But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
This is one of the reasons I wanted to do this Bible study. To keep the Word of God near me. To keep God close in my life is to keep His Word close in my life. If I don't talk to God ( pray ) or listen to God ( the Bible and listening during prayer ) how can I grow as a Christian.
If my mind is continually on me ... I will live a rather sad life.
But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
And that is how I see my nation today. Forsaking the LORD. Scoffing at our own salvation. We are fat with wealth and we think of ourselves as oh so sleek and beautiful. We sacrifice for that which is not God and seek out abominations to perform. But, that way is a suicidal mindset. For on this path ... God will not rest with us anymore. His face will turn and we will know He is God.
What are all the fears you have that keep you from telling others about God? For me it is fear for my standing with my co-workers. Or how others will see me. Or of losing my job.
Oh Lord ... I pray for the courage to speak what you would have me to say.
I think we would help marriages along if we focused, as a church family, on helping them to just be happy for their first year. Not asking for things or doing work at the church. Try to keep them together at home. Try to focus on building them up for each other. Try to help them understand what it means to be one body in the eyes of God.
As we raise up our children ... maybe we could also raise up our newly married.
Moses had quite the prophesy concerning what would happen to Israel when they turned away from God. I can't imagine the hunger during a siege of a city that would turn parents to eating their dead children. And all that he prophesied in these versus came about for them.
To often we look at the blessing and ignore the curses. Both are the LORD's word. Because sometimes a carrot works to lead us to the path. And sometimes a stick is needed to guide us to the path.
They wondered if they would betray Jesus. They loved Jesus and Jesus loved them ... and they didn't know. They didn't look around and say: "I'm sure it is going to be Peter or Judas". It was: "Is it me? Am I going to do it?"
Taking an honest look in my life I can ask the same question. Actually I suppose it is: "Am I going to betray Jesus, again." I've failed and I've run and I've denied in my heart at times. And I am so glad He as welcomed me back.
LORD ... I pray for courage and strength of character.
Circumcision was the physical mark of being one of God's people. I can't physically mark my heart, but I can spiritually cut away the calluses I have built upon it. I can cut away the fear and doubt. I can remove the walls I've built up to keep others at arms length.
Until I've exposed my heart for God and for God's work.
Once I have softened my heart to God a nice byproduct is that a soft heart is a heart for justice. A heart the seeks out the truth in love. To not be partial in anyway ... to one man or to another.
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
All. Everything. Holding nothing back.
That can be hard. I'm afraid at times of what God would think about the real me. And then I realize ... I'm like the little kid standing in the open room with his eyes closed: "You can't see me". Of course we can. And of course, nothing is hidden from God. I'm not hiding anything ... I'm just refusing to admit to myself my own sins.
... know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.
The Lord is God. I take comfort in that.
No matter what I do. No matter the pains or doubt. No matter what the world says or does. No matter who imagines themselves to be in charge. No matter what foolish thoughts of control we have.
My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.
After the Great Wall of China was built the leaders forgot why they needed it. From behind the safety of the wall they began to hate and plot against the man that had created their safety. The very safety the wall and the men standing on it provided led to the forgetfulness and hatred.
In the same way we look upon God. He leads us and protects us. But, after awhile we only see the safety and wonder why we need God. Are we alone not enough? Isn't our own power and minds enough?
I wonder if I'm strong enough to pray that God will show me my weakness. It is a fearful thing to pray that the LORD will temper us in fire.
... he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
America is rich. We are powerful. We are safe. That wealth, that power, that safety leads to us living under the illusion that it is US not GOD that is enough. It is very hard for us, you and me ... the wealthy, to rely upon God enough to realize we need saved. And if you live in America do not delude yourself into thinking your are not rich. You are.
Just as the illusionist fakes you out into believing in the lie of magic. Your own wealth fakes you out into believing in the lie of your own power.
I daily wonder how close is God to crushing that illusion?
He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
I suppose the common sense version of this is to keep your mouth shut and know what you are saying. No one likes a braggart. Actually, I'm pretty sure people don't like or trust a braggart. There are times in my life that I look back at now and it makes me cringe. I suppose it is a very sad thing to look back at those times and want to erase the words. Sad, but typical.
When we turn from our old sinful life we tend to not destroy all those metal images and high places we worshiped. Back in the dusty rooms of our soul we hide our gods of lust and greed. Within the sight of our friends we continue to place on high the sins we sacrifice our money and blood towards.
By not driving them out, they forever will be bards in our eyes and thorns in are sides.
Oh yeah, we are going to take names and kick butt!
I'm sure at times that was going through the minds of the disciples as they followed Jesus. Need food for an army? Seven loaves and some small fish will feed four thousand. Need a hero? Well how about Moses and Elijah. No one kicked butt like Moses. The sea and ground will swallow up your enemies with him around.
It had to have been so hard to even imagine a savior who would die for gentiles. The disciples were coming from a time of watching Rome crush the world and force fake gods upon them. Them ... God's people. Surely God would send the Christ as a David. As a Moses. To take a firm hand and crush those who stood against God.
How could they understand that Christ was here to die?
Sometimes when I listen to these passages about Israel I'm going: "Oh COME ON! You're complaining again?!" All the while arrogantly keeping in the back of my mind that I wouldn't do that.
So I decided to really think about it. I figure with these versus we are listening to years of time. And how have I lived over just the last few years of my life? You know, I haven't been any better than the complainers in Numbers. Some times I've found myself thinking: "Well God ... what have you done for me lately."
Dear LORD, remind me of your strength and to rely on you. To be quiet in suffering and vocal in speaking the truth. To trust your hand and in the time of your plans. Amen.
We are called to be in the world but not of the world.
A risk you run in picking who you run with is in how they will affect your heart. You may be thinking that you can change them ... but it is more likely they will change you. For the worse. So we need to try and balance friendship with people who can strengthen our faith, and the lost of the world. We must not confuse the two.
Do you ever find yourself thinking more about man than God?
Which would bug you more: a friend cursing and using the LORD's name while playing basketball OR a friend asking another player to not curse while playing basketball?
So often we think about what other people think of us. In high school it is practically all we think about. I suppose in a way the rules of man are comforting because they are external to us. We can complain about them, list them, rewrite them, and break them. On the other hand God's commands are internal. We can't get away from them because He has placed them upon our heart. And over time we try to harden our hearts to keep face in front of man.
Speaking the truth isn't always easy. Many times we don't want hear it and we fear others if we would say it. Before Israel two men stood for God and all the people wanted to kill them. Kill them for not saying what THEY, the people, wanted to hear.
Speaking truth will have consequences and we should not use the truth as a stick to beat people. And we should not hold it back from them with the false hope that a soft lie will smooth things over. Speak the truth in love and let God work on their hearts.
What are the tassels in my life? Well here are a few things that remind me of God ...
One: Never place anything on my bible. I remember that from my parents when they gave me the bible I still use today. Every time I look at my bible I remember that and, sometimes, have to take stuff off of it.
Two: My phone. I've turned my phone/pda into a reminder. I keep my prayer list on it. I have all of the bible in audio and text.
Three: Dead plants. Every time I see dead plants I think of spring and burning them. And how the LORD will gather us up and burn up all the waste of our life.
Each time I've been wanting to write what struck me as I was listening to these passages. My fear for Numbers was: "Wow, that is a lot of names."
But, for this section what struck me wasn't the numbers and names. It was the tasks. In our lives God has given each of us abilities and tasks to apply those skills towards. As in the order He provided to Israel for just moving as a body of people from day to day. The only way we, as a church family, can go about our day to day tasks is by not doing everything. Rather, by doing what He has placed in front of us.
We can't expect our leaders to do it all. We are here to be the hands, feet, or even the belly button for the body of Christ.
I like the retirement plan for the Levites: They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service.
I suppose as we age we are still called to keep guard over the church. Who better to watch over the family than those that have gone through the same difficulties in life? Who better to turn to then those who have gained wisdom by looking back on their struggles or suffering?
Right now at 36 I can see and remember what those who are under 24 are going through. The temptation of sexual sin, anger, desires of social status, depression in being alone, or any other of the many rocks in their path. And those further down life's path can look at where I am now and give me guidance in getting through my current difficulties.
I suppose our retirement plan is the same today. Being on guard.
Lately I like to refer to my church family as my family by blood. The Blood of Christ.
I love my wife and kids, my parents, my brother and his family, my sister and her family, my cousins, all my in-laws, and on down the line. But, which blood is really more powerful? That which runs in my veins? Or that which was poured out on the cross?
And what a greater blessing it is when your family is bound to you by the blood in your veins and by the Blood of Christ. To know we will be going there to see our Savior and to see our family. And to know that our brothers and sisters in the Blood of Christ we be standing by their sides to greet us.
First is the blessing for those that stay the course with the LORD:
I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
Then comes the warning for those that do not follow the LORD:
But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these ... I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies ... And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power.
Do not think just because our country was blessed in the past that the blessings will continue. At one time we followed Christ. At one time (just over 100 years ago) the study of law at universities in our country was studying if the law was right according to God's law. It is easy to see that when our country was close to God, He blessed us. And it will be easy to see that as we now have fallen from Him, he will work against us. And if we continue on this path it is three strikes and you are out. Of course out means: "I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you."
What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
Demons know Christ. Demons even fear Christ. Many of us know Christ, but then after that we just don't care. It seems the new/old thing is the: God loves me, I'm a good person, therefore He wouldn't send me to hell. And we all live happily ever after riding unicorns that eat rainbows.
Yeah, sure.
The truth of the matter is you and I are evil and full of sin. If you have listened so far from Genesis to Leviticus: you KNOW you are evil and full of sin. There are plenty of times in my life where I have failed at living the way God wants me to. Same for you.
It isn't about just knowing. It is about knowing and doing. But, we can't ever meet that standard, so thank God for his short cut: knowing and believing in Christ. Christ did the doing and He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
