obedience to God – Be Still…

1 John 5:1-21 – Rewards of Faith

If you ever wondered if you could love God more, John gives us some direction. “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” How are you doing at obeying God? It seems logical that when we love God, we should want to please Him. When we are truly devoted, we shouldn’t balk at the commandments but cherish them as a way of showing our allegiance.

Over the years, plenty of people have commented to me about all the “rules” we have to follow as Christians. Those are usually the people who are self-absorbed and have a hard time with any authority standing in their way of “fun.” When I look at God’s commandments, I see first the love of a parent wanting the best for his children. What do you see? Continue reading “1 John 5:1-21 – Rewards of Faith”

Numbers 33:1-56 – The Wilderness Journey

Read Numbers 33:1-56

Did your jaw drop when you saw how many stops the Israelites made along their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land? I’ve always been curious as to what forty years of wandering around a fairly small region looked like, and the answer was here in this reading all the time! Remember the instructions God had given Moses about setting up and taking down the Tabernacle, as well as moving it each time they broke camp? That message came while they were camping in Sinai (verse 15). This text gives us the route and puts all of that into perspective.

The wilderness journey is now nearly complete. The people can see across the Jordan River to the land of Canaan. This will be their new home, the Promised Land God vowed to give his people, Israel. No more nomadic life; the end of the journey is in sight. What do you think God’s people thought about that? What do you think Moses was thinking knowing he’d never cross the river with them? Continue reading “Numbers 33:1-56 – The Wilderness Journey”

Job 36:1-21 – Defending God

Read Job 36:1-21

Elihu must believe that God needs defending. Or perhaps he wanted to set the record straight in terms of his understanding of God. I would agree, talking about God and his mighty power should be a priority for us. Why is it we keep quiet about the creator and provider of all things?

It’s all about obedience to God according to Elihu. That’s how he would suggest we spend our lives if we want God’s favor and to experience abundance. I would note that our obedience should not be because we expect something but because we can’t help ourselves but want to please God. After all, he created us, gave us a purpose, and allows us to make choices in each season of life until he takes us home where we truly belong. Continue reading “Job 36:1-21 – Defending God”

Ezekiel 24:15-27 – She Died?

Read Ezekiel 24:15-27

I can’t believe she’s dead. I’m not a fan of this passage at all! It’s one thing to lose a beloved spouse, but quite another not to be able to mourn the loss because God tells you not to! The text doesn’t say Ezekiel didn’t mourn in private, only that he is not to display any of those behaviors publicly. But when you live a life of ministry you are more visible than most, and people are watching.

We’re halfway through the book of Ezekiel, and now everything God used Ezekiel to say has happened. Now what? This first section was focused on the fall of Israel, and the next two focus on the judgment of nations and future blessings for Israel. Continue reading “Ezekiel 24:15-27 – She Died?”

Ezekiel 11:22-25 – Obedience to God

Read Ezekiel 11:22-25

Ezekiel’s temple vision ends with the glory of the LORD finally leaving Jerusalem. Did you notice the hesitation? We read that the LORD hovered for a moment over the mountains to the east. I can just imagine that there was one last hopeful moment that his people would somehow be pleading for forgiveness, running after him with arms open wide.

The LORD’s decision was final in this moment. The people of Jerusalem would be abandoned because of their behavior and lack of devotion to God. It was a very sad day to be sure. Continue reading “Ezekiel 11:22-25 – Obedience to God”