IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010

Bottom Line or Smack-dab in the Middle

Joyce said this (Friday) morning that it took the Hebrews 40 years to make an eleven (11) day journey.  And that is true.  She also said that it took that long because they were continually impatient, murmuring and complaining. And she is right again, they did that.  But why did they do that? Why did they murmur and complain?  Why were they impatient? Was it because they were human?  Not really.  Was it because the days were long and hot and dry?  To be sure they were that; but I don’t think that was the reason for their impatience or the murmuring or the complaining.  So what was it?  I believe ABBA gives us the answer in Hebrews 3.  There He speaks of the People who came out of Egypt with Moses and we clearly know of whom He was speaking. And then we read verse 19 and we have our answer. 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. [source] So what did they not believe?  Here’s what I think.  I think they refused to believe that GOD IS GOOD.  I think they had lies running through their heads and they chose to believe those lies. Maybe thoughts like these: God cannot be good or He would not put us through this.  He would not leave us out here in this wilderness if He loved us.  He would give me something besides this ______ if He cared about me. He knows I am miserable and still He does nothing to change this mess.  My feet hurt and I’m tired of this! What kind of God is He to let me suffer like this? No good God would do this. Maybe He does not exist at all.  How could He even be God and let this happen to me?

See what I mean?  Any soul who entertains these kinds of thoughts will become bitter, they will complain, and they will murmur because they are smack-dab in the middle of UNBELIEF.  And there is only one way out – stop believing the lies and believe God.  Simple, huh? Yes, simple, but impossible to do – alone that is.  Yes, without faith it is Impossible.  But with God all things are possible, even believing Him.

Hebrews 11:5-7 (New King James Version)

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. [source]

This has been called God’s Hall of Faith and it goes on and on.

The Bottom Line is this: God IS, He is Good and He loves us – believe Him or not, it’s our choice.  And yes we can believe Him if we want to.  To say we cannot believe is just another lie from the pits of hell.  God built into every one of us a measure of faith big enough to believe Him – if we want to.  Faith enough for our eternal salvation and faith enough to withstand whatever He allows hell to throw at us in the here and now.  Say it with me: God is Good, all the time, every time, God is good!

Romans 12:3 (New King James Version) For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. [source]

I have one more verse to offer.  As we read it let us be mindful that the sin of unbelief starts as a ‘temptation’.

1 Corinthians 10: (New King James Version)13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  [source]