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1 Samuel 12:25 Guaranteed Destruction

Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish. 1 Samuel 12:26

Every path leads to a certain destination. As long as one continues on that path, whether it takes a long or short time, he will eventually get to that location.

Turning off of one path will cause one to begin on a different path with a different destination. Some destinations have multiple ways to get to it, while some will have only one way to get to it. The more steps and changes in the path will make it more difficult to get to the desired destination.

Samuel told the Israelites that if they continue to do evil, they and their new king will be destroyed and perish.

Doing an action that is not good does not always show immediate negative results. Eating junk food will not cause noticeable harm to the body right away. Continuing to eat junk food overtime will bring on a weight gain and health issues that harm a person.

People will choose to sin in some form thinking that nothing is going to happen and that there really is no harm occurring. Many believers will choose to sin and claim the grace of God upon their lives. Continuing to sin will cause one to perish.

God called every person to repent of his sins and to turn away from sin, not stay in it. Purposefully committing sin is not repenting or allowing God to change oneself. In the end it will bring about death and eternal judgement in hell.

Instead of persisting in sin, the believer must repent and turn from all sin. Then he must allow God’s Holy Spirit to change his heart, mind and life to bring about an abundant and eternal life, not death and destruction.

You have been called to a path of holiness and righteousness. Jesus paid for you to be on that path and journey to heaven, taking away all sin.

Do not allow yourself to return to the evil and sinful ways of this fallen world. Live the holy and righteous life God has called you to live. Walk the path God has laid out for you so that you will not be destroyed by sin.

The Holy Spirit will give you strength to turn away from all sin and guide you on the path to heaven.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the path God has for you to walk; that you will choose to turn from all sin and follow God; that you will hear the Holy Spirit guiding you to eternal life; and that you will repent before God of all sin in your life.

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1 Samuel 10:6 A Different Person

The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 1 Samuel 10:6

Most people have had at least one person in their life that had a major effect upon their life. This person guided them in a way in which their life was changed, and they became a different person. Some are changed for the better, while some are changed for the worse.

When these changes occur, the person becomes a different person than what he was, whether for the good or for the bad.

Samuel told Saul that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him, and he would be changed into a different person.

There are many people who have prayed the sinner’s prayer and claimed to believe in Jesus, but have not allowed God’s Holy Spirit to come upon them and change them. Instead of being changed, they continue in their same actions, attitudes and mindset. Rather than being led by God’s Holy Spirit, they are led by their own selfish ways and the ways of the world.

The moment God comes upon a person, he will be changed. He will move from the darkness to light, from death to life. The work of God will make him come alive and be changed into a different person.

No longer will he be led by the sinful ways of the world and his own selfish desires, but by the Holy Spirit. Sin will no longer have the strong pull upon his life, but the chains of death will be broken. Desire to serve God and live for God according to His ways will become his focus and the world will see the difference.

Have you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior? Have you changed into a new person or are you still the same as what you were?

Allow God’s Holy Spirit to come upon you and change you from the inside out. He will open your eyes to what needs to change and give you the strength and boldness to make those changes.

As a believer you are to be holy, set apart, different from the world. You are now a new creation in Christ Jesus, created to do good works of service unto God.

You are to be different from what you once were.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will allow God’s Holy Spirit to rest upon your life; that you will allow the Holy Spirit to guide and change you; that you will be a new person in Christ Jesus; and that you will be holy unto God in all that you think, say and do.

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Ruth 2:11 What Will You Leave Behind?

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband–how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know.” Ruth 2:11

Stepping out into the unknown is very difficult for many people. It not only requires a step of faith, but also a step away from the familiar and safe and known place.

Sometimes it will require leaving family and friends behind to go to the new place or to a new level. Doing this can be painful and difficult.

Boaz had heard of how Ruth had left her family and land to follow Naomi into a new land after her husband had died.

Every person has various points in their life in which they have to take a step into something unknown or new to them. It begins as a child moving up into new class levels in school and continues through adulthood with new jobs or locations to live.

Any time a person becomes a new believer, he must take a step into something new, something unknown. There is a change of the way of thinking and doing things. In this process one must be willing to leave behind things and people.

The new believer has a new life and is a new creation in Christ Jesus with a new family and a new way of living. It is a new culture that is drastically different from the past. The past is behind, and all things are new.

Taking a step like this requires complete faith in God and His boldness to step away from the past. It is trusting that God knows what is best and has something better in store.

As a believer there are some things that you have had to leave behind. There may be more things or people that God wants you to leave behind because they only distract you from Him and pull you down.

Keep your eyes focused on God and follow Him all the way. Do not allow people or things in your life to pull you away from God and what He has for you.

What God has in store for you is much greater than anything or anyone you must leave behind. Are you holding on to your past? Or are you leaving all behind and moving forward in Jesus?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God wants you to leave behind; that God will give you strength to leave behind what will harm or distract you; and that you will follow God with all of your heart and life.

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Numbers 11:6 Be Content With Your Blessing

But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna! Numbers 11:6

Although most people do not like change, the majority of people do like some variety in life. Having or doing the exact same thing all the time will often drive many people a bit crazy. At the beginning it sounds nice and good, but later the novelty wears off and complaining will often start.

Modern society has created things to be very short and temporary. Everything changes on a regular basis so that no one gets bored or tired of the same thing day after day.

While traveling through the wilderness, God provided the Israelites with manna. After some time, the Israelites complained about losing their appetite because all they were eating was manna.

At the point of receiving a blessing, most people are excited and very grateful. However, very often, later people lose that excitement begin to complain about the blessing that they are receiving if there is no change.

The Israelites were blessed with the manna. They did not have to go out and search for it, the manna was brought to them. All they had to do was go outside their tent and pick it up and cook it for food. Yet, they lost sight of the blessing and began to complain about it.

Believers often lose sight of the blessing of what God has given them. They see others with something different or ‘better’ and begin to despise what they have. Discontentment sets in and rejection of what God is providing arises.

As God opens doors of provision, the believer must be grateful. He must realize that without God’s provision, he might not have anything or be in a worse position. Complaining or discontentment will only bring about death of the relationship with God.

In your life there may be some things that you must live with, that God has provided. These items may not be the best or greatest, but they are what God has blessed you with. Someone else may not have what you are blessed with.

Do not allow yourself to become discontent and begin to complain about what God has given you. Step back and realize that you may be in a worse position if you did not have what you are blessed with.

God is a good God and will always provide what you need, so be thankful for His provision.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be grateful for what God has given you; that you will not complain against God for His provision in your life; and that God will open your eyes to see the blessings of what He has given you.