A. W. Tozer had preached a sermon called, “Rote, Rut, & Rot.” You may comprehend what a rut and rot is, but the old term rote may be a bit unfamiliar. Rote is defined as routine; a fixed, habitual, or mechanical course of procedure. Look what the Lord had told the Isrealites. Deu 1:6 “The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount.” The Lord had told them that they had dwelled there long enough. He then told them it was time to move on and go to the land that was promised. Deu 1:8 “Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.” What was Israel’s greatest enemy in the desert? You may think of the hardships and challenges, but it was the routine, the rote. The rote can turn into a rut. When we get stuck in a rut, then we rot. Spiritually, we need to be careful of the routine. Although routine can be excellent if it leads growth, if routine does not produce growth than we can get into a rut. We are designed and meant to spiritually grow. The wild thing is that even though the Israelites were pressed in hardships, they still had the ability to respond through habit and routine. By God’s grace let us stay fresh.