Ken Lovelace Ministries


YOU MUST NOT BE IGNORANT by Lygia Lovelace As I ran out to my Grandpa's shed, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. I loved being at his house! I grew up a city girl, and Grandpa's farm fascinated me. Animals were everywhere, kittens and puppies were born randomly -- there were horses to ride and hay barns to play in. As a little girl of 8, I wondered what was in the shed to play with. I reached for the shed door and movement caught my eye. I drew back my hand just in time for a snake to wriggle off the door handle of the shed and jump to the ground. It ominously slithered under the shed as I scampered back to the house! Do you know that there's a battle going on? Are you prepared? You see, I was ignorant of country ways. I was always learning the hard way at my Grandpa's farm. Throughout my growing up years, I was bitten and stepped on by horses, I fell off the tractor, I was shocked numerous times by the electric fence, I knocked a tower of hay bales on top of myself, I was threatened by snakes and other farm pests, and even got caught on a runaway horse. How did I survive? Only through the watchful eye of my Heavenly Father...and my Grandpa, who, with a twinkle in his eye, warned me and rescued me. Ignorant and under-confident, I have always learned things the hard way. As I have been reading this week about Moses, it has occurred to me the importance of his rod -- the staff that Moses used often as a shepherd, and then also used throughout his assignment to the Hebrew people. Because Moses felt ignorant and under-confident before a holy God, God used the staff as a confidence builder. Moses carried it along with him throughout his journey. It connected him to the strength and power of his Heavenly Father. God's Word is my rod -- my staff of correction, my evidence of signs and wonders, my confidence builder. I must carry it along throughout my journey. The other night, Chase and I were driving home from out of town. It was late, and I was tired. I noticed a police barrier up ahead, blocking the very roadway that I needed. I knew no other way to go! Reluctantly I took the detour -- a dark side street. "How do I get to the highway?" I wondered aloud. "I think I'll just follow the car in front of me...surely he knows where to go." So, as the car ahead turned into a dark, poverty stricken residential area, so did I. "Hmmm...maybe I should have kept going," I wondered. As the car ahead of me slowed down, gunshots began to pour out into the darkness! Suddenly I realized...we are in the line of fire -- in the area of the police blockade! The car in front of me stopped while the gunfire continued. "Chase! Get down!" I commanded. I sure wasn't going to put Chase in further danger and wait on the bullets to pelt him. I sped around the car in front of me and drove off quickly through the darkness, leaving the gunfire behind. We are in a battle! How are we going to survive it? How will our children? Our lives as believers are unpredictable, and even at times, dangerous. We are commanded to light up this dark, poverty-stricken world. That's not always the safest place to be...it requires courage and wisdom. We are promised God's presence and guidance. But what if we, as believers, choose to go forth ignorantly, just following the 'guy in front of us'? What if we don't know the Word? What if we don't teach our children the Word? What if we are just not paying attention when the enemy strikes? Are we putting our children directly in the line of fire, unprepared for the battle, because they are ignorant of the Word and of the authority that they have in Christ Jesus? God's Word is our rod -- our staff to carry with us, through dark and dangerous times. Do you know there's a battle going on? Do your children? The battle is indeed raging, and will grow stronger as our generations continue. We must prepare them! We will not always be there to warn them, to rescue them. Do you know that God has given us spiritual armor? (Ephesians 6) Do you know He wants to equip us for the battle, that we might stand strong and courageous? Search His Word. Find weapons for dangerous times. Memorize those verses -- carry His Word with you, in your heart and mind, as Moses carried his staff. Then you will be prepared. You will be ready. You will know which way to turn. You will not be ignorant or under-confident. You will be victorious in the battle. You must not be ignorant. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith... I Peter 5:8-9a

YOU MUST NOT BE IGNORANT
by Lygia Lovelace

As I ran out to my Grandpa's shed, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. I loved being at his house! I grew up a city girl, and Grandpa's farm fascinated me. Animals were everywhere, kittens and puppies were born randomly -- there were horses to ride and hay barns to play in.

As a little girl of 8, I wondered what was in the shed to play with. I reached for the shed door and movement caught my eye. I drew back my hand just in time for a snake to wriggle off the door handle of the shed and jump to the ground. It ominously slithered under the shed as I scampered back to the house!

Do you know that there's a battle going on? Are you prepared?

You see, I was ignorant of country ways. I was always learning the hard way at my Grandpa's farm. Throughout my growing up years, I was bitten and stepped on by horses, I fell off the tractor, I was shocked numerous times by the electric fence, I knocked a tower of hay bales on top of myself, I was threatened by snakes and other farm pests, and even got caught on a runaway horse. How did I survive? Only through the watchful eye of my Heavenly Father...and my Grandpa, who, with a twinkle in his eye, warned me and rescued me.

Ignorant and under-confident, I have always learned things the hard way.

As I have been reading this week about Moses, it has occurred to me the importance of his rod -- the staff that Moses used often as a shepherd, and then also used throughout his assignment to the Hebrew people. Because Moses felt ignorant and under-confident before a holy God, God used the staff as a confidence builder. Moses carried it along with him throughout his journey. It connected him to the strength and power of his Heavenly Father.

God's Word is my rod -- my staff of correction, my evidence of signs and wonders, my confidence builder. I must carry it along throughout my journey.

The other night, Chase and I were driving home from out of town. It was late, and I was tired. I noticed a police barrier up ahead, blocking the very roadway that I needed. I knew no other way to go! Reluctantly I took the detour -- a dark side street.

"How do I get to the highway?" I wondered aloud. "I think I'll just follow the car in front of me...surely he knows where to go."

So, as the car ahead turned into a dark, poverty stricken residential area, so did I.

"Hmmm...maybe I should have kept going," I wondered. As the car ahead of me slowed down, gunshots began to pour out into the darkness!

Suddenly I realized...we are in the line of fire -- in the area of the police blockade!

The car in front of me stopped while the gunfire continued.

"Chase! Get down!" I commanded. I sure wasn't going to put Chase in further danger and wait on the bullets to pelt him. I sped around the car in front of me and drove off quickly through the darkness, leaving the gunfire behind.

We are in a battle! How are we going to survive it? How will our children? Our lives as believers are unpredictable, and even at times, dangerous. We are commanded to light up this dark, poverty-stricken world. That's not always the safest place to be...it requires courage and wisdom.

We are promised God's presence and guidance.

But what if we, as believers, choose to go forth ignorantly, just following the 'guy in front of us'? What if we don't know the Word? What if we don't teach our children the Word? What if we are just not paying attention when the enemy strikes?

Are we putting our children directly in the line of fire, unprepared for the battle, because they are ignorant of the Word and of the authority that they have in Christ Jesus?

God's Word is our rod -- our staff to carry with us, through dark and dangerous times.

Do you know there's a battle going on? Do your children? The battle is indeed raging, and will grow stronger as our generations continue. We must prepare them! We will not always be there to warn them, to rescue them.

Do you know that God has given us spiritual armor? (Ephesians 6) Do you know He wants to equip us for the battle, that we might stand strong and courageous?

Search His Word. Find weapons for dangerous times. Memorize those verses -- carry His Word with you, in your heart and mind, as Moses carried his staff.

Then you will be prepared. You will be ready. You will know which way to turn. You will not be ignorant or under-confident.

You will be victorious in the battle.

You must not be ignorant.

Be self-controlled and alert.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith...
I Peter 5:8-9a