October 9                                     Ezek 28 - 30

TIME MOST VULNERABLE

MEMORISE: 'But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.' (1 Cor 9:27)
READ: Esther 1:10-22

Every Christian who is growing and taking steps to greater heights with the Lord, must be very careful of Pitfalls along his path. Let us learn from QUEEN Vashti. She was beautiful and had what she desired. She reached a point of comfort where she felt nobody could threaten her position. Just when she thought she had arrived, she defied the king's command one day and in the next couple of day's she had been dethroned and become ordinary.

From this we learn that we face the greatest danger when we are at our highest point of comfort. David did not fall when he was struggling. After he became king, he fell into adultery because he had become too comfortable and was sleeping and resting at the palace, when kings should be at the battle field (2 Sam 11:1-5). Nebuchadnezzar fell at the peak of his power and was reduced to the level of a beast (Dan 4:4-7). Never be too comfortable or too busy to pray.

Another lesson is that familiarity breed's contempt. Vashti flouted a command from her husband. She failed to submit to him because she was now taking him for granted. Some sisters in ministry behave like Vashti. Because they are more spiritual and knowledgeable in God's word, they want to pull the wool over the eyes of their husbands. They see themselves as equal with the head and fail to take instructions from him. No matter how much you decorate your body, leaving out the head, the head is still the head. That the body is bigger and better decorated than the head does not make them equal.

Do not ever become too familiar with God. God boasted of Moses (Num 12:1-8). He was adjudged the meekest man on earth. Yet he made one slip in 40 years and God told him he would see but not enter the Promised Land. Be careful. Vashti was to be replaced by someone better. There is always a better substitute somewhere around. May you not be replaced? Accept every assignment as a great opportunity and privilege (Eph 3:8). Hold fast what you have, so that no man takes your crown (Rev 3:11).

ACTION POINT
Make sure that you do not become so familiar with God that you take him for granted. Ask him to increase godly fear in your life.