today's meditation (Ps.116) Calling Upon the Lord

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 116:1-19) 

1   I love the Lord, because He hears 
     My voice and my pleas.
2   Because He has inclined His ear to me,
     Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3   The snares of death encompassed me 
     And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
     I found distress and sorrow.
4   Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
     “Please, Lord, save my life!”

5   Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
     Yes, our God is compassionate.
6   The Lord watches over the simple;
     I was brought low, and He saved me.
7   Return to your rest, my soul,
     For the Lord has dealt generously with you.
8   For You have rescued my soul from death,
     My eyes from tears,
     And my feet from stumbling.
9   I shall walk before the Lord 
     In the land of the living.
10 I believed when I said,
     “I am greatly afflicted.”
11 I said in my alarm,
     “All people are liars.”

12 What shall I repay to the Lord 
     For all His benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation,
     And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord;
     May it be in the presence of all His people!
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord 
     Is the death of His godly ones.
16 O Lord, I surely am Your slave,
     I am Your slave, the son of Your female slave,
     You have unfastened my restraints.
17 I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
     And call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord,
     May it be in the presence of all His people,
19 In the courtyards of the Lord’s house,
     In the midst of you, Jerusalem!
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Looking closely at verse 15, we see prophecy as well as doctrinal teaching.  When we become a believer, we die to sin!  Verse 16 continues this teaching, that God releases us from the slavery to sin.  Therefore - out of sincere gratitude - we should willingly become a slave to God, even though we have been set free!

It is because of the Lord's sacrificial and unconditional love that we can be saved.  The debt that He paid to redeem us is beyond anything we could ever imagine.  We can never repay the Lord for all that He has done for us or all that He is doing for us or all that He will do for us.  All that He wants from us - is our willing hearts!

God inclines His ear to those who fear Him.  He favors those who desire to live in His will.  Therefore, whenever we find ourselves in sin, we should be confessing this to Him.  Therefore, whenever we find ourselves in trouble or struggling, we should be calling upon Him.  Therefore, in our desire to remain steadfast in walking with Him, we should be continually talking with Him.  And we can know that He most certainly hears us!

today's meditation (Ps.115) Giving Glory and Praise

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 115:1-18) 

1   Not to us, Lord, not to us,
     But to Your name give glory,
     Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.
2   Why should the nations say,
     “Where, then, is their God?”
3   But our God is in the heavens;
     He does whatever He pleases.
4   Their idols are silver and gold,
     The work of human hands.
5   They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
     They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6   They have ears, but they cannot hear;
     They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7   They have hands, but they cannot feel;
     They have feet, but they cannot walk;
     They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8   Those who make them will become like them,
     Everyone who trusts in them.

9   Israel, trust in the Lord;
     He is their help and their shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
     He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
     He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
     He will bless the house of Israel;
     He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
     The small together with the great.
14 May the Lord increase you,
     You and your children.
15 May you be blessed of the Lord,
     Maker of heaven and earth.

16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord,
     But the earth He has given to the sons of mankind.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
     Nor do any who go down into silence;
18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord 
     From this time and forever.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

People become like the one or the thing that they worship.  So if a person makes an idol out of earthly materials, or creates a god from their imagination, or thinks that they themselves are a god, then they will become like their god.  These are inanimate, fallible and temporary!

People who choose to put their faith in Jesus are born again into God's family.  As children of God, we will become more and more like our heavenly Father.  And when we pass on, we will go to our heavenly home, because God is all-powerful, holy and eternal!

God created us, as well as the heavens and the earth, so why would we want to worship something that was created, instead of worshiping the Creator?  Why would we not want to worship the One who cares enough for us that He came and died for us and conquered death?  Why would we not want to worship the One who cares and is actually able to take the best care of us?  

