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Have you ever contemplated doing something you know you shouldn’t, then when you try to do it, something gets in your way for the moment? Have you ever been in a not so good situation, had trouble resisting temptation, and then out of the blue something happens to cause distance between you and the bad situation? I know that there have been times when I started to walk into sin, and then something small happened that made it just a little harder to commit that sin. That’s why I was blown away at the verse I found this week. God said:
Ezekiel 3:20a
“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die..”
Wow… Have you ever thought that God puts obstacles in your way to keep you from turning from your right standing with Him? That thing that got in the way of you going to sin? That was an obstacle. That distance between you and that not good for your person? That was an obstacle. That time you got caught or almost got caught? That was an obstacle. God is trying to save your life! These obstacles are meant to help you do the right thing. We can’t be like the people God is talking about in the Bible that turn away from doing the right thing and ignore God trying to save them a load of heartache.
Another version of this same verse talks about people who take a gift or divine place God has put them in and pervert it for an occasion to sin. Has God given you a special gift or talent? Are you using it in a way that keeps you in right standing with Him? Or are you perverting it in a way that causes yourself and others around you to stumble in their relationship with God? Did you pray and pray for a good job to meet your needs and then finally got it? How have you thanked Him for that job? Have you been a light that points others to Him? Or have you used his divine provision for you as an opportunity for hidden immorality?
God cares about us and He cares about our future. Our decisions every day determine whether we are going to have life or darkness in our future. God will put obstacles in our path, but it’s our choice whether or not we ignore the obstacles and plow forward into destruction or whether we recognize the obstacle as blessing from God and run as fast as we can away from immorality.
God, please help me recognize the things that get in the way of me committing sins are actually obstacles from You! You care enough about me to actually make it more difficult for me to turn away from You. Thank You SO much for that!! Please help me not ignore these obstacles as they come. Please help me embrace them and thank You for every thing that makes it harder for me to sin. Please help me to run from sin as I see these obstacles in my path. Father God, thank You for the gifts and divine places You have put me in. Please don’t ever let me pervert the gifts and blessings You’ve given me as a chance to be immoral. Let me show my thankfulness to You by using the gifts You’ve given me to point people to You.