Monday, November 18, 2013
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I don't mind sharing my cereal with my family or with house guests. I draw the line at sharing it with the bugs in the house. They seem to like my shredded wheat. In fact, given a chance, these bugs somehow get into the cabinet, get into the box and help themselves. It's not fun to find them sharing your cereal when you open the box in the morning. Eventually they hatch out into moths.
I finally found out how to keep them out. I mean, out of the box. We just put the cereal into Tupperware. The other day I pulled out the Tupperware, and when I did, I saw these two moths hanging onto the edges of the lid. But I smiled! I said, "You guys really want to get in there don't you? But I have sealed you out! There is no crack where you can get in." (But should I be talking to moths?)
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Shutting Out the Bugs."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Samuel chapter 11. It's one of the most heart-breaking chapters in the Bible. It's about David's life, and if you'll read the chapters before, they are all about victory, conquest, and blessing. And immediately after this chapter you begin to read about rape in David's family, death in his family, deceit, the rebellion of his son, the temporary loss of his kingdom. It's like it goes from good news to bad news. What happened?
2 Samuel chapter 11: "In the spring at the time when kings go off to war, David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful and David sent someone to find out about her." Well from here on, it's disaster. David ends up, though this is someone else's wife, having an adulterous relationship with her that night, and then from there it's all downhill.
Until then, David's life has been pretty well sealed shut against compromises and against sins. The bugs couldn't get in. And then he began to allow some cracks where Satan could get in. He stayed home when he should have been off fighting battles for the Lord. He took a day off spiritually. He was idle when he should have been busy.
Then he saw a tempting woman. Oh, he could have looked away, but he kept looking - another crack. He pursued the temptation. He sent someone to find out about her. Finally he ended up in bed with another man's wife, and then arranging for the death of her husband - his loyal friend - to cover his sin.
If you had told David he was going to go this far, he would have said, "That is impossible! I would never do anything like that!" But see, when you allow sin and Satan a place to get in, you end up where you never thought you'd end up. You probably have no idea how far from God Satan wants to take you. But he can't touch you if you close up the holes in your life where he could get in. That's why Ephesians 4:27 says, "Don't give the Devil a foothold." Can you see some cracks, some small compromises, some small flirtations with what you know is wrong? It could be in what you're watching or listening to.
Maybe you're slowly being softened up to accept some of the attitudes and the actions portrayed in what you're seeing or hearing. Maybe there are some small lies, some small cracks in your integrity, cutting some corners to make it financially. Maybe you're allowing some anger or resentment to just build up inside you. It could be that you've let pride get in or doubt or a relationship that is inching toward sin. Well, whatever the crack, it's going to cost you too much. Just ask David, and don't kid yourself. If he was capable of great sin, so are you and so am I. It's time to go to Jesus with this, to repent of the openings that you've been allowing to develop and let Him be your personal Savior from that specific sin.
Those bugs at our house were able to lurk around the edges of my cereal container, but they couldn't get in; they couldn't do any damage. They were sealed out. Like Satan's lurking around the edges of your life right now, looking for a way to ruin you. Don't give him an opening. Surrender your weak spots to Jesus every new day. The enemy's bugs will be around you, but they're not getting in.