Judges ...

Reading in Judges recently... in Judges 1 we see that the Israelites disobey God as soon as they get the Promised Land. (Maybe that is why He keeps us in the wilderness so long!)  He told them to drive out all the people and yet they don't. They keep some of the Canaanites and it says they were forced to do hard labor for the Israelites.. so Israel has forgotten their heritage of slavery in Egypt and become slave masters to the Canaanites. 


I am thinking at this point Israel thought.. we're safe.. we have them under our thumbs.. we are God's people.. He won't deliver them like He delivered us.. but they have a lot more to fear than loosing the Help!


Judges 2:3 God says to them... ".. you have disobeyed me... now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you. They will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."


Doesn't take long at all for the thorns to catch and the Israelites to be trapped in that snare..


v. 11 says they followed Baal.


Back up to verse 10 which says "All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."


Throughout Deuteronomy God has spoken to the Israelites through Moses and said over and over and over.. REMEMBER.. REMEMBER.. and what does He want them to Remember? The things He has done.. where they came from.. and He wants them to tell these things to their children and their children's children and teach them His laws.  


It is obvious they did none of this... and this is the fruit their disobedience has borne.. the legacy they have left... a generation who does not know the Lord and who follow Baal!


Consequences... all our actions have consequences which often involve a future generation.  


Oh Lord, May I hear You... listen to You... Heed You... obey.. FULLY.  I want no thorns in my side or snares in my path.. nor do I want to plant them or set them for my children or their children... may I follow You wholeheartedly and leave a legacy of faith, honor and obedience to those who come behind.

Egypt

"Salvation delivers you out of Egypt, but the wilderness is designed to work Egypt out of you."

Priscilla Shier -- One in a Million

Decision without Commitment

"Many have made the decision to beleive in Jesus without making a commitment to follow Jesus."  -- Kyle Idleman Not a Fan

Cease Striving.. Be Still

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations."  Ps. 46:10

This is a verse most folks who attend church have heard ... are familiar with... I learned it from the NIV.  Recently in my Bible study, I heard it in the NASB and it was like a whole knew verse to me...

"Cease striving and know that I am God."  

Cease Striving... seems so much more than Be Still to me. When I am not still, it could be due to busyness.. the normal ebb and flow of the day... and, for me, does not indicate much about my state of mind or emotions. I could be rushing here and there frazzled.. or just going about my daily routine.

Cease Striving, however, sets a different tone for me. If I am striving, I am determined to do something or to make something happen no matter what!

When I hear Be Still I think of resting in Him.. just stopping what I am doing and resting in Him. But with Cease Striving I picture a fussy child... probably a toddler.. Mom or Dad has picked her up and that child is thrashing about and squirming... striving to get loose from that parent's grip... so the parent holds tighter and often says something like "Be still... settle down..."

That child is wanting her way... she may be scared of what is to come next (shot at the doctor, discipline etc...) or she just doesn't want what comes next (nap, bath, bed time etc...) or maybe she is upset over something (didn't get her way, got hurt playing or is mad etc...) and Mom or Dad is trying to make it better but the child is fighting against them.

I wonder... am I like that with God? Are you? Do I buck and balk and strive to get my own way.. fighting against Him when I know I have sinned and discipline is at hand? Or I know He is calling me to obey and I don't really want to. Or maybe I am hurt, frustrated, angry, scared etc. and I'm having a bit of a fit.. a pity party.. and don't want to give that up just yet.

Any of those and much more can cause me to strive .. to not be still... and in the process I miss out on what God is doing and on getting to know Him deeper and in a new way.

Lord, Teach me to be still.. to cease striving.. to stop and let You be who You are... to see what You are doing in my life and around me... to acknowledge that You are God and I am not!  May I exalt You among the nations.

Are you running about today.. striving to get things done.. providing God with a moving target? STOP... Cease... Be Still... and rest in Him.

Admiration?... Devotion?... Knowledge of?... Intimacy with?

"Fans often confuse their admiration for devotion. They mistake their knowledge of Jesus for intimacy with Jesus. Fans assume their good intentions make up for their apathetic faith.. one of the core symptoms of 'fandom' is that fans almost always consider themselves to be followers."

from not a fan by Kyle Idleman

Walking or running?

"You cannot walk with God and run with the devil?"

from The Daily Walk Bible

Everything

2 Peter 1:3 is a favorite verse of a dear friend and mentor of mine... God brought it to mind recently and I went to read over it again and meditate a bit on what it said.  In the process, He led me to keep reading through verse 4. What a promise.. assurance.. Word from Him!

"His diving power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through out knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these He has given us His very great promises so that through them you (I) may participate in the Divine Nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

I love that God has already, at the time of salvation, given us everything we need for life and godliness. Not a little... not the start.. not some.. but EVERYTHING! It is there.. done.. we need only access it. But even more, He has given us His promises (the Word) which are very great.. and He gave them so that we (you and me) could be part of the divine (NOT be divine.. but participate in it) and to be able to escape the trappings of the world.

Of course we know that the Word is a 2 edged sword and the part that slices here is the fact that since we have everything we need.. we have the ability to escape.. then we are without excuse when we fail... and we will BUT praise God there is NO condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1) and if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  

Some verses these gems in 2 Peter brought to mind...

Your Word I have hidden in  my heart that I might not sin against you.  Ps. 119:11

But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  1 Cor. 10:13b

God is not a man that He should lie -- not a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?  Numbers 23:19

God's promises are right and true... they always always come to pass.. I can.. you can.. stand on them with confidence!  Let's do that today.. take a stand against evil desires.. against the temptations of this world..  let's walk in confidence knowing He has given us ALL we need for today... we need just accept it by yielding to Him and letting the Holy Spirit be manifest in us. That is how we participate in the divine!