Take Heed: During the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, time after time God brought various hardships on them trying to get them to heed His warnings. 

 

Examples of God's warnings of the perils of giving in to temptations are recorded in (1 Corinthians 10:5-11). 

 

While these many warnings were done as examples for them, they are recorded in God's Word for our admonition as well.

 

Even though the believer is freed from the penalty of sin by God's grace, he is still living around the power of sin. Only when we are removed from this world and are with the Lord in heaven will we be freed from the very presence of sin.

 

So all Christians need to "take heed" of the lessons taught to the Israelites in the wilderness. Being God's "chosen people" did not remove temptations from them. Being the Lords chosen ones even gave many a false sense of security, an attitude of being too good to fall. That is true today in our world, many Christians have that attitude of being too good to fall. 

 

An attitude of maybe thinking; "well, I go to church and I believe in Jesus so unlike those who don't go to church I have nothing to fear". 

 

The people Paul was talking to here also were in church, the church at Corinth. They too believed in Jesus, but Paul is still trying to keep them from falling into the same trap the Old Testament Jews had fallen into as he cautions the Corinthians; "therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall." (1 Cor. 10:12)

 

This scripture is trying to warn us that if any person does not stay dependent upon God, he will grow callous and indifferent to the presence of sin. We may  think we are so safe from sin that we begin to take no precautions against it. 

 

Just think many things that were once off limits and would have shamed us a few years ago are now welcome in our homes by means of the internet. Some may say they can go into immoral, polluted places and not be affected, no, if you roll in dirt, you become dirty. The old saying; "if you play with fire, you will get burned" is very true.

 

So, what can we do to assure that we do not fall into these same traps? 

 

We can become so involved in the things of the Lord that we have no time nor inclination to fall.

 

Take heed to what the prophet Micah said: "what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

 

Treat others as you want to be treated, help your fellow man when you see him in need, and do God's will each day and not the wishes of mankind. Take heed of the temptations of this world and lean on the Lord every day.

 

May God bless you and keep you each day...