"You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me."
God is not petty and insecure like most jealous people are. His love is not so easily wounded by our playing the harlot under every tree on every hilltop. Even though it is God's jealousy which causes the destruction of sin (through the "visiting of iniquity"), it is this same jealously which keeps us from dying. God's jealousy leads us to salvation.
God simply refuses to let us depend on anything else other than Himself and in so doing refuses to let us die for putting our trust in anything but Christ is a sure death. God's jealousy is a refusal to let those whom he has called bow down to or serve other things because God's holiness is in direct opposition to that which harms us and causes us to not thrive. Just as a gardener destroys weeds or a doctor eradicates disease, so to does this jealous God remove from us our sins that we might live consecrated and holy as He is holy. Then and only then can we live life in righteous fellowship with God.
Praise be to our jealous God who overcomes our sins that we might live! Praise be to our Creator, Savior, and Perfecter who makes us holy and blameless before him!
Showing posts with label Exodus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exodus. Show all posts
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Exodus 5:22-23
"Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued them at all."
Each one of us has been called into God's ministry to serve, some for great tasks and some for lesser ones, but each according to their ability. But when God gives us a clear vision, do we let discouragement shake us? When we go to accomplish God's will and are met with opposition, will it cast doubt upon our mission and dreams? Even Moses had to ask if he was doing the right thing by going back to Egypt. Surely he must've thought to himself "What am I doing here? They were better off than if I had never come at all!"
But God had a plan of redemption even in the midst of the problem growing worse and not better. Moses had to trust God every step of the way even when he had his doubts about if he was actually doing any good in ministry. He stuck through it because he was sure in his call by God to be where he was even when he couldn't see why or how. Moses had no clue what he was doing, but he went and did because of the LORD. This has made all the difference in his ministry.
Each one of us has been called into God's ministry to serve, some for great tasks and some for lesser ones, but each according to their ability. But when God gives us a clear vision, do we let discouragement shake us? When we go to accomplish God's will and are met with opposition, will it cast doubt upon our mission and dreams? Even Moses had to ask if he was doing the right thing by going back to Egypt. Surely he must've thought to himself "What am I doing here? They were better off than if I had never come at all!"
But God had a plan of redemption even in the midst of the problem growing worse and not better. Moses had to trust God every step of the way even when he had his doubts about if he was actually doing any good in ministry. He stuck through it because he was sure in his call by God to be where he was even when he couldn't see why or how. Moses had no clue what he was doing, but he went and did because of the LORD. This has made all the difference in his ministry.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Psalm 77:9-11
"Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? Then I thought, 'To this will I appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the LORD; Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago."
Despite a whole list of doubts David has in verses 7-9, David ultimately has one source of comfort: that God never changes. David reflects on God's track record, on how he has proven himself time and time again to be the God who performs miracles. And of course, we see that it is the Exodus account that gives David cause for faith.
Even though things look bad now, David trusts God never changes and in so doing knows what God will do. The only surprise with God is in how he does something, not if he does something, but when he acts you can be sure it will be mighty.
God is the only thing in this world which never changes, a solid rock and firm foundation we can hold onto. It is this trust in God's unchangeable character that forms the backbone of our faith.
Without great doubt, there cannot be great faith. The more doubts you have, the more we must rely on the truth of God, in his unchanging character. But don't just take my word for it, God's actions speak for himself. Everything rests on the belief that God is who he has revealed himself to be.
Despite a whole list of doubts David has in verses 7-9, David ultimately has one source of comfort: that God never changes. David reflects on God's track record, on how he has proven himself time and time again to be the God who performs miracles. And of course, we see that it is the Exodus account that gives David cause for faith.
Even though things look bad now, David trusts God never changes and in so doing knows what God will do. The only surprise with God is in how he does something, not if he does something, but when he acts you can be sure it will be mighty.
God is the only thing in this world which never changes, a solid rock and firm foundation we can hold onto. It is this trust in God's unchangeable character that forms the backbone of our faith.
Without great doubt, there cannot be great faith. The more doubts you have, the more we must rely on the truth of God, in his unchanging character. But don't just take my word for it, God's actions speak for himself. Everything rests on the belief that God is who he has revealed himself to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)