DCLM Daily Manna Tuesday 18 June 2024

TOPIC: Tears For Avoidable Losses

TEXT:  Hebrews 12:14-17 (KJV) 
¹⁴ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

¹⁵ Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

¹⁶ Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

¹⁷ For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

KEY VERSE
“For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”
Hebrews 12:17

DCLM Daily Manna Tues 18 June 2024 MESSAGE

One of the most monumental and regrettable losses recorded in history is the sinking of the Titanic. The awe-inspiring passenger liner that was described as unsinkable, considering the engineering ingenuity that went into its making, sank on its maiden voyage from England to the United States in 1912. Perhaps because of their confidence in the ship’s capabilities, one night, the crew ignored the warnings of icebergs that lay in their path until it hit a glacier, which resulted in its sinking and killing of thousands.

READ DCLM Daily Manna Monday 17 June 2024 – The Sower, Seed And The Soil

Imagine the degree of regret the Titanic crew would have wallowed through all their lives if they managed to get out of that wreckage. Such was the case of Esau who sold his birthright and lived to regret that momentary decision the rest of his life. Believers are specifically called to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. We are also warned about “any root of bitterness” – any corrupting influence capable of causing disaffection or backsliding.

Any act of immorality among Christians is here compared to Esau’s terrible decision in the sense that it amounts to profanity to despise the great prospects of eternal life and Kingdom privileges because of a momentary satisfaction. Esau considered his hunger so compelling that he did not think of the far-reaching implications of forfeiting his birthright for a morsel of meal. This action tormented not just him but also his posterity.

We know that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning…” (Romans 15:4) to keep us on the path of carefulness, prayerfulness and dependence on the grace of God. We must price our heritage in Christ far too much to be messed up with short-lived sinful gratifications.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: To trade your future joys for today’s toys is foolhardy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 1-5