L
Lost in Sin!
Guest
God is leading me to look at a chapter of the book of Judges, where Israel, *sigh*, has once again turned against the Lord.
My reference is Judges 10:10-15:
Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, "We have sinned aginst You, forsaking our God, & serving the Baals." The Lord replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amonites, the Phillistines, the Sidonians, the Amelekites, & the Maonites oppressed you & you cried out to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But You have forsaken Me & served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go & cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble." But the Israelites said to the Lord: We have sinned. Do with us whatever You think best, but please rescue us now." Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them, & served the Lord. And He could bear Israel's misery no longer."
Verses 11-12 are very necessary to all those God has chosen! Talk about a "wake-up" call! God has to remind us rebellious children of all that He has done for us, so that we may see the error of our ways & (hopefully ), not do it again! ((Oh, that this were the case for me! ) We just can't learn to not get involved in that which draws us away from the only relationship that truely DOES matter-our relationship with the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE! God reminds us of all that he has done for us, so that we will realize that we truely ARE nothing without Him!
BUT YOU HAVE FORSAKEN ME, & SERVED OTHER GODS, SO I WILL NO LONGER SAVE YOU. This verse is a really hard verse to take! When God speaks the truth, we cannot help but acknowledge it! The in verse 14, is so often the one that we fear the Lord will say to us: "(Paraphrased) Your on your own!" How many of us have felt God's prescence being withdrawn from us?, when we have "screwed-up"? I know I have, & it is the most terrifying experience in my entire life!
Now this doesn't mean that the Lord has abandoned us! Scripture is full of promises that prove that!
John 14:18 states-"I will not leave you as orphans.... ".
Hebrews 13:5 says".....Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.
Isaiah 41:17 says-"........I,the God of Israel, will not forsake them. "
And one of my favorite verses-Romans 8:38-39 says:".....nor anything else in creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. "
But we must remember one thing! While God will never leave us or forsake us-HE IS HOLY! He can't abide sin in His presence! Isaiah 64: states-"All of us have become as one who is unclean..... Do we really think that the Lord is going to let someone who is unclean, (with sin), into His prescence? NO! This is why God turns His face from us, because He cannot abide ANYTHING that is not holy, in His presence!
BUT THE ISRAELITES SAID TO THE LORD, "WE HAVE SINNED. DO WITH US WHATEVER YOU THINK BEST...." This verse states the absolute truth about the character of God! Being Omnipotent, (All-Powerful), God can INDEED do whatever He wants! When He has made up His mind about something, it is only by HIS choice, not ours, that He will choose to change it!
Now some may think that this indicates that God is "wishy-washy". Far from it! Remember what i said earlier? GOD IS OMNIPOTENT! He can do anything He wants! But there is one truth that can never change about Him, & we see that next.
THEN THEY GOT RID OF THE FORIEGN gods AMONG THEM & SERVED THE LORD. Now it is time to do OUR PART! It requires action on OUR PART! What did the Israelites do? They destroyed all the false gods, & served the Lord! This is a perfect example of repentance! What is repentance? FORSAKING EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES US TO LIVE OUR LIVES ON OUR OWN, & THE CHOICE TO FOLLOW THE LORD & HIM ALONE!
When we do this-the Lord can see that it truely IS our desire to serve ONLY Him! His love shows for us again, many times even stronger than before!
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, Son, & Holy Spirit; we thank-you so much for Your love-an everlasting love that knows no limits! All of us are holding on to things that are offensive to You, Lord Jesus! We acknowledge that these things that we are keeping hold of so deeply, are keeping us from the realtionship that You want to have so badly with each one of us, Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus, we cast out everything that is messing up our relationship with You-that which is offensive to You. We humbly ask that You come into every room of our heart, souls, minds & bodies. That You would sweep clean all the rooms, & fill them with your presence, by the power of the Holy Spirit! Turn not Your face from us, O Lord, but grant us the peace that passes all undrestanding, thatwe may truely know that ony You & You alone will satisfy our every need! We need You, Christ Jesus! Come back into each of our lives, & renew that relationship that each of us so desperatly yearns for! We ask this in Your Name, & Your Name alone, Lord Jesus, that You & You alone would receive all the Glory, praise & honor that You alone so richly deserve! To You alone, Lord Jesus! For you Alone! Amen!
