Deuteronomy 18:14 (ESV)
In today's verse, God is speaking to the nation of Israel right before they are to conquer new lands and peoples. His admonition is specific to the seeking out fortune-tellers and sorcerers. But in her book, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, Mary Tileson, broadens it to consider all the things our heavenly Father has "not allowed" us to do.
What an amazing, what a blessed disproportion between the evil we do, and
the evil we are capable of doing, and seem sometimes on the very verge
of doing! If my soul has grown tares, when it was full of the seeds of
nightshade, how happy ought I to be! And that the tares have not wholly
strangled the wheat, what a wonder it is! We ought to thank God daily for
the sins we have not committed.
F. W. FABER
We give thanks often with a tearful, doubtful voice, for our spiritual
mercies positive; but what an almost infinite field there is for mercies
negative! We cannot even imagine all that God has suffered us not to do,
not to be.
F. R. HAVERGAL
You are surprised at your imperfections—why? I should infer from that,
that your self-knowledge is small. Surely, you might rather be astonished
that you do not fall into more frequent and more grievous faults, and thank
God for His upholding grace.
JEAN NICOLAS GROU
After reading the three excerpts Tileson included in her book, I realized that I had never given much thought to what God is providing me the strength NOT to do, say, or think. How often to I walk away from that opportunity to gossip because of the Spirit's gentle nudge? How many times has He helped me soften a response when I was agitated?
Perhaps I am not even aware of all the times when I don't sin, but any growth I have made is because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
I love Faber's line, "If my soul has grow tares, when it was full of nightshade, how happy I ought to be!" In Biblical use a tare is injurious weed. While tares are never presented in a positive light in Scripture, it is not considered fatal. On the other hand, nightshade is not only poisonous, but potentially lethal. The wife of Emperor Augustus and the wife of Claudius both were rumored to have used it for murder
As Christians, we strive for perfection, but must realize that this side of Heaven, that will not be achieved. However, through the guidance and wisdom available to every Christian, tares and not nightshade are our challenge.
Take a moment and thank God for all things we don't do thanks to His indwelling.
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