Just and Right

I don’t know about you, but for me it is more difficult to eat right than to exercise consistently. Both are good, and both take a level of dedication and willpower. But for some reason, for me at least, it is easier to do what is right, like exercising – than to abstain from doing what’s wrong like eating too much. So, where am I going with this? In our walk with God, for some, it may be easier to do what’s right like sacrificing our time, energy and talents for God than to abstain from doing what’s wrong, like disobeying God’s commands. Proverbs 21 verse 3 explains God’s view on such matters:

"To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

I believe in another place in the bible God says that he prefers obedience over sacrifice. So, doing what is just and right, or being obedient to God’s commands is better than presenting sacrifices or denying ourselves for the cause of Christ. Both are good and both take a level of dedication and discipline. Which do you find is the easier task? For me it has always been easier to sacrifice than to be sinless. And this verse of scripture tells me that it should be the other way around.

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Proverbs 21:3 reminds us to “do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice”. Both are good, but we need to prioritize the way God wants us to. By sacrifice, God could mean the killing of animals which would only apply to the Israelites. But I think the intent of this scripture extends to any form of sacrifice. If that is true, then obeying God’s commands, or maintaining a blameless life, as free from sin as possible, is more important than all of the charity work, money donations, or selfless deeds anyone can sacrifice.

Inquire of God

As I read many of the stories in the book of Joshua, I’m continually amazed at the character of God. God tells the Israelites to destroy, or drive out, the inhabitants of the promise land, and not to make any treaties with them. But the Gibeonites tricked them. When they approached the Israelites they wore worn out clothes and brought with them moldy food so that it seemed as if they traveled from far away. And in Joshua chapter 9 verses 14 and 15 it says these words:

"The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.+

Later, Joshua realized his mistake, but since they made the treaty, they had to stick with the agreement. If only Joshua would’ve inquired of the Lord before making a decision. If he did, God would’ve revealed the deception and he could’ve taken appropriate action. How many times do we move forward with a decision without inquiring of the Lord? Prayer to our Lord should be the first step in any plan. I encourage you, whatever you plan to do, whatever situation you face, before you do anything, inquire of the Lord.

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Inquiring of God shouldn’t be a last resort, it should be the first thing we do in every important decision or challenging situation. Joshua didn’t inquire of God and he was duped. Hopefully, we can learn from his mistake and get on our knees at the very start of the process.

Not With You

I was struck by something I read in the bible the other day from the book of Joshua. As God led the Israelites to take possession of the promised land, he gave them specific orders as to what they can plunder and what they should leave, or destroy. When the greed of one of the soldiers got the best of him, he disobeyed God and took some of the plunder that was slated for destruction. As a result, during the next battle, God pulled back his divine favor and the Israelites lost. In Joshua chapter 7 verse 12 the Lord shares this with Joshua. He said:

"That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction."

God then calls this one soldier out, and the Israelites stone him and his family to death so that the Lord would turn from his anger. You see, God pulled away because the Israelite’s sin and his holiness do not mix. Likewise, when we sin, we should never think that it will not affect our relationship with God, because it does. God tells Joshua that he will not be with the Israelites anymore unless he destroys whatever among them that is devoted to destruction. I challenge you, if you have sin in your life, do everything you can to get rid of it. Until you do, there is no way you can have a strong relationship with God, because sin and his holiness do not mix.

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Sin and God’s holiness do not mix. When we sin, it drives a wedge between us and God. Sure, sin can be forgiven, but as I look at the story in Joshua, I realize that the character of God reveals how much he hates disobedience. He withdrew his favor from the Israelites until they “destroyed whatever among them that was devoted to destruction.” If you haven’t already, I think it is time that we take our sin seriously. I know it can be difficult to break bad habits and sinful addictions, but as believers, that is what we are called to do.

My Disciple

When I compare what I see in many Americans Christian, with other Christians in persecuted nations, I begin to realize that more often than not, those in persecuted nations have something we lack. Now, it’s not our fault that we lack what they have, and I won’t suppose that every western believer suffers from this. But from what I experience in my own little world, I think we do lack this specific thing. And this one thing that I’m referring to is any dedication to becoming true disciples of Jesus. I should preface that statement by sharing these two verses from Luke chapter 14. In verse 26 Jesus says:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple."

Then in verse 33 it says:

"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." 

You see, unlike our persecuted brothers and sisters, many of us have never been tested as to whether we would “give up everything for the gospel” as Jesus outlines. When we count the cost of being a Christian it usually doesn’t involve giving up our relationship with our families or even giving up anything substantial. Again, it isn’t our fault that we aren’t put to the test, it is actually a blessing. But I would challenge you to really evaluate your dedication to Christ. Would you go so far as to give up your family to be his disciple? Would you give everything to follow him? If you’re not sure, then I would suggest that you haven’t counted the costs. Jesus warns us about being lukewarm for him. He says that he’d rather us be hot or even cold. How hot are you for him? The answer to that question will help you know if you’ve really counted the cost of following him.

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Jesus tells us that when we make the decision to become a Christian, we need to count the cost of what that decision entails. Those in persecuted nations realize that cost right when the accept him. Many of us in America don’t realize the cost until some form of persecution comes our way – and in many cases, it never does. But even still, we have to be hot of Christ, or as I like to call it “hardcore” about our faith. We should be all the way in or totally out; or hot or cold as the bible describes. I challenge you to evaluate whether you’ve actually counted the cost of following Christ. It is better to find out now, than when your faith is put to the test.

Keeping Watch

How often do you think about the omnipresence of God? I know I don’t think about it as often as I should. If I did, I’d be forever mindful of my thoughts and actions and hopefully, as a result, I’d live a pure and blameless life before our God. But the truth is that God is everywhere. He sees everything and he knows everything. He knows what we do in public and what we do in private. Proverbs 15:3 reminds us of this:

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."

Those who are innocent and being taken advantage of can take heart in this scripture. God is well aware of your situation. His eyes are everywhere, and he knows what you’re going through. For those who are away from God or have never known God, this verse is for you too. And for those who are doing wrong and believe that their actions have gone unnoticed, this verse is for you as well. The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Everyone on the face of this earth would do well to remember this truth.

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Proverbs 15:3 reminds us that the eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. This should serve as an incentive to be mindful of our words, actions and even our thoughts. If you knew your life would be laid bare before God, would you change anything? I encourage you to give that question some thought, because the truth of the matter is that whatever you’re doing, wherever you are, God is keeping watch. May we find God’s favor in our words and deeds.