2009 is over. Thank God. Most of us are saying that because the year brought economic downturn, unemployment, political instability, government gone crazy, people gone crazy…just to name a few. Speaking of crazy, I think all of that’s a good thing..a God thing…signs He still loves us.
There can be no question that God loves Israel. The Jews are His chosen people. Sometimes, they wished they weren’t. God disciplines those He loves. He doesn’t tolerate it when His loved ones focus on anything other than Him. When one of His begins to rely on anything more than Him, He takes that thing away. Can there be any question that we have relied too much on money? Have we not over relied on our government? Have we not relied on the concept that our country is special? Hasn’t He made it clear that all that reliance was misplaced?
It’s painful to be disciplined. Discipline is a bad word now. We have come to believe that love can not include discipline; when the Word teaches that discipline is the evidence of love.
How have we handled this discipline? Generally, not well. We’ve pointed fingers of blame for the problems of the economy and the government. Even when we’ve seen God in all this; we’ve either generalized the response…The Nation Needs to Get Back to God; while not getting back to Him individually. Or we’ve called for repentance, not to be secure in Him again, but to get back our security blankets of money and a Government We can believe in.
We’ve not handled the discipline well. We have awaited the return of the goodies He’s taken away: Our Money and our Country. Consider they may not be coming back. He wants all things to be new. A new reliance on Him and not the reliances of the past. But that’s scary. And most of us are acting scared. The truth is He loves us and He promises:
You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the LORD will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind. Isaiah 52:12.
The old reliances left us in 2009. Let’s step forward with excitement with our reliance where it belongs. Let us let the God of Israel, not money or government, be our reward.
Leave the Irreparable Past in His hands, and step out into the Irresistible Future with Him.
Be blessed.
Nick
Note for the careful reader: I have borrowed extensively today from Oswald Chambers and the devotional for today from MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. That’s the plan for 2010. I hope it helps. I won’t point it out each day; but you’ll know.
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