11/08/2022
"The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim with a message for the Israelites. He said, "I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I will never break my covenant with you. For your part you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead you were to destroy their altars.
Why, then, have you disobeyed my command? Since you have done this, I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. THEY WILL BE THORNS IN YOUR SIDES, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you." When the angel of the Lord finished speaking, the Israelites wept loudly..."
- Judges 2:1-5
ILLUMINATION
- In the latter part of this chapter, it shows us how incomplete Israel's conquest of the Promised Land really was. God had promised to be with them and guide them in this difficult task and process to subdue the land. At first, they displayed enough courage and strong faith in God which brought them numerous victories over their enemies and conquered several lands where some have occupied.
But later, faltering courage and lack of perseverance stopped the Israelites short of their goal.
We also, as spiritual Israelites must place our faith in God and persevere to preserve our spiritual gains.
The foundational reason for Israel's half-completed conquest of the Promised Land was their half-hearted commitment to God.
There were times, church leaders and workers failed to continue serving God in the ministry they were called to due to a half-hearted commitment and lack of perseverance.
The Israelites allowed the altars of their enemies to remain, and those religious and moral temptations contributed to their repeated failures.
We must not harbor in our hearts any influencing religious and immoral altars of the enemy to repeatedly lead us to moral and spiritual failures.
As what the Israelites did, we must repent and set things right with God.
No matter what wrong we have done, we can always turn to God.
He allows U-turn.
Have an unfaltered faith in God.
Trust Him completely and expect a complete victory.
Good and blessed day my beloved.
God bless you and keep you.
Baruch Hashem Adonai!
Shalom.
jbh
Light of the World Greenfields