“For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you…” (Josh. 23:12-13)
With all that God had done for Israel – freedom from slavery, the destruction of their enemies, the manna in the wilderness, the walls of Jericho, and the conquering of the land – why would you ever go back? And yet, they did.
And we do.
We look back and cling to old sins like they are precious treasures instead of snares and traps. We put our hand to the plow, but then we look backward remembering our old life with nostalgia as if it was better before God put us to work in His vineyard. But that is the lie – looking back never sees clearly.
Just like every generation tends to view the past as “the good ol’ days”, sin is the same way. We remember the momentary thrills, instant gratification, and temporary pleasure, but we forget the enslavement, the depression, the shame, and the guilt. We forget the consequences of sin and remember only the enticing bits that the devil wooed us with.
And if we keep looking back and clinging to the “good ol’ days”, we can know with certainty that we’ll never see the great ones the LORD has planned for us.
Matt. 4:4 #Biblebites