Life Principle 16
Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. (Ez 25:6-7)
Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. (Ez 25:6-7)
Life’s Questions
The temptation sits before you, beckoning you to come take it. It looks so much like the desire of your heart that you can’t stop thinking about it. An alarm goes off within your spirit—something just isn’t right about what you want to do. Still, the opportunity is so enticing that you shake off the warning, thinking, Why not? God doesn’t really care about this, does He? You know that He does, so the argument in your mind continues, What if this is my only chance to be happy? God wouldn’t deny me that, would He? What if God never gives me what I really want?
When thoughts like that enter your mind, remember Life Principle 16: Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. You are about to enter dangerous territory that will disappoint you—and may destroy you, as well.
*** For hundreds of years, the Ammonites conspired to run the people of God out of the Promised Land (see Judg. 3; 10–12; 2 Sam. 10; 1 Chron. 19–20; 27:5; Ps. 83:3–8). So when God rebuked Judah for its sin, He simply took His hand of protection off of His people and allowed the Ammonites to attack. Still, God is just. He faithfully judged Ammon for its sinfulness (see Jer. 49:1–6; Ezek. 21:28–32; 25:1–7; Amos 1:13–15).
What the Bible Says
Read Zephaniah 2:8. What was Ammon’s intention regarding the people of God?
Read Ezekiel 21:28–32. The Ammonites found an ally in the Babylonians. How did God warn the Ammonites against helping the Babylonians?
How did the Babylonians convince the Ammonites to help them (29)?
Read 2 Kings 24:1–4. Did Ammon heed God’s warning? Why not, do you think?
Read Ezekiel 25:1–7. What was particularly distressing about the Ammonites’ attitudes as they plundered Judah (3, 6)?
What was God’s response to the Ammonites (4–7)?
What It Means
The Ammonites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew (see Gen. 12:5; 19:36–38), so they were both neighbors of Judah and Israel and related to them as well. The Ammonites could have learned to honor God and enjoy His blessings (see Deut. 2:19). Unfortunately, they were more interested in possessing the land of their relatives than in knowing their God, and because of it they came to a bitter end: no land, no God, no nation—nothing. Everything they had turned to ashes, even though God gave them ample time to repent. Don’t make their mistake.
*** Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar betrayed Ammon, attacking its capital city around 581 BC. Ammon never recovered, and eventually the nation died out completely. During the third century BC, Ptolemy II Philadelphus renamed the city Philadelphia. It received its current name—Amman, Jordan—in the third century AD.
Life Examples
Read 1 Corinthians 3:9–15. When you became a Christian, what role did you take on (8–11; see also Eph. 2:19–22)?
What must you constantly have in mind as you go about your day (11)?
What different motivations are there for doing work (12–13; see also 4:5)?
What type of work will endure (14)? What will be burned up?
Read 1 Peter 1:13–21. What is Peter’s challenge to you?
Living the Principle
What do you long for? Is it love, wealth, acceptance, stability, prominence, or something else? If you chase after it apart from God’s will, what you’ll find once you achieve your goal will be extremely disappointing and empty. It will burn up and turn to ashes, and it will singe you in the process, as well. Therefore, don’t ignore the alarm signal within you—it is God’s Holy Spirit warning you that you’re about to do something that you will regret.
Rather, trust God and be holy as He is holy (see 1 Peter 1:15–16). Resist the temptation to go after the desire of your heart in your own strength and by your own means, remembering that God will provide the absolute best for you if you will trust and obey Him. Those blessings will endure, and they will be to God’s glory in eternity. As David wrote, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).
*** Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)
How will you live out Life Principle 16 this week? Do you believe that God’s will is truly best for you? Why or why not? Discuss ways to make sure that you are seeking God’s will and ways to resist temptation when it beckons to you. Then spend time in prayer, asking God to draw you into intimate communion with Himself and to transform your life, so that you can affect the world for the sake of His kingdom.
