NEHEMIAH 9:22-10:39
1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-10:13
PSALM 34:1-10
PROVERBS 21:13
Nehemiah 9:28 “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.
I have often said that I think it is easier to follow God and resist temptation when times are hard. When we become comfortable and are "at rest" it is easier to shift our focus to the things of this world. Just as the Israelites did. But God who is faithful and just will deliver us when we turn to Him and cry out to Him. And He will do it "time after time" because He is also patient and loving.
1Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Paul reminds the Corinthians of the history of the Israelites. How they walked with God through the desert and were led by the cloud of fire through the sea. They were provided for with miraculous food and water but they still stumbled and many died in the wilderness. When they were at rest they turned from God to things of the world and God let them go about what they chose to do.
1Corinthians 10:6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
Their history is there for us to learn from and help us see the example of what happens when your set your heart on things that are evil and of this world. We are to learn from their example and keep ourselves from evil.
1Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
When things are going well and you comfortable in your walk with the Lord look out. I just listened to a Living Water Podcast about "How to Kill Sin in Your Life". And while I was listening to it I was thinking that I need to give permission to and ask those who are closest to me to point out anything in my life that they think is sin because maybe I am missing it. That is how I want to be careful. I want to make sure that I do not fall because I am so comfortable that I am beginning to follow the ways of the world. So to all my friends please be honest with me if you see me wandering down a sinful path and I will do the same for you.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
One of my favorite verses. Any time we are tempted there is always a way out. You can never say that I didn't have a choice when it comes to sin. One of the things from the podcast was something about what you are loving the most. If you love Jesus the most then you can resist sin but if your love for the sin is greater than your love for Jesus you will fall. Grow your love for Jesus so it is greater than any temptation you may encounter. He is your way out.
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