Memorise: Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22.
Message
Imagine you are driving on an unfamiliar road, and you see a sign that
reads “narrow bridge ahead”. As soon as you see this sign, you have gained the
knowledge that there is a narrow bridge in front of you. What you choose to do
with this knowledge will determine whether you are wise or foolish. If you are
wise, you will slow down immediately. If you ignore the sign and increase your
speed, you are foolish. This illustrates the state of many lives. Wisdom is the
correct application of knowledge. When you begin to apply knowledge correctly,
you will reach your goal. Fools always end badly even if they start well. The
wise builds, while the foolish pulls down (Proverbs 14:1). All the things that
happened to the generation of Israelites that did not make it to the Promised
Land were written for us as examples and for our admonition, so that we will
know what to do and what not to do at every given time. We are to learn from
these examples and be prepared.
There are many kinds of false prophets today, even among those who call
themselves Pentecostals. Despite their shallowness and heretical teachings,
their churches are prospering numerically and financially. If you are not
careful, the tendency is there to think “Since they are prospering so much; God
must be behind them!” Such a mindset can lead to weariness and ultimately
spiritual slumber. A sleeping man is at the mercy of his enemies, as was the
case with Saul (1st Samuel 26:7-8). A sleeping man can also lose things that
are very precious. Samson lost his hair while he was asleep, and by the time he
woke up, all his power had left him (Judges 16:19-20). Samson dozed off many
times before he slept. He did not act against the appearance of evil. He did
not act when Delilah kept pestering him. She asked him for his weak point and
Samson was so careless not to realise that her request wasn’t a joke. He kept on
dozing until he finally slept off on her laps. There the enemy overcame him and
plucked out his eyes. It is true that his hair grew again, but his eyes were
never restored. The foolish person is careless, while the wise one is careful.
The fool will want to sin and ask for forgiveness, but he who is wise will
abstain from sin and everything that has the appearance of evil. You never know
where your next test will come from. Once you lay your hand on the plough, you
cannot afford to look back (Luke 9:62). Do not relax when you have not finished
the race. Make up your mind to pray, study the word of God and fast more than
others. Meditate day and night on the word of God. Be extra careful. With total
surrender to God, He will carry you and make sure that against all odds, you
reach your goal.
Prayer Point: Father, have mercy upon me and help me to act with wisdom
at all times.
Read: Judges 16:15-21
15 And she
said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with
me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy
great strength lieth. 16 And it
came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that
his soul was vexed unto death; 17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto
her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite
unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from
me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. 18 And when Delilah saw
that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the
Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart.
Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their
hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and
she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to
afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines
be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as
at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was
departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and
brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind
in the prison house.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Joshua 1-3 and Matthew 17
No comments:
Post a Comment