GOD’s love is strong!

Exodus 34: ⁶ As he passed in front of Moses, he called out. He said, “I am the Lord, the Lord. I am a God who is tender and kind. I am gracious. I am slow to get angry. I am faithful and full of love. 

⁷ I continue to show my love to thousands of people. I forgive those who do evil. I forgive those who refuse to obey. And I forgive those who sin. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I punish the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sin of their parents.”

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“What a rotten year” I said to myself once. After getting dumped and numerous tickets and the dean saying you are no longer at this university and my boss saying it’s only a matter of time before we fire you, I had reached the last straw. I still did not turn to GOD but I was truly exhausted. Where should I go for help?

• Sin seems like a good idea when I am in pain.
• Throwing a pity party seems like a good idea when things are going wrong.
• Spreading my misery seems like a good idea when I am down.

I probably secretly want everyone else miserable around me so I pout and complain. I share my misery openly but calculate sharing my relationship with GOD. Then I sin and feel miserable and do it again. Is there any relief?

• GOD says “I am the LORD” which means HE is supreme.
• GOD says “I am a GOD who is tender and kind” which means HE sees beyond my situation.
• GOD says “I am gracious” which means HE understands my mess yet forgives me to the fullest.
• GOD says “I am slow to get angry” which means HE knows I’m going to mess up again and again.
• GOD says “I am faithful and full of love” which means HE is not out to get me like I sometimes fear.

GOD does quite the opposite of my thinking.  When I think I have arrived and act judgmental, HE is not pleased. When I realize how sinful I truly am acting HE reaches HIS arms out and gently leads me back to HIM. HE forgives me even when I refuse to obey HIM. HE loves me.

• Are you going through difficult times?
• Do you feel GOD has left you?
• Can you realize GOD is very slow to anger and knows what you are going through?
• Can you take a moment to praise HIM for HIS faithfulness towards you?
• Can you say out loud “Thank you GOD for loving me”?

Am I building a relationship with GOD?

Exodus 33: ³ “Go up to the land that has plenty of milk and honey. But I will not go with you. You are stubborn. I might destroy you on the way.”

⁴ When the people heard those painful words, they became sad and began to sob. No one put on any jewelry.

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¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If you don’t go with us, don’t send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people? You must go with us. How else will we be different from all of the other people on the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “I will do exactly what you have asked. I am pleased with you. And I know your name. I know all about you.”

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Work was the excuse for not going to church when I was in high school. I got off my job at 3:00AM so who would go sit and listen to a boring guy speak? In college I carried my lack of church attendance forward. I was studying… okay I wasn’t studying, but I had things to do.

I wasn’t giving, helping anyone or praying but I did have a problem with how GOD was doing things. I didn’t like how HE made money and relationships disappear. What’s the purpose with church and being a goody, goody?

• When I complain I am trying to get my way.
• When I ignore GOD’s ways I say to HIM I want to be on my own.
• When I pretend to be good in order to manipulate GOD I’m fooling only myself.

GOD wants a real, honest relationship with HIM.  HE doesn’t just want sin admission, HE wants me to want to be with HIM. My heart skipped a beat when I read “GOD would not go with me because I am stubborn.” It really made me examine my motives for serving if I was serving at all.

• GOD wants me to want to serve versus serving out of obligation.
• GOD wants me to want to love others versus being miserable in my actions.
• GOD wants me to want to give versus complaining I don’t have enough.

Free will means I have a choice. GOD wants me to choose HIM but will allow me to choose a different direction. HE will actually let me go on the wrong path which is scary! I thank GOD HE has decided to stay with me and not forsake me!

• Are you being stubborn?
• Are you building a pleasing relationship with GOD or have you decided to do it your way?
• Can you talk to GOD about your sin and be candid and honest with HIM so HE can work it all out?

Is GOD watching?

Exodus 32: ⁷ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Go down. Your people you brought up out of Egypt have become very sinful.⁸ They have quickly turned away from what I commanded them. They have made themselves a statue of a god that looks like a calf. They have bowed down and sacrificed to it. And they have said, ‘Israel, here is your god who brought you up out of Egypt.’

