Musings on Train Tracks

 I am in NY helping my folks, so have little time for writing. I have one brief thought for you today. I stayed in lovely historic Winchester on the drive up here and found this gorgeous old train station. I love train tracks and historic stations. I like to stand in the middle of the tracks, looking up and down, thinking of the travelers on the passenger trains. I imagine some are fleeing from troubling pasts and others are rolling towards hopeful futures. Some would disembark at this lovely town, and perhaps struggle to make a life in the midst of difficult circumstances. Others would stay on the train, running from what they could not face in a distant town miles down the track.

A quote by Charles Spurgeon caught my eye. I love the first sentence:

The wings of a dove may be of more use to me today than the jaws of a lion. It is true I may be an apparent loser by declining evil company, but I had better leave my cloak than lose my character; it is not needful that I should be rich, but it is imperative upon me to be pure. No ties of friendship, no chains of beauty, no flashings of talent, no shafts of ridicule must turn me from the wise resolve to flee from sin. The devil I am to resist and he will flee from me, but the lusts of the flesh, I must flee, or they will surely overcome me.  Charltes Spurgeon

I love his distinction. Fight evil and resist the devil.  However, flee temptation rather than stay to fight it. I think older and wiser people may understand this better than younger ones.
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"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."
1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

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"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

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"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
2 Timothy 2:22 ESV