Tuesday February 8, 2011
Theme: Rethink: Desires
Weekend Music links on iTunes: All Over the World - Matt Redman, Happy Day - Tim Hughes, Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong, I Will Follow - Chris Tomlin
Read: James 1:12-15
Think: Some pretty promising lives have almost been destroyed by desire. What seemed like a little thing had a big consequence. Take Roy Hobbs in the movie The Natural, a favorite baseball movie about an almost mythical talent. Roy lost out on most of a promising big league career because of a one-night stand; and he lost out on many years with his wife and son. Even when he had a second chance, he nearly blew it because he lost his focus, distracted again by the wrong kind of woman. Only at the end of the movie does he finally get his head on straight, and things turned out much better than Roy had a right to expect. And baseball fans like to think about that last monster home run off the scoreboard in left field in Roy’s last at bat.
Samson in the Bible was a lot like Roy. He had amazing strength; he also had a weakness for women. His enemies hired one of them, Delilah, to trip him up, and she used her beauty to wear him down. Samson lost everything: his position, his strength, his sight, his freedom. His final days were spent pulling a mill stone in a prison and being mocked by his enemies. But when he heard his enemies mock God for his own failure, Samson finally prayed. And his final victory was bigger than every previous victory put together.
Can you identify with Roy Hobbs and Samson? I can. God’s given us each something unique that only we can do – maybe we’ve blown it up till now. The gospel says yes, sin leads to death, but grace leads to life. Yes, sin when it’s finished brings forth death. But God’s grace can restore the worst failure who begins trusting God. Temptation is a killer – grace holds out the promise of new life. It’s never too late with God.
Do: Think about a time in your life when misplaced desire destroyed something wonderful. Think now about God’s grace – He uses even our failures.
Pray: Lord, I’m learning how destructive the little desires and temptations can be in my life. Help me make choices that honor you and give you glory.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.