Chilled Me To The Bone 3/15/2024

 Good Morning,

Friday is here and it showed up right on time. I have the luxury of some time to spare and write slowly as I enjoy a hot cup of Door County Peanut Butter Crunch Coffee. Some days are just better than others.

My daily Bible reading has me in the book of Judges. As I studied and read yesterday I had a passage literally stop my heart for a second. Throughout the Old Testament once God delivered the Israelites from captivity in Egypt a reoccurring theme is found within Scripture. 

Judges 6:1 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. 

This would happen over and over again. God would remind them of what He did in the past for them and after a correction or two, God would deliver them from enemies or help them conquer those occupying land that He had given to them. 

As I read Judges Chapter Ten I read, again. We find the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord. 

Judges 10:6-7 The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. 7.  So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel.

Moving on, the Lord corrected them with a heavy hand and they were harassed and oppressed by the Philistines and people of Ammon. Once again they cried out to the Lord and He answered them. I have read this chapter many times and just last night the passage chilled me to the bone.

So once again the Lord reminded them of Who and how He delivered them from, and all the enemies He defeated for them. And how He provide for them while they traveled. Then came the statement that we should all fear. 

Judges 10: 12-13 "You cried out to me and I delivered you. 13.Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 14. Go cry out to the gods you have chosen, let them deliver you in your times of distress."

The application for us today is this. Quit thinking, God does not see our lust, lies, addictions, outbursts of anger, lack of respect, inability to forgive, dishonesty, laziness, and rebellion. He does see, and He forgives over and over again. But what about the day that could come, and He says "go to the list of your sins, the gods of your life and have them forgive and rescue you from the mayhem you deserve and you created"?

Our God is holy, just, loving and forgiving. But, He also gets angry when we rebel and sin. Sooner or later after all the warnings, He corrects us and just like the butt whooping my dad would give me, God's correction hurts. 

Proverbs 3:12 CEB The Lord loves those He corrects. just like a father who treats his son with favor. 

Friends, before God says to you "let your folly save you", or "I warned you many times", start to fear the possibility of correction. Listen to the Word of God and heed the warnings. Correct your ways. Listen to those who have told you that you are heading to no good. Satan often twists the Word of God to convince us that God will let us slide". Fear and respect for God just isn't in the reprobate person and correction is just a short time away in coming. I can't fathom the thought of having God say to me "Go Somewhere Else For Help"

God bless,

Marty