Aug 29

Romans 15:4 says that "everything that was written in the past was written to teach us."

God's people of old had to go through 40 years of hardship, wandering in the desert -- and they still did not learn their lesson. God himself warns us not to follow their example. There is no need for learning the hard way.

"So the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did'" (Heb. 3:7-9).

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come" (1 Cor. 10:11).

This is not to say that God will never allow hard times to come to us, only that if we were to read, learn, and obey, such times would be far fewer because there would be much less need for God to teach us in such a manner. Let us give heed to the lessons written down for us for this very purpose in God's Word.

Scripture for today: 1 Cor. 10:11
Thought for today: We must learn from the past--or repeat it.
Prayer for today: Let me learn from others, Lord, especially those whose experiences you have recorded in your Book.

AUG 29