Scripture: “As
a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Proverbs 26:11.
Although this
is one of the most repulsive verses in the Bible, It’s so gross that a creature
would re-ingest what it has already expelled from its
body!
But a message
we can take from this wise saying is that once we have expelled our horrid sin,
or foolishness, from our lives, we do NOT want to return to that way of
life! We should desire to put away our foolishness and sin in favor of
living a godly lifestyle.
As disgusting
as this is, we sometimes don’t even realize that we are going to retrieve our
“vomit.” However, our Lord is a saving God, and we can trust that He will
deliver us.
We
All Sin
Everyone on
earth is born into sin; we none of us escape it! But God loves us so much
that He has allowed us to place our trust in Him through His Son, Jesus Christ
.
The Apostle
Paul wrote that no matter what we have done in our lives before we become
Christians,
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is
true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has
sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with
undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through
Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans
3:22-24)
After we commit
to Christ, we must maintain our new Christian lifestyle – this can be
difficult; we ARE still human! But we want to put aside any sin and
anything that comes between us and our relationship with the Lord.
We might still
mess up; that’s life, and it just happens. It is important to pay
attention to your thoughts, words, and actions, trying to ensure you try to
live like Jesus – with honor for God and compassion for your fellow human.
And when we mess up, we can trust the Lord to forgive us and help us grow
closer to Him; we just have to ask and put off the trappings of this
world
Better
off Never Having Known
But what if
someone claims to be Christian but allows themselves to “return to their
vomit,” or their sinful way of life? The Bible is pretty clear that this
would be a deeply distressing event.
“ When people escape from the
wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then
get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.
It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than
to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.
They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A dog returns to its
vomit.’” (from 2 Peter 2:20-25)
We followers of
Christ are commanded to live a holy life – to live set apart from sin.
What a great gift of freedom this is! It’s like being healed of a bad
stomach virus; no-one wants to return to the pain and degradation of that kind
of illness.
So what is your “vomit?” What sin easily trips you up? God
continues to forgive us for sins after we are saved, but we must be watchful
that we grow in HIS life for us, rather than keep on sinning.
We
Will Face Troubles
Jesus taught
His disciples to request that God will “deliver us from evil.” (from Matthew 6:13) Jesus knew that just as He Himself was to face
persecution and evil, so His followers down through the years would be tested.
When you give
your life to Christ and strive to live life righteously in His sight, life will
be more joyful, but it won’t necessarily be much easier. A Christian
might face a life full of torment and annoyances from evil forces. We are
given God’s promise in the Book of Psalms, however: “The righteous person faces many
troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.”
In other words,
no matter what comes into your path, you do NOT have to worry; the Lord will
provide what we need in times of trouble!
Praise
for Deliverance
When God shows
us His path for a godly lifestyle, protecting us from returning to our “vomit,”
we are blessed! We owe Him thanks and
praise
King David
wrote many songs of praise for God’s deliverance: “You are my hiding place; You
protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.” (Psalm
32:7)
David was
someone who gave his life to God; he was “A man after [God’s] Own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14) Nonetheless, he had huge problems with sinning.
But he consistently sought God’s forgiveness and strove to throw off the
trappings of sin. He knew he could depend on God in times of temptation
and distress.
We live in a
distressing, fallen world. We hear of terrible happenings all over the
world. When you too face trials, remember that God is our strength and
our deliverer. He wants what’s best for you, like a loving parent!
So when you are
tempted to sin, turn to the Lord for guidance and protection from earthly
desires. Join David in praise to our God, “This I declare about the
Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I
trust Him.” (Psalm 91:2)
Just for You