⁹ “I have seen those people,” the Lord said to Moses. “They are stubborn. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone. My anger will burn against them. I will destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

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News traveled to me quickly that the Resident Advisor was going to be gone over the weekend. “Really” I said in a planning fashion. It seemed like people were just asking me to do something. I hopped in my old jalopy, picked up some “friends” and we proceeded to the liquor store. My roommate and I counted twenty one phone calls were made to our room in a ten minute span.

• When no one is watching it seems so easy to sin.
• When authority is missing it seems so easy to go down the wrong path.
• When people aren’t looking it seems like sin won’t really hurt.

Sin seems like so much fun at the time. With frolicking and laughter, sin penetrates my heart and inserts a tiny bit of yeast which grows into a stony tree. Fortunately GOD did something about this.

• GOD saw how rotten my heart can be so HE died for me.
• GOD saw all of my sins and HE created me anyway to die for me.
• GOD saw my shortcomings and HE saw something worth rescuing so HE died for me.

JESUS knows there is no one who is righteous but HIM.  I can pretend I am not a sinner but when I do GOD is not in me. HE wants me to admit the many flaws I have in hopes that others will do the same and accept HIS gift of salvation.

• Are you aware GOD is watching you?
• Are you busy pointing at someone else rather than admitting the sin you commit?
• Can you be honest with GOD and allow HIM to work out your situation?

Are you getting enough rest?

Exodus 31: ¹⁶ “‘The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath. They must celebrate it for all time to come. It will be a covenant that lasts forever. ¹⁷ It will be the sign of the covenant I have made between me and the people of Israel forever.

“‘I made the heavens and the earth in six days. But on the seventh day I did not work. I rested.’”

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My “to do” list has grown substantially and I notice that I find myself working seven days a week. Technology makes it very easy to stay busy because people seem to have access to me twenty four hours a day. I say to myself, “It’s only one e-mail”, then I find ninety minutes have passed. Should I rest?

• Sometimes I think I should answer the phone all the time.
• Sometimes I think I need to take care of business so it doesn’t pile up.
• Sometimes I think the world will shatter if I don’t get these few things done.

I now see that a little turns into a lot quickly.  I do a “little” work and suddenly I am doing a lot. Meanwhile, rest eludes me. What should I do?

• GOD says I need to take some time to rest on purpose.
• GOD says I need to concentrate on HIM for a while.
• GOD says I need rest because even HE took the time and HE never sleeps.

Working all the time is a product of low faith on my part. I need to trust that GOD is in control of that day and commune with HIM to hear how I should conduct myself during the upcoming week.

• Are you working all the time?
• Do you find yourself dragging and tired?
• Can you take a day to worship GOD in rest?

Can I pay for my sins?

Exodus 30: The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives. Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of God, making atonement for your lives.”

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Tired of preachers “begging” for my cash and driving away in fancy cars wearing fancy suits I decided enough is enough. “I may as well keep my money instead of giving it to them!” I thought to myself.  BUT GOD says different.  HE does not want me to hold onto cash or be nervous about the lack of it. HE wants me to give freely to not fall in its deadly grip.

Is GOD, GOD in my life?

Exodus 29: ⁴⁴ “So I will set the Tent of Meeting and the altar apart. And I will set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests.

⁴⁵ “Then I will live among the people of Israel. And I will be their God. ⁴⁶ They will know that I am the Lord their God. They will know that I brought them out of Egypt so I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

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What a friend I have in JESUS or GOD is my roadie are songs I’ve heard but is HE really my pal or my buddy? I can ask HIM anything and I can tell HIM my deepest concern but HE is far from a pal or buddy. GOD is GOD. HE has the right to say yes to my prayers and HE can say “NO.” HE can give and HE can take away. HE can bless and judge. GOD is supreme in HIS decision.

I’m glad HE chose to save me!

GOD made me skilled!

GOD made me skilled!

Exodus 28:3 “Speak to all of the skilled workers. I have given them the skill to do this kind of work. Tell them to make clothes for Aaron. He will wear them when he is set apart to serve me as priest.

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It's amazing that GOD has given me the skills I use on a daily basis. I can't brag about accomplishing anything for it was GOD who enabled me to do everything I do. I also cannot complain that my skills are not adequate because GOD made me with a purpose that only I can fulfill!