Seek God not feelings

Shof’tim (Judges) 9:3-5

His mother’s brothers spoke to all the men of Sh’khem and said all this about him, so that they followed their feelings and supported Avimelekh, arguing, “After all, he’s our brother.” They also gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Ba’al-B’rit; and he used these to pay good-for-nothing thugs to follow him. He went back to his father’s house in ‘Ofrah and killed his brothers the sons of Yeruba’al, all seventy of them, on a single rock, except for Yotam Yeruba’al’s youngest son, who stayed alive because he hid himself.

When we put our own feelings, our selfish desires, before wisdom it will always end badly. The men of Sh’khem, where the very tabernacle of ADONAI stood had turned to their own selfish means and desires so that they were even worshiping in a temple not of their making. Instead of turning to God to find who would judge justly, they were swayed by their own greed and the speech of Aavimelekh who by his first act as ruler commits fratricide the murder of his seventy brothers all because the men of Sh’khem were swayed by their feelings and not looking to the direction of ADONAI. Lord all my life, I have been driven by the storm of my feelings, let me feel Your Shalom so I may sleep securely in Your arms and hear only Your voice leading me in the days ahead. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Commit, don’t sit on the fence

Shof’tim (Judges) 8:4-6

By now Gid’on and his three hundred men had come to the Yarden and crossed over. They were exhausted but were still pursuing the enemy. In Sukkot he asked the people there, “Please give some loaves of bread to the men following me, because they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zevach and Tzalmuna the kings of Midyan.” But the chiefs of Sukkot said, “You haven’t captured Zevach and Tzalmuna yet, so why should we give bread to your army?”

Here is a problem in the greater body today, too many of us who confess to trusting in the sacrifice of Yeshua and the lordship of God in our lives are really just fence sitters like the leaders of Sukkot. It was plainly obvious that ADONAI had His hand on Gid’on and was moving mightily in delivering Isra’el from the Midyan yet the chiefs of Sukkot withheld their support and missed a blessing in joining with the move of God in the land. How many of us, myself included have missed great blessings because we were unsure of who God picked or didn’t understand the times and events around us? Trusting is stepping forward with God without needing to know what the result will be but knowing that good or bad all things will lead to His glory forever. Lord let me be bold in following You. Strengthen me to be a light in the storm and a safe friend and supporter in these uncertain times. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

ADONAI brings order

1 Corinthians 15:39-40

So, my brothers, eagerly seek to prophesy; and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but let all things be done in a proper and orderly way.

Sha’ul has just wrote a whole chapter on using gifts of the Ruach in the congregation and specifically the use of prophesy and tongues to come to this one point, all gifts of the Ruach must be done in a proper and orderly way to bring edification to the congregation as a whole.  It is when we let chaos, everyone fighting for the head chair at the table, dividing the people into cliques and let popularity overrule functionality we become like that proverbial bucket of crabs when one after another we seek the freedom of God’s leadership in our lives but the rest just pulls us back into the bucket of confusion because there is no order to find that way out.  There must be a spirit of harmony where ADONAI is the only focus so that the gifts of the Ruach may actually benefit the congregation.  Lord let me understand my assignment and serve joyfully and fully to the abilities that You have given me to bring glory to You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Don’t let glory get in the way

Shof’tim (Judges) 4:8-10

Barak answered her: “If you go with me, I’ll go; but if you won’t go with me, I won’t go.” She replied, “Yes, I will gladly go with you; but the way you are doing it will bring you no glory; because ADONAI will hand Sisra over to a woman.” Then D’vorah set out and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak summoned Z’vulun and Naftali to come to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him, and D’vorah went up with him.

I feel this was a act of humility by Barak, not concerned with his own glory he wanted to assure himself there where like minded people around him who trusted in the hand of ADONAI and not the strength of people.  Personal glory was not important as long as the will of God was fulfilled.  Lord let me be as humble as Barak willing to go and serve but not for my glory but Yours and Yours alone.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Teach the children

Shof’tim (Judges) 2:10-12

When that entire generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation arose that knew neither ADONAI nor the work he had done for Isra’el. Then the people of Isra’el did what was evil from ADONAI’s perspective and served the ba’alim. They abandoned ADONAI, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, selected from the gods of the peoples around them, and worshipped them; this made ADONAI angry.