The Lord is most worthy of glory, but our own glory is worth nothing.  The glory that is worthy enough can only come from the Lord Himself.  Anything that we do of worth is because of Him, so let us fear Him, and give Him praise, for the Lord alone is worthy!

today's meditation (Ps.114) Making the Journey

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 114:1-8) 

1   When Israel went forth from Egypt,
     The house of Jacob from a people of a foreign language,
2   Judah became His sanctuary;
     Israel, His dominion.

3   The sea looked and fled;
     The Jordan turned back.
4   The mountains skipped like rams,
     The hills, like lambs.
5   What ails you, sea, that you flee?
     Jordan, that you turn back?
6   Mountains, that you skip like rams?
     Hills, like lambs?

7   Tremble, earth, before the Lord,
     Before the God of Jacob,
8   Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
     The flint into a fountain of water.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The events of God bringing Israel out of Egypt and into the promised land is like an allegory of salvation.  Right after the Passover lambs had been sacrificed, God's people were delivered from death and slavery.  Just so, Jesus was the perfect sacrificial Lamb.  For anyone who accepts His sacrificial gift of salvation, death will pass over us and we are no longer slaves to sin. 

At both the beginning and ending of the Israelites' journey, God parted the waters, first the Red Sea and then the Jordan River.  Both required a huge miracle that only God can do!  Just so, at the point of being saved, immediately we are baptized by the Holy Spirit!  We are "born again" into God's family and become a child of God - something only God can do!  And entering heaven will be like crossing the Jordan into the promised land - this is another miracle that only God can do.

Meanwhile, God is with us!  God did not leave the Israelites to wander the wilderness without direction, protection or sustenance but stayed with them the entire time and performed many miracles until they reached the promised land.  Just so, while we are here on earth, in whatever wilderness we find ourselves, God is right here with us to guide, protect and sustain us.  

today's meditation (Ps.113) Being Lifted Up

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 113:1-9) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise Him, you servants of the Lord,
     Praise the name of the Lord.
2   Blessed be the name of the Lord 
     From this time on and forever.
3   From the rising of the sun to its setting,
     The name of the Lord is to be praised.
4   The Lord is high above all nations;
     His glory is above the heavens.

5   Who is like the Lord our God,
     Who is enthroned on high,
6   Who looks far down to 
     The heavens and the earth?
7   He raises the poor from the dust,
     He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
8   To seat them with noblemen,
     With the noblemen of His people.
9   He has the infertile woman live in the house 
     As a joyful mother of children.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

I love verse 7.  Since God created us from dust, it would stand to reason that God is able to raise us up from the dust!!!  Since God created us with a purpose to have a personal relationship with Him, it stands to reason that He would want each and every one of us to be reconciled to Him.  And since God loves us so very much, it would stand to reason that He would prepare the way of salvation!  Salvation is only found through the Lord Jesus Christ!  And this is our only way to be lifted out of the garbage heap - to be freed from the slavery of sin!

today's meditation (Ps.112) Having the Lord's Righteousness

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 112:1-10) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     Blessed is a person who fears the Lord,
     Who greatly delights in His commandments.
2   His descendants will be mighty on the earth;
     The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3   Wealth and riches are in his house,
     And his righteousness endures forever.
4   Light shines in the darkness for the upright;
     He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
5   It goes well for a person who is gracious and lends;
     He will maintain his cause in judgment.
6   For he will never be shaken;
     The righteous will be remembered forever.

7   He will not fear bad news;
     His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8   His heart is firm, he will not fear,
     But will look with satisfaction on his enemies.
9   He has given freely to the poor,
     His righteousness endures forever;
     His horn will be exalted in honor.

10 The wicked will see it and be vexed,
     He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
     The desire of the wicked will perish.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we repent and Jesus forgives us of all our sins, we are seen as righteous in God's eyes.  As we are guaranteed heaven, our righteousness through Jesus is forever.  Although there may be feelings, salvation is not based on feelings, but a sincere decision that we make.  There should be no doubt!  

