True Identity

The Story: Chapter 9              The Bible: Ruth

Ruth 1:2b-4  They entered the region of Moab and settled there. Sometimes later Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. Both her sons married Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth). And they continued to live there about ten years.

            How many times had the Israelites been warned against mixing with the neighboring nations? To Elimelech’s credit, it does appear that he held his family together and his sons did not marry Moabite women until after his death. Yet still, inter-marriage was forbidden; any assimilation of other religions was forbidden. The Moabites held to the pagan belief of many gods, not belief in the one true LORD God Almighty.

            We know the story. The sons of Elimelech, Mahlon and Kilion, soon die and Naomi is left alone with the two Moabite daughters-in-law. Orpah turns back, but Ruth continues to stay with Naomi and follow her all the way back to the land of Judah. So how is it possible, that a Moabite woman born into pagan culture would become the great-grandmother of King David and found in the lineage of Christ? The answer is a simple one, really.

Ruth 1:16  But Ruth replied, “Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God.”

            Ruth was willing to forsake her pagan heritage and follow the one true God with Naomi. Her devotion to the LORD was complete and total for the remainder of her life. Her true identity was no longer tied to her pagan background, but her true identity would from henceforth be forever with God’s people.

            That same opportunity is available to us today. Through the grace of God, we have the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 10:13  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Today’s Prayer Suggestion:  Offer thanksgiving to God for his mercy and grace. Thank Him for the gift of salvation we have through Jesus Christ. Thank Him that our true identity from henceforth will be a forgiven child of our Heavenly Father.

 

The devotional True Identity appeared first on Write From My Heart at

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible^® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

General format for WFMH devotionals will follow the pattern of chapters outlined in The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, M. Lucado & R. Frazee, Zondervan, 2005, 2008, 2011.

Round and Round It Goes

The Story: Chapter 8              The Bible: Judges 2-21

            The full expression from which this devotional takes its title is Round and round it goes, and where it stops nobody knows. The expression is used to denote a situation or pattern of events that repeats itself seemingly endlessly. And so it was with the Israelite nation with the exception that God alone knew where the cycle would cease its repetition. Here is the summary:

Judges 2:7  The people worshiped the LORD throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.

Judges 2:10-13  That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the LORD’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel. The Israelites did evil before the LORD by worshiping the Baals. They abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped them and made the LORD angry. They abandoned the LORD and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Judges 2:16-17  The LORD raised up leaders who delivered them from these robbers. But they did not obey their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned aside from the path their ancestors had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the LORD’s commands, but they did not.

Judges 2:18-19  When the LORD raised up leaders for them, the LORD was with each leader and delivered the people from their enemies while the leaders remained alive. The LORD felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. When a leader died, the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one. They would follow after other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They did not give up their practices or their stubborn ways.

            And so the cycle continued…   

àDisobedience & Rebellion

àThe LORD would rescue by raising up a judge to lead them

(Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon also called Jerub-Baal, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson – it wasn’t as if the Israelites weren’t given enough chances!)

àPartial or Temporary Obedience

(only as long as the leader remained alive and life was “good”, then the next generation would prove to be even more corrupt and evil would once again prevail)

   àback to Disobedience & Rebellion

            Are we any different today? Oh, I know we do not live under the old covenant but under the new covenant of life in Christ. But don’t we follow the same pattern?

Straying from the path of righteousness

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

God rescues us and sets us back on track

Romans 4:7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

We obey temporarily while life is “good”

Then comfort sets in and we return to our old ways.

Ephesians 4:22-5:5 excerpts  …put off your old self … put off falsehood … get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander… nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place

Round and round it goes…but where it stops, be certain GOD DOES KNOW!

Matthew 24:42, 44  Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. … Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Where do you find yourself in the cycle? Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s merciful salvation through grace. Thank your Heavenly Father for Grace to face every trial, challenge, or situation without yielding to the world’s whims. Thank God for the inner courage to stop the cycle and remain faithful to Him.

 

The devotional Round and Round It Goes appeared first on Write From My Heart at

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible^® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

General format for WFMH devotionals will follow the pattern of chapters outlined in The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, M. Lucado & R. Frazee, Zondervan, 2005, 2008, 2011.

Why would we do such a thing?

The Story: Chapter 7-8           The Bible: Joshua 23-24, Judges 1-2

            Joshua is coming to the length of his years and now it is time to dismiss the Israelites to settle in the land of Canaan—each tribe to secure its own portion of land. As we remember, Joshua’s farewell comes with a stern warning:

Joshua 23:12-13  But if you ever turn away and make alliances with these nations that remain near you, and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you; they will be a whip that tears your sides and thorns that blind your eyes until you disappear from this good land the LORD your God gave you.

            The people have committed to following the LORD. Joshua has entered their agreement into the Law Scroll of God and a stone has been set in place as a witness (Joshua 24:25-27). Joshua has now been laid to rest at the age of 110. It is now time for the various tribes to take possession of the land allotments God has provided. And we must keep in mind that nations will not be conquered because of Israel’s righteousness or that Israel deserves some bonus gift; but destruction will come because of the evil and idolatry the nations have committed against the LORD. This is the reason that Israel as God’s chosen people must totally destroy all evil from the land they are to inherit; this is the reason they are not to mingle with, marry with, nor assimilate into other nations.

            All starts out reasonably well with the tribes of Judah and Simeon aiding each other to conquer their allotted lands. Defeat is total and God is with them. Caleb’s clan also fulfill their tasks according to the God’s instructions.  These events are recorded in Judges 1:1-20, 22-26.

            Then, as my Bible indicates by a subheading, comes the “Partial Success” of the tribes recorded in Judges 1:21, 27-36:

·       v. 21    Benjamin did not conquer…

·   v. 27  Manasseh did not conquer… nor their surrounding towns… they never totally conquered them

·       v. 29    Ephraim did not conquer…

·       v. 30    Zebulun did not conquer…

·       v. 31    Asher did not conquer…

·       v. 33    Naphtali did not conquer…

·       v. 34    Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country…

            It has been said that the Book of Joshua describes the establishing and building up of God’s chosen people while the Book of Judges describes the deterioration of God’s chosen people. The angel of the LORD—the  LORD’s messenger who is to be treated with the same respect as Yahweh for he speaks the words of Yahweh to the people—brings words of indictment:

Judges 2:1-3  He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’ But you have disobeyed me. Why would you do such a thing? At that time I also warned you, ‘If you disobey, I will not drive out the Canaanites before you. They will ensnare you and their gods will lure you away.’”

            We have not been called to conquer lands, but we have been called to be a faithful people of God. We have been called to remain true and not to compromise with the world. Compromise with the world lures us away from God. The hard truth is “Partial Success” is failure to obey.

Why would we do such a thing?

Today’s Prayer Suggestion:  Take time to examine your life for ways or areas in which you might be compromising with world standards. Yield these areas to the LORD and ask for guidance and strength to remain faithful to your Heavenly Father.

 

The devotional Why would we do such a thing? appeared first on Write From My Heart at

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible^® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

General format for WFMH devotionals will follow the pattern of chapters outlined in The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, M. Lucado & R. Frazee, Zondervan, 2005, 2008, 2011.