This is what happens when we as the adults fail to pass on the history of our people. Our children forget and, in the forgetting, go chasing after the profane to fill what is lacking in their spirit, a connection with ADONAI. Today we see thousands of religions and millions of self-professed gurus and prophets who only seek to enrich themselves lead tens of millions of our younger generations away from God for lack of our teaching our testimony and history and I say it is our shame that we have let that happen. Lord forgive me for not more zealously supporting Your Word in my life so those who are around me of all generations would know You are the only God I serve. Support me and strengthen me so I may do better in the days to come. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Cling to the Word

Y’hoshua (Joshua) 23:6-8

“Therefore be very firm about keeping and doing everything written in the book of the Torah of Moshe and not turning aside from it either to the right or to the left. Then you won’t become like those nations remaining among you. Don’t even mention the name of their gods, let alone have people swear by them, serve them or worship them; but cling to ADONAI your God, as you have done to this day.”

How much trouble I have with this passage. Day in and day out I am faced with other gods influencing the culture around me. The only way to keep myself pure is to do as Y’hoshua said and cling to the book of Torah of Moshe not turning aside either to the left or the right but staying on this narrow path that God has given us by his word. Then I can be like Sha’ul as he wrote to the and finish the race. Lord look on me and keep me in your hand so that I do not Veer to the left to the right but stay focused on the goal that you were shown us in your word. I asked this in Yeshua’s name, amen

Don’t fall for gossip

Y’hoshua (Joshua) 22:15-16

They came to the descendants of Re’uven, the descendants of Gad and the half-tribe of M’nasheh in the land of Gil’ad and spoke with them; they said, “Here is what the whole community of ADONAI is saying: ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Isra’el, turning away today from following ADONAI, in that you have built yourselves an altar, thus rebelling today against ADONAI?

This is how we are to deal with gossip, confront it directly with the people involved and not depend on second or third or fourth retelling.  The descendants of Re’uven, the descendants of Gad and the half-tribe of M’nasheh all came together to build a monument to bind them forever with all the other tribes of Isra’el. Yet all those other tribes went in conjecture that Re’uven and Gad and M’nasheh were rebelling against the nation state of Isra’el by building this altar that gossip without discovering the truth of the matter could have destroyed Isra’el before it ever began. It is only by going to the source and not the gossipers can we find out true intentions and make good decisions like Pinchas and the leaders did upon hearing of their brothers desire to stay within the nation of Isra’el. Lord look over me and let me always see to your truth and not accept rumor as something to act upon. I asked this and your shoes name amen

We must move when called

Y’hoshua (Joshua) 18:1-3

The entire community of the people of Isra’el assembled themselves together at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there, after the land had been subdued before them. There still remained among the people of Isra’el seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance. Y’hoshua said to the people of Isra’el, “How long will you delay going in to take possession of the land which ADONAI the God of your ancestors has given you?

When commanded by ADONAI we as believers cannot wait. Five years had passed, and seven tribes still remained to claim the land promised to the descendants of Avraham. Rather than step out in trust before God they clung to the coattails of Y’hoshua to the point he must chastise them for not moving forward on what they are supposed to do. How many of us have been called by God to serve in some part and stay kneeling at the altar begging for inspiration when have already been told to move? Lord forgive me in my laziness and provoke me to cry out Your name so the whole world knows You are the answer to everything. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

If knowledge is power, wisdom is knowing how to use that power

1 Corinthians 8:8-12

Now food will not improve our relationship with God—we will be neither poorer if we abstain nor richer if we eat. However watch out that your mastery of the situation does not become a stumbling block to the weak. You have this “knowledge”; but suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you sitting, eating a meal in the temple of an idol. Won’t he be built up wrongly to eat this food which has been sacrificed to idols? Thus by your “knowledge” this weak person is destroyed, this brother for whom the Messiah died; and so, when you sin against the brothers by wounding their conscience when it is weak, you are sinning against the Messiah!

There is a saying that knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. That is what Sha’ul is writing about here. As believers we know there is only one God and everything else is false but if our actions can be misconstrued for any reason, we should not do them. Anything that we do that can be perceived as sinful will damage our testimony so we must simply avoid them for the love of others so that they can come also to the full knowledge of ADONAI. Lord let me be a willing servant and step away from anything that might cause others to stumble and fail to know You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

The waiting is the hardest part

Y’hoshua (Joshua) 14:13-14

Y’hoshua blessed him and gave Hevron to Kalev the son of Y’funeh as his inheritance. So Hevron became the inheritance of Kalev the son of Y’funeh the K’nizi, as it is to this day; because he followed ADONAI the God of Isra’el completely.

Adonai promised Hevron to Kalev 45 years earlier and never once did Kalev forget that promise but waited patiently until God’s timing was fulfilled. We have seemed to have lost this part of our lives with all the “smart” accessories we have if we can’t get it immediately we reject it and move on. I believe God wants us to dwell on Him and his promises just as a young girl dreams of her wedding day, with longing and excitement so there is true reward when that moment finally comes. Lord help me to wait on You. Forgive my want of immediate gratification but let me rejoice in the waiting as well. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.