New Pattern Taught

"For he gave his laws to Israel and commanded our fathers to teach them to their children,

so that they in turn could teach their children too.

Thus his laws pass down from generation to generation.

In this way each generation has been able to obey his laws

and set its hope anew on God

and not forget his glorious miracles.

Thus they did not need to be as their fathers were--

stubborn, rebellious, unfaithful, 

refusing to give their hearts to God."

Psalm 78:5-8 TLB

Hard-headed.  Obstinate.  Self-sufficient.  Defiant.  Hard-hearted.  Adulterous.  My flesh is bent on such destructive ways.  It's easy to become unfaithful, forgetting God's might and power in the midst of the mess that is called life.  I easily get caught up in the mindset of this world, going with the flow of living my own way, forgetting the One who made me for Himself.

In order to become a nation of faithful followers of Christ, we must teach a new pattern to the next generation or else they'll just do what comes natural to their sinful flesh.  If the Gospel is not proclaimed, the Way will be lost, the Truth forgotten, and the Life snuffed out (John 14:6-7).  The new pattern of Jesus must be taught to those coming behind us or else they will never know of Him and His offer of abundant life.

Keep Covenant.  Without guidance of any kind, an introduction to Jesus, I naturally think the way to a better life is through hard work, adherence to a standard, and maintaining good morals and values.  I think the way to God is through religion, following a set of principles and sticking to it's practices.  Since I am stuck in this body of death, I can't seem to get it together, resulting in a nagging guilt that colors everything I do as I attempt this empty way.  I begin to think if this is what faith is all about, I don't see why anyone would want to be apart of it.

Jesus came to usher in a new age, a different covenant than the one that required the following of rules and the offering of sacrifices.  The new covenant, is so much better and rooted in the work that Jesus has already done, not on what it's followers do (Hebrews 8:6, Galatians 3:21-22).  Therefore, freedom is found in Christ as we learn to simply follow Him as He leads us closer to His Father (John 6:44).

I must teach the next generation of the joy that is found in keeping the covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Stay With Him.  The One True God is a relational God who is involved in the day-to-day details of my life.  He is not aloof and far away, keeping His distance so as not to be tainted by my mess.  Instead, there has been a pattern from the beginning of time of Him entering into the lives of those He created in His image.  

This is true of the people of Israel.  He never left them to their own devices after He delivered them from Egyptian slavery, washing His hands of them as if freedom was enough.  No, He never left them even when they gave Him every reason to do so by their unfaithfulness to Him, their constant whining and complaining.  Instead, He personally led them in His own unique way (Exodus 13:21).

In order to follow His lead in my modern life, I must pay attention, looking for the telltale signs of His mighty hand at work.  I can't expect to see a pillar of cloud towering above the path He wants me to take by day, and a column of fire lighting the way when the sun goes down.  That would be too obvious and impersonal.  Instead, His guidance is tailored to me as He leads me in a way I can recognize.  In order to go where He wants me to go, however, I must stay with Him instead of wandering off on my own.  This is not a practice that is naturally known to all, but must be taught.

I must teach the next generation the intimacy that comes in a personal relationship with a Shepherd that will personally lead them through each moment of their lives.

Accept Provision.  A constant hunger for more.  An unquenchable thirst for comfort.  A desire for power to dictate the details of my own life.  I am so much like the people of Israel who were given everything they needed, personally witnessing the power of the God who delivered them from harm's way, yet constantly displayed a spirit of discontentment and unfaithfulness (Numbers 11, 14, 20).

God is a generous Father who gives me far more than what I need.  He lavishes His love upon my life, sending little signs of His love for me throughout each day.  Yet, it's so easy to want more than what He gives, or even desire for it to come delivered in a different package.  My discontentment in what God has provided shows my utter lack of thankfulness for what is His best for me.  The new way that is so foreign to my ungrateful flesh is to develop a spirit of gratitude that comes with practice.  

I must teach the next generation the contentment that comes from accepting God's provision and seeing it as the lavish gift it is.

I live in the age of enlightenment where everything but the Truth is taught as virtuous.  In such a world, it is vital that I make it my mission to teach to those coming up behind me the new pattern of grace that comes through faith in Jesus.  In Christ, it is possible to walk in a new covenant based on grace and received by faith, to follow His lead in a world of independence, and to accept with gratitude what He graciously gives.  If no one tells them, those following behind will never know of such riches.  This is a new pattern distinct from the one that is extolled by the flesh and this fallen world, and it must be taught!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust in God's new covenant of grace and see the need to teach the truth to those coming up behind me.

When do I assume others know simply because I do?

How am I resistant to telling of the pattern of grace, fearing it rings hollow to young ears?

Returning to the Lord

"So Samuel said to all the Israelites,

'If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts,

then rid yourselves of the foreign gods

and the Ashtoreths

and commit yourselves to the LORD

and serve him only, 

and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'"

1 Samuel 7:3

The hem of His robe flapped in the wind as I walked by His side.  I drew comfort from the sound that reassured me of His presence.  Joy welled up inside as I gazed upon His loving countenance.  A gentle breeze stirred among the trees as we strolled along the narrow path.  As it grew rocky, I felt my heart flutter, unsure of my footing.   A single glance toward Him, however, was all I needed to restore my confidence in my foothold.

A sweet bunny hopped across the path, headed deep into the forest.  I was drawn as if by an unseen, irresistible force.  Just for a moment.  I will follow it only for a few feet.  I just want to see where it went.  It seemed innocent enough, this sideways jaunt off the path.  My Master will be there when I return.  Not to worry. 

Before I knew what was happening, I was all turned around, confused after only a few minutes of following the meandering trail of the forest creature.  Where is the path?  I must be close, but I don't see it.  This seemed like such a good idea at the time, but now that I'm lost deep in the woods, I wish I could see just a glimpse of my Shepherd.  Only a glance would set my mind at ease.  Why, oh why, did I leave the path of life?

