SAME SONG, SECOND VERSE

Image result for CLIP ART SHOWING HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF    Joshua has died, been buried, and the Israelites have fought and taken the land that was promised to them.  They were forewarned by the angel of the Lord, a theophany ( the Lord Himself manifest before them) not to make any covenants with the inhabitants of the land and certainly not to worship their idols.  He further told them that they (the inhabitants) would become as "thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you."  Judges 2:2-3  Warning given!  

Years have now passed, the generation who came with Joshua has died, "and there arose another generation after them who did knot know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."  They begin to serve the Baal (a god of the Canaanites) and have forsaken the Lord.  God, in His righteous anger gives Israel into the hands of plunders and sells them into the hands of their enemies.  The same pattern of disobedience: the worship of idols, Israel cries out to God, and God delivers them out of their hands only for the cycle to begin again and continue for several hundred more years.  INSANITY for sure!  Same song, second verse, could be better, but its gonna be worse!

I wonder is there anything which is a pattern in our lives that is a repeat of hurtful behaviors? I Cannot figure out for the life of me why we humans can't or won't develop patterns which are beneficial to our spiritual health, physical, and emotional health.  The old definition of insanity: Repeat the same patterns of hurtful behaviors hoping for another outcome.  "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee." Psalm 119:11 NAS  I can bank on it, if I am willing to move into disobedience, in most cases, there are consequences.  That which looks so promising and so inviting will be a snare if I am outside the parameters of the Word of God. ( It really depends on what the bait is before I am ensnared and how often I take the bait!)  Oh to say with the Psalmist: "I considered my ways, and turned my feet to Thy testimonies, I hastened and did not delay to keep Thy commandments." 119;59-60  We can make the choice to hasten to be obedient or we can continue the insanity.  You choose, but the risk is run that it may be worse if insanity is the choice. #IHAVETHREESONS

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