Seek the LORD Again

I will disobey the LORD. There, I said it. I have to remind myself daily that this is going to happen. And I am not alone and it has been this way since Adam and Eve in the garden.

This morning I was reminded this form the passage I am in from Deuteronomy. I am in chapter 4 with all of the commands and calls for obedience. I see that the people were given instruction to not worship idols, and if they did, they would be driven across the land and perish. There they would continue to worship idols.

“²⁶I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. ²⁷And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. ²⁸And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.” – Deuteronomy 4:26-28 (ESV)

See that in worshiping idols away from the land they were promised yields nothing for them. These idols do nothing for the people. They are left to doing things on their own and realize that it is the LORD who was providing for them and not the idols they were worshiping. So, they turn back to the LORD.

“²⁹But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice.” – Deuteronomy 4:29-30 (ESV)

The same can be and is available for me. I will disobey the LORD. But, I have the opportunity to turn back to and obey Him. I will sin and yet He is there waiting for me to repent and turn back to Him where He accepts me with open arms.

“³¹For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.” – Deuteronomy 4:31 (ESV)

I have to admit that I will disobey the LORD. I also have to remember that He knows and will wait on me to realize my disobedience and repent and return to Him. I will seek Him again and He is ready for my return.

What are your thoughts on disobeying the LORD? Are you willing to admit it and are you worried you can’t come back from that disobedience? What if you realized that you will disobey and know that you can come back through realizing, repenting, and seeking the LORD once again?

No Stopping God’s Will

The Israelite people were headed to the promised land. They were following the path that the LORD had for them. Nothing was getting in their way or would stop them.

“²¹Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ²²’Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.’ ²³But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.” – Numbers 21:21-23 (ESV)

Sihon would not let Israel pass through his land. Think about this, they would be on the “highway” which had been established as a trade route. Israel did the decent thing of asking for permission to pass through on that highway and Sihon said no. Now, yes the Israeli group was a rather large one, but, they indicated to stay on the road and even asked. Sihon not only said no, but went out to destroy Israel as well.

This is where we find that the LORD will not be stopped.

“²⁴And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. ²⁵And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.” – Numbers 21:24-25 (ESV)

Sihon came to destroy God’s people and instead was destroyed.

I have to remember that when I am in God’s Will and doing that which He has for me to accomplish, He will not be stopped or defeated. I may not see the end result in the moment as Israel was turned away to take another route. But, stopping God’s Will is not going to happen. God will provide the way to complete the task He has for us whether to go around the obstacle that is presented or, as with the case of the Israelites, He will take us through the obstacle. The ultimate thing to remember is that there is no stopping God’s Will.

What happens when you encounter obstacles? Do you work hard to find a way through them on your own? What if you focused on God’s Will and realized that there is no stopping His Will?

Careful What You Ask for, You Might Just Get It

Isn’t that the point. Asking for something and expect to receive it. I would think so. But, what if I received and was not really as happy about it as I thought I would be.

This is what happened to the Israelite people with the LORD. You see, God provided manna for them to each when they were in need. They were satisfied from a consumption of sustenance perspective. They had even gotten to the point of not just consuming it, but they were making bread cakes with the manna to mix it up as opposed to just eating what was provided. But, as is the case even today, they developed a lack of contentment and began complaining about not having meat to eat.

Aren’t we that way as well. We have what is needed, a house, a car, food, work. And yet, even with all of that, we still want, a bigger/better house, a newer/more expensive car, elegant food, high paying job. We lose our contentment as we desire for things that are “better”. We had found a way to make due with what we had and yet, we continue asking for more.

Well, God heard the people and decided to give them what they ask for.

“¹⁸And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.’” – Numbers 11:18 (ESV)

And just like that, the people would have what they were asking. The LORD was providing for them as they had requested. And doesn’t that happen for us as well. We ask the LORD and He provides, even to the tune of what we want.

But, the LORD was teaching them a lesson at the same time.

