Friday 18 March 2016

GOD-TRACKING IS DEALING WITH REBELLION BEFORE EXPECTING A BLESSING

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The e-Devotional helping to keep you on-track
Published through www.godtracker.co.uk

18 March 2016

Dear God-tracker

GOD-TRACKING IS DEALING WITH REBELLION BEFORE EXPECTING A BLESSING

Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Maggie drew me aside after church one morning. “You said today that the Bible says God’s compassion is new every morning and that God desires to bless us every day,” she said. “Well, I don’t feel blessed when I wake up in the mornings. Every day I get up it feels like the world is on my shoulders. There is so much turmoil in my life, I feel like God has abandoned me.”

Indeed, I had brought a word about God’s compassion during worship that morning, quoting from the book of Lamentations that tells us God’s love never ceases and his compassion is new to us each morning we wake up. Yet, what Maggie had failed to realise was the fact that the prophetic book of Lamentations was written as a lament by a Godly man, while his people were in exile to Babylon. Around AD 605 God executed judgement on Judah because of their idolatrous rebellion. Judah had rejected God’s call to seek him and his warnings of pending judgement, brought through prophets like Jeremiah. Jeremiah warned his people that if they did not return to God with a pure heart, God would raise up their enemy against them. Sadly, the people ignored the warnings and, persecuting Jeremiah, continued in their rebellion. So God raised up the Babylonians to come against Judah.

Lamentations was probably also written by Jeremiah, but during the exile to Babylon. These words were most likely written while God’s people were under God’s discipline for their rebellion. Lamentations is a woeful cry about the agony they faced after losing their homes and liberty. Nebuchadnezzar was a ruthless and violent ruler. The Jews were abused and forced into labour under his rule. However, it was under this discipline of Father God that they were drawn back to God in repentance. After 70 years God raised up the likes of Ezra and Nehemiah to bring them back home to Jerusalem. It was during the height of this suffering that the prophet writes, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning,” and, “The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

I tried to gently explain to Maggie that God’s love is indeed, enduring and his compassion is revealed to us new every morning. However, sometimes, because of our rebellious ways or disobedience to his instructions, we open ourselves to the enemy’s attacks, just as Judah was attacked by their enemy because of their disobedience. Sometimes, it is not God who is to blame for not blessing us it is we who have stepped out from under his blessings, because of our apathy and indifference to his commands. I tried to clarify to Maggie that, instead of blindly claiming God’s blessings, she should ask him why she felt abandoned by him. Perhaps she was enduring her own little exile, because she had ignored his word to her.

Just as ancient Judah needed to repent of her rebellion and turn back to seeking God with a pure heart (as seen through the writings of Lamentations), so too we all need to repent of our rebellion and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. And he will bless those who seek him with clean hands and a pure heart.

God-tracking is dealing with rebellion before expecting a blessing

God bless you

Dudley

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Don’t Give Up, Look Up!

Help me to step out in faith to receive your blessing as I now seek you with all my heart

Pray
“Father God, I know that you love me. I know that it is your desire to bless me and I know that all things work out for my good, in Christ. But I still feel as though you have abandoned me. It seems that every morning I don’t have joy. However, I realise now that one thing that inhibits your blessing in my life in my rebellion. Dear God, I am sorry. I repent of all the things I have said, done or even though in my mind that has grieved your Spirit. I’m sorry for not obeying your instructions. Please forgive me for my indifference and my apathy toward your calling. Help me to step out in faith to receive your blessing as I now seek you with all my heart. Amen."

If you need more prayer, please email dudley@godtracker.co.uk

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