Untamable Unquenchable

Untamable Unquenchable

Genesis 19: ⁴ Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. ⁵ And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

⁶ So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, ⁷ and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! ⁸ See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

 

⁹ And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ¹¹ And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

 

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After GOD visited Abraham and told him he would create a nation, Abraham took Lot to the place where GOD showed him. But eventually this land was too small. This was not the final land. Abraham asked Lot what land he wanted. Lot chose Sodom because they had figured out a human version of the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, Lot did not know what the people of Sodom were into.

 

My Observations:

• Lot was requested, by the men, to bring the angels out so they could have sex with them.
• Lot, being desperate, offered up his virgin daughters.
• Lot was threatened by the men who quickly reminded him that he was from the outside of the city.

 

From lust to violence, the men raced towards the house to grab Lot and the angels. The men had never touched Lot, especially after being rescued by Abraham. They were probably worried that word would get to Abraham and they would be killed. But they decided to take a chance.

 

Their lusts were “very grave” according to the LORD. Lot probably tried to tame them by telling them what they were doing wrong against GOD. But Lot was not Abraham. He believed in GOD’s ways, but may have also wanted to straddle the fence and use the ways of Sodom when convenient. He easily offered up his daughters to save the angels.

 

This situation was handled by the angels blinding the men. Anyone who tried to approach Lot’s house would be blinded. Even the strongest could not get in. The small were probably sneaky, and tried to get into the house’s weak areas. They became blind too. GOD allowed the angels to begin judgement.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD provided details of the conversation between the men of Sodom and Lot, to Moses?
• Has your ministry at a place come to an end?
• If GOD is moving you out of a place, will you accept change and ask HIM “Where do you want me to go”?

Thermometer or Thermostat?

2 Kings 18: ⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶ He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

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Sitting in a crowd of old “friends” I felt a little awkward. I had given up a lot of the things everyone was doing and people urged me to join in. It won’t hurt, I thought to myself. Soon I found I was acting one way around people at church and another around people I would “hang” with.

• When I am double minded I flow with whatever crowd I’m with.
• When I am double minded my opinions change in fear of not being liked by the crowd.
• When I am double minded I may flip flop and not support any direction.

Double minded behavior feels great “in the moment” because I am comforted by the crowd, but I end up lacking because any opposing opinion of mine gets discounted. What should I do about flipping with the crowd?

• GOD wants me to hold fast to HIS ways which in many instances are against the crowd.
• GOD wants me to keep following HIM even when the path seems to disappear.
• GOD wants me to keep HIS commands even when I stumble and fall.

Fear of the crowd makes me change like a thermometer. When the crowd is one way, so am I. BUT GOD wants me to be like a thermostat. HE wants me to walk into a crowd and set the temperature rather than being affected by what’s going on around me. Thermostats can be changed by the owner to be set at the temperature HE needs it to be. Thermostats live a life of purpose.

• Do you change your words with the crowd?
• Do you feel you have to “fit in” so you are willing to compromise your relationship with GOD?
• Can you give more and more of your life over to GOD daily?
• Won’t you let GOD be the owner of your life which gives you purpose?

Keeping my side of the promise

1 Samuel 1: ¹⁰ In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

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¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

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 ²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

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“LORD, if you would just grant me this [insert wish] I will never do this again!” were my empty words on many occasions. This usually meant I was pulled over for speeding or doing something else I shouldn’t have been doing. GOD has actually granted my “wish” at that time and not so soon afterwards, I found myself doing “that” thing again.

• When I want my way I call out to GOD with an empty prayer.
• When I want to get out of facing the consequences I call out to GOD with an empty prayer.
• When I want my sin to be overlooked instead of forgiven I call out to GOD with an empty prayer.

I have made empty promises to GOD and HE doesn’t take them lightly. HE looks at a vow as a word chipped in stone. If I break my word then HE has consequences for me.

• GOD made promises to me regarding salvation so HE takes promises seriously.
• GOD made promises to me regarding protection so HE takes promises seriously.
• GOD made promises to me regarding life so HE takes promises seriously.

If I act wishy washy in regards to my promises to HIM why should I expect HIM to believe my prayer isn’t just a selfish cry for more stuff or more power. GOD would rather I not promise than to state a promise I never intended to keep. GOD hates manipulation but loves when I keep a promise to HIM.

• Are you trying to manipulate GOD or someone else?
• Do you think GOD will listen to you if you have no intention of keeping your promise?
• Won’t you try adjusting your prayer to include a vow to GOD you will keep?
• Won’t you keep your promise once GOD has blessed you with your desire?

Keeping Promises

Numbers 30:1 Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of Israel. He said, “Here is what the Lord commands. ² Suppose a man makes a special promise to the Lord. Or suppose he takes an oath and agrees to do something. Then he must keep his promise. He must do everything he said he would do.

