Day 12 & 13
Numbers & Deuteronomy
Still in the book of Numbers and still God is a bit peeved at the disbelief of the people he's attempting to deliver to the promised land!
Numbers 32:10 says, "Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- not one except Caleb and Joshua, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly."
"Wholeheartedly" is used many times -- so I looked up the definition:
Doing or done with all one's energy, enthusiasm. Sincere, earnest...
Wow. That really spoke to me about how we should be living our life for Christ.
With all our energy.
With enthusiasm.
Sincere.
Earnest.
I know I am all those words as it relates to "autism" but am I all those things as they relate to my pursuit of Christ?
Sadly, I'd have to say most times, no. To do that, the pursuit of Christ must be first in our life and until we make that choice to pursue God "wholeheartedly" - more than we pursue loving a boyfriend/husband/hobby/dream/career, etc -- I believe that like the Israelites, we will not receive the full portion of our promised land.
Humbling thoughts...
Again in Deuteronomy 1, God is saying, "......not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly."
Again, wholeheartedly....
We can't just "say" we are Christians and we can't just sit in pew and think that makes us Christians. We can't pursue, believe, follow Christ only when we have time leftover from other pursuits to.
We must pursue him wholeheartedly.
In Deuteronomy 4, it says, "Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. (You mean there's more laws and rules? Ha ha ha) Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you."
Again God speaks about idolatry and how it is forbidden to put anything before God. To worship anything but God, as God is "a consuming fire, a jealous God." But that yet if we have sinned, if we did worship other things before God, "...but if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul...for the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with you..."
Again, "wholeheartedly". If we seek him wholeheartedly....
Deuteronomy 6:4
"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates."
I couldn't help but come away with a sense that God is asking, no begging, us to embrace those principles today. Obey my laws and commands and I will give you the promised land of provision and peace. Perhaps not pain free -- but a promised land of the fullness of God in our lives.
If we would believe him, pursue him, obey him -----
Wholeheartedly.
