1 Thessalonians 4:3

 Scripture: 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality (NASB). 

Observation:

I am not sure how old I was, but I remember not being able to wait to be old enough to ride a certain ride at the local amusement park. The ride was one where you could actually drive a motorcar. The cars ran on a track with a metal brace that kept the cars from going off the track. You really didn't have to drive them. You could have just sat there, and, eventually, you would have ended up back at the starting line. However, as a little kid, I didn't know that. I thought that I was actually driving, and it fascinated me. Well, when the year came and I got to drive, I remember how hard it was to keep the car on the right path. If I didn't hold on to the wheel with all that I had, the car would veer off to one side and then BANG - it hit the metal bar that kept the car on the track. I remember trying over and over to make it around the whole track without hitting the bar. It was almost impossible. You see the pathway to drive around the whole track was hard and it took all that I had - much like the "pathway for holiness" in our walk to remain sexually pure. A lot of hard work is required to keep the steering straight and to stay on course. I wonder if we have fallen off the track recently and need to grab a hold of the wheel with both hands and steer straight ahead.  

Application:

• Personal Application: Continue spending time with the Lord daily. Sow righteousness and reap the fruit of God's unfailing love.
• Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Ask them if anything spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is that we continue to spend time with the Lord and keep our hearts focused on His plans and purposes. Pray for them.

TOM SEMBER has been involved in ministering to men for over 20 years. He is an ordained minister with the AG in the NY Ministry Network.