Life Lessons to Remember
The temptation sits before you, beckoning you to come take it. It looks so much like the desire of your heart that you can’t stop thinking about it. An alarm goes off within your spirit—something just isn’t right about what you want to do. Still, the opportunity is so enticing that you shake off the warning, thinking, Why not? God doesn’t really care about this, does He? You know that He does, so the argument in your mind continues, What if this is my only chance to be happy? God wouldn’t deny me that, would He? What if God never gives me what I really want?
When thoughts like that enter your mind, remember Life Principle 16: Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. You are about to enter dangerous territory that will disappoint you—and may destroy you, as well.
*** For hundreds of years, the Ammonites conspired to run the people of God out of the Promised Land (see Judg. 3; 10–12; 2 Sam. 10; 1 Chron. 19–20; 27:5; Ps. 83:3–8). So when God rebuked Judah for its sin, He simply took His hand of protection off of His people and allowed the Ammonites to attack. Still, God is just. He faithfully judged Ammon for its sinfulness (see Jer. 49:1–6; Ezek. 21:28–32; 25:1–7; Amos 1:13–15).
What the Bible Says
Read Zephaniah 2:8. What was Ammon’s intention regarding the people of God?
Read Ezekiel 21:28–32. The Ammonites found an ally in the Babylonians. How did God warn the Ammonites against helping the Babylonians?
How did the Babylonians convince the Ammonites to help them (29)?
Read 2 Kings 24:1–4. Did Ammon heed God’s warning? Why not, do you think?
Read Ezekiel 25:1–7. What was particularly distressing about the Ammonites’ attitudes as they plundered Judah (3, 6)?
What was God’s response to the Ammonites (4–7)?
What It Means
The Ammonites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew (see Gen. 12:5; 19:36–38), so they were both neighbors of Judah and Israel and related to them as well. The Ammonites could have learned to honor God and enjoy His blessings (see Deut. 2:19). Unfortunately, they were more interested in possessing the land of their relatives than in knowing their God, and because of it they came to a bitter end: no land, no God, no nation—nothing. Everything they had turned to ashes, even though God gave them ample time to repent. Don’t make their mistake.
*** Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar betrayed Ammon, attacking its capital city around 581 BC. Ammon never recovered, and eventually the nation died out completely. During the third century BC, Ptolemy II Philadelphus renamed the city Philadelphia. It received its current name—Amman, Jordan—in the third century AD.
Life Examples
Read 1 Corinthians 3:9–15. When you became a Christian, what role did you take on (8–11; see also Eph. 2:19–22)?
What must you constantly have in mind as you go about your day (11)?
What different motivations are there for doing work (12–13; see also 4:5)?
What type of work will endure (14)? What will be burned up?
Read 1 Peter 1:13–21. What is Peter’s challenge to you?
Living the Principle
What do you long for? Is it love, wealth, acceptance, stability, prominence, or something else? If you chase after it apart from God’s will, what you’ll find once you achieve your goal will be extremely disappointing and empty. It will burn up and turn to ashes, and it will singe you in the process, as well. Therefore, don’t ignore the alarm signal within you—it is God’s Holy Spirit warning you that you’re about to do something that you will regret.
Rather, trust God and be holy as He is holy (see 1 Peter 1:15–16). Resist the temptation to go after the desire of your heart in your own strength and by your own means, remembering that God will provide the absolute best for you if you will trust and obey Him. Those blessings will endure, and they will be to God’s glory in eternity. As David wrote, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).
*** Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)
How will you live out Life Principle 16 this week? Do you believe that God’s will is truly best for you? Why or why not? Discuss ways to make sure that you are seeking God’s will and ways to resist temptation when it beckons to you. Then spend time in prayer, asking God to draw you into intimate communion with Himself and to transform your life, so that you can affect the world for the sake of His kingdom.
Life Lessons to Remember
- When we pursue our desire in opposition to God’s will, we end up truly disappointed (see Ps. 106:15).
- As we pursue God, He fulfills the other desires that He has given us (see Ps. 37:5).