2 Samuel 13:3 - Bad advice

Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

We have to be careful about the people we get advice from. Are they living the kind of life God wants them to live? David's son Amnon was getting advice from his uncle. We get the idea this man was not the most upright guy, but shrewd and street wise. It sounds like he knew how to get what he wanted, and he advised Amnon how to go about raping his sister who he was lusting after. We all have sinful desires, but who are we surrounding ourselves with, people who will encourage our sin our guide us away from it?

Lord, thank you for including this difficult topic in your word, so many have suffered because of rape. Please help us to surround ourselves with your people who will help us and give us good advice. Amen.

PS-On the flip side, give good, Godly advice. Be the kind of friend or mentor who gives wise council and pulls people away from sin.

2 Samuel 11:27 - Displeasing the Lord

After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

The story of David and Bathsheba is an important one for us to hear. David seems almost perfect, always pleasing the Lord, but here he sins as we all do. In the first verse of the story, it seems as though David is not where he ought to be. From there it gets worse. He commits adultery and eventually has her husband killed. The phrase, "But the thing David had done displeased the Lord," really caught my attention. If I put my name in for David's, it is heartbreaking to me. I think of all of my sins and how I have displeased the Lord. If we are Christians, we are forgiven, but maybe this thought will help us to avoid future sin.

Lord, thank you for the example of your servant David. Please help us to not displease you. Amen.

Judges 6:1a - Again!

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord...

Again!! The Israelite journey with God is full of rebellion and return. I've been told 40 years was about the longest time the Israelites in the Old Testament were ever continuously faithful as a people. The strongholds of sin are difficult to break free from. My sisters and I have all struggled with food issues and we are studying the book "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. The beginning of a new year is always a good time to start a new study.

Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to start over. Please help us to break free from our strongholds. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 - Control your body

That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

In this passage, Paul is talking about sexual immorality, but I think this verse can go beyond sexual sin. I need to control my body. That includes how I treat my body and what I do with my body. I've thought a lot about this in relation to food and being overweight. I don't think being overweight is a sin, by any means. I don't think being overweight has to limit my potential in any way. But...I think loosing weight could make me better. I would be a better employee with more stamina. I would be a better actor with a broader range of roles to play, I would be a better Christian with more energy and influence.

Lord, thank you for giving us choice in our lives. Please help me to control my body. Amen.

Testimony #3 - A college student

I was a college student at a Christian university. I didn't really date in high school, but I was making up for lost time in college. I dated a lot of different guys, and by dating, I mean I made out with a lot of different guys.

Then God showed me I was looking for intimacy in the wrong places. I confessed to a minister who put me in contact with a fantastic counselor who helped me understand my behavior and sort things out.

Now I am in a happy, healthy, God based marriage. I waited for God to choose the right man for me and he did a fantastic job!!!

Philippians 3:20-21 - The pursuit of perfection

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Ultimately, we know that we will sin. While our goal is perfection, this physical body limits that perfection. Without sin we would not need God. Without God there is only death, but with God and his Spirit living inside us and salvation through his Son, there is life. This passage offers even greater hope: one day we will no longer live in these physical bodies, but will be at home with the Lord. We will be completely free of our physical, sinful selves.

Lord, thank you for the hope of heaven we have in you. Please help us to constantly seek your perfection while here on earth. Amen.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Honor God with your bodies

This is the quintessential passage about sins of the flesh. Whether it be sexual sin or sins with our eyes, mouth, hands, heart or feet, our bodies belong to God and the fruit our bodies produce reflect on the true nature of that body. Is this a body purchased by God? Does the Spirit of God live at it's root?

Lord, thank you for purchasing my body and having your Spirit live in me. Please help me to honor that gift by being pure and holy, as you are holy. Amen.

Proverbs 6:16-19 - Offensive and defensive lines against sin

There are six things the Lord hates,
     seven that are detestable to him:
         haughty eyes,
         a lying tongue,
         hands that shed innocent blood,
         a heart that devises wicked schemes,
         feet that are quick to rush into evil,
         a false witness who pours out lies
         and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

I am preparing my lesson for our Wednesday night ladies Bible class. This week I will cover the first five of these "rotten fruit" (we've been covering the fruit of the Spirit). They are all physical in nature, acts of the physical body. Sin is in our physical nature. We have a predisposition to sin because of our body. Our best defense is a good offense. The fruit of the Spirit is that offensive line to help us reach our goals of sinless perfection. But one way to run defense is to know and understand sins of the flesh.

Lord, thank you for teaching us how we are to live. Please help us to use all the tools you give us to reach that goal. Amen.