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“I promise I won’t do that again” were my empty words to the LORD as I tried to escape consequences of my actions many times.  Whether it was a ticket that I got off with a warning or a close call with something else, I found that the thing I would “never” do again would be done again, sometimes within 24 hours!

• GOD doesn’t like my empty promises.
• GOD doesn’t like when I use a promise to get my way and then not keep my promise.
• GOD doesn’t like when I don’t follow through with my promises to HIM.

A vow to GOD is important to HIM. HE doesn’t take my promises lightly even though I might.  It may be a character situation that HE is looking at.  HE knows a destructive path is built on deception and when I lie to HIM by making a promise I have no intention of keeping, HIS anger is stirred.

• GOD wants me to make special promises to HIM to keep our relationship close.
• GOD wants me to keep those special promises, showing HE is more special than anything else.
• GOD wants me to do everything I said I will do and not change my mind when the going gets good.

If I vow to give more when I am wealthy then I must give more when I am wealthy. In fact I need to start giving more before I get wealthy. If I vow to stop doing something, then I need to stop doing that thing unconditionally rather than waiting on GOD to orchestrate the perfect time.

Making a promise is special to GOD.  HE doesn’t want me to shy away from doing that.  BUT HE would rather that I not promise rather than making an empty promise that I won’t keep.

• Have you made empty promises to GOD?
• Have you broken your vow to HIM?
• Can you ask HIM for forgiveness of your broken promises and realize HE forgives you?
• Can you stop trying to fix your broken promises and focus on your relationship with GOD?

GOD’s promise to me

Leviticus 26: ¹¹ “‘I will live among you. I will not turn away from you. ¹² I will walk among you. I will be your God. And you will be my people. ¹³ I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. I did not want you to be slaves in Egypt anymore. I threw off your heavy load. I helped you walk with your heads held high.

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Looking back at the mountain of sins I have committed I sometimes wonder “am I forgiven.”  I mean can GOD really forgive me for the candy I took when I was four? Or how about the time I lied about where I was going at sixteen? Or how about my present sins, can GOD really forgive these?

GOD says “Follow MY rules” but I break them all the time.

GOD says “Obey MY commands” but I ignore them at the drop of a hat.

GOD says “Trust in ME” yet I complain, doubt and worry.

These promises seem conditional and I have not met the conditions. What am I to do? I can’t go back and fix the sins I have already committed and I certainly am not crazy enough to think I will ever be sinless. Is there any hope?

GOD says “This is MY SON whom I am well pleased” which means I should focus on HIM.

GOD says “I am the way the truth and the life” which means my thought of saving myself is ludicrous.

GOD says “I helped you walk with your heads held high” which means I am saved from my lack of being able to follow HIS commands by believing in JESUS.

Many writers have said, “I am sinful” without saying “they are sinful.” GOD’s promises seem so distant until I realize HE loves me and pursues me in spite of me.

Are you feeling distant from GOD?
Do you think HE no longer loves you?

Can you stop feeding that lie and start believing HE really, really cares for you in spite of your actions?

Won’t you stop thinking your actions can control GOD and start believing HIS love for you is unconditional and everlasting?

Never compromise a standard

Genesis 23: ⁴ “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”

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¹¹ “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

¹² Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land ¹³ and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

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Cold was only the beginning of the pain we felt. The wind was blowing and it was dark and we were tired from practice. The bus was nowhere in sight and my buddy and I had a mile to walk on this last leg of my usual one hour commute. 

Our neighborhood was pretty good but it had a drug dealer and wouldn’t you know he and his thugs pulled up and offered a ride. We dove into the cars’ warmth and rode home in style. I mean I wasn’t going to use or sell drugs so it was okay right?

• My comfort sometimes makes me compromise my standards.
• My lifestyle sometimes makes me take shortcuts.
• My desire to avoid obstacles makes me take the easy route which may end up with a very bad outcome.

Abraham had a standard to never accept any charity from the group of violent people. He said “they will never be able to say they made me what I am” so he never compromised.  Many times I compromised to “fit in” or to “be comfortable.”  I wonder what GOD would have to say about that.

• GOD wants me to choose HIM over my comfort.
• GOD wants me to focus on HIS standards of love, grace and mercy rather than going the easy route of judgment and slander.
• GOD wants me to hold on to HIM rather than compromise.

When I choose to sin I am compromising what GOD said is right. I may mask my sin in blame or circumstance but when GOD looks at it, it’s still sin. HE wants me to follow HIS standard to bring others to HIM rather than pushing them away.

• Have you lowered your standard in any areas of your life?
• Are you showing grace to “those people” that GOD is showing you?
• Are you looking at yourself in a pitiful, deserving way or can you face the obstacle in front of you with GOD?