The people of Israel were just like you and me; prone to fall away from the Lord.  As a result, God sent judges to His ancient people, using these leaders to get the people back on track.  In order for this repentance to be deemed as authentic, both for them and for us, it must be accompanied by certain actions.

Wholehearted Devotion

My heart was not in it.  For nearly twenty years, I did what I thought I should.  I read my Bible a few times a week.  Sunday mornings were set aside for church, sometimes even Sunday night.  I tried to talk about God, giving credit to Him when appropriate, although His name felt foreign to my lips. I offered up the obligatory prayer before meals and at bedtime.  I wanted to do right, but it seemed I couldn't stop thinking about myself, my plans and my problems long enough to seek God. (Isaiah 29:13) My spiritual life was quite shallow and unfulfilling.

One day, God introduced Himself to me in the form of a Bible study.  Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby and Claude King, opened my eyes to the truth of His presence in my life and vividly showed me how I can see Him at work all around me and even join in with what He is doing.  Incredible!  This idea of living with Him, in His presence, was so different from what I had been experiencing.  Suddenly, my faith was alive and I found myself wanting more and more of Him.

God did not send Jesus to die a horrible death on the cross so that I could live an unrewarding, meaningless and lifeless existence.  No!  He sent His Son so that I could bear fruit that lasts, experience abundance and flourish like a tree planted by streams of water. (John 15:8,16; John 10:10; John 8:36; Psalm 1:1-3)  Instead, I often choose my own way, fearing to let go of my own desires, unwilling to surrender my plans that seem so good, and hesitating to take the plunge into the sea of life.

Once I do take a chance and jump into the deep waters where Jesus is found, I discover that it is more than I could have ever imagined.  My faith grows as I trust Him more each day.  The bond between us grows stronger as I place more and more of my life into His hands, opening the deepest parts of my heart to Him.  A peace that is beyond my comprehension floods my heart and mind.  Now this is living, I think to myself.  What was a waiting for all those years?

If my repentance is real, it will be marked by a wholehearted devotion to God and His ways.

Purge

A little bit won't hurt, I tried to reassure myself as I stirred up the pot of delicious stew simmering over the campfire.  As I added all the ingredients, a fly had somehow found it's way into the pot.  Before I knew what was happening, it was a part of our dinner.  While I didn't relish the thought of including the disease-laden insect in my family's meal, I tried to justify my willingness to serve such a contaminated dinner by telling myself we were camping so anything goes.  In reality, even one fly is enough to ruin a whole batch of stew.

This is often how I deal with sin.  I figure that as long as I get rid of most of it, I'll be okay.  But even a little bit of envy can steal my contentment.  Even a dab of anger can grow a root of bitterness.  Even a tiny amount of lust can lead my heart away from my one, true Love.

Therefore, it is important that I do as God instructed the Israelites to do and remove every trace of idols and foreign gods.  God knows how easily influenced His people are by temptations that appeal to my fleshly desires, worldly mindsets that contaminate godly thinking, or enticing promises of power and prestige that interrupt God-honoring priorities.  (1 John 2:16)  If I leave even a trace of the sin in my life, it threatens to lead me away from Jesus.

As His child, then, true repentance is marked by a desire to completely purge my life from what offends Him.  If I am convicted to give up curse words, for example, I can't give myself a pass when I'm driving in traffic, figuring that God won't mind if I vent a little.  If God pricks my heart, impressing upon me the importance of giving up offensive movies, I can't allow myself to watch a film laden with dirty language and sex scenes just because it received an Oscar.  Or, if I know God wants me to use my time in a way that honors Him, justfying the hours frittered away in social media because I need a little "down time" won't satisfy God's jealous nature.

If my repentance is real, it will be marked by a true effort to purge my life of the sin that offends my holy Father.

Serve

My Plans.

My Desires.

My Dreams.

My Time.

My Money.

My Family.

My Life.

I like to think they all belong to me.  In the words of Jimi Hendrix, "I'm the one who has to die when its time for me to die, so let me live my life, the way I want to."

While it may seem like common sense that everything in my life belongs to me, when I enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, He becomes Lord of my life.  Now I have a new Master.  Instead of me being the author of my life, Jesus has stepped into that position.  Since He's not a bully, however, He will not forceably take headship.  Instead, He waits until I relinquish control, letting Him step into His rightful place as Lord of my life; a position which He gave His life as a ransom to purchase. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Therefore, when I want to serve my own interests, I can instead be all about my Father's business.  When I am tempted to run after the things I think I need, becoming a slave to my hunger, I can let my Father provide what He sees fit.  When I give my life in service to my family, dedicating myself to it's health and the well-being of every member, I can try serving God instead, placing my loved ones in His capable hands.

It is easy to let other people, pursuits or passions take the place of God in my life.  When I choose to cater to the needs of myself and others instead of following God and God alone, I am in danger of being unfaithful to Him.  If I make it my heart's desire to do only as He bids, then I will never go wrong.  Merely doing what I think is right will always lead to destruction.  (Proverbs 14:12)  

If my repentance is real, it will be marked by my endeavor to serve God and only Him.

I have much in common with the people of Israel who were prone to wander.  Likewise, I find it much easier to fall off the path of life than to keep my foot steady upon its hard surface.  Therefore, it is important that I turn toward God in repentance of my wayward ways.  When I do, I will know if this change is real by whether I am giving Him all of me, if I'm willing to rid myself of all temptation, and if I serve only God.  In these ways I will know that I am truly returning to the Lord.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Jesus.

When do I get distracted by things that don't really matter?

How am I easily discouraged from living a pure life?