The Treadmill

February 16

Psalm 106:12, 13 states an example from the experience of the ancient Israelites that we would do well to heed in our own walk with the Lord. It reveals a pitfall that can snare any of us who has given his heart to Christ and who is on his way to the fulfillment of the promises God has assured are for those who trust Him.

Here we are told, “They believed His promises and sang His praise but they soon forgot His works and would not wait for His counsel.” These are very sobering words. When the Israelites had seen the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, when they saw the army of Pharaoh brought to nothing by the hand of the Lord, they were rejoicing in their deliverance.

But it didn’t take long before they reverted from their faith and praise for His glorious miracle in their behalf and forgot His benefits and negated His counsel. They established a pattern that believers have followed since. Yet today, we do the same thing—we see the beauty of Christ and all He has done for us. We accept Him as Savior and declare Him to be our Lord. Then we return to our old haunts and our old friends and forget Him.

It takes an act of our will to refrain from making the mistake the Israelites made. Time and time again, they turned from Him, got into trouble, called on His name and were delivered—only to repeat the cycle over and over. We can get on that treadmill, too. We recognize our need for salvation, give our heart to the Lord, vow to be faithful and true to Him, then backslide into our old life May we instead embrace Him with all our heart and allow Him to hold us fast to Himself.