A Message From Karen: Daily Renewal In The Lord

Monday's Devotion (6-4-07)

My prayer is that when you read the word of God that it may be uplifting for you as it is for me, to meditate on the Lord. In these devotions I try to share a part of what ministered to my heart as I read His Word [Holy Bible]. I also pray that this brings you words of encouragement in the Lord.

Here in Leviticus chapter twenty-six God establishes that his people are to worship and reverence Him. According to His laws we are not only to worship by our mouth only, but by our actions and deeds.

They are not to have idols, or graven images, or standing images, set up any image in the land to bow down to it: for I am the Lord your God. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. [Now God says,] If you will walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them (Lev 26:1-3).

God instructs his people in His ways in which they are to walk, and to keep His laws in order to continue to receive God's blessings of prosperity. Some of the commandments of God involve our walk; some of them command our actions, and some of the things that we are to keep and to keep away from. God lays out the conditions of His blessings to show what is required of us because God wants to bless us. These are the rules and laws that God has given, the laws of prosperity, and if you will keep them this is what you can expect to happen. What a beautiful privilege God offered to these people. God offered His blessings abundantly, peace in their land, and power for the people. All future generations being blessed, and beyond all this, God's presence dwelling there in the midst of the people, God walking with him, and dwelling with him.

Now these things that God is promising, the prosperity, the peace, and the power are the things people are seeking today. But Jesus pointed out the folly of seeking these things. He said, "After all of these things do the heathen seek. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you" (Matthew 6:33). What God is saying here is; If you will just follow Me, obey Me, look to Me, He will give all this for you. Unfortunately we've got things so reversed in our minds, and in our concepts, that we are so busy seeking these things, we don't have time to seek God. We make excuses by telling ourselves that these things we're seeking after end up taking away our time with God. Whereas if we would just give God the first of my heart, the first fruits of my life, and just worship Him, and follow Him, and obey him, He would do all these things for me. We would end up with these things if we put God first and life would not be such an endless battle of despair.

…And if for all of this you will still not hearken, but walk contrary; Then I will walk contrary to you also in fury; and I will chastise you seven times for your sins. Ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and daughters. And I will destroy your high places, cut down your images, cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I'll not smell the savour of your sweet odours. ["I'll not accept your sacrifices anymore."] And I will bring the land into desolation: by your enemies. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste (Lev 26:17-33).

As long as they sought the Lord, God prospered them and God blessed them, and they were strong and they dwelt in peace and they had plenty. But when they forsook the Lord, then God forsook them. All of these things that God said would happen did happen to them, even their eating their own children during a time of the siege of Samaria by Benhadad. All of these things took place until finally, as God said; they were dispersed into all the nations of the world. So that God literally fulfilled those things that He said He would do to them. He did. Their land lay desolate for centuries, the cities desolate for centuries.

God is just and He is true. He can not lie so what He declares He does. My prayer for you today is to trust God at His word. Trust in the Lord and He is faithful. No matter what you are going through the Lord can give you the victory, because He is our victor who has already fought our battle for us and won. When He died in our place, took our sin, went to Hell and broke the chains of death, He rose from the dead and He set the captives free. He is our Shepard that will lead us to safety; He will give us rest and peace beside still waters. He will lift us up with the wings of an eagle in our time of need and give us refuge. All these and more are promises of God to His children (me and you). I pray that you allow the Lord to be your King, Master, Shepard, and Savior… because He will bless you with a peace and joy that passes all understanding. The Lord wants to be all this and more to you if you allow Him. The choice is yours. Follow the Lord today; surrender all that may be separating you from entering into presence of the Lord, to receive and be all that the Lord has for you. Right now the Lord is waiting with loving open arms to welcome you back into His fold. It's funny how we often fill as if the Lord abandoned us, but in reality it was us that abandoned the Lord. For the Lord has been waiting patiently for us to only to allow Him to pick us back up and wash us clean and fill us with His love to make us whole again. Praise the Lord for He is faithful and just. I know I don't deserve any of the Lord's blessings, but He continues to bless me because of His faithfulness, just as He will for you. Be renewed in the Lord daily and drink the living water.

God bless