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Daily Devotions

Incomplete Obedience

By March 20, 2017No Comments

Read Numbers 31 – 32

And Moses said unto them, have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Baaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Numbers 31:15-16 KJV

Before crossing the Jordan, God sent Israel to war with the Midianites because of their sins against the people of Israel (25:16-18). Although God was clearly with them, in that, not one of their soldiers died, their victory was not complete for they kept the women alive for themselves. The reason for the war was, according to Balaam’s counsel, the Midianites used their women to seduce the men of Israel into idolatry causing 24,000 to die. Although they won the war with the Midianites, they still lost the heart of the battle against sin, for in their victory they demonstrated temptation was still alive and therefore the women were still alive. Whenever we fail to completely deal with a sin in our lives, it will always leave the door open for that same sin to return. As a result, though Israel won the war they still left themselves open to defeat because of their incomplete obedience.

Lord, I realize the reason some sins continue to haunt me is because I have failed to completely deal with the sin, help me take the steps necessary to remove myself from their temptation.