Pastor’s Corner

Trivia:

I was shocked to find out that only 25% of the Sahara Desert was covered by sand. Actually the majority of the Sahara consists of rocky plateaus, and gravel, beyond the sandy facade.

Do you remember what kind of knife did MacGyver carry? Swiss Army knife; Switchblade; Jackknife; Leather man knife? We'll see how observant you were or how good your memory is.

Challenge:

Psalm 78:56-66 "But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey His laws. 57 They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow. 58 They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made Him jealous with their idols. 59 When God heard them, he was very angry, and He completely rejected Israel. 60 Then He abandoned His dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where He lived among the people. 61 He allowed the Ark of His might to be captured; He surrendered His glory into enemy hands. 62 He gave His peoples over to be butchered by the sword, because He was angry with His own people--His special possession. 63 Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs. 64 Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths. 65 Then the Lord rose up as through waking from sleep, like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor. 66 He routed His enemies and sent them to eternal shame."

I don't know if you remember or not, but Shiloh mentioned in verse 59 was the early place of worship in the Promised Land. Then the capture and removal of the ark from Shiloh by the Philistines was a symbol of God's judgement. (1 Samuel 4:1-22)

The people turned their back on God, and God honored their wishes to not worship Him, He left them and allowed their enemies to take their ark. In this section of the chapter we are taught the repercussion of sin, and the rejection of God's people. This is an important lesson to pass onto our children.

We learn from these chapters several important lessons. God is gracious, but He can also be grieved, and will turn His back on His children when they refuse to fellowship and revere God in their lives. He won't force us to worship or follow in His ways, but there are many consequences that come along with these rebellious actions.

Yes, the Lord does rescue His children and graciously return to them, however, there are repercussions for their rebelliuos ways. In this case He never returned to dwell in Shiloh. We must teach those in our life that there are consequences for our sin. Yes God will forgive us, but we may not return to experiencing the nearness in our lives that we once enjoyed. Not because of His lack of forgiveness, but because of our choices to distance ourselves.

Though we repent of our disobedient ways, and return to a place of obedience, there might be a change when we return. Yes, He will forgive us of our ways, but there may be a change in our relationship with Him. We may experience lost opportunities, and scars that are indelibly imprinted on our lives.

In this instance Israel the northern kingdoms and their rejection of Him and His guidance in their tribes resulted in Judah the southern kingdoms experiencing God's special blessings on them. Due to their consistent obedience and desire to experience communion with God, He established Jerusalem as the nation of Israel's center of worship, and David becoming king defined Judah as the undisputed leaders of God's people.

We must reflect on these lessons, for our rebellious ways do result in harm and loss, sometimes irrevocably, in Israel's case they never fully returned to God's full favor. Generally, because they failed to return fully to allegiance to Him. Many times our rebellious ways result in harm to our place of harmony with Him, we so easily are brought to a place of becoming distant from Him. Not until we openly and honestly repent and seek His presence in our lives will we know again that special place of renewal. It wasn't His refusal to the nearness of the past, no, it is our discomfort, our distance, our lack of openness and contriteness.

SO GO WITH GOD for He will draw to our side if we but call upon Him and openly bring ourselves to Him. A repentant, open heart are the keys to renewed fellowship with Him, He never holds back when we strive to draw near. He as the story of the prodical son proves to us, when we turn our steps towards Him, He will run to us, place His robe of forgiveness on our shoulders, rejoice in our return, and celebrate our steps of renewal.

Oh my dear one, don't stand askance of Him, open your heart and mind to Him and He will draw you into His ways of renewal and blessing.