I don’t usually get excited about what commentaries have to say but Matthew Henry had an interesting insight I think is worth considering today.
“Evil may be foreseen. Where there is temptation, it is easy to foresee that if we thrust ourselves into it there will be sin, and as easy to foresee that if we venture upon the evil of sin there will follow the evil of punishment; and, commonly, God warns before he wounds,...”His point is that if we are thinking people we can often see problems that are coming and avoid them. I was thinking of this as physical danger, Henry points out that it also applies to moral and ethical temptation.
When I think about my life I see multiplied times that I allowed myself to get into situations that lead to compromise and sin. At first I do a little resisting and eventually say, “Oh, well” and give in to temptation. In my heart I know I could have totally avoided the situation but I manage to press that thought way down and feel like a victim.
The Holy Spirit will not allow me to continually play the helpless victim card. He knows the games I play and keeps reading me the rules. If I love Jesus, and I do, I must respond.
So? Life is not a game. I will listen to the Holy Spirit. I will plan to obey instead of avoid. I expect there will be times I will fail but the Spirit will help me grow. Read, think, listen, pray, be changed.
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