Imagine the vulnerabilities of a watchman who refuses to keep his eyes open to every possible angle from which danger could arise. No doubt the enemy would scout the land observing the bad habits of the watchman. If the watchman fails to examine each point of entry, the enemy will attack from the unprotected angle. In like manner, believers are to walk circumspectly. The word circumspect means to look all around. Believers are to be sober and vigilant knowing that their enemy, the Devil, “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). God’s enemies always search for the weak spot where the hedge has been cut down or ignored. This is why there is no angle in the believer’s life that can be safely ignored.
Many Bible passages connect watchfulness and prayer. While preaching sounds the trumpet of alarm in the ears of men, prayer sounds the alarm in the ears of God. As a watchman, each believer has a responsibility to his brother or sister in Christ. While some believers are spiritually sleeping, unaware of their present danger, other believers ought to be standing upon the tower of watchfulness and calling upon the Lord. This was the point of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:18 when he said, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
According to the Bible, before a man trusts Christ as Saviour, he remains the enemy of God (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21). But God, in His great mercy, saves His enemies as they individually choose to trust in Christ’s payment for their sins. Though a Christian has the indwelling Spirit, he never fully comprehends all that the Lord has done for him through salvation. This is why the Bible says that God’s love passes all knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). However, the more a man draws nigh to God, the more he learns about the kindness God has shown him through Jesus Christ. No matter how we learn in this life, eternity will continue to reveal to the saints the depths of the kindness of God. No wonder the greatness and marvellous nature of His love is truly beyond comprehension.
Proverbs 31 reveals the attributes of a virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:10). Though a virtuous woman possesses many wonderful traits, perhaps her greatest strength lies in the manner in which she speaks—with wisdom. This God-given wisdom enables her to refrain her lips from foolishness, instead choosing to edify others with her speech. Many people offer others advice and even wisdom, but this woman is said to speak with the “law of kindness” in her tongue. Not only does she speak wisely, but she presents this wisdom with the right spirit--the spirit of kindness. Apparently, when she speaks wisely, her words encourage others to listen and heed what she says. Her hearers want to receive her words and put them into practice. Why? Because she presents her words with this “law of kindness” much like those today who are “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
Our previous study revealed that kindness refers to treating someone as a cherished member of the family. The Bible proclaims that God is great in kindness (Nehemiah 9:17). It also reveals that kindness is marvellous (Psalm 31:21) and full of mercy (Psalm 117:2). Believers should be thrilled to know that God demonstrates this kindness toward His beloved creation. By nature, men are the children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Yet, each person has the opportunity to be treated like a beloved member of God’s family as a result of Christ's sacrifice on the cross (Titus 3:4). Those who have trusted Christ as Saviour have been granted the inestimable privilege of being “heirs” of God (Titus 3:7) and “joint-heirs” with Christ (Romans 8:17). This blessing, generally intended for and limited to family, is extended to those whom God counts as family.
