Welcome!
Passage: Exodus 33 (NIV 84)
Today: Humility (that) makes sense to God!
33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (Ex 33, NIV 84)-emphasis added
After the worship of the golden calf and the incidents that followed, (Exodus 32) God spoke to Moses the above statement. The Lord told that He would take them to the promised land straight, driving out the enemies. The only “negetive” was that the Lord wouldn’t accompany them, and that He might destroy them on the way!
If that was today, a good number of leaders as well as people would say, “praise be to God” and accept that offer, saying: “we can fix the negetives on the way; let’s go and occupy the promise/land quickly”!
But Israel did far better than that! See their response:
4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb. (Ex 33, NIV 84)
They mourned and removed their ornaments. It was their ornaments they previously used, to make their “god”; also, they used it for their pride!
The Lord was happy with what they did. God accepted their mourning and their humbling. God wants every child of His, to be proud of being a child of God; everything else is temporary. Only what we have in the Lord, will last
Today, the craving for position, possession and power has destroyed the church so much; but eventually, it will also destroy the very people who hold on to such!
Without a sacrifice, we cannot please God. A sacrifice involves getting rid of something we cherish so dearly-something that affects our relationship with God
Everyone has something they need to sacrifice; we better find out ours
For some, it may be about sacrificing some of their “entertainment” and seperating that time for the Lord; for others, it may be about visiting some people and so on…
May God give you a blessed day, as you work on this!
BG
Prayer: Father God, thank you for loving us so much in giving Jesus completely for us, and then the Holy Spirit; we have been so selfish in enjoying the benefits of your gift and not loving sacrificially. Forgive us Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen
When we truly love someone, sacrifice can be joyful; otherwise, it hurts!