Problematic Pathways

 

In those days there was no king in Israel;

everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

– Judges 21:25 (NASB)

We can go down some problematic pathways if we are not careful in how we handle certain things.  Here are four things that can lead to major problems down the road.

• Prosperity: Things can get so good and can go so well that we neglect the very things that got us to such a point of peace and prosperity.  Israel had lost its way many times and had gone astray from God.  In many cases, it was due to their times of peace and prosperity.
  
• Pride: The Bible tells us that “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2, NIV).  The proud can get beside himself or herself as if they did everything on their own and without God’s very present help.
• Pleasure: Pleasure seekers do not seek to please God, only themselves.  If it feels good, they’ll line up and pay up to do it, see it and even get a taste of it.  Pleasure can even lead to a problem.
• Pressure: If anyone who has read the Old Testament can recall, the people of God did not want Samuel’s boys running things.  They demanded that a king be placed over them like other people. But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD – 1 Samuel 8:6 (NASB).