Deuteronomy 11:16
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

Are you being deceived?

There are times, when you may be put in a situation, where you don’t realize you are choosing something else instead of what God wants. You live on this earth. You go to work. You go to church. You handle problems and make decisions on a daily basis. You make choices based on what you believe. This is where the enemy tries to trick you. Fight him with the word.

• When you are deceived, you believe joy is not enough; therefore, you will make choices to be happy which is based on happenings and is fleeting.
  Philippians 4:12-13 I know how to survive in tight situations, and I know how to enjoy having plenty. In fact, I have learned how to face any circumstances: fed or hungry, with or without. 13 I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength. (The Voice TVT)

• When you are deceived, you don’t apply all the Word of God; therefore, you will cherry pick those scriptures meeting your immediate desire.
  2 Timothy 3:16-17 God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed.[b] It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. 17 Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you. (The Passion Translation TPT)

• When you are deceived, you believe you are insignificant and your life means nothing; therefore, you make choices to be validated and made to feel important.
  Psalm 139:14 I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul. (The Voice TVT)

• When you are deceived, you believe fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ isn’t important; therefore, you decide to be alone. Being alone eliminates your chance to be encouraged and/or encourage someone else. It also makes you easy prey for the enemy.
  Hebrews 10:25 This is not the time to pull away and neglect[a] meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. (The Passion Translation TPT)

• When you are deceived, you believe gossip does no harm, and your words can’t hurt; therefore, you don’t bridle your tongue.
  Psalm 141:3-4 Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips. Don’t let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong— don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk! (The Message MSG)

Fight the enemy with the word of God, just as Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-11). You have instruction on this.

Colossians 2:6-8 Now that you have welcomed the Anointed One, Jesus the Lord, into your lives, continue to journey with Him and allow Him to shape your lives. 7 Let your roots grow down deeply in Him, and let Him build you up on a firm foundation. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always spill over with thankfulness. 8 Make sure no predator makes you his prey through some misleading philosophy and empty deception based on traditions fabricated by mere mortals. These are sourced in the elementary principles originating in this world and not in the Anointed One (so don’t let their talks capture you). (The Voice)

Don’t be deceived and don’t be the one who is deceiving others. Spend time in worship showing your love for and offering yourself to God. Then your choices will represent His love and power in your life.

Philippians 2:1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (The Message MSG)

If you purpose it in your heart, you can live a life that honors the Father and not one that will allow you to be deceived.

Please agree with me as I pray:

Father, thank You for challenging me today. I don’t want to be deceived by the devil and I don’t want to him to use me to deceive myself or anyone else. I want my choices to honor You. I want my decisions to be based on the time I spend with You that is devoted to listening and learning. I repent for thinking I could substitute or replace the time with you by being in church, in a bible study, in a prayer /devotion group, or even preaching the word. If I don’t spend intimate time with You, I will make provision for my flesh and become an unguarded target for the enemy. He will use my fleshly desires to convince me joy is not enough, or I’m not valuable to You, or You don’t love me, or so many other lies he has in his arsenal to trick me. I submit to You in worship. I believe and trust You to guide me, my thoughts and my actions. I have held the reins of my life and I have made bad choices. I willingly give the reins to You. You are the master of my fate and the keeper of my soul. I will make choices to will bring glory and honor to Your name…

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Ask the Lord what He wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal His response as described here.