For a Season

We often like to park downtown close to the Peanut Shoppe, grab some cashews and 

A&M Peanut Shoppe
(Photo credit: alwright1)

perhaps fresh roasted peanuts or popcorn, and walk the four blocks or so to one of our favorite coffee shops.  It is a pleasant walk down and back and we enjoy the nuts as we go.

Yesterday, however, our walk was diverted because the new Nicolas Cage movie, Tokarev, is being filmed in our city.  The streets close to the coffee shop were blocked off for the filming of a car chase scene.  

We are quite familiar with the streets of downtown, so we quickly formulated an alternate route.  It took us past a favorite restaurant which features incredible paninis.  In fact, as we walked by, the aroma of some great concoction wafted out from their kitchen.  I was quick to imagine it was my favorite, their Muffaletta Panino. 

As we continued walking, we passed by the back of the building, by the garbage and the collection vats for used grease.  The smell then was not so pleasant.  It was the same restaurant, just a different viewpoint.  It reminded me of this verse speaking of Moses:

 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" (Hebrews 11:25.)

Sin, when in the midst of it, can seem pleasurable.  If often pleases so many of the senses. But when it has brought forth it's inevitable consequences  it will be bitter to us indeed.  That which seemed sweet in the beginning, will be as refuse and garbage.  Regardless of what our particular temptation is, the pleasure of sin will only be "for a season," and then we will experience the built in results.  

Jeremiah 2:9

"Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that My fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts."

The Scriptures tell us "the wages of sin is death," so that, even as Christians, who know our sins are forgiven, sin works in us a death.  There is a death to our ability to work out the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus in that moment, a death to follow His will, a death to live as "alive unto God."

We do well to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;" (Colossians 1:10,) and to avoid the sin in the first place.

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:  for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him."