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Bible Minute by Woodrow Kroll
Distributed Freely by Back To The Bible
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Bible Minute by Woodrow Kroll
Distributed Freely by Back To The Bible
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
Free Email Subscription
___________________________________
Daily Bible Study
Date: Oct 26, 2011
Topic: Sin/Temptation, Bible Characters
Lust Control... Thought Patrol
While people focus on outward appearances, God sees our hearts. He knows our deepest secrets, and He understands our true motives: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked" (Galatians 6:7, NIV). That's why we must never toy with sin or attempt to hide it. God wants us to confess it quickly and repent immediately. Allowing sin to have a foothold in our lives can be deadly. Consider Samson's demise.
Receive
His story is tragic: What "might have been" didn't exactly come to pass. Set apart by God to accomplish great things for the kingdom...and then destroyed by character flaws. Samson, the strongest man of his generation, was literally brought to his knees. Why? This he-man had a weakness. The warrior who once struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey was unable to conquer his tendency toward lust.
"Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, 'See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him'" (Judges 16:4-5, NIV).
Samson's lust for foreign women and ultimately his pride in his physical strength proved to be his downfall. Yet Samson's story points to a heart problem that every man, woman and child struggles with: sin. And the only way to fix a mixed-up, sin-filled heart is by having a daily truth encounter. That means spending time in God's Word and in prayer.
Reflect
Look over these passages to learn more about our tendency to sin and the power of confession.
Romans 6:12-14
Romans 7:21-25
1 Corinthians10:13
1 John 1:9
Even though you've committed your life to Christ, the bent toward sinning still exists. And if you allow it, those habits and desire which were developed under your sin nature will literally takes control. The result is a strained relationship with God. What's the key to overcoming and winning this battle?
Once we confess our sins to Jesus Christ, can we be confident that they are totally forgiven? Is our relationship now fully restored with God?
Can we trust that when the pressure heats up, Jesus will intervene?
Respond
Everything you say, everything you do, every place you go, every thought you think is known by the Lord. Nothing can be hidden from Him. So, when you find yourself drawn to an immoral act--anything you would want to keep secret from others--don't make Samson's mistake. Instead, (1) consider the consequences, (2) get on your knees and pray and (3) run from the temptation.
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