Lone Ranger

(NLT)1 Peter 5:8-9
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. [9] Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

A friend of mine pointed out this passage yesterday and shared some notes he read on it. Lions come up from behind the pack and search out the abandoned, the lone rangers and weak.

We are commanded in scripture to, "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Eph 6:10) Part of our strength comes from being connected. (NLT)Hebrews 10:25 "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

The last two days I've highlighted the passage in Psalm 68:6, "God places the lonely in families", and the families responsibilty to receive the lonely. As in all things there are two sides to this coin. The lonely have to get connected where God places them and they need to work through the tough stuff of relationship too.

Dear reader, if you are one of those lonely individuals wandering about in life disconnected from the group God has placed you in, then watch your back because an evil lion is about to pounce.

God's word makes it clear that we are to be connected to other believers. This connectedness is more than just church attendance. It is body life. It is honesty about our struggles, blessings, doubts, fears, faith, all of it. It is having a group of people we can weep with, rejoice with, who will hold us accountable and whom we may hold accountable to the things of God.

The rest of your flock can only do so much to keep you connected. Should you choose (yes, I said choose) to walk alone you will become lion fodder.

Today, ask yourself, "Am I connected to a group of God's people in this way? Do they have my back? Do I have theirs?"

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood, Sr