Weekly Devotional
This devotional is part of a series of weekly devotionals posted each Wednesday and correlates to the Bible Reading Plan of the month.
This month, the devotionals are all about Freedom.
For the related Bible Reading Plan of the month that goes along with this devotional, click below.
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In this last devotional on freedom for the month of August, we’ll take a look at warnings against man-made freedoms that ensnare.
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.
2 Peter 2:19
Beware of Worldly Guidance
In the second chapter of 2 Peter, Peter is giving stern warning to believers to be aware and cautious of false teachers.
These false teachers were guiding people to follow false heresies, deny Jesus, and live an immoral lifestyle.
Unfortunately, Peter said that many would followed their depraved ways and the way of truth would be slandered because of these false teachings (v. 2).
They followed “polluting desires of the flesh and despised authority” (v. 10) and tried to discredit God’s pathway to freedom because they could not understand (v.12).
Trusting God’s Leading When You Don’t Understand
When we don’t understand God’s leading or don’t trust the Holy Spirit to guide us, we fall back to what we know and to taking our lives into our own hands.
We end up following things of the flesh instead of things of the spirit (Romans 8:5). And we follow people and leaders that promise to give us what our flesh desires as good and fulfilling, instead of using our God-given discernment to test the fruit of an individual’s life.
With God as our Good Shepherd, we His sheep know His voice and are not to be led astray by the voice of a stranger.
But if we don’t take the time to get to know His voice through studying His Word, we increase the chances that we can be deceived by false teaching that sounds promising.
Mists Driven by a Storm
“These people are springs without water, mists driven by a storm.”
2 Peter 2:17
Early in 2 Peter chapter 2, Peter compares false teachers to a mist driven by a storm.
When life is hard, heating up, and everything around us seems to be a trial and a struggle, we crave refreshment. We look to any form of cool “mist” that can relieve some of the pressures of life.
In those moments, it can be easy to grab for whatever bit of water or source of coolness is in front of you for a taste of freedom.
When we are desperately thirsty, we aren’t too picky about what water we drink as long as it looks clean on the outside.
So when a false teacher or leader is in front of us offering any bit of freedom that on the outside appears good, it’s easy for us to think that person’s guidance is the path to life, that it’s the living water we need.
Before we know it, we come to find that once refreshing mist is not so great after all because it’s powered by a storm of sin and unrighteousness.
Imagine the rain needed on a hot summer day and the relief one feels when the humidity and pressure is eased with every cool drop, only to realize the rain is actually the middle of a hurricane that can destroy your life.
Freedom That Ensnares
That’s the type of freedom false teachers enslaved by sin offer us.
We find that the things that once seemed like freedom are actually bringing us to the middle of a storm where we don’t know which way to turn to get out.
The type of water and refreshment found in distorted guidance is a dangerous drink that can destroy lives.
Living Water
There’s only one True Source of living water that will satisfy our souls and bring us the freedom we truly desire (John 4:14).
His guidance is the only one that will bring right direction into our lives.
We can walk freely in an open place when we follow His precepts (Psalm 119:45) and we can experience the freedom of resting in His peace and love.
Only God and His love for us can bring us true freedom, and He’s come to proclaim freedom for those held captive by the lies of the enemy and false teachings and to release prisoners from spiritual darkness (Isaiah 61:1).
Takeaway
Today, pray for the Lord to make His ways known to you, to teach you His paths, to guide you into real Truth, and to protect you from the deception of false teaching (Psalm 25:4-5).
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