Deliver Us from Evil

Scripture: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”  Proverbs 26:11.

Although this is one of the most repulsive verses in the Bible, It’s so gross that a creature would re-ingest what it has already expelled from its body!             

 But a message we can take from this wise saying is that once we have expelled our horrid sin, or foolishness, from our lives, we do NOT want to return to that way of life!  We should desire to put away our foolishness and sin in favor of living a godly lifestyle.

As disgusting as this is, we sometimes don’t even realize that we are going to retrieve our “vomit.” However, our Lord is a saving God, and we can trust that He will deliver us.

We All Sin

Everyone on earth is born into sin; we none of us escape it!  But God loves us so much that He has allowed us to place our trust in Him through His Son, Jesus Christ .

The Apostle Paul wrote that no matter what we have done in our lives before we become Christians, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.”  (Romans 3:22-24)  

After we commit to Christ, we must maintain our new Christian lifestyle – this can be difficult; we ARE still human!  But we want to put aside any sin and anything that comes between us and our relationship with the Lord.

We might still mess up; that’s life, and it just happens.  It is important to pay attention to your thoughts, words, and actions, trying to ensure you try to live like Jesus – with honor for God and compassion for your fellow human.  And when we mess up, we can trust the Lord to forgive us and help us grow closer to Him; we just have to ask and put off the trappings of this world 

Better off Never Having Known

But what if someone claims to be Christian but allows themselves to “return to their vomit,” or their sinful way of life?  The Bible is pretty clear that this would be a deeply distressing event.

“ When people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.  It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.  They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A dog returns to its vomit.’”  (from 2 Peter 2:20-25) 

 We followers of Christ are commanded to live a holy life – to live set apart from sin.  What a great gift of freedom this is!  It’s like being healed of a bad stomach virus; no-one wants to return to the pain and degradation of that kind of illness.

So what is your “vomit?”  What sin easily trips you up?  God continues to forgive us for sins after we are saved, but we must be watchful that we grow in HIS life for us, rather than keep on sinning.

We Will Face Troubles

Jesus taught His disciples to request that God will “deliver us from evil.”  (from Matthew 6:13)  Jesus knew that just as He Himself was to face persecution and evil, so His followers down through the years would be tested.

When you give your life to Christ and strive to live life righteously in His sight, life will be more joyful, but it won’t necessarily be much easier.  A Christian might face a life full of torment and annoyances from evil forces.  We are given God’s promise in the Book of Psalms, however:  “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.”

 In other words, no matter what comes into your path, you do NOT have to worry; the Lord will provide what we need in times of trouble!          

Praise for Deliverance 

When God shows us His path for a godly lifestyle, protecting us from returning to our “vomit,” we are blessed!  We owe Him thanks and praise          

King David wrote many songs of praise for God’s deliverance:  “You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory.” (Psalm 32:7)       

David was someone who gave his life to God; he was “A man after [God’s] Own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14)  Nonetheless, he had huge problems with sinning.  But he consistently sought God’s forgiveness and strove to throw off the trappings of sin.  He knew he could depend on God in times of temptation and distress.

We live in a distressing, fallen world.  We hear of terrible happenings all over the world.  When you too face trials, remember that God is our strength and our deliverer.  He wants what’s best for you, like a loving parent!

So when you are tempted to sin, turn to the Lord for guidance and protection from earthly desires.  Join David in praise to our God, “This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.”  (Psalm 91:2)