Refraining Your Feet


RISE AND SHINE FOR JESUS!

By Pam Iannello (my late mother)


"Refraining Your Feet"


Psalm 119:101 (KJV)
I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

Truly this is a striking statement and an unusual testimony! If only we could say the same… Ladies, are you able to keep yourself from getting into trouble? Are you able to detect every evil way in time to avoid sin? Perhaps that seems a bit extreme to you but if it were not possible to plainly identify and steer clear of every evil way, God’s Word would not have provided us with this example! Very often we are preoccupied with the course other people are taking and neglect to take into account where our own feet are headed. And ultimately we wind up dazed by the messes we meet up with! Therefore, let us remember that we must soberly and diligently tend to our own walk with the Lord first and foremost.

Psalm 119:59-60 (KJV)
I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. [60] I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

I am impressed with the amount of Bible study this psalmist has obviously accomplished in order to tell the difference between what is evil and what is not! Frankly, there is no way we could ever avoid EVERY evil way unless we were exceptionally familiar with what GOD calls evil. So then, dear lady, how familiar are you with the Word of God? Do you know for certain what God loves and what God hates? Do you know what the Lord wants you to do and not do? Are you thoroughly acquainted with what is right and what is wrong? Though you might not know a lot, what are you doing with what you DO know? What have you done with the things you’ve learned thus far as a child of God? Are you applying the Word of God to your feet; are you walking the path that His Word marks out? How much refraining is in the works? Listen, if you are saved the Holy Spirit lives within you, and by His holy influence you are just as conscious of your misconduct as I am of mine – but what are you doing about it? If we don’t refrain our feet they will rush at every evil way! And just in case you didn’t realize it – refraining your feet is a little more challenging than baking a cake! Actually, its hard work to manage your flesh - but not impossible…



Jeremiah 32:27 (KJV)
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Ladies, there is no way we are going to keep God’s Word if we are keeping our sin. It just won’t happen. If we are going to keep the good we must let go of the evil. And if you are going to let go of the evil you better know what it is! And if you don’t care to put any effort into studying the Bible for the purpose of aligning your understanding of evil with God’s, then you are in hazardous condition to be sure! There will be no refraining where there is no Biblical wisdom and you will live your life as a sightless fool. You’ll never keep God’s Word if you don’t keep your works from becoming evil… God’s Word directs us toward taking aggressive responsibility for our conduct. If you value God’s Word (and that might be your root problem!) you will purposely discipline yourself to the end that the Word of God would reign supreme in your life. Are you strict with yourself, dear lady? Or don’t you care whether or not you lose your grip on God’s Word and it loses its grip on you? The choice is yours – if you want to slip into the hands of the world and the god of this world then go ahead and stick your head in the sand and forget about learning what is evil. Be lazy about your Bible study. Just do what you want. Take the path of least resistance. Baby yourself. But don’t expect to be blessed or protected by God! These things are offered by way of His Word….

In conclusion, if you haven’t given this topic much thought till now, let me challenge you today to conscientiously aim to refrain your feet from every evil way so that you can keep God’s Word. By avoiding all sin you’ll increase your holiness – and your happiness!

God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2006 Pamela A. Iannello

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