“¹⁹You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, ‘Why did we come out of Egypt?’” “33While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague.– Numbers 11:19-20 & 33 (ESV)

And there it is. The LORD provides in so much bounty that it would consume them entirely. The people got what they wanted and even more. The more was not expected, but they got it anyway. The LORD provided the meat for them and in true human nature they consumed it to the point of gluttony.

Aren’t we very much the same today. We ask for things from the LORD and He provides and we simply consume without the appreciation for it. We only become gluttonous. We cannot get enough of what we ask and turn away from the LORD in the process.

I have to remember that it is not what I have that makes me who I am. It is being content that what I have is enough. It is okay and encouraged to ask for things from the LORD. He wants us to ask and even tells us to do so. But it is the why we are asking that is important to remember, not the what we are asking. I have to remember that it is about needs and not wants. I have to remember to be content in the provision of the LORD. I have to be careful asking, as I may just get it.

What are you asking for from the LORD? Are you asking out of want and find yourself gluttonous? What if you kept you asks to your needs and when provided, were thankful and generous to others with what you receive?

Repent and the LORD Remembers

The LORD will act accordingly when we spurn Him. When I walk contrary to Him, He will walk contrary to me. After all, that is me not wanting or seeing the value in Him, so why should He want or see the value in me. But, what happens when I repent and come back to Him?

“⁴⁰But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, ⁴¹so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, ⁴²then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.” – Leviticus 26:40-42 (ESV)

I will spurn the LORD and walk contrary to Him. And He will walk contrary to me in discipline to me. I deserve it all. But, He is waiting on my to turn back to Him. He is waiting for me to humble myself in the heart and “make amends” to where I hurt Him. When I do, He remembers the covenant He has in place with those who came before me.

This passage is of course well before the coming of Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection for my sins. It does though demonstrate that the LORD is waiting on me to come back to Him. He, even in my contrary walk with Him, is still with me. He is there to ensure that the discipline I face is for the turning away from Him, but He is still there waiting.

“¹³For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” – Romans 10:13 (ESV)

When I call on His name, He remembers and turns back to me to protect, comfort, and love me.

What is your view of turning back to God? Are you aware that He is just waiting for you? What if you were to repent and turn back to Him, call on Him and bask in His remembrance of the love He has for you?

Spurn the LORD and…

“¹⁴But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, ¹⁵if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, ¹⁶then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.” – Leviticus 26:14-16 (ESV)

And what you see in the above verses is just the tip of the wrath of God. It is up to me to follow the LORD and obey His commandments and statutes. When I am in concert with the LORD, I will receive His bounty in my life. And when I am contrary to Him, I get the opposite.

The LORD is a jealousy God and is deserving of my worship and love. When I turn from Him, He will not provide for my pleasure. The LORD will work contrary to me when I am contrary to Him.

“²¹Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins.” and “²⁷But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, ²⁸then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins.” – Leviticus 26:21 & 17-28 (ESV)

There are consequences to actions. When we are obedient to the LORD, the consequences are bounty provided. When we are contrary to the LORD, He will discipline us accordingly. I have to remember this as I proceed through this life here in this world. I have a choice to be obedient, but when I spurn the LORD, I will be held to account.

What does your obedience look like with the LORD? Are you spurning Him? What if you understood that there are consequences, even with the LORD for your actions?

The LORD Provides Bounty

Bounty: 1: something that is given generously, 2: liberality in giving: generosity 3: yield especially of a crop – Merriam-Webster Online

This morning I continue my study on the word “will” and find myself in Leviticus. I know, riveting words written about the law. But, that is it when you really study the different laws and their impact.

I am in chapter 26 in the passage, as titled in my bible, “Blessings for Obedience”. Here the LORD has given instruction on how to approach the worship of Him. He then provides the condition:

“³If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,” — Leviticus 26:3 (ESV)

The LORD says, do this and if you do… He identifies the actions required and then the reward for doing so. Isn’t that how it should always be, and isn’t that how the LORD has always been with His instruction. He tells us what we shall do and then what the reward is for doing so. He did it in the garden with the man and woman, He did with Noah, and here He is with the Israelite people. Follow my commands and you will be rewarded.

