"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." ~ Deuteronomy14:2

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: February 11

"Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil" ~ Proverbs 3:7
The reason we are not to look at the net and the reason for our "tangle", is that what gets our attention gets us. In and out of my [Eugenia Price, the author's] reading and study and prayer comes the constant reminder from God that all sin begins in the thought life and that my every thought must be brought into captivity to Christ. Here is the reminder once more in the three-word admonition in this Proverb to "depart from evil". In Proverbs 4:15 we find still another one: "Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." Still another Proverb in chapter 6: "Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" Can you and I hold critical thoughts, lustful thoughts, thoughts of revenge, can we cling to thoughts of self-pity and self-defense, and not be burned? God tells us over and over again that we are to "depart from evil." I am just as capable as you of nursing my self-inflicted wound, of feeling sorry for myself. I am just as likely as you are to rebel at "turning away" from a sinful idea which attracts me. God does not ask us if we want to "depart from evil". He simply tells us to "avoid it, pass not by it" --- in other words, why make it harder for ourselves? If an alcoholic stands outside a bar and sniffs the blend of gin and vermouth that used to make up his favorite dry martinis, he is only asking for trouble. If God has told you to break up a relationship and you spend your evenings alone, outwardly obeying, but savoring and reliving old memories, you are still holding your thoughts captive in a deadly vise, and God warns you that this is the hard way! I know you cannot cancel memory. But you can invite God into it. When the person or the thing comes to mind, give it to Christ at once. Then "turn away".
"Can one go upon hot coals, and feel his feet not be burned? Look unto me and be ye saved."

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