Don’t be used!

Scripture Read: Judges 6:1-5  Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. 2 The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them. 4 So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it.

Application: As we look at how Midian treated Israel we can learn some important lessons about sin and how it works in our life. Notice how Midian chose to dwell in the caves and strongholds around Israel. This is what sin endeavors to do in our life. It wants to find areas where it can pitch a tent and live. This is how sin enslaves people and brings them into its bondage. We need to learn where our weaknesses are, identify them and allow the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to fortify our lives in those areas. Another important lesson we learn about sin is; how it will steal from us the things we spend our life and time investing in. Like Israel that worked so hard to produce its crops, yet would not get to enjoy the fruit of their labor due to the Midianites coming in and stealing the work of their hands. Two things are important here; First, make sure that our investment is in things that are worthwhile. Many spend all of their time in life involved in things and building empires that will burn because they are temporal in nature. That does not have to be the case. No matter what we do, if we do it unto the Lord it becomes eternal in nature. Secondly, sin will steal the works of your life if you allow it to. 

A life's testimony can be thrown away in 30 seconds because of sin. Lastly, we learn from how the Midianites operated an important fact about sin. The Midianites did not destroy and kill Israel, instead they used them. They would allow the Israelites in freedom to grow their crops and produce fruit in the land, but when harvest time came, that's when the Midianites would invade and take all of the fruits of the labor of Israel. So it is with sin! Sin usually does not destroy immediately, instead it uses the person just as the Midianites used Israel. We will think we are free and able to do what we desire to do, not realizing that when it comes time to reap the fruit of our labor, sin will come in and steal what is important to us. The longer you allow this kind of conquering to occur in your life the harder it is to weed out. We need to be on our guard so that we do not allow sin to dwell in our life and use us. This can only be done through an intimate relationship with our God who will guide us in how we live so that sin cannot get a foothold into our life.

Meditation Questions: Do you know your weak points? What are they? What are you doing about them? What in your life is eternal in nature? What does that say? Do you believe you can paint a wall to the glory of God? Build a business to the glory of God? How? If you build a wall of protection around a city, but leave one area open, how safe is the city? If are weaknesses are spiritual in nature, what must our weapons be?