Topic: Learn From Mistakes [Friday March 3, 2017]
Text: Ezekiel 23:22-36
Key Verse: “Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side” (Ezekiel 23:22).
Many times, what get people into trouble are not big, but little things. They omit to do what is right. They indulge in little careless or reckless acts, including those they knew spelt disaster for other people. With the passage of time, they become self-confident in their ability to tackle issues their own way.
They dismiss pointers in their own lives, to things that caused misfortune for others, on the hollow belief that, ‘it cannot happen to me’. In the process, they seal their own misfortune. Aholibah or Judah in Israel, had witnessed judgment that came on Samaria (or Aholah) for turning away from God and embracing the nations that did not know the Lord. They were shipped into exile. Instead of learning from God’s retribution on evil nation, Judah became more sinful before God. They connived, formed alliance with heathen nations, exposed their treasure to them and served their idols.
God paid them in their coins: He turned their new friends against them who plundered their wealth and exposed them to shame, humiliation and disgrace. It is only reasonable to learn from the mistakes of other people and avoid things that brought them down. Where we find that the pursuit of power, wealth and pleasure took them away from God, we must flee from such. The lives of those around us who fell out with God should be a lesson to us to shun their ways.
Anything that will lull our minds in sinful enjoyment must be avoided. We must not wait to taste the judgment of God. Anything we must do to live right before God and avoid His rod of punishment, must be done now.
Thought for the day: Sin is deceptive and deadly, and those that toy with it have bitter tales to tell.
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Samuel 10-11
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.