“⁴Then I will give you…” — Leviticus 26:4 (ESV)

And the reward is great and wonderful and more than we could imagine. As we continue to read in the passage, the LORD provides, rain for the crops, crops of wheat until time for grapes, and grapes until time for planting. And He provides peace and power to overcome. And all of this in generous supply.

What a reminder to me about following and giving glory to God, He will reward for the work done and that reward will be great. His provision will be generous and I will not need anything beyond His reward. I am to do His will and reap the bounty in return.

What is your approach to the LORD? Are you looking for reward from Him? What if you obeyed Him knowing that He will provide bounty?

Careful, You May Be Drawn In

I am reading this morning and I see a warning from the LORD. It is one that we should be aware, yet it is something that we often allow ourselves to believe we have under control. We will get drawn into sin even when we know better and have the LORD on our side.

“¹⁵Do not make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land, or else when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. ¹⁶Then you will take some of their daughters as brides for your sons. Their daughters will prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods.” – Exodus 34:15-16 (CSB)

The LORD had conquered the people in this land for the Israelites. Some of them remained in the land and lived among the Israelites. Where we are to love others, we are also responsible for bringing the LORD to them. If you remember, Jesus ate with tax collectors to bring the gospel to them. The difference is that Jesus would not be drawn into their lifestyle and beliefs. Jesus even warned His apostles to not get drawn in.

“¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” – Matthew 10:14 (ESV)

The LORD provided guidance to the people that they have to take care not to be drawn into the lifestyle of the former inhabitants of the land. It would be a subtle, slow, draw that would seem completely innocent in the beginning. And, the people would have the attitude and thoughts that they would be able to resist. Maybe they could for a minute, but would soon find themselves in the midst of turning from God and turning to gods.

We find this in our time today. We “accept” and tolerate others and their beliefs, only to find that acceptance to overtake our own beliefs and slowly get drawn in and turn away from God and turn to their gods. Our approach should be that of Jesus to bring the gospel to them. If and when they reject us, we are to shake the dust off our feet and move on to the next to avoid being drawn in.

What is your approach to others? Are you accepting and tolerant to coexist with others? What if you were to be careful of being drawn in and when they exhibit a lack of acceptance of you, you move on to the next?

Believe, have Faith, Trust the LORD

I wonder on the regular, what am I doing and where is the LORD in it all. I am sure that situations and circumstances have come up that are very difficult to see to the other side on. There is a lack of understanding as to the path forward and frankly if deliverance will be achieved.

The LORD has a plan and as I have noted on many occasions in my writing, that plan is way more that I can understand or fathom. Everything is in His design and has an outcome that may be far from known or seen by us. The Israelite escape from Egypt is an example.

The LORD had delivered the Israelites from the rule of Pharaoh. Then, He had them turn back slightly at the edge of the Red Sea. Yes, they turned back when they could have just kept going and felt as though they were getting away for good. I don’t know about you, but given the choice to keep running and escape or turn back and wait, I would keep going. The LORD told Moses that He was going to conquer the Egyptians. And, Moses being Moses led the people back and as expected, they were concerned.

“¹¹They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? ¹²Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’” – Exodus 14:11-12 (ESV)

The people expressed their lack of belief, faith, and trust in the LORD in this moment of fear. But, the LORD again had plans that the people were not able to see.

“⁴And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.” – Exodus 14:4 (ESV)

Now, we know the rest of the story that the people made it across the Red Sea on dry ground and Pharaoh and his army perished in the sea. So, the LORD did as He said and fully delivered the people from the Egyptians.

Here is where I was going with things this morning. We see the story of this escape as the great escape, and it was. But it is not without its drama. What I see is the lack of belief, faith, and trust in the LORD by those same Israelites that had already been delivered from the immediate rule of Egypt. And yet they did not believe the LORD would continue to do so even just a few days later.

