"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
Desiring evil, idolatry, immorality, grumbling, and complaining—at first they seem to be a rather mixed bag, but they all have discontent at their root. We desire evil, commit immorality, and worship other gods because we do not think that our relationship with God will satisfy us. And when we grumble and complain we expose the fact that we do not like what God has given us.
We need to take notice. The Israelites had evil in their hearts and fell to sin. Most people would object. Evil in my heart? That's extreme! Surely I'm not like that. If you think that way, you need to wake up to the condition of your heart. Are you discontent with all that God has given you? Do you ever grumble or complain? Do you want to relate to God in ways that He has not condoned? If any of these things are so, you are capable of falling just like the Israelites fell. And if you do not face this fact, you almost certainly will fall.
I too must be careful. God has done wonderful things in my life and kept me from many sins. But I am still a sinner, and this thread of discontent runs deep within my heart. For me to assume that I am somehow immune or impervious to the natural tendency towards sin would be the ultimate deception and would lead me to speedy disaster. In guarding against the mistaken notion of personal strength, I must be especially aware of my need to actively find my contentment in God. When I am tempted to complain about my circumstances or seek unbiblical ways to satisfy spiritual desires, I must face the fact that I have sinned, and facing this I must repent and trust God to satisfy perfectly.
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