What is is that you seek? Is it a new job? Is it peace and harmony? Maybe it is a healing that you are in need of? In any case, we as human being are seeking many things. Life happens, things change, circumstances capture our attention and we become entrenched in emotions and thoughts. We pray for God to give us, to deliver us, to promote us, or to protect us. In any case, it is quiet amazing how simple the Word of our Lord is, and how complicated we make it. Consider:
"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 1:19-20 NIV.
Through out the Bible, there are many promises that God has made. Some of those promises have been fulfilled, and there are still promises that man is waiting on. Still, the promises exist! God will never, ever break a promise. In fact, if you search the Scriptures you would notice that in every case, it was man that broke his promises to God while God remained faithful. There is one thing that I have learned from all my studies of the Word--it's not true because it's in the Bible, it's in the Bible because it is true!!!!
In the first chapter of Isaiah, God is addressing the nation of Israel about their continued disobedience to Him. He reminded them about the covenant He had made with them, and how they were continuing to break it. They constantly turned away from Him and His Word for their lives and turned to trusting in other things. They looked to and prayed to idols, they trusted in themselves and spent less and less time trusting God. And, they only worshipped Him when they felt it was necessary for their circumstances. And still, God in His faithfulness gave them chance after chance after chance.
Studying this chapter has reminded me of how much like the people who lived back then we still are. Time after time most of us look to the world for our help in time of need. We look to the new job, bigger house, nicer car, so many things when all we really need is to turn our lives back to Christ. Our Lord promises us that If, key word here, if we are willing, if we are obedient, then He will.....
Fill in the blank yourself. What is it that you are seeking, and how is your relationship with Jesus?
We must all ask ourselves, am I willing to trust in the Lord? Am I willing to give Him my life? Am I willing to trust in His promises? Following the Lord should be, according to the Word, easy. God does not promise us an easy life, God does not promise us an easy walk, but He does promise us that He will take care of us if. The key to our lives is His Word! He gave it to us, written down, so that in any situation, good or bad, His word is ever with us. All we have to do is believe it, then follow it. We must be obedient to God in all things for our lives. Why must He continue to take care of us if we continue to rebel?
Examine your life today. Is God taking care of you? Does the sun continue to shine? Do you continue to have a place to lay your head? Do you have food in your belly? Your answers to these questions might not be the greatest...the food is not enough, the bed is infested, I don't have very much..still God is providing for you. Herein lies the question: Should the Lord give us the best of the best if we are rebellious and disobedient, unwilling to follow Him? It should be very evident that the answer is no.
Friends, God desires to give us the very best! God desires to provide for us, to take care of us, but in turn, God desires that we have fellowship with Him. That we have relationship with Him. How could a loving God not want the very best for those who love Him? But most of the time it is us that don't put forth the effort in being in relationship with Him. Many of us don't even acknowledge Him until we find ourselves in trying and tempting circumstances. Then we cry out to Him, and He answers because He is faithful, but as our passage says, there will come a time when we will face the consequences of our rebellious actions.
Jesus came, lived, died and rose to reconcile us to the Lord. He also came that we would have life and life abundantly. How then can we remain unwilling and disobedient when the Lord promised and then delivered so much? And, by the way, He continues to deliver today, you are just not paying attention!
"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 1:19-20 NIV.
Through out the Bible, there are many promises that God has made. Some of those promises have been fulfilled, and there are still promises that man is waiting on. Still, the promises exist! God will never, ever break a promise. In fact, if you search the Scriptures you would notice that in every case, it was man that broke his promises to God while God remained faithful. There is one thing that I have learned from all my studies of the Word--it's not true because it's in the Bible, it's in the Bible because it is true!!!!
In the first chapter of Isaiah, God is addressing the nation of Israel about their continued disobedience to Him. He reminded them about the covenant He had made with them, and how they were continuing to break it. They constantly turned away from Him and His Word for their lives and turned to trusting in other things. They looked to and prayed to idols, they trusted in themselves and spent less and less time trusting God. And, they only worshipped Him when they felt it was necessary for their circumstances. And still, God in His faithfulness gave them chance after chance after chance.
Studying this chapter has reminded me of how much like the people who lived back then we still are. Time after time most of us look to the world for our help in time of need. We look to the new job, bigger house, nicer car, so many things when all we really need is to turn our lives back to Christ. Our Lord promises us that If, key word here, if we are willing, if we are obedient, then He will.....
Fill in the blank yourself. What is it that you are seeking, and how is your relationship with Jesus?
We must all ask ourselves, am I willing to trust in the Lord? Am I willing to give Him my life? Am I willing to trust in His promises? Following the Lord should be, according to the Word, easy. God does not promise us an easy life, God does not promise us an easy walk, but He does promise us that He will take care of us if. The key to our lives is His Word! He gave it to us, written down, so that in any situation, good or bad, His word is ever with us. All we have to do is believe it, then follow it. We must be obedient to God in all things for our lives. Why must He continue to take care of us if we continue to rebel?
Examine your life today. Is God taking care of you? Does the sun continue to shine? Do you continue to have a place to lay your head? Do you have food in your belly? Your answers to these questions might not be the greatest...the food is not enough, the bed is infested, I don't have very much..still God is providing for you. Herein lies the question: Should the Lord give us the best of the best if we are rebellious and disobedient, unwilling to follow Him? It should be very evident that the answer is no.
Friends, God desires to give us the very best! God desires to provide for us, to take care of us, but in turn, God desires that we have fellowship with Him. That we have relationship with Him. How could a loving God not want the very best for those who love Him? But most of the time it is us that don't put forth the effort in being in relationship with Him. Many of us don't even acknowledge Him until we find ourselves in trying and tempting circumstances. Then we cry out to Him, and He answers because He is faithful, but as our passage says, there will come a time when we will face the consequences of our rebellious actions.
Jesus came, lived, died and rose to reconcile us to the Lord. He also came that we would have life and life abundantly. How then can we remain unwilling and disobedient when the Lord promised and then delivered so much? And, by the way, He continues to deliver today, you are just not paying attention!
Wow how true is that!! I love reading your blogs they tend to set me back on the right road, even better the message is ALWAYS THE ONE I NEEDED TO HEAR AT THE TIME
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