Numbers 29-32: Before Moses turned the reigns over to Joshua there was one final battle that Israel would fight. They chose 1000 men from each tribe. The men went to battle and won killing every man from Midian and taking the wives, children and plunder. When they returned Moses was angry that they did not kill the wives too because they were the reason Israel had suffered a plague. The women of Midian had been with some of the Israelite men and the hearts of the people were turning to Baal, a false god instead of Jehovah. Moses knew that the influence of these women would cause the men to once again rebel and in order to stop that from happening he removed them completely.

How often do we come out of a time of sin and are so grateful to be out because it was a hard battle only to slowly but surely edge our way back to the temptation. The problem with that is that it is so easy to go back when you are weak. In human terms, if you don’t plan to go into the house, stay off of the porch! As long as we linger close or even over our temptation we are more likely to go back.

If you are tempted to over eat or eat the wrong things, don’t purchase them and bring them home. You are much less likely to eat what you have to make an effort to go and get. If you are trying to stop smoking or drinking, you would never have a pack in your house or a bottle in that far to reach place. With nothing close at hand you are much less likely to fall. Same with relationships. If you are tempted by another person toward sinful thoughts or actions, delete the number, block the calls, delete from social media, don’t go to the same places. As we take those people and things out of the equation it makes it much more likely that we will be free from the sin. No, it isn’t easy, and I don’t completely understand what you are going through, but God’s word is a great example for us to follow. I am praying for you today that you will be able to step away from the temptation and head another way.