If there is doubt, ask yourself if you love Jesus more than anyone or anything else.  Ask yourself if you love and cherish God's words found in the Bible.  Ask yourself if you trust what God says in His word so much that you desire to follow what He says.  Ask yourself if you desire to remain steadfast, relying on only God to be your strength and guidance.

today's meditation (Ps.111) Delighting in God's Word

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 111:1-10) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
     In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2   Great are the works of the Lord;
     They are studied by all who delight in them.
3   Splendid and majestic is His work,
     And His righteousness endures forever.
4   He has caused His wonders to be remembered;
     The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5   He has given food to those who fear Him;
     He will remember His covenant forever.
6   He has made known to His people the power of His works,
     In giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7   The works of His hands are truth and justice;
     All His precepts are trustworthy.
8   They are upheld forever and ever;
     They are performed in truth and uprightness.
9   He has sent redemption to His people;
     He has ordained His covenant forever;
     Holy and awesome is His name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
     All those who follow His commandments have a good understanding;
     His praise endures forever.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God has given us so much evidence of Himself and His character.  He has given us His word, the Bible, in order to study and see that it is true and trustworthy.  In it contains examples of evidence from history.  And as we trust in Him and live obediently according to His word, we will see evidence in our own lives.  The more we know and understand, the more we will fear and trust the Lord!  The more we fear and trust the Lord, the more blessings we receive!  How can one not delight in His word and in His works!?

today's meditation (Ps.110) Desiring to Serve

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 110:1-7) 

1   The Lord says to my Lord:
     “Sit at My right hand 
     Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
2   The Lord will stretch out Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,
     “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
3   Your people will volunteer freely on the day of Your power;
     In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,
     Your youth are to You as the dew.

4   The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind,
     “You are a priest forever 
     According to the order of Melchizedek.”
5   The Lord is at Your right hand;
     He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.
6   He will judge among the nations,
     He will fill them with corpses,
     He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.
7   He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
     Therefore He will lift up His head.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Here we see God the Father and Jesus the Son of God (part of the Trinity) speaking to one another.  Jesus' work on the cross establishes the victory over the enemy and He sits on His heavenly throne right now!  And one day Jesus will sit on the throne here on earth to set up the millennial kingdom where He will rule and bring about perfect peace and justice.  

Because of the Lord's love, He offers the free gift of salvation to anyone who will believe in Him.  Because believers in Christ are precious in His sight, He will help us.  And because of everything He has done, is doing and will do, we should freely and wholeheartedly desire to serve Him!

today's meditation (Ps.109) Being Needy

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 109:1-31) 

1   God of my praise,
     Do not be silent!
2   For they have opened a wicked and deceitful mouth against me;
     They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3   They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
     And have fought against me without cause.
4   In return for my love they act as my accusers;
     But I am in prayer.
5   So they have repaid me evil for good,
     And hatred for my love.

6   Appoint a wicked person over him,
     And may an accuser stand at his right hand.
7   When he is judged, may he come out guilty,
     And may his prayer become sin.
8   May his days be few;
     May another take his office.
9   May his children be fatherless,
     And his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander about and beg;
     And may they seek sustenance far from their ruined homes.
11 May the creditor seize everything that he has,
     And may strangers plunder the product of his labor.
12 May there be none to extend kindness to him,
     Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be eliminated;
     May their name be wiped out in a following generation.

14 May the guilt of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
     And do not let the sin of his mother be wiped out.
15 May they be before the Lord continually,
     So that He may eliminate their memory from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy,
     But persecuted the afflicted and needy person,
     And the despondent in heart, to put them to death.
17 He also loved cursing, so it came to him;
     And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
18 But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
     And it entered his body like water,
     And like oil into his bones.
19 May it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself,
     And as a belt which he constantly wears around himself.
20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,
     And of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But You, God, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name;
     Because Your mercy is good, rescue me;
22 For I am afflicted and needy,
     And my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens;
     I am shaken off like the locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
     And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
25 I also have become a disgrace to them;
     When they see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, Lord my God;
     Save me according to Your mercy.
27 And may they know that this is Your hand;
     You, Lord, have done it.
28 They will curse, but You bless;
     When they arise, they will be ashamed,
     But Your servant will be glad.
29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
     And may they cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;
     And I will praise Him in the midst of many.
31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy,
     To save him from those who judge his soul.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can see how merciful God is just from how God allowed David to vent.  In the end, though, David always realized his need for God!  The needy here is not referring to those who are poor.  The needy are those who recognize their need to be saved by the Lord.  They are those who realize their need to have God in their lives each and every day, for every breath they take.  They are those who need to show their appreciation for God by praising and thanking Him for everything!

