Have you ever noticed, either in yourself or others, habits we get used to and soon the habit becomes part of everyday life?  The proverbial frog which doesn’t know it is being boiled until it’s too late.  Sin is exactly like this.

No one begins with the thought of ruining their lives.  If we are not careful with what we do and the people with whom we associate, sin can take us “where we never intended to go and leave us longer than we wanted to stay, and cost us more than we wanted to pay.”  A compromise here, a compromise there, and before long, what we once shunned is now embraced.  And we lie to ourselves and say sin won’t hurt us, at least not this time, but it does hurt us.  We are not exempt.  Sin produces death just as God said it would in the Garden of Eden.  The devil enters our heart and whispers in our ears and entices us to try whatever it is “just this once.”  “It won’t hurt you.”  The same tactics Satan used on Eve.

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:  and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”    James 1:15

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said unto the woman, “Yea, that God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  But of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”   Genesis 3:1-6

As I write this, I see a statement which I have passed over many times regarding this tree.  Eve said they were not to touch the tree, nor were they to eat the fruit of the tree.  Satan uses the same method of operation when he tempts us, and I might add to this, he told only half of what God instructed Adam and Eve to do.  He left out “neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”  He entices us with those things which appear to be good, he lies to us, and if we succumb to the sin, we will be hurt.  There are no exceptions.  We will be hurt by sin.

My friend told me of a man he has known many years who entered the hospital over the weekend and is now fighting for his life.  The story is tragic, and I’m sure you have heard similar stories of people you know.  The man loved parties and has been drinking for many years.  He is in his early 50’s.  The hospital believed his health was under control when they brought his potassium level up to normal, only to find his lungs are filling fast with fluid.  It is now believed, because of numerous problems with his health, he will have to enter ICU.  His wife, a participant in these parties, was recently diagnosed with cancer.  She wanted prayers for both as he was on the way to the hospital by ambulance.  I don’t know these people, but as my friend told me the story, I really didn’t know what to say.  I could only think how tragic and very sad the situation was.  Two people, facing their mortality, and one feels helpless to help them.

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:  and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”    Proverbs 20:1

“Who hath woe?  who hath sorrow?  who hath contentions?  who hath babbling?  who hath wounds without cause?  who hath redness of eyes?  They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.  Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.  At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.”   Proverbs 23:29-32

“Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: . . .”    Isaiah 5:22

“Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! ”    Isaiah 5:11

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:  of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”     Galatians 5:19-21

“Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”    James 4:7

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”     ~ Rohn

Eileen Light