This article contains the DCLM daily manner that is slated for Friday, 31 March, 2023. Read the inspiring word of God and be blessed.
Daily Manner for Today (31-3-2023)
Topic: Old Habits
Key verse: “And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal” (2 Kings 17:16).
Text: 2 Kings 17: 9-23
Daily Manner Message for Today
Several elderly nuns were on the second floor of their convent one night when a fire broke out. When the nuns realized the fire was blocking the exit, they took their habits (a long loose garment worn by members of a religious order) off, tied them together to make a rope, and climbed out of the window. After they were safely on the ground, a news reporter asked one of the nuns, ‘Weren’t you afraid that the habits could have ripped or broken since they are old? The nun replied, “Not at all, don’t you know that old habits are hard to break?”
From the passage, we read about the eventual destruction of Israel due to the same old sin of idolatry. Since they had made a habit of worshipping other gods and bowing down to them, the Lord finally put them away out of His sight. The northern kingdom was the first to break away from the ordained worship at the temple at Jerusalem, on Jeroboam’s instructions. Two images were then placed, one in Dan and the other at Bethel to serve as their new gods. God sent prophets, seers, and preachers to warn them of the consequences of their actions. Finding no positive response, the Lord allowed them to be carried into captivity. Judah soon followed suit and met the same fate. The land of Israel was now left desolate in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
The children of Israel had struggled with idolatry since they left Egypt. They made a golden calf in the wilderness and rebelled against God when ten of the spies, sent ahead to spy out the Promised Land returned with a negative report. Their progress was then delayed, and they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When they eventually got to the land of promise, they continued in the practices of the heathen nations around them. Their old habits destroyed them eventually.
Old habits, they say, are hard, but not impossible to break; especially when one comes to Christ for heart transformation.
Thought for the Day
Like the chain of the demoniac, bad habits are broken when brought to Christ.
Bible in One Year
John 1-3
Summary of Today’s Daily Manner
The central message in today’s devotion is “old habits.” This refers to the habitual sins that people commit and make them far away from God. Such old habits may include stealing, lying, adultery, fornication, idolatry, fraud, drug addiction and other sinful practices. In our text, they compared these habits to “demoniac chains,” meaning that those under these habits are not free spirit, soul and body.
The example of the children of Israel shows that there is punishment for anyone that lingers in their old habit. Also, anyone that rejects the offer of salvation is doomed for hell. However, the Daily manner for today also affirms that no habit is hard to break. In other words, there is no yoke of sin that cannot be broken. This relates to the fact that nothing is impossible for God to do. Hence, all it takes for God to break a habit is sincere repentance and total turn away from such.
Finally, when a sinner repents of their old habits, they will have a new life and be bound to experience the joy of salvation.
We hope this message blessed you. Let us know the lessons you learned from today’s daily manner in the comment section below.
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