Think back to when you were going to school as a child. Things were pretty cut and dry. Your daily routine was already set for you. The biggest thing that was asked of everyone (the students) was that they follow the rules.
Teachers handled the instruction, students performed their work and followed the rules. It didn't matter whether they were school or classroom rules, if anyone defied them; there were consequences. I have to be honest with you, I, like most kids in school, tested the waters from time to time.
And, I, like most, lost my nerve to push the limits any further if my parents were notified of my behavior. But, as we all know, some tended to live on the edge on a regular basis. The rest of us simply watched in wide-eyed amazement as the offender(s) received the fruits of their unwise choices.
As adults, we too can be guilty of following the path of disobedience. However, in this case, the path we are foolishly tracking is leading us away from God's instruction. How could this be? It's not as difficult as you might think. As you will see in a moment, even God's people Israel were not immune from this.
God guided and supported Israel in their long journey from slavery in Egypt, to their arrival in the land He had promised to give them. No doubt, it wasn't a trouble-free journey, but the people were mostly faithful to God during this time. As such, He gave them possesion of the land and victory over the idolatrous people who lived there (Psalm 37:34).
Now, this remained so as long as Joshua was their leader, and then a few years after. But, as time went on, other older, faithful leaders passed. And eventually the generation that remembered God's miracles were gone, as well. The new generation were unfamilar and unconcerned with the past.
Things started to unravel for Israel because of their disobedience to God's commands. He permitted the godless tribes to invade their land; thus subjecting the Israelites to lives of poverty and suffering (Revelation 2:4). This, in turn forced them to turn to God and plead for His assistance.
Consequently, God would give them a leader who would unite and restore order to Israel. This proved to be a repeated pattern of their behavior for approximately three hundred years. The book of Judges pretty much reads this way all the way through. This recurrent conduct was a product of their willfull disobedience.
We can gain quite a bit from the trials and tribulations of Israel. You may have experiences where your defiance towards God led to less than satisfactory results. And, you know what? There is no one to blame but ourselves. It's the classic case of placing our own self-interests and achievements ahead of Him.
We are all falliable. The world is like the siren's call that lulls one into thinking that he can do it on his own. The self-made man is a myth! There is no such thing. Everything we have, materially and spiritually, is a gift from God. Don't be fooled into thinking otherwise. "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (1 Timothy 6:7).
It would be unwise to maneuver around the obstacles that confront our mortal lives without the discipline that is grounded in God's word. He is like a stern, but loving parent who disciplines our disobedience not to harm us, but to allow us to see the folly of our vain and presumptuous actions (Proverbs 3:1-2).
George Mueller, a 19th century Christian evangelist said, "Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is." Listen to, and obey God's direction. Allow Him to guide your path (Psalm 119:105).
Scripture: John 14:15; James 1:22; Joshua 1:8; Hebrews 5:9; Deuteronomy 28:13
Prayer: Holy Father, I surrender all I am to You today and pray that I may walk in newness of love and humble obedience all the days of my life. Amen
May your day be blessed!
Makinzie
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