Don't Quit
Although I have read and even quoted this scripture, many times, today it seems more poignant. Whenever I read a scripture that specifically touches my heart, I ask myself the question, “What do I need to learn from this?”
This week, I am continuing my devotions and reading more about the journey of the children of Egypt into the Promised land. As I have again read about their mishaps, battles, the provision of the Lord on their journey and how they repeatedly turned away from God, I am amazed at the mercy that God showed them again and again. Still, their pattern did not change. They would walk into a crisis, often of their own making. They would call on God and repent for their actions. God would intervene and save them. They would live according to the laws of God and then they would fall back into a crisis because of their sin. The pattern would continue. Generation after generation followed the same course.
Just before they entered the Promised Land God reminded them again of what He had done for them. He gave promises to the children of Israel, but the promises were attached to conditions: life and good, death and evil. God still gives us promises and they are still attached to conditions. If we live right and follow His laws, we will receive life and good. However, if we do not follow God’s laws, we are NOT promised life and good. We are promised death and evil. Before you misunderstand what I am stating, God does not bring death and evil to us, but when we are not covered by His mercy and His grace, death and evil comes to us through Satan. We have a choice to live in ‘good’ and see the promises of God fulfilled in our lives or we have a choice to walk away from God’s plan and from his protection against death and evil.
Deuteronomy 30:15-18, The Message, says this:
“15 Look at what I’ve done for you today: I’ve placed in front of you, Life and Good, Death and Evil.
16 And I command you today: Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.17-18 But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, you will most certainly die. You won’t last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.”
As for us today, why do we continue to think that we, like the children of Israel, can go our own way, do our own thing, live any way we desire, and never have to experience the consequences of our actions? Do you see the same pattern of the children of Israel in your life: crisis, repentance, God’s intervention, gratitude, forgetfulness of God’s mercy, crisis, etc.?
Yes, emphatically, yes! God’s grace and His mercy are far extended toward us, even when we don’t deserve it. He forgives repeatedly but there will come a time in all our lives when our sin and disobedience will catch up to us. According to the word, when we willfully go out and serve other gods, death will come to us. What are those other gods? You may not bow down to a god in your home, but idolatry can come in various forms. It can be anything that comes between you and your relationship with God: your spouse, your kids, your job, your kids’ athletic events, your busy schedule, television/computer time, ANYTHING that you put before or in place of serving God. So maybe today, like me, you need to reassess and check your heart. For me, I want to possess the promises and live long in the land God is giving me!
