Purify Your Mind Series (Part 1) by Joe KirbySample

God's Escape Routes

The Hillsborough Disaster is a well-known tragedy in English sport. One of the tunnel gates was opened to ease overcrowding, which only forced a huge influx of people into the stadium. Sadly, 97 soccer fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium, and 766 people injured.

I had the privilege of meeting a Hillsborough survivor. He said that thirty years later he still suffers nightmares, and whenever he enters a room the first thing he looks for is the exit.

As Christians, whenever we walk into a temptation, we, too, should look for the exit because God always prepares a way out. To my shame, I have often ignored these ladders of escape. These exit points vary, but sometimes a Christian song comes to mind in the middle of the act, or perhaps someone knocks on the door, or some other interruption occurs. Of course, immediately after you’ve indulged in the sin, it’s easy to recognize where God’s exit point was at the beginning of the temptation. We often ask God to remove the temptation from us, but when He provides the escape route, do we take it? If you see no obvious way out, call on the name of Jesus Christ. He was tempted in every way and was triumphant over all sin. Just as a sheep is never attacked while it stands at the shepherd’s side, no saint has ever been hardened by Satan’s schemes while standing next to the Good Shepherd’s side. Christ is the Doctor, but He’s also the medicine!