God’s Protective Love

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading, titled, God's Protective Love, was written by Patricia Rabin. One summer night the birds near our home suddenly erupted into chaotic calling. The squawking intensified as the songbirds sent piercing calls from the trees. We finally realized why.

As the sun set, a large hawk swooped from a treetop, sending the birds scattering in a screeching frenzy, sounding the alarm as they flew from danger. In our lives, spiritual warnings can be heard throughout scripture. Cautions against false teachings, for example.

We may doubt that's what we're hearing. Because of His love for us, however, our Heavenly Father provides the clarity of scripture to make such spiritual dangers plain to us. In Matthew Chapter 7, Jesus taught, Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. He continued, By their fruit you will recognize them. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Then He warned us, By their fruit you will recognize them. The prudent see danger and take refuge, Proverbs chapter 22 verse 3 reminds us.

But the simple, keep going and pay the penalty. Embedded in such warnings is God's protective love revealed in His words to us. As the birds warned each other of physical danger, may we heed the Bible's warnings to fly from spiritual danger and into God's arms of refuge. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew Chapter 7 verses 13 through 23. Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?

Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. Let's pray. Dear God, help us to understand that the warnings we see in scripture are for our protection and benefit, and are there because you love us and want what's best for us. May we not resist these warnings, but faithfully obey, trusting that you know what's best for us, even when we don't understand. Thank you, Lord. It's in your name, Jesus, that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Joyce Dinkins, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.