Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
After I sent out the Daily-E-Votional yesterday in which I recalled Old Bill, I had to recall the Chief of Police who hired me. His name was Keith Judd. I will always remember him as a kind and considerate man. In the months that I worked under his leadership I had great admiration for him.
After I transferred to another department there was a tragedy outside the city limits of Caldwell. A family called for help as shots rang out and they were under siege. Law Enforcement Officers from many jurisdictions responded. One of those on the scene was Chief Judd. The officers formed a perimeter around the house in order to determine where the shots were coming from.
More shots were fired and suddenly a deputy from a neighboring county was hit and seriously wounded. Another shot was fired into the back of Keith Judd which left him paralyzed. The shots were not from the outside, but the shooter was the teenage son of the homeowners, firing from an upstairs bedroom window. (Keith Judd died four years later.)
The enemy of our souls often works in deceitful ways. We can be so focused on the threat from outside that we fail to be on guard for the danger within. This is why it is so very important for us to spend time examining our hearts. There is where the roots of bitterness and sin reside. When we examine our soul and find sin lurking there we need to confess it immediately and turn away from it. I want to warn you that the roots have been there long enough to have a strong grip on your behavior, so you may to deal with them over and over until you break their hold.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil