September 8: Of weapons and their uses...

Isaiah 1:1-2:22

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

Psalm 52:1-9

Proverbs 22:26-27

2 Cor 10:3-4 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

And thank God for that.  Have you ever been frustrated by a bad, sinful habit?  Could be something as simple as throwing a bad word out regularly in casual conversation, could be something worse, like constant envy or ill will (what was that the Lord said about "Raca"?), a habit which, try as you might, with all your heart, you just cannot break?  Not easy to break a sinful habit, and more likely as not beyond the abilities of the one who fell into the bad habit in the first place.  Even worse, sometimes we don't realize the habit for the sin that it is!  Jerry Bridges, in his book "Respectable Sins", discusses the "sins we tolerate" - things like anxiety and frustration, discontentment...yes, these are sins - and they are also tough habits to break.  We need help.

Funny enough, we KNOW we need help.  Pastor Scott mentioned that, in the US, we now have more therapists than we have dentists.  So we know we need help...but we are looking for it in the wrong places.  How much better that we can turn to one whose weapons, with which He arms us, are NOT of this world, who has the power to "thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities", Who, "though your sins are like scarlet" can make them "white as snow".  And He doesn't even exact a price - there is no need for the meaningless offering, the worthless assemblies.  What He wants is for us to be "willing and obedient", to "throw away to the moles and bats [our] idols of silver and idols of gold, which [we] made to worship."

Thank You, God, that though we have turned from You, still You do not forsake us.  You are still willing to welcome us back into Your care.  Accept our submission and obedience, and reveal to us our sinful habits..and then demolish the strongholds of our sin with your weapons of divine power.