As I've been studying in 1 Corinthians lately, I came across a passage that convicted me and touched my heart. Our church has had several messages with this theme as well. The passage starts out about the children of Israel as they are being led by Moses through the wilderness.
"...All our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well-pleased: for they were overthrown [died] in the wilderness."
As I read this passage, it struck me how painstakingly Paul points out that everyone in the wilderness had the same opportunity to hear God and to get to know Him better. Everyone lived, ate, and drank together- they were one body of people that the Lord revealed Himself to over and over and over again.
However, most of the people here did not take advantage of that opportunity- many turned and did just the opposite. The chapter continues on with a list of sins this chosen people of God committed in the wilderness:
They lusted after evil things.
Idolatry. (Here idolatry's defined as 'eating, drinking, and living only to play'. Interesting...)
There was fornication. (23,000 Israelites were killed in one day for this alone!)
They tempted God.
They murmured.
These people that were slain in the wilderness from their sins never lived to see the Promised Land. This made me think. Everyone went through the same circumstances. What made those who lived to see the land so different than the others?
Could it have been their focus?
This line of thought brought to mind one of the accounts in the well known Pilgrim's Progress. Christian had just started out in his journey on the straight and narrow path, and was told by Evangelist to continue on, just keeping his eyes on the light he could see in the distance. However, as he begins to walk, he gets distracted by his discussion with his neighbor Pliable, who had decided to go with him. Before they know it, they get stuck in a huge slough that had overtaken the road, from which Christian and Pliable were unable to escape. As they wallow about, becoming more despondent (according to the name of the slough, the Slough of Despond), Pliable decides this whole journey was a mistake, and is somehow able to make it out of the muck on the side closest to his home. He returns home, leaving Christian alone praying for help. Eventually Help does show up, and after he fishes Christian out of the mire, he asks one simple question in return to Christian's sputtering: "Why didn't you look for the steps?" As it turns out, there had been steps built for a safe passage over this slough, but due to the muck and the mire of this pit, they could only be seen when one maintained their eyesight on the Light.
Is your eyesight on the Light?
Is my eyesight on the Light?
The chapter continues:
"Wherefore let him who thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
I'm sure none of those people who fell into those sins ever thought they would. I doubt as they left Egypt that they knew they would rebel against the One who sprung them from captivity. Even more so, I don't think they had any idea that they would die in the wilderness, still searching, once they had fallen into such things. The first part of this is a warning to us all: none of us are "good enough" to do anything by our own means. Not even resist temptation. It's when we start thinking that we can that our eyesight begins to fall away from the Light- God, our Creator- and onto ourselves. That's when we see the old saying ring true- pride goes before a fall.
Before we start acting like we're the greatest thing since Swiss Cheese, stop and remember that you're only worth the living because God saw you as someone worth dying for. It is only through Christ that we can do all things! When that temptation to take your eyes away from God is ever increasing, when you feel your eyesight starting to fade away from that Light; when the things of this world are becoming brighter than the Light of Glory, the good news is that God is faithful. There is no temptation too strong that He cannot deliver you from it; there is nothing too far that He won't allow escape from. But only when you surrender, and are willing to make His will, your will.
So where is your focus today?
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from which comes my help. Psalm 121:1
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:10-12
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