Bill
My reference is Judges 10:10-15:
Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, "We have sinned aginst You, forsaking our God, & serving the Baals." The Lord replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amonites, the Phillistines, the Sidonians, the Amelekites, & the Maonites oppressed you & you cried out to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But You have forsaken Me & served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go & cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble." But the Israelites said to the Lord: We have sinned. Do with us whatever You think best, but please rescue us now." Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them, & served the Lord. And He could bear Israel's misery no longer."
Verses 11-12 are very necessary to all those God has chosen! Talk about a "wake-up" call! God has to remind us rebellious children of all that He has done for us, so that we may see the error of our ways & (hopefully ), not do it again! ((Oh, that this were the case for me! ) We just can't learn to not get involved in that which draws us away from the only relationship that truely DOES matter-our relationship with the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE! God reminds us of all that he has done for us, so that we will realize that we truely ARE nothing without Him!
BUT YOU HAVE FORSAKEN ME, & SERVED OTHER GODS, SO I WILL NO LONGER SAVE YOU. This verse is a really hard verse to take! When God speaks the truth, we cannot help but acknowledge it! The in verse 14, is so often the one that we fear the Lord will say to us: "(Paraphrased) Your on your own!" How many of us have felt God's prescence being withdrawn from us?, when we have "screwed-up"? I know I have, & it is the most terrifying experience in my entire life!
Now this doesn't mean that the Lord has abandoned us! Scripture is full of promises that prove that!
John 14:18 states-"I will not leave you as orphans.... ".
Hebrews 13:5 says".....Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.
Isaiah 41:17 says-"........I,the God of Israel, will not forsake them. "
And one of my favorite verses-Romans 8:38-39 says:".....nor anything else in creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. "
But we must remember one thing! While God will never leave us or forsake us-HE IS HOLY! He can't abide sin in His presence! Isaiah 64: states-"All of us have become as one who is unclean..... Do we really think that the Lord is going to let someone who is unclean, (with sin), into His prescence? NO! This is why God turns His face from us, because He cannot abide ANYTHING that is not holy, in His presence!
BUT THE ISRAELITES SAID TO THE LORD, "WE HAVE SINNED. DO WITH US WHATEVER YOU THINK BEST...." This verse states the absolute truth about the character of God! Being Omnipotent, (All-Powerful), God can INDEED do whatever He wants! When He has made up His mind about something, it is only by HIS choice, not ours, that He will choose to change it!
Now some may think that this indicates that God is "wishy-washy". Far from it! Remember what i said earlier? GOD IS OMNIPOTENT! He can do anything He wants! But there is one truth that can never change about Him, & we see that next.
THEN THEY GOT RID OF THE FORIEGN gods AMONG THEM & SERVED THE LORD. Now it is time to do OUR PART! It requires action on OUR PART! What did the Israelites do? They destroyed all the false gods, & served the Lord! This is a perfect example of repentance! What is repentance? FORSAKING EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES US TO LIVE OUR LIVES ON OUR OWN, & THE CHOICE TO FOLLOW THE LORD & HIM ALONE!
When we do this-the Lord can see that it truely IS our desire to serve ONLY Him! His love shows for us again, many times even stronger than before!
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, Son, & Holy Spirit; we thank-you so much for Your love-an everlasting love that knows no limits! All of us are holding on to things that are offensive to You, Lord Jesus! We acknowledge that these things that we are keeping hold of so deeply, are keeping us from the realtionship that You want to have so badly with each one of us, Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus, we cast out everything that is messing up our relationship with You-that which is offensive to You. We humbly ask that You come into every room of our heart, souls, minds & bodies. That You would sweep clean all the rooms, & fill them with your presence, by the power of the Holy Spirit! Turn not Your face from us, O Lord, but grant us the peace that passes all undrestanding, thatwe may truely know that ony You & You alone will satisfy our every need! We need You, Christ Jesus! Come back into each of our lives, & renew that relationship that each of us so desperatly yearns for! We ask this in Your Name, & Your Name alone, Lord Jesus, that You & You alone would receive all the Glory, praise & honor that You alone so richly deserve! To You alone, Lord Jesus! For you Alone! Amen!
Bill