God makes it easy | We make it hard
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Today, I read the April 6th NT/OT/Psalm/Proverbs reading of the ESV One Year Bible. And the verses that caught my eye (literally my right eye) reminded me that God doesn't make it impossible for us to know and obey His Word.
Check this out:
" For the commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? ' Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it." ~ Deut 30:11-14
Note: God makes it's easy for us to know His word. It is near. It is in my mouth and in my heart. He gives us the written, inspired, sure Word. He gives us His Spirit, who guides us into all truth. All these provisions have been given to us, not just for us to know the Word, but in order for us to obey and apply it. Yet often times we are the ones who make it burdensome! We're like these Ephraimites.
Psalm 78:9-31
Check this out:
v. 9 - 16
They turned back on the day of battle. (Stopped working)
They did not keep God's covenant. (Stopped obeying)
But they refused to walk according to his law. (Started rebelling)
They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. (Atheism in action)
Yet God performed a miracle by splitting rocks so that they could have abundant water. (God responded)
YET they sinned still more against them. (They got worse!)
Rebelling against the Most High. v.17 (They became their own god)
They tested God's faithfulness! They craved for food! Bread and steak! (Worst thing for you to do it to test His faithfulness!)
They DID not believe in God and DID not trust his saving power . v.22 (No faith/no dependency)
When God heard about this, He was full of wrath and a fire was kindled! (God was being consistent with His holiness)
YET God opened up the skies of heaven and poured down manna, grain, the bread of angels. (Mercy in action!)
And God rained meat on them like dust (Ruth's Chris - eat your heart out!)
And God rained down winged birds like the sand of the seas (KFC/Popeye's)
They ate and were filled. For He gave them what they craved. (Be careful what you test God with - He might give it to you!)
But check this out, this didn't end with God's merciful grace.
BUT BEFORE THEY HAD SATISFIED THEIR CRAVING WHILE THE FOOD WAS STILL IN THEIR MOUTHS....v.30 (the last chew to be swallowed)
THE ANGER OF GOD ROSE AGAINST THEM and HE KILLED THE STRONGEST OF THEM AND LAID LOW THE YOUNG MEN OF ISRAEL.v. 31 (JUSTICE was served!)
Not a very good ending for them! But after reading this, it made me question the chain of events. Where was their fall? What got them here? What brought God's righteous judgment on them?
It started with their disobedient, rebellious, utter disregard for God's Word. Back to verse 10 again: THEY DID NOT KEEP GOD's COVENANT BUT REFUSED TO WALK ACCORDING TO HIS LAW. It started with their decision to obey the Law of God. And as we saw, disobedience has it's spiral effect. It leads you down a path that gets worse and worse.
OBEDIENCE to God's Word is the bottom line. Be resolved to obey Him!
Thanks be to God for His Son! Who gives us His righteousness to obey!
"For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous" Romans 5:19
Check this out:
" For the commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? ' Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it." ~ Deut 30:11-14
Note: God makes it's easy for us to know His word. It is near. It is in my mouth and in my heart. He gives us the written, inspired, sure Word. He gives us His Spirit, who guides us into all truth. All these provisions have been given to us, not just for us to know the Word, but in order for us to obey and apply it. Yet often times we are the ones who make it burdensome! We're like these Ephraimites.
Psalm 78:9-31
Check this out:
v. 9 - 16
They turned back on the day of battle. (Stopped working)
They did not keep God's covenant. (Stopped obeying)
But they refused to walk according to his law. (Started rebelling)
They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. (Atheism in action)
Yet God performed a miracle by splitting rocks so that they could have abundant water. (God responded)
YET they sinned still more against them. (They got worse!)
Rebelling against the Most High. v.17 (They became their own god)
They tested God's faithfulness! They craved for food! Bread and steak! (Worst thing for you to do it to test His faithfulness!)
They DID not believe in God and DID not trust his saving power . v.22 (No faith/no dependency)
When God heard about this, He was full of wrath and a fire was kindled! (God was being consistent with His holiness)
YET God opened up the skies of heaven and poured down manna, grain, the bread of angels. (Mercy in action!)
And God rained meat on them like dust (Ruth's Chris - eat your heart out!)
And God rained down winged birds like the sand of the seas (KFC/Popeye's)
They ate and were filled. For He gave them what they craved. (Be careful what you test God with - He might give it to you!)
But check this out, this didn't end with God's merciful grace.
BUT BEFORE THEY HAD SATISFIED THEIR CRAVING WHILE THE FOOD WAS STILL IN THEIR MOUTHS....v.30 (the last chew to be swallowed)
THE ANGER OF GOD ROSE AGAINST THEM and HE KILLED THE STRONGEST OF THEM AND LAID LOW THE YOUNG MEN OF ISRAEL.v. 31 (JUSTICE was served!)
Not a very good ending for them! But after reading this, it made me question the chain of events. Where was their fall? What got them here? What brought God's righteous judgment on them?
It started with their disobedient, rebellious, utter disregard for God's Word. Back to verse 10 again: THEY DID NOT KEEP GOD's COVENANT BUT REFUSED TO WALK ACCORDING TO HIS LAW. It started with their decision to obey the Law of God. And as we saw, disobedience has it's spiral effect. It leads you down a path that gets worse and worse.
OBEDIENCE to God's Word is the bottom line. Be resolved to obey Him!
Thanks be to God for His Son! Who gives us His righteousness to obey!
"For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous" Romans 5:19
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