Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 11:1, Now Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.”
This is what happens when God’s people reject the LORD as King of their lives. The enemy rears its ugly head, and the people immediately turn to God. No…wait…they do not turn to God. When trouble showed up at Israel’s front door, rather than take a stand because Almighty God was the King who would fight for them, they cowered and sought to strike a deal with the enemy, and become their slaves. How sad is it when we, God’s children, become fearful of the trials, tribulations, and challenges in our lives, and instead of turning to God, we turn to man and our own wisdom in trying to find a solution. The evidence of who God really is in our lives will show up when trouble comes to visit. Regardless of how much we say we trust God, and regardless of how much we proclaim our faith, the evidence of whether or not we truly trust the Lord to take care of us will be seen clearly when the rug gets pulled out from under us. It does not matter where the trial originated. Whether of our own doing or someone else’s, God does not forsake us, and it is only when we have forsaken Him that we will step back and cower, when in fact we should be standing up boldly and humbly, knowing that the Lord is faithful and will carry us through whatever challenge He allows to show up in our lives. The Israelites immediately sought safety in a covenant with man; a covenant that could easily be broken if man chose to. Whereas a covenant with God is one that He will not break, because God is a God of His Word. Psalm 118:8-9 clearly states, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in princes.” Jeremiah 17:5 says, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Cursed in the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.’” There is verse after verse that warns against trusting in man, or our own wisdom, over trusting in God. Proverbs 26:28 reads, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” What amazes me about what Israel chose here is that in spite of the hardness of their hearts, the Lord still used King Saul to deliver them from the potential oppression they were facing. Again, even though the trouble came as a result of their own rejection, God remained faithful to them. The one thing the devils love to do is convince us that when we sin against the Lord, this somehow lessens the love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace He shows toward us. That is a lie straight out of the pits of hell and contrary to God’s Word. There are consequences, but one of those consequences is never the loss of God’s love for us. We are to strive each day to live holy lives, but when we stumble, when we sin, God does not forsake us. He has given us the answer to those times when we stumble. In 1 John 1:8-10 we are told, “If we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us.” Romans 8 reminds us that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from His love. Had Israel not forsaken their God, and had they surrendered their lives to Him, being confident of the truth that He would never forsake them, instead of cowering and seeking a foolish and weak solution, they would have stood against their enemies knowing that God would fight for them as He already had in the past. When we have full confidence in who God is in our lives, we realize that there is no enemy who can stand up against our God or defeat Him. Romans 8:31 asks, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” The answer is a simple one, “No one.” I will leave us with this wonderful reminder from Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. 8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” If we trust in the LORD, we have no need to fear man or circumstances, but in order to avoid such fear, we must always be sure never to forsake our God, and trust Him completely.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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