Tuesday, 17 July 2012

TIME TO RUN


READ: GENESIS 39:7-12
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I lay Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.’” (Isaiah 28:16). Some believers have interpreted the latter part of this verse to mean that as a child of God you should not run at all. That is not true. Of course, as a child of God you should not run from demons or witches and wizards, seeing that even Satan, their boss, is under your feet.
“To everything there is season, a time for every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There is a time to run. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts.”  To flee is to violently rush away, as when faced with horror. Youthful lusts can kill faster than you imagine. God expects you to run from them. In Proverbs 22:24-25, God expects you to flee from the presence of an angry man. If you keep company with an angry man, you will imbibe his evil ways and ensnare your soul.
Similarly, Proverbs 1:10-16 warns believers to flee from anyone enticing you to sin. If your areas of weakness are smoking and drinking, flee from that neighbour or colleague in your office who is always dangling a bottle of beer in your face or offering you cigarettes. “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18). If you, as a sister, pay a brother a visit and he begins to entice you into sin, forget whatever position he occupies in church. That is not the time to engage him in discussing why fornication is not good. Flee for your life! Later, in the company of another sister or in an open place, you can do that Bible study.
Flee from those who are living in disobedience, rebellion and backbiting. They are candidates for God’s judgement. If you pitch your tent with them, you could partake of their punishment. Also flee from pride, because it will make God fight against you (James 4:6). Flee from all appearances of evil. This includes pornography, X-rated films, brothels, beer parlours and evil gatherings. Run away from anything that will make God annoyed with you.
MEMORIZE: 1 CORINTHIANS 6:18 –Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.