Moving Forward or Slipping Back?

 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard,

or we may drift away from it.

 

~ Hebrews 2:1

 

It's happened to all of us. We get a little of the Gods' word under our spiritual belts. We have a few victories. Our lives are going great for the first time in years and then suddenly, we slip and it all falls apart. (Just to clarify quickly, slipping does not point at just SIN. We can slip in many ways. This is something, I encourage you to think about on your own.) We find ourselves having to start all over again.

 

This happened to the people in the book of Hebrews. They made such great spiritual progress that they got to the place where they should have been teachers. Then they slipped back so much that they needed baby food all over again.  (Hebrews 5:12)

 

What caused them to fall so far? They let other things get in the way of their faith. They let the promises of God slip and so they slipped. This has been happening to believers for many years. It's just more obvious today with the turn of the church and the change of times. I believe we all have been there and can relate to the book of Hebrews.

 

For a moment let's look at some of the excuses we have used causing such lack of faith:

• It's so hard to have such faith in some of our circumstances
• There is just no time in my day for Gods' Word and Faith (What we really mean in saying this is: we have no time to make room in our day for His Word, Him or Having faith. We just do not want to.)
• I'm just so tired of striving for faith
• I try to have faith in everything I do and go through but I just do not see anything happening
• My circumstance has not changed, Look where faith has got me
• There is so much pain, All I can see or feel is the pain over faith.
• Other things begin to fill the time we use to spend with the Lord reading or praying
• and this list can go on and on...

(brief note: excuses are something we say or use to get out of doing something we do not want to do)

OUCH!

In using these excuses, just as the people in the book of Hebrews, we have turned our attention away from God and the promises He has made to each of us. OUCH, That hurts again. It's not that we don't believe them anymore. It's just that our attention was directed elsewhere on other things. Possibly our current circumstances, pain, hardships, etc... In doing this we allowed our time devoted in Gods' Word to drop, thus allowing our level of faith to drop. Less time in Gods' word equals less faith, less strength to carry us through our current circumstances. Instead of defeating our battles, our battles begin defeating us.

 

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

 

When things are going well, don't just ride the tide of Gods' blessings. Dig deeper into what God has for you. Give more earnest heed to the promises of God. Concentrate on moving ahead, on becoming so strong in the spirit you'll not only get your own needs met, you can meet others' needs as well!

 

Remember: "Less time in Gods' word = Less faith = Less strength to carry us through our current circumstances." 

= SLIP

 

Don't get so busy enjoying today's victory that tomorrow ends up in defeat. Look into the things you've learned. Give the Word more of your attention       not less. Keep moving from faith to faith. Instead of trying to trip you up, Satan and his bunch will be crying, "Oh No, that faith man is coming after us again.

 

Remember Satan's goal is to trip you up, beat you down and make you fall and feel defeated. But all Praise be unto God, through Christ we already have the Victory!

 

Encourage Scripture Reference::   Hebrews 5:11-14, 6:1-12

Be Blessed!