Weekday Devotionals - Susan
After all, “He predestined us to be adopted as His children through Jesus Christ.” Eph 1:5
Pastor Aaron brought us on an amazing journey through the Old Testament to show us how Israel’s story is a part of our story. He reminded us of the promises God made to us through the covenant with Abram and his descendants even though it seemed to take forever. Why did everything take so long? because the people sinned against God. Why the wandering for 40 years? because they were ungrateful and disobedient. Why the repeated exiles of the Israelites? Because they worshipped false gods. Does this sound familiar? Why the enslavement of a foreign land for 400 years? To give all the people time to repent, grow, mature and understand the nature of God, and to remind the Israelites of how good they had it when they served God and obeyed Him.
Over and over again God rescued His people when He heard their cries of repentance. And over and over He allowed the nations to war against Israel and rule over them. It seems contrary to the covenant He made and the peace He promised, but it wasn’t. He wasn’t punishing them; He was loving them. They were reaping the consequences of their disobedience, but God still loved them just like He loves all of us today. The Israelites turned away from God, from His laws and decrees, and did not keep their end of the
covenant with Him. So, He gave them time to get it right. To repent. To choose truth, not convenience. And as Aaron pointed out, love was the reason all along. God didn’t just love the Israelites, He loved everyone. He loved His chosen people and He loved those who did not know Him or choose Him. He gave them all the time to find Him, to know Him, to trust and obey Him and He still does that today.
Aren’t we fortunate that He still does that today!
When I first read through Exodus many years ago, I was so annoyed at the Israelites. They were so dumb. They saw God’s power and presence. They heard His voice. He dwelt among them in a pillar of fire and a cloud of smoke. He rescued them and delivered them and slaughtered their enemies time and time again. He provided food and water and shelter and victory, yet they continually turned away from Him and worshipped false idols. And then one day I realized that I was also an Israelite, walking a straddled line, making my own choices and my own mistakes. Wow, I was just like them, choosing my own way when
things got tough. I was humbled by His love. Now I understood, as His light revealed the condition of my soul, and I tucked in closer to the God who loves me, quietly apologizing to the Israelites for judging them.
Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
I Peter 2:9 We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who belong to God, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.
Do we live as a chosen generation? Do we declare the praises of our Lord and what He has done for us? Do we make our own decisions based on our feelings and our circumstances or do we ask God to lead us? Do we trust Him daily? God loves all people, everyone included. He created us in His image, and He loves us, all of us, no matter what we look like or where we come from or who we vote for. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because they were heathens, and he didn’t care about them. But God needed him to care and obey and go and preach His love to them so they could repent. God was intentional about loving
the people He created. We need to be intentional about loving them as well, no matter how uncomfortable we may be with their differences. He’ll do all the fixing if we would just love others like He loves us.
Thinking of your part in the world that surrounds you, how is your contribution in showing Gods love to everyone?
-Susan G
Pastor Aaron brought us on an amazing journey through the Old Testament to show us how Israel’s story is a part of our story. He reminded us of the promises God made to us through the covenant with Abram and his descendants even though it seemed to take forever. Why did everything take so long? because the people sinned against God. Why the wandering for 40 years? because they were ungrateful and disobedient. Why the repeated exiles of the Israelites? Because they worshipped false gods. Does this sound familiar? Why the enslavement of a foreign land for 400 years? To give all the people time to repent, grow, mature and understand the nature of God, and to remind the Israelites of how good they had it when they served God and obeyed Him.
Over and over again God rescued His people when He heard their cries of repentance. And over and over He allowed the nations to war against Israel and rule over them. It seems contrary to the covenant He made and the peace He promised, but it wasn’t. He wasn’t punishing them; He was loving them. They were reaping the consequences of their disobedience, but God still loved them just like He loves all of us today. The Israelites turned away from God, from His laws and decrees, and did not keep their end of the
covenant with Him. So, He gave them time to get it right. To repent. To choose truth, not convenience. And as Aaron pointed out, love was the reason all along. God didn’t just love the Israelites, He loved everyone. He loved His chosen people and He loved those who did not know Him or choose Him. He gave them all the time to find Him, to know Him, to trust and obey Him and He still does that today.
Aren’t we fortunate that He still does that today!
When I first read through Exodus many years ago, I was so annoyed at the Israelites. They were so dumb. They saw God’s power and presence. They heard His voice. He dwelt among them in a pillar of fire and a cloud of smoke. He rescued them and delivered them and slaughtered their enemies time and time again. He provided food and water and shelter and victory, yet they continually turned away from Him and worshipped false idols. And then one day I realized that I was also an Israelite, walking a straddled line, making my own choices and my own mistakes. Wow, I was just like them, choosing my own way when
things got tough. I was humbled by His love. Now I understood, as His light revealed the condition of my soul, and I tucked in closer to the God who loves me, quietly apologizing to the Israelites for judging them.
Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
I Peter 2:9 We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who belong to God, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.
Do we live as a chosen generation? Do we declare the praises of our Lord and what He has done for us? Do we make our own decisions based on our feelings and our circumstances or do we ask God to lead us? Do we trust Him daily? God loves all people, everyone included. He created us in His image, and He loves us, all of us, no matter what we look like or where we come from or who we vote for. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because they were heathens, and he didn’t care about them. But God needed him to care and obey and go and preach His love to them so they could repent. God was intentional about loving
the people He created. We need to be intentional about loving them as well, no matter how uncomfortable we may be with their differences. He’ll do all the fixing if we would just love others like He loves us.
Thinking of your part in the world that surrounds you, how is your contribution in showing Gods love to everyone?
-Susan G
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