Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. (James 23:11)
As you would probably imagine, with two boys, a common phrase around our home is “Be careful!” and many times Wyatt will respond “I’m always careful” when actually he’s put himself in a situation that unsettles any parent or responsible adult. Many times this same scenario plays out in our spiritual lives. God is warning us through His Word, but are we really taking heed as we should? The phrase take heed appears 64 times in the KJV of the Bible so certainly it is an important matter! We are warned to hold to the Word of God, against deceit, trials of men, and to prepare for the end of our lives here on Earth.
I often feel if we just had the discipline to do what we know is right, we would be miles ahead. Deuteronomy 4:9 tells us, “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.” Let us always be holding to what we have proven true. Sadly, many believe things they have never seen or have no way of knowing while others somehow forget what they know to be true. We teach and follow a confirmed Word (Heb 2:1-4, Acts 1:3) and taking heed to the Bible will keep our feet on the right path (Psalm 119:105).
We take heed not to be deceived (Deu 11:16). Sometimes it feels as though attempts to deceive us are endless. The fact that we follow a confirmed Word gives us a standard to compare to and anything that we might be presented with that doesn’t measure up to what we know is true must be treated as such and gotten out of our lives (Gal 1:8-9).
Take heed not to be a stumbling block (1 Cor 8:9). I should not allow myself to intentionally do things not caring what my impact would be on another concerning their spiritual well being.
Take heed not to be over confident (1 Cor 10:12). When this happens we lose the desire to improve ourselves. Growth is vital and must be desired (2 Pet 3:18).
By Jason Barger