Question 1

What do I do when I have a desire to escape?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 139:7I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!Jeremiah 23:24“Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.No matter how far we run or where we go, God is always there, waiting for us to turn to him. We cannot escape from God.Psalm 32:7You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.Psalm 57:1Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.Nahum 1:7The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.When we need to escape, we should run to the arms of our loving God.Numbers 1:50-51“Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it. Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death.”Some responsibilities may seem boring or dull—even worth escaping from—but fulfilling them wholeheartedly pleases God.

Question 2

When is escaping better than persisting in what we are doing?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 6:13Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.2 Timothy 2:22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.We should flee from evil and temptation! Sometimes, this means physically removing ourselves from places and situations that lead us into sin.2 Peter 1:4Because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.We must not yield to the decadence around us. If necessary, we flee from it and its influence.Matthew 6:6“When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”Luke 5:16Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.When we need a quiet time of prayer, we should escape from the busy world into the Lord’s presence.

Question 3

How does God provide ways of escape?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 7:7He [Noah] went on board the boat to escape the flood—he and his wife and his sons and their wives.Genesis 19:17When they [Lot and his family] were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”Exodus 14:21Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.Sometimes, God provides literal, physical ways to escape.Proverbs 14:27Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death.2 Peter 2:20When people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.God helps us escape from sin and evil into a relationship with him.1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.God helps us escape from the wrong path by revealing and guiding us to the right one.

Question 4

What’s wrong with escaping from my problems and pressures?

Accepted Answer

Luke 21:34-36“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”God wants us to be “alert at all times,” so we will be ready to face adversity and able to serve him. Dulling our senses or using other means to escape may feel good and seem to work for a while, but we can become addicted and virtually useless in advancing Christ’s kingdom.Romans 14:12-13Each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.We need to fulfill our God-assigned responsibilities.1 Peter 5:8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.We need to be alert and ready to meet opposition and to serve our Lord.1 Corinthians 6:12You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.We may not see anything wrong with becoming involved in certain enjoyable activities, but we should be careful because they can enslave us—even positive, good, temporary escapes, such as sports, entertainment, fitness, social media, and food. If we’re not careful, we can become addicted and ignore our responsibilities to God, family, church, and more.