today's meditation (Ps.108) Encouraging Words

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 108:1-13) 

1   My heart is steadfast, God;
     I will sing, I will sing praises also with my soul.
2   Awake, harp and lyre;
     I will awaken the dawn!
3   I will give thanks to You, Lord, among the peoples,
     And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4   For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
     And Your truth reaches to the skies.
5   Be exalted above the heavens, God,
     And may Your glory be above all the earth.
6   So that Your beloved may be rescued,
     Save with Your right hand, and answer me!

7   God has spoken in His holiness:
     “I will triumph, I will divide up Shechem,
     And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8   Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
     Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
     Judah is My scepter.
9   Moab is My washbowl;
     I will throw My sandal over Edom;
     I will shout aloud over Philistia.”

10 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
     Who will lead me to Edom?
11 God, have You Yourself not rejected us?
     And will You not go forth with our armies, God?
12 Give us help against the enemy,
     For deliverance by man is worthless.
13 Through God we will do valiantly,
     And it is He who will trample down our enemies.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Knowing and understanding that God is Sovereign and already has the victory should give us confidence in His strength.  Knowing and understanding that God is holy should give us peace and trust in His righteousness.  Knowing and understanding that God is merciful and caring should give us joy and security in His promises.  

Man's help is not worth anything.  It is God alone who can save us.  And in our own strength we would only stumble and fall again.  It is God who can keep us steadfast.  Let us encourage one another to keep looking to God!

today's meditation (Ps.107) Recognizing Our Need to Be Saved

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 107:1-43) 

1   Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
     For His mercy is everlasting.
2   The redeemed of the Lord shall say so,
     Those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy 
3   And gathered from the lands,
     From the east and from the west,
     From the north and from the south.

4   They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region;
     They did not find a way to an inhabited city.
5   They were hungry and thirsty;
     Their souls felt weak within them.
6   Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
     He saved them from their distresses.
7   He also had them walk on a straight way,
     To go to an inhabited city.
8   They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,
     And for His wonders to the sons of mankind!
9   For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
     And He has filled the hungry soul with what is good.

10 There were those who lived in darkness and in the shadow of death,
     Prisoners in misery and chains,
11 Because they had rebelled against the words of God 
     And rejected the plan of the Most High.
12 Therefore He humbled their heart with labor;
     They stumbled and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
     He saved them from their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death 
     And broke their bands apart.
15 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,
     And for His wonders to the sons of mankind!
16 For He has shattered gates of bronze 
     And cut off bars of iron.

17 Fools, because of their rebellious way,
     And because of their guilty deeds, were afflicted.
18 Their souls loathed all kinds of food,
     And they came close to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
     He saved them from their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
     And saved them from their destruction.
21 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,
     And for His wonders to the sons of mankind!
22 They shall also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
     And tell of His works with joyful singing.

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
     Who do business on great waters;
24 They have seen the works of the Lord,
     And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He spoke and raised a stormy wind,
     Which lifted the waves of the sea.
26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
     Their soul melted away in their misery.
27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken person,
     And were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
     And He brought them out of their distresses.
29 He caused the storm to be still,
     So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad because they were quiet,
     So He guided them to their desired harbor.
31 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,
     And for His wonders to the sons of mankind!
32 They shall also exalt Him in the congregation of the people,
     And praise Him at the seat of the elders.

33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
     And springs of water into a thirsty ground;
34 And a fruitful land into a salt waste,
     Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a wilderness into a pool of water,
     And a dry land into springs of water;
36 And He has the hungry live there,
     So that they may establish an inhabited city,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
     And gather a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses them and they multiply greatly,
     And He does not let their cattle decrease.

39 When they become few and lowly 
     Because of oppression, misery, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt upon noblemen 
     And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
41 But He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction,
     And makes his families like a flock.
42 The upright see it and are glad;
     But all injustice shuts its mouth.
43 Who is wise? He is to pay attention to these things,
     And consider the mercy of the Lord.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God wanted to bring the Israelites into the promised land, but because of their unbelief, they wandered in the desert for 40 years.  We can choose to wander around in a spiritual desert, or we can choose the Lord and His heavenly kingdom.  The Lord redeems those who love and obey Him.  He saves us not just from the physical enemies of this world, but from death and Satan's realm.  So, no matter who we are, or where we are, or in which prison or desert we find ourselves in, when we recognize our need to be saved and cry out, Jesus will save us!

today's meditation (Ps.106:13-48) Staying in God's Will

 (Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

This may seem like a funny place to pick up from yesterday's devotion, but there were two different thoughts that came out of this chapter...

(Psalm 106:13-48) 

13 They quickly forgot His works;
     They did not wait for His plan,
14 But became lustfully greedy in the wilderness,
     And put God to the test in the desert.
15 So He gave them their request,
     But sent a wasting disease among them.

16 When they became envious of Moses in the camp,
     And of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord,
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
     And engulfed the company of Abiram.
18 And a fire blazed up in their company;
     The flame consumed the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb,
     And worshiped a cast metal image.
20 So they exchanged their glory 
     For the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
     Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wonders in the land of Ham,
     And awesome things by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
     If Moses, His chosen one, had not stood in the gap before Him,
     To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they rejected the pleasant land;
     They did not believe His word,
25 But grumbled in their tents;
     They did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore He swore to them 
     That He would have them fall in the wilderness,
27 And that He would bring down their descendants among the nations,
     And scatter them in the lands.

28 They also followed Baal-peor,
     And ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 So they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
     And a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
     And so the plague was brought to a halt.
31 And it was credited to him as righteousness,
     To all generations forever.

32 They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah,
     So that it went badly for Moses on their account.
33 Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,
     He spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples,
     As the Lord had commanded them,
35 But they got involved with the nations 
     And learned their practices,
36 And served their idols,
     Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
     The blood of their sons and their daughters 
     Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
     And the land was defiled with the blood.
39 So they became unclean in their practices,
     And were unfaithful in their deeds.

40 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people,
     And He loathed His inheritance.
41 So He handed them over to the nations,
     And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
     And they were subdued under their power.
43 Many times He would rescue them;
     They, however, were rebellious in their plan,
     And they sank down into their guilt.

44 Nevertheless He looked at their distress 
     When He heard their cry;
45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
     And relented according to the greatness of His mercy.
46 He also made them objects of compassion 
     In the presence of all their captors.

47 Save us, Lord our God,
     And gather us from the nations,
     To give thanks to Your holy name 
     And glory in Your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
     From everlasting to everlasting.
     And all the people shall say, “Amen.”
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

There are several types of sins listed in these verses that can take us away from God's path and plans for us:  greed, jealousy, doubt, fear and pride.  

Greed can lead us to lusting and wanting the wrong things in life.  Jealousy can cause us to hate and be critical.  Doubt can cause us to forget God and turn our trust to other "gods" (people, things or our own resources).  Fear can cause us to complain and prevent us from taking steps of obedience.  And pride can lead us to self-righteousness, rebellion and living an ungodly, unhealthy and dangerous lifestyle.

There are things we need to be doing in order to remain in God's will:  being content and thankful;  loving God and others;  knowing truth and seeking wisdom and measures of accountability,  trusting in God and His word;  and humbly realizing that we don't just need God's salvation, but we need God to be involved in every aspect of our lives at all times!  For everything, we should be giving all the glory to God!