Welcome!
Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Today: A circumcision of the heart (mind)
Passage: Joshua 5: 2-3 NIV
2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. [a]
There are some things necessary to achieve victory in our life
It was God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt
God did not tell them how long it will take or what all hindrances are in their way
It was God who called them out. That was enough to stay in the journey
Theirs was a walk of faith. Once they crossed red-sea, God provided them with everything they wanted
But those who were born during this wilderness journey were not circumcised
So, before getting into the promise of God, this new generation had to go through this painful process of circumcision
It does not matter which generation it is. God’s promises have their conditions. God is not a respecter of any person or generation
Without regeneration and sanctification, without faith, it is impossible to inherit the blessings and promises of God
So all these young males, all aged forty or below, underwent circumcision
It was personal. Each person had to be circumcised, in order to enter the promised Land
They were going to a land where people practiced things very different from theirs. God wanted Israelites to keep their identity as God’s children, in a foreign land
It was a land flowing with milk and honey. But the people of that land were not serving the Living God
God was willing to give the “riches of the nations” to God’s own, if they would stay within God’s principles
But what often happens is that when God’s children see blessings in life, they forget the God of blessing and go after those blessings
That is what happened to the very land of United States
God blessed the US because of the commitment of the early settlers
They were not ashamed to put “In God we trust”, on the dollar bill
Today, the majority wants to get rid of it.
The other day I was talking to somebody about life in Kerala, India, also called “God’s own country”
It’s no longer what it was before. Things have changed, People are afraid to live in many parts of the land, especially in the central parts of Kerala
You know why?
Many of them went to the Middle East and made lot of money
Even though God was worshipped, priority was for a luxury life style and for gathering enough of “Mammon” for generations to come
God has a certain purpose and plan for each individual/family
When Joshua said, “Me and my household, we will serve the Lord”, that meant a lot. Most others had other priorities in life and they perished in the wilderness
If we don’t seek God’s will but go ahead with our own plans, God will get us somewhere
We need a circumcision of our hearts. It is painful to get rid of some of those “precious” things, but for God’s sake and for ours, we have to do it
There is no gain without a pain
God bless
BG
Prayer: Lord, forgive us our sins of not seeking your will for us personally and as a family. Speak clearly to me, so that I can follow your will for myself and my family, instead of just doing what everybody else is doing. Amen