January 3, 2025 Devo

“How did I get here?” Have you ever asked yourself that question? I’ve heard people ask it out loud in my office as they tried to figure out how they got so far from who they wanted to be. The answer probably has many parts because each of our situations is different. But one answer is probably at the heart of it all for most of us. “We slid.”
I want you to notice the progression the psalmist points out in our verse today. First, we simply give an ear to people we shouldn’t listen to. Notice that the NIV says we “walk” with them. But there’s no harm in walking and listening, is there? Maybe not. Except it’s the beginning of “The Slide.” The move away from God and from the person you want to be at this point is subtle, but it’s there. And it leads to more sliding.
After you’ve listened to the wrong people and given the Enemy a little room in your mind, you start looking at things differently, measuring things differently, and justifying things differently. Before you know it, you’re not just walking and listening. You’re standing and becoming. Your attitude starts to change. Your outlook starts to change. Because the clash of values starts creating conflict within you, you struggle with the guilt. It’s often at this point that people who are sliding start missing church more frequently, shying away from friends who are strong believers, and being “too busy” to have time to spend in the Word or in prayer.
If the slide continues, you realize one day you’re not just walking or standing. You’re sitting. You’ve taken a place at the table of sin. It sometimes takes a while before you realize you have because no one wants to admit that they’ve turned away from things they know to be good and right and true. Often at this point, it takes something pretty powerful to wake you up and realize how far you’ve fallen.
Have you found yourself sliding? Turn around! The slow, gradual pull of the Enemy will become increasingly strong with every inch to which you give way. The earlier you turn back toward God, the easier it will be and the less guilt, shame, and self-destruction you’ll have to endure. Remember, the problem with returning to God is never about God’s ability to forgive you. His Grace is always greater than our sin. The problem lies in our increasing inability to forgive ourselves and accept that grace. So turn back today before the Enemy convinces you that there is no going back. Beware of the slide. That’s God’s Word for you today.