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DST

By March 11, 2012August 30th, 2022Devotional

Well, you know what that stands for, don’t you? Daylight Savings Time, which started early this morning. Hopefully, you set your clocks ahead one hour before you went to bed; that means that we all received one less hour of sleep than we are used to. I must say that for years here in Indiana, we were one of the few states in the country that never changed time.

That meant that in the summer we followed the New York east coast TV time schedule and then in the winter months, we followed the Chicago central states TV guide. It was a little inconvenient but it was kind of cool in that we had daylight later in the day and didn’t have to mess with setting all the clocks twice a year.

Truthfully, most people in Indiana like the idea of not having to change times, but it was not to be. The powers that be got DST back in play several years ago and that is the way it is. At least the winter month time schedule doesn’t last as long as it used; it’s early March and we have already returned to the longer evening daylight hours.

I am amazed, though, at how dependent I am on clocks. This evening, it is 10:30 and I am pretty tired. Yet, according to my body clock it is only 9:30. No matter, I am ready for bed. The power of suggestion, by looking at the time on the wall, really seems to impact me. I can’t believe how susceptible I am to outside influences.

When I think about it, that’s the same way I am in the world. When I hang around God centered people, I am more God centered myself. I am less inclined to stray because there are people around me to hold me accountable. Conversely, when I do things that aren’t focused on God, I can expect that I am more likely to be persuaded to think or act in a way that is less honoring to God. And that is a slippery slope.

For those of us who profess to lead a God centered life, it is imperative that we surround ourselves with people who strengthen us, and not those who allow us to take our eyes off our faith. None of us is strong enough to go it alone – we need other believers to surround us.

But it’s kind of like the clock on the wall. We tend to believe what we are exposed to, regardless of what the truth is. Now I admit that there are people who are so strong in their faith that for a time, they may even be temporarily successful. But I have been around too long to ignore the impact of a bad apple in the barrel. The entrance of evil, even a small amount, can have a serious negative impact on an outcome.

It is necessary to make sure that you keep yourself in as pure a surrounding as you can. And if you serve in an area that is not God centered, it is even more important that you stay connected to those believers who can nourish you and replenish your strength by continuing to shine the light of the truth on you.

One of the things that I loved about seminary was the fact that I was always around people who were incredibly God centered. But once I left school, it became far more dangerous for me. Because it is easy to get caught up in the things of the world, and that is something that I don’t want to return to. And, just like the clock on the wall, it is too easy to trust your earthly senses rather than to focus on what you know in your heart, mind and will to be true.

Therefore, the verse for tonight is from Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” My encouragement is that you cling to the truth and never let go. No matter what your senses tell you. And my prayer is that God will put the right people in your life to help you on the journey. So no matter what time it is, you will always be in sync with God. Grace and Peace,

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