"They just walked off and left God, quit worshiping Him." (Judges10:7)
Upon reading these verses, my instant thoughts are, "How can anyone just walk off and leave God".
It dumbfounds me how anyone could live life without Him. My mind becomes filled with such self-righteous and unholy thoughts.
And then I recall the years I lived life without Him.
Even today, I know until the day I die, I shall struggle with walking off and leaving Him, quit worshiping Him. Although it is only for a short period, it happens each and every time I choose to put "me" before Him.
A sin is a sin. It is only because I am in Christ am I saved. Made Holy by His Blood. Covered with His Grace and Mercy.
Thankfully, He is continually transforming my heart to not be judgemental and self-righteous to those who choose not to worship our ABBA. Instead I am looking at them with compassion, sorrow, fear for them, and Christlike love. And yes, there are still moments instead of praying for them...........I slip back into my old habits of not being Christlike to those of this world.
He brings to mind a woman I have had to interact with these past 14 years when working on a commercial property we take care of. Each encounter I have made it a conscientious effort to smile, be nice and pleasant. I have tried putting myself in her place, giving her the benefit of the doubt that her life is not a very happy one, etc.
One evening while spraying, I had my hose laying across the road as I went from side to side making my application. A car slipped up on me and I had to hurry over and move my hose. I glanced over to see "she" was behind the wheel. As she drove by me, I waved and smiled. She just gave me the once over look and drove by. No wave, no smile - just rudeness. At first I was really angry. How dare she reject me like that - again.
And then He started to work His accountability. It isn't about her and me. It is about Him and her. It is about Him and me.
Am I glorifying Him in all that I think, say or do?
So what if she rejects me. Stop taking rejection personal.
Bottom line - am I waving for His glory or mine.
I was aware of the minutes ticking by before I began to pray for her. Minutes ticking by before I took my pride and squished it beneath my heel. Each and every day I am striving for "immediate", not minutes or seconds later. With each encounter, He has me realize what little I know of a persons life.. I look about and recognize how our world is in such a self-destructive mode. I can hear God telling us, ""When they oppressed you and you cried out to me for help, I saved you from them. And now you've gone off and betrayed Me, worshiping other gods. I'm not saving you anymore. Go ahead! Cry out for help to the gods you've chosen—let them get you out of the mess you're in!" (Judges 10:12-14) And I wonder so many moments, at what point in today's world is He going to say, "Enough is enough"?
It scares me.
Not for myself - I'm in Christ and covered.
I have fear for those on the outside of His family. Those who are living a life totally focused on "self". How thankful I am our ABBA protects His own under His umbrella, that our souls are shielded from just how dark sin really is. My heart is breaking though, knowing there are persons living in such a dark, empty, sin filled world. It motivates me to try and introduce them to Him. To introduce them to a world that is full, safe and pure.
A world that is Him.
So many societies have self-destructed because they have walked away from God. America is a good place to be on this world. I pray for our future leaders, for the media, for people walking down the street.
I pray His own will choose to reach the masses for Him.............before "enough".
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