"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." (1 Corinthians 10:21)

This verse has made a profound impact on my life and I pray that by the time you read this, it will have left the same imprint on your heart as it has mine.

Through the leadership of Moses, God divinely and miraculously delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt and set them on their course to the Promised Land. They saw the hand of God protect them, spare the lives of their firstborn, lead them through the Red Sea, shield them with a cloud from their enemies, lead them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, no one was sick, clothes didn't wear out, and so much more! Yet, they murmured and complained, "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: But our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." (Numbers 11:5-6)

Oh, what an ungrateful people! God provided manna – bread from heaven to feed them, to meet their physical needs while they journeyed through the wilderness. Yet, all they could think of was onions and leeks and garlic from Egypt! In essence, they were eating at the Lord's table but were longing to eat at the devil's table at the same time. What was God's reaction? "Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased." (Numbers 11:10)

Just as the Hebrew children needed to finally put Egypt and all it stood for behind them and gratefully focus on all that God had blessed them with, we need to learn to hate the world and all it stands for. We are no longer part of the world – we are citizens of Heaven. We cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. We cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of devils at the same time. We cannot serve two masters.

We cannot be Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and represent both the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of this world. This world is now a foreign land to us; we're just here on temporary assignment. Our cravings must be that of the Kingdom of Heaven and all God provides for us, unmixed and unmingled with the things of this world yet permeated with gratefulness and praise! Whose Ambassadors are we? We can't be a part-time Ambassador for the Kingdom of God and part-time Ambassador of a foreign land.

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:19) If the world hates us as Christians, why are we still trying to eat at the world's table?

Let the Holy Spirit minister to you and listen intently to the voice of your Shepherd. Are there areas in your life where you are living in compromise? Submit to the leading and admonition of the Spirit of God right now and let Him do His perfect work in you, delivering you out of your "Egypt" into His total and perfect care.

Don't read another word until you listen to the voice of God revealing your heart to you. Will you listen? Will you obey?

Father, I am so amazed at Your Word, how it shines on my life and reveals hidden recesses in my heart, exposing sin that is unconfessed, will that is unsurrendered, and motives that are unredeemed. Oh Lord, forgive me. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness, expose everything in me that is an offense to You, and give me both the desire and the strength to lay it all down and surrender totally to You. Lord, help me to ever keep today's verse in my heart, quickly revealing areas of compromise and sin so that I might lose my desire for "Egypt" and apprehend all that You have provided for me through the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior at whose table I am honored to be seated. In Jesus' name, by His shed blood, and for His glory and His alone . . . Amen and Amen.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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