11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
We do not live in a vacuum devoid of a record of God’s interventions in history. In fact if we are spiritually awake, we will see that hand at work everywhere in everything at all times. As we read Scripture that record speaks across the millennia. We can learn from other’s mistakes. We don’t have to make the mistakes they made. We are allowed to avoid the devastating consequences they experienced. We don’t have to have an affair in order to know that they poison a relationship often resulting in its death. We don’t have to be a Meth addict to know the devastation Methamphetamine accomplishes in draining a life. We understand the principle of vicarious learning, learning from what others do, and yet sometimes we still step in “it” personally anyway. We each have our own set of obstacles that we must negotiate around in order to navigate life without falling into sin. Our history has placed obstacles. Satan has placed obstacles. Society and culture have placed obstacles. And there are new obstacles being developed even as I write. We need to learn today how to avoid those obstacles because, chances are, they will be there for the rest of your life. We need to turn those obstacles into warning signs that we notice miles before we get into the zone. We have all traveled through a construction zone on a road. When do you know you are in a construction zone, when you see the person in the hardhat or two miles before when you see the sign telling you it is two miles ahead? The further away that first warning sign is posted, the more time we have to adjust our travel plans. So it is with us. Get to know your own weaknesses and build that warning system. If you travel, develop a system of personal accountability to protect your marriage bed while you are away. If you “shop ’til you drop”, get rid of your credit accounts. Get in the habit of asking how others avoid the fall. Incorporate those strategies in your own life.
The Arnold Journey 