David was a valiant man: he killed a lion, a bear and Goliath without any sophisticated weapon. He was a prophet, a priest and a king yet the spirit of Jezebel cast him down and he was spiritually wounded. Reading the Psalms, and other records about David in the Bible, you will discover that he was very spiritual and close to God. So why did he fall? He yielded to the temptation presented by the spirit of Jezebel.

Job was a perfect and an upright man that feared God and eschewed evil. The devil afflicted him by taking away all his possessions, killing all his children and afflicting him with an incurable disease. In all, Job did not murmur against God but chose rather to worship Him. Because of the severity of his affliction, Job's wife advised him to curse God and die but he refused to sin with his lips.

Since most deaths happen suddenly and in a moment, "see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil" - Ephesians 5:15,16. It is only a few people, like one of the thieves on the cross that may have an opportunity to make their ways right with God, just before death. Most people die either accidentally or in their sleep, taken away unexpectedly.

Are you concerned like Peter, about what you will gain having left all to follow Jesus? For your information, your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The Lord has promised to reward you now, with a hundredfold of whatever you have given up serving Him, and to give you eternal life in the world to come. All you need to inherit these promised blessings is to be faithful and committed as you serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord was watching to see how the children of Israel would react to the temptations that befell them during their wilderness journey. He wanted to know if they truly loved Him. Almost all of them yielded to the temptations and therefore were not approved by the Lord to enter the promised land. Those that were disapproved, all died in the wilderness.