I find myself in this exact situation all the time. I will ask the LORD for deliverance and then take things into my own hands because I am not getting the result I think I should be getting. I know that the LORD will deliver me, as He has done so many times before and will continue to do so. But I continue the trying to do things on my own thanks to my lack of belief, faith, and trust in Him. And, you know what, the LORD knows I will, and He continues His work despite my doubt.

My pastor indicates that doubt is okay, because is generates questions to generate understanding, leading to belief. Therefor, I will continue to question to gain belief. I will have faith, and trust that the LORD will do His work despite of me as He wants nothing but the best for me.

Where is your belief, faith, and trust in the LORD? Are you in a position where you are lacking in any or all of them? What if instead of not believing or having faith or trusting in Him, you questioned to understand and know that He will deliver?

Sometimes Action of the LORD is No Action

I find myself in prayer asking for the LORD to take action and deliver me. I find myself in circumstances that are weighing me down and in need of resolution and deliverance from those circumstances. I also find myself asking for things from the LORD and waiting on Him to do provide those things.

“¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 12:12-13 (ESV)

Reading this morning of the Passover, I am reminded that sometimes it is the no action of the LORD that is the action He intends. You see, the people placed blood on the doorposts and lintel so that the LORD would pass over their houses and not deliver the plague of death to their home. The LORD would pass by and move on to the next house as He was delivering action to the land of Egypt.

Remember that time that you were late to work only to find that there was an accident that happened about two minutes ahead of you on the road. Or that time that you missed out on going to an event to find out later that the event was not what you expected it to be. Or that time when you were delayed and not able to make a purchase to find that the exact funds for the purchase were able to cover a debt completely.

The LORD provides in many ways for us. We may ask for things and expect that He will deliver those things in our idea of how they should be delivered, when in fact He delivers without taking action. The Israelite people were spared in the Passover thanks to their obedience to the LORD. He did not take action and delivered them from the circumstance befalling on Egypt.

I have to remember that I should continue to ask the LORD to deliver me. But I also have to remember that His deliverance may just be that He is taking no action.

What is your expectation of deliverance? Are you finding yourself seeking to be delivered in just they way you imagine? What if you simply asked for deliverance and opened yourself to the LORD and His deliverance, even when He takes no action?

When Will You Learn

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is a phrase attributed to many different people and/or organizations. It does not matter from where it came, it is true today as it was in biblical times.

Pharaoh continued to resit the LORD’s demand to let the Israelite people go out of bondage. As I am reading this morning’s passage, seven plagues on Egypt have already occurred and Pharaoh is still not getting it. Moses and Aaron, at the direction of the LORD are now asking Pharaoh, when will you learn.

“³So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.”’” – Exodus 10:3 (ESV)

Those in the direct council of Pharaoh were even asking him when will you learn.

“⁷Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, ‘How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?’” – Exodus 10:7 (ESV)

Pharaoh continued to resist and do the same thing over and over again, expecting that the LORD would relent, or that the plagues were all a coincidence and that the LORD did not have a hand in any of it. Either way, Pharaoh was determined that at some point his strategy would work. He was convicted to keep the people in bondage and the cost did not matter to him.

I look at this example and work to see how it applies to me. I know that I have gone through times of doing the same things over and over again expecting different results. When Lori and I married, I decided that I “needed” Sunday’s for me and did not attend church, to play golf or some other personal indulgence. Things were okay, but once I came back to the LORD, things were better. I resisted tithing to the LORD because I “needed” the money to survive, and I was doing that, surviving, but could not get ahead. I finally began to tithe and things were better. Many more examples abound from my life. All ending in better once I did something else.

When are we going to learn? The LORD wants nothing but the best for us. It is up to me to follow Him every step of the way. When I do, I will be granted peace in the circumstance that was not there as I resisted. It may not be in that exact moment, remember that God’s timing is perfect and not aligned with mine, but I will find peace. I have to do things differently in order to get the different result.

What is your approach? Are you continuing to do the same things over and over again expecting a different result? What if you relented and listened to learn from the LORD?