Tag Archives: disobedience

April 11
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

“The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, ‘I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors.’  I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’  Yet you have disobeyed me.  Why have you done this?”  (Judges 2:1-2, NIV)

Resonant in this scripture — which recounts the disobedience of the Children of Israel when they did not utterly subdue the inhabitants of the Promised Land, but allowed them to coexist with them in the land, albeit as “servants” or “slaves” — is the peril of allowing anything that is ungodly to inhabit our lives.

The problem with allowing any ungodly thought or deed to persist in one’s life — even in a small, seemingly insignificant way — is that, after a while, the “slave” becomes the master; and the “servant” becomes the one that is served.

In the case of the ancient Israelites, it wasn’t too very long before they were worshiping at the pagan altars and incorporating forbidden practices into their lives.  I am sure that their chosen course of action seemed enlightened at the time, but the outcome of disobedience to God is always the same: Our own eventual destruction.

Today, choose life.  Choose God.  None of us ever succeeds in riding the tiger that is ungodliness.  – Luther

Tagged , , ,
February 15
Leave a comment
Uncategorized Aside

“But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:26-27, NLT)

Most of our personal calamities or failures are a result of our disobedience to Jesus’ teaching. It is not because the calamity is God’s “payback” for our disobedience; rather, because we have ignored God’s blueprint we discover, frequently in tears, that our own designs are inadequate for the stresses of life. In such instances, it is we — not God — who are responsible.

It is helpful to note that in Jesus’ parable, both houses are beat upon by the rains, and assaulted by the floods.  However, only the house founded on a solid rock is able to withstand the trial.  

When the next storm of life greets you, will your life’s foundation prove adequate? Jesus says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” (verse 24)  – Luther

Reminder: Daily Encouragement will take its customary Sunday break tomorrow.  Have a great day of worship, fellowship, and thanksgiving.  Lord willing, see you on Monday!

Tagged , , , ,
February 5
Leave a comment
Uncategorized Aside

“Then Moses said to them, ‘No one is to keep any of it until morning.’  However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.”  (Exodus 16:19-20, NIV)

The Lord’s prayer includes these words: “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

The daily bread of the Children of Israel’s 40-year sojourn in the desert was called manna.  The wanderers were commanded by Moses to take only what was needed each day (except on the day before the sabbath, when they were to collect two day’s worth so they could keep the command to refrain from labor on the sabbath).  But some of the wanderers paid Moses no mind, and hoarded the manna.  They should have saved the effort: The manna became inedible by morning.

Believe it or not, something as simple as eating can be an exercise in faith.  Do we trust God to supply all of our needs, or do we have our own ideas about what we shall eat, drink, and wear?  And if we’re set in the food and clothing department, do we reveal our insecurities about the future of our children, the state of our health, or the various other uncertainties of life?

God knows that we need the necessities of life, and he wants us to trust Him to provide them.  We need not hoard; God has not forgotten us.  We need not fret; our heavenly Father has not left us alone to fend for ourselves.  – Luther

Tagged , , , , , ,
Newer posts →