was thirty five in 1975. The words are the theme of the ministry of the man I had just met, Pastor Jay Chappell. He taught me to be sober and vigilant. While I still fail because I am not perfect, I have not nor will I ever forget; that sober vigilance comes by the hearing of sound doctrine taught by sober and vigilant men.

Church elders are teachers of Spiritual awareness; they are given the task to teach the congregation to be sanctified in grace and to able to walk in Truth. Grace opens the ears to be vigilant to the effects of the roaring lion in a believer’s life. And Truth is the active “ping” that prevents the devil from devouring his prey in the face of every obstacle he may place in front of you. Are you praying for your pastor today? The United States of America needs sober and vigilant churches.