MEMORISE: The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. Proverbs 14:14
BIBLE READING: 2 Kings 5:25-27
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
MESSAGE:
Today, I would like to use the analogy of a sculptor to explain why backsliding is dangerous. A sculptor may decide to carve a lion from a piece of wood, but if the Sculptor finds it difficult to carve because it is constantly breaking, he or she can choose to use whatever is left of it to carve a cat. If the wood keeps breaking while carving a cat, the sculptor may choose to carve a rat with what’s left of it. If the wood breaks again and cannot be used for carving, it might be turned into firewood. This is what happens anytime a believer backslides: he or she alters and frustrates God’s original plan for his or her life.
The first time I read the story of Gehazi in the Bible, I thought within myself, “What a pity! He could have been the greatest prophet in the Old Testament. He could have had a double portion of Elisha’s anointing, but he inherited leprosy instead.” Each time a person sins, he or she is breaking off, and if it continues, there may be nothing left for God to use of the fellow.
My dear child, I implore you not to tamper with God’s plans for your destiny by toying with sin. If you are backslidden, run back to God now, don’t wait until tomorrow. Cry to Him wholeheartedly and ask Him to forgive your sins, and He will hear you.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please have mercy on everyone who has backslidden from Your fold.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 10:32-52, Numbers 33-35