Defeat teaches us little about human nature. We tend to stop doing things that will led to success over-time. We quite maintaining what would have led to our success. Many who are trying to lose weight finds this to be true. Through hard work, willpower, and discipline, people lose weight. Then the challenges come in that leads to them losing out on discipline. Gradually, the weight crawls back on when they step on the scale. This discipline is a on going battle for life. The diet fails when they fall back into old habits. The selfless loving attitudes and behaviors they exhibited early on before the diet gave way to: It doesn’t matter. It is the same way with our relationship with God. Sampson found out the hard way what happens when you forget that you are living in the favor of God.
Sampson was a champion in his own right. He was mightily used of God to lead and defend against the enemies of God. But over time he too fell into sloppy habits, lack of discipline. He ignored what he was suppose to do for the Lord. The unfolding of the promises of God is important to our future. It helps us realize we serve a God of process. We need to understand that His desire is to raise up a people who will serve Him and not idols. We should be loyal to Him while He is preparing us for the time to receive the promise. We as humans have and some are still living in bondage. We felt the fear of the storms and the waves come crashing in on us. Along the way we were given a word and God demonstrated His powerful provision and presence, in turn it turned into a testimony. We were given a personal testimony to share with the world and the next generation.
We have been given great and precious promises. Whether you have been a child of God for six months, two weeks, or a decade, you have a testimony. Some have been delivered from drugs or alcohol. For others it could have been depression or despair. Still others have testimonies of healed bodies or mended relationships. Whatever it is, we all have a testimony of what God has brought us from and carried us through. As we journey toward the promises of God, we had many victories and grow through our failures. If we continue to walk by faith we can see the promises of God unfold in our lives. We have lost some battles, we even bear the scars from the fights. But we must keep moving and continue to fight. Through the fighting comes a testimony of God’s provision and faithfulness. Heed the warning words God spoke through Joshua, “and let us never forget what it took to get where we are. We must remember, to not just consider our own struggles and sacrifices but also those who have come before us.
Elders of the faith helped lay the groundwork to get us where we are today. As God is leading we must not get divided in our loyalty. We may secretly carry along with us some idols that needs to be dealt with. The love of money, entertainment, and sensual pleasures. We must serve God with sincerity, and turn aside from these false gods. God’s voice is echoing into the twenty-first century. “Now therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him with sincerity and truth. Cast aside the gods of your fathers and serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14). The line has been outlined in the sand and we must make a choice. The God of Abraham, the false gods of Abraham’s ancestors, or the gods of the land in which we now live. It is time for us to decide. For years we have made group decisions that allowed us to escape individual responsibility. As a group we murmur and complain together, we doubt together, we even celebrated the victories together. This day is different. “Choose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).
No matter what others do, we must make a personal commitment to lead ourselves and our home in the ways of God. Attending church and ministry together is important for fellowship. But over the course of time, others may compromise and accept idols that weigh them down. They may become gods of selfishness, criticism, and even bitterness. The gods of carnal entertainment and conformity to the worlds values may have creeped in. We must not allow the gods others embrace to cause us to lay down our convictions and commitments to our God. Every individual Christian must decide “whom you will serve.” Just like you I have my own challenges. I have struggled between loyalties. I too have gravitated toward some of those false gods through my journey toward the promise land. But I sensed the urgency of the hour. I took a look at my double-mindedness and I made a chose. “As for me and my house we are going to serve the Lord.” With the line drawn, with the dye cast, what decision will you make?
Who will you serve? The time of wavering is over. What will your answer be? Will it be demonstrated in your walk? Will it be demonstrated in your talk? Choices will always be followed by actions. Actions truly testify what choice has been made. As we continue we will fight many more hard battles. We must conquer the enemies of bitterness, unforgiveness, appetites of lust, greed, even materialism. These enemies and others will present them selves as a alternative to seeking the kingdom of God. We must keep the finish line in sight. We are not there yet, our race is not complete. The final bell of the fight of faith has yet to ring. We must take this fight of life seriously until the very end. As we run we may have the lead, but if we celebrate before winning we can lose the race.
You are nearing the finish line you see that you are going to be the winner. Then you take your eyes off what you are suppose to be looking at, and start looking to the crowd to cheer you own. The one behind whose eyes are fixed on the finish line will come and win the race, while you are fixed on the crowd. Our race is filled with many obstacles and pitfalls to overcome, It is long and can be tiring, but there is another pinnacle in sight. It is the eternal city of New Jerusalem. As we near the finish line of the race, we must stay engaged in the race and stay focus on the finish line to finish well. We cannot afford to get distracted so near to the end of the race and lose.
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