The Twenty Second of JanuaryWHILE MEN SLEPT --- Matthew 13:25"But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat." --- Matthew 13:25. No wonder that Christians lose their power and strength, if the enemy of souls find them asleep. How soon may he gain an advantage from without, if a strict guard is not kept within! Though Satan seems to sleep sometimes, and we should, by all appearance, be in no great danger, it is only his stratagem to make us careless. He never fails to be vigilant, and watch his opportunity, that he may offer us battle with advantage; and who knows but he may gain the victory by those very sins to which perhaps we, for many years, had hardly any temptation? Oh, how cunningly does he work! how enticing is the world! Even in lawful things, very often, the most dangerous snares lie hidden. A single word that we hear may be able to disturb our peace. One unguarded look is sometimes enough to infatuate our hearts. There is danger on all sides. Unless the Lord open our eyes, and preserve us on all occasions, each of us, even the best may still be overcome and deadly hurt by sin and the world. Satan is particularly busy to sift the godly most of all; and having caught them in the net, triumphs exceedingly over them. O Lord, suffer me never to fall asleep again.
Help me to watch and pray, |