Children are watching. Always watching. Wanting to be like YOU! So the question is… WHO DO THEY SEE? Do they see someone that is “impressing them” toward Godly virtues? Or do they see someone the leads them toward the temporary satisfactions of worldly chaos, where nothing is guaranteed?
When faced with hardships, slim resources for food and water, and traveling through the harsh Middle Eastern desert, the Israelites began to complain about God. They felt that God had brought them into the desert to KILL THEM! They wondered why Moses would lead them into this trap of starvation from such a wicked God.
If you’ve ever read the account of Abraham’s life in the book of Genesis, what theme do you see with regard to his FAITH IN GOD? Give up? OK… here goes… every time the FAITH of Abraham was mentioned, his FAITH was coupled with ACTION.
This Biblical account is a foreshadowing of what Jesus has done for us. Like Jacob, we often live according to the schemes and desires of the world. Our behaviors force us to take our eyes off of GOD.
You see, when God created us, He created us to live FOREVER. Our human bodies were not designed to give out – God designed us in HIS Perfect Image. Never to get sick, never to have cancer, never to worry, NEVER TO DIE!
“Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).
When we read God’s Word, it’s worth the extra effort to pay attention to the details to understand precisely what God is trying to relay to us in the 21st Century, though they were words spoken to 1st Century cultures.
Jesus’ problem with these three towns is that they had all once upon a time been rooted in God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures. Yet, each town, in their own manner, had turned their backs on God and His Word in order to pursue their own desires or cave under the pressures of a changing society.
Part of gaining WISDOM from God is not only by petitioning Him with HUMILITY and an OPEN HEART, but also in keeping our Arrogance and Pride in check, so that we don’t confusion the Word of God with the Word of Self!
When we’re trying to figure out what our BEST CHOICES are for our relationships, for our jobs, for our families, for our entertainment, even for our FAITH, we can feel so burdened by so many CHOICES that we may LOSE OUR FREEDOM TO CHOOSE!
In order to FEEL GOD moving into our situations with us, we need to be able to REFOCUS our attention from our plight and turn our attention to God. How do we do this?
If we are not living for Christ, living a God-honoring life, instead only living to seek fulfillment from what the world has to offer, then we’re NOT serving God. So if we’re NOT serving God, then… well… you do the math.