“‘Am I the one they are hurting?’ asks the LORD. ‘Most of all they hurt themselves, to their shame.’”
Jeremiah 7:19
Idolatry… yes, once again we are confronted with the people of Judah who committed the act of idolatry. They were making sacrificial fires and cakes to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility (Jeremiah 7:18); and they poured out liquid offerings before this false god.
Is it any wonder why God was infuriated? God was so infuriated He had told Jeremiah, “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you,” (Jeremiah 7:16). God was not looking the other way. He saw they were breaking His commandment not to have any other gods before Him. They were to love God with all their heart. Instead, the people of Judah had hearts filled with unfaithfulness towards God. In other words, they were being disloyal towards God.
In sinning against God, disregarding His commands, and turning away from Him, they were hurting themselves. Isaiah 59:2 says this: “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.” By committing the act of idolatry, they had committed spiritual suicide. They had cut themselves off from the Wellspring of Life, the Source of Strength, their Deliverer. They turned away from the Almighty Everlasting God.
Before we judge the people of Judah harshly, we need to look at ourselves. Are we being unfaithful to God in any way that would cause Him to look away from us?
Let’s go further. The purpose of the sacrificial system God put in place was not to please Him. The purpose of the sacrifices to be made would make the people recognize their sin, cause them to repent, and to refocus them back to living for God. The purpose of the sacrificial system was to spur the people on, to encourage them to take joy in obeying God.
In this passage of Scripture, the sacrifices the people of Judah were doing before God dishonored Him because they were doing the sacrifices out of duty and obligation, not out of love or wholehearted devotion to Him. They were making sacrifices to the goddess Ishtar while they were also making sacrifices to God. They had turned away from God, disregarding His command not to have any other gods before Him.
Remember this: God DOES NOT conform to our will and our ways. We MUST conform to what God wills and desires. God is to have first place in our lives. He will not share His glory with another, and He is not sharing first place in our lives with anything or anyone else. Either God is God in our life, or He is not.
Let’s choose Life by choosing God because He is life. He is the Giver of Life. He is the One who sustains us, and He alone is worthy of all the glory and praise. Think of all that He has done for You. Let’s bring honor to His name by walking in obedience after Him. Let’s walk uprightly with undivided hearts, giving Him first place in our lives. Whatever it is that we need to remove to progress in our relationship with Him, then let’s remove it and press on. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:33.
Heavenly Father, You are still on the throne, and You are still sovereign. You are Lord, and You are Master. You are faithful and true. You know all things from beginning to the end. Nothing is hidden from Your sight, and everything is exposed before You. You, O God, truly know the depths of our heart. Father, when we walk away from You, we are only hurting ourselves. We are sorry for our wrongful ways and sinful attitudes before You. Lord, forgive us for our sins, and we ask that You cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let us not be as the people of Judah but let us remember that You alone must have first place in our lives and that You will not share Your glory with another. Remind us that we are to conform to Your will and to Your ways. Give us the wisdom and the insight to understand that sin separates us from You. Help us to understand that You do not tolerate sin, that we are to be holy as You are holy. Give us the strength to remain steadfast in You. Time is short, Father God, and the return of Christ is nearer than it ever has been. There is no time to straddle the fence, and You do not play games. Lord, let us be living sacrifices before You that are pleasing and honorable in Your sight. Use us to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.” -Joshua 7:13
Years ago, I was talking with someone who said this, “Linda, I know I’m going to Hell. What is the point of me serving God when I want to do what I want to do? If I serve God, then I can’t do what I want.” I sat there in complete silence. “I know I’m going to Hell…If I serve God, then I can’t do what I want.” What could I have said? We had already talked about heaven and hell. We had already talked about what the Bible had to say about life of sin the person was in. Yet there was that statement, “If I serve God, then I can’t do what I want.” I left the person’s house that day shaking my head. There was nothing more I could say. The person chose misery over living for God. The person chose death and destruction over eternal life. That person to this day, years later, is still locked in a life of sin, believing their sin is okay in the eyes of God.
Sin of any kind is detestable in the eyes of God. Like the Israelites, until sin is removed from our life, we will be defeated. We cannot be steeped in sin and expect God to work on our behalf to give us victory.
The Lord had given a command to Joshua just before they went in to conquer Jericho, “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury,” (Joshua 6:18-19). Achan, however, decided to disobey the command the LORD gave through Joshua. In chapter 7, the Israelites went to conquer the city of Ai and got defeated because sin was found in the camp. Achan had the things devoted for destruction including things that were to be brought into the Lord’s treasury. He hid them under his tent. His sin didn’t just affect him. The results of his sin cost the Israelites victory in conquering the city of Ai. Joshua and the elders fell on their face before God because they were defeated at the battle of Ai. That is when God said this, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction,” (Joshua 7:10-12).
What is in your camp (life, heart) that needs to be removed? When we speak about consecration to God, we are speaking about being set aside for His service. We are speaking about being made holy. We are talking about being sanctified. It is essential for us to understand God is absolute perfection. He is holy, and He says, “Be holy for I am holy.” He doesn’t command us to do the impossible. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. However, in Christ, we are given all we need to live holy lives for the Lord.
The Lord gave a specific command in Joshua 7:13, “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.” The Israelites needed to purge their encampment of sin. They needed to go before God and purify themselves. They needed to set themselves apart for service for God. Achan’s sin affected him, the nation, and his clan. Once the sin was confessed, the sin was purged from the camp. Achan and his family paid the consequences of Achan’s sin: death. His sin brought death and destruction to his family. After Achan and his family were put to death, Joshua and the Israelites went to battle the city of Ai again and were victorious. They conquered Ai.
We would do well to learn from Achan and not hide sin that may be in our life.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness,” (1 John 1:9). When we confess our sins before God, we can trust and know He will forgive us. We can know and trust that He is Yahweh M’Kaddesh, the Lord Who Sanctifies. Though God’s mercies are new every morning and His compassion never fails, we are never, never, never to take advantage of God’s mercy and grace.
When King David had repented before God, he stated this, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me,” (Psalm 51:7-11). God doesn’t reject a broken spirit or a contrite heart that comes before Him in genuine repentance and humility. When we consecrate ourselves before God, we are coming out from amongst them. We are separating ourselves apart for His service. Before God, we must make a decision.
Will we consecrate ourselves before Him? Will we rend our hearts before Him? Will we live for Him in wholehearted devotion and in service to Him? Will we allow ourselves to be used by Him in whatever capacity He chooses? Choose you this day whom you will serve.
We are a Royal Priesthood. First Peter 2:9 states, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Since we are a royal priesthood, we must go before God and consecrate ourselves before Him. When we consecrate ourselves before God, we empty ourselves before Him; in other words, we pour ourselves out before Him.
I cannot stress this enough: holiness and worldliness do NOT mix. You cannot be a friend of God and a friend of the world. The foundation of our lives must be built on Christ. He is the Solid Rock, and there is no other. We cannot escape from Him. He is the Fountain of Living Water. He is the Manna (Bread) of Heaven. And He is more than enough. We cannot speak about being consecrated to God without discussing holiness. When we consecrate ourselves to God, we are literally giving ourselves over to His service. We are pouring ourselves out before God just as the woman with the alabaster jar did when she broke the bottle of nard over Jesus. We consecrate ourselves to God in complete abandonment.
Linda A. Knowles
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Hebrews 10:31 KJV
If any verse in the Scriptures makes me shudder, it’s this verse, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Some translations say, “dreadful thing,” “terrible thing,” “terrifying thing,” and then one translation says, “fearful and terrifying thing.” God is the Almighty, the Omnipotent One (Revelation 1:8, 15:3, 19:6). God does NOT play games (Leviticus 10:2, 1 Chronicles 13:10, Psalm 50:3).
What is so terrifying about falling into the hands of the Living God? Because this verse is speaking of judgment. God is awesome, and He is holy. His righteousness is pure. The Lord warns us of sin and the consequences (Romans 6:23). He warns us what happens when we do not turn from our evil and wicked ways (Luke 13:3, Romans 2:5). By warning us, God is granting us mercy. By giving us a chance to repent, He is demonstrating His longsuffering and patience towards us; the Lord does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Through the Scriptures, we can see He is calling people to repentance (Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19). When someone sneers arrogantly at the Holy Spirit, when someone mocks or reviles the Holy Spirit and shows complete and utter contempt for the Holy Spirit, they are severing themselves from the Holy Spirit. In other words, they have broken themselves off from the Holy Spirit and they are unable to know the prompting of the Holy Spirit and His leading. It’s the point of no return (Deuteronomy 28:15, Isaiