Never Say Never
I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced several rounds of saying “never,” then regretting my words later. I’ve done it enough to now preface my “never” statements with: “I know… never say never… but I highly doubt I’ll ever…”
Sometimes life throws us curveballs we don’t expect. Other times, we disappoint ourselves and make bad decisions we never thought we were capable of.
The Israelites, after many years of wandering in the wilderness, finally received the gift of their long-awaited Promised Land. Before Joshua, who had led them into the Promised Land, passed away, he warned them to never worship other gods. Their response? “We would NEVER!” (Joshua 24:26)
But they did. While this generation did keep their promise, the Israelites as a whole began to worship other gods again just one generation later.
“After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10 NLT
This was the beginning of many cycles of God’s judgment, their repentance, reconciliation, and a slow slip back into old ways, until the Israelites were eventually exiled from their land.
These moments of failure often came when times were good—after battles were won, after the Lord had fought for them.
The people would get comfortable, forget that all they had was from the Lord, and begin to slip back into sin. And so the cycle would repeat again.
We have much we can learn from this pattern, and Paul warns followers of Jesus to stay on guard from falling into this same trap in his letters to the church:
“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
So where is the hope? If life is going well and we’re on track following Jesus, does that mean it’s only a matter of time before we fall again? Paul continues his warning with encouragement that still applies to us today:
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
Paul’s warning doesn’t mean that if you’re standing strong, it’s only a matter of time before you fall. The Word of God is not meant to speak discouragement over us, remind us of our shortcomings, or leave us feeling like it’s hopeless to keep trying if we’re doomed to mess up again. Rather, Paul’s words remind us to keep a right perspective of our broken human nature—to not sit back and relax when things are going great. We have the Old Testament example of God’s chosen people doing this exact thing, and we can remind ourselves that we are no different from them. We must stay on guard and daily surrender our lives to Jesus to keep walking on the narrow path that leads us to Him!
It is unwise to think we’ve “arrived” and will never struggle with sin again. We “arrive” at our best when we realize it is God who got us here—and God who sustains us—as we daily surrender to Him until the wonderful day we see Him face to face.
Are you in a great season of life? Don’t forget to continue seeking God for strength and help in your daily life!
Have you fallen recently? Friend, may I remind you that God’s grace and love are extended to you so that you can get back up and keep walking in the path He has for you.
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You so much for forgiving me of my sins and making me right with You. Help me not forget, even in the best times, that every good thing in my life comes from You. Thank You for new mercy every morning and the ability to reach out for help when I fall down and make mistakes. Help me to continue living for You in all that I do. Amen!
