Perhaps this has happened to you:
You have an encounter with God that leaves you feeling an unexplainable peace, joy, and rest inside, only to wake up a few days later wondering where it went.
No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get back to that place of peace and rest.
It happens to all of us from time to time.
This morning, while studying in 1 Corinthians 10 with my online study group, I realised that Paul gave us a list of 6 things that sneak into our lives and steal our rest.
Along with that, he also tells us what we can do to keep this from happening.
It is God’s will that we go from glory to glory.
Not from glory to defeat, glory to defeat.
The first thing we see in 1 Corinthians 10 is that God was displeased with the children of Israel in the desert:
“But with most of them God was not well pleased…” 1 Corinthians 10:5
Why?
Because they did these 6 things that grieve the Lord.
It is important that we understand that when we live in a way that displeases the Lord, it isn’t God who pulls back from us.
God is always reaching out for us.
He is always seeking to restore a relationship with us because He is a restorer. He is a reconciler.
But our wrong choices and disobedience build a wall between Him and us.
It is our wall, our choice — and that wall blocks His presence in our lives.
6 Things That Steal Our Sabbath Rest
1. Covet
“…that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” 1 Cor 10:6
It is interesting to note that “lusted” in this verse is covet, long for, desire that which is forbidden.
It isn’t used in a sexual sense (that comes a few verses later, actually).
The 10th commandment commands us not to covet, but coveteousness is a sneaky thing.
It starts as a desire.
Then grows into a feeling of discontentment.
After that, it blooms into complaining (which we will see in this passage as well).
You see, the children of Israel had a covetous spirit, and we see that from the moment they left Egypt and throughout all of their years in the desert.
They could only see what they did not have, despite all of the tremendous provisions from the Lord.
A covetous spirit robs us of peace because it blinds us from seeing what God is doing and has done, and limits our vision to see only what we do not have.
We lust after the things God told us we cannot have.
This was the first sin in the garden: lust of the eyes. The forbidden fruit.
2. Idolatry
“And do not become idolaters as were some of them.” 1 Cor 10:7
Jesus said that our hearts are where our treasure is. In other words, what do you treasure most?
Your husband?
Your children?
Your career?
Your reputation?
Your body image?
Theological ideologies?
Education?
Money?
Position?
Things?
Anything that we cannot let go of so that the peace of Christ can fill our hearts is our idol.
Has God asked you to lay down something that is still in your hand?
That is your idol.
3. Sexual Imorality
“Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;” 1 Cor 10:8
Now, you may say, “I have never done that, and I never would do that”.
And that may be true. But may I ask you a question? What is your entertainment like? What is your thought life like?
You see, we may never actively commit sexual immorality - or even view pornography- but we will tolerate it in a movie or TV show.
We’ll read about it in an erotic novel.
We’ll enjoy the pleasure of it in our thoughts.
Jesus said this is adultery. And adultery and sexual immorality will steal our peace and build a wall of separation between us and God’s presence in our lives.
4. Complaining
“nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” 1 Cor 10:10
Did you see that?
Their complaining led them to be destroyed by the destroyer.
A complaining spirit goes hand-in-hand with covetousness.
Complaining and an ungrateful spirit deny the very nature and character of God because they throw in God’s face accusations of who He isn’t…
That He is not El Rafa - God’s our healer
That He is not Jehovah Jireh - God our provider.
Recently, someone posed this question:
If the Lord inhabits our praises, who inhabits our grumbling and complaining?
5. Sacrifice to demons
“…as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” 1 Cor 10:20
Paul was urging the Corinthians to flee from idolatry. Why?
It’s not that idols in and of themselves are anything. (verse 19) They are just a piece of wood or stone.
It’s because they are animated by demons.
It’s not the idol that has power; it’s the demon behind the idol that has power.
Now, it is not very likely that in our culture we actually sacrifice or pray to idols. And I don’t believe this verse refers back to verse 7 either.
Rather, I believe he was talking about literal statues that represented idols - something that doesn’t directly impact us.
But what about the witchcraft in movies and TV shows, or in books?
Our western culture, and “modern” thinking, excuse that away by saying, “That’s just child’s play. That isn’t real.”
I heard this a lot when Harry Potter books were so popular. The Twilight Series.
What about The Walking Dead? Vampires. Movies about exorcisms and supernatural influences.
This kind of entertainment is not benign.
It is not without spiritual consequences.
This kind of entertainment has a direct impact on our spirit and will rob our peace and rest in Christ.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 1 Cor 10:21-22
6. Selfishness
“Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” 1 Cor 10:24
Just because we can’t, doesn’t mean we should.
And many times our question is, “What will it harm me?” But we fail to ask ourselves, “What could it harm others?”
An even better question is, “How will it benefit me and others?”
But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 1 Cor 10:30
Is this a blessing or a stumbling block?
A person is truly free when they can joyfully limit what they consider to be a freedom for the benefit and blessing of those around them.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God. 1 Cor 10:31-32
Dear friend, if you are struggling to find peace, joy, and rest in the Lord, take a look at these 6 things.
Have you built a wall in an area of your life that is blocking your relationship with the Lord?
It is in His presence that we find our peace, joy, and rest.
It’s always good to step back to check those things in our lives. All are part of being human, but many of those things draw us downward. They pull us away from God and cause us much pain and heart ache. Coveting is so big now a days. So much materialism. The world would be a much better place to live if we followed better paths that God set out for us. Following the 10 commandments serves us well. Being kinder, serving others, and loving as the Saviour did!