The Stages

Exodus 17 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

So He speaks to me today of sin, disobedience, hypocrisy and consequence.

I have known people, unbelievers, who say that they will remain in that state due to the hypocrisy in Christians. Sin, to be blunt. They claim that Christians should live a certain way and that they do not. They claim Christians to by hypocritical. Sometimes I agree.

I wish I could tell you that from the day I met the Lord and placed my trust in Him to save me from my sin, from myself, that I have never been the same again. That I gave it all up for Christ and that I have never looked back.

Some things are different. My final destination, for example.

But what is really different is that He dwells in me. That is the difference. What remains the same, is me. The only good thing in me, is Him.

And like the children of Israel I am moving from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord. (And yes, I realize that I am taking some liberty here with the Scriptures) So why stop there :) Right?

It took my many, many years to give up cigarettes. I knew that smoking caused cancer. I was ashamed to be a smoker. I feared the end result of smoking. My children hated it. It smells awful. But I remember when it became SIN to me. (And here comes the second part of the liberty)...

But there was no water for the people to drink.

My water, my life, the Holy Spirit began to dry up.

Every time I would pray for safety for my family, for deeper understanding of His Word, for a closer relationship with Him or for a place of usefulness in Israel, I would know that there was this elephant in the room that I was avoiding. And I remember the day He said, Stop.

I have required something of you, Connie. The smoking. And you know it. So until then, stop asking Me for anything. I will not hear.

Maybe you walked away from every form of sin in your life when you became a Christian and you have never looked back. Praise the Lord!

But I struggle.

I am coming out of sin by stages. By the commandment of the Lord. With the help of the Water and the Blood. Out of darkness and into His glorious light. It is where I want to be really. I am not sure why I fight it so much.

I don't want to be hypocrite. I don't want people to look at my life and see nothing of Christ in me. But I can tell you this, if you see anything of worth in me, it's Him. Hopefully, He is increasing in me and I am beginning to fade away.

Father, thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for leading me through the wilderness and bringing me out the other side. Shine in me Father. May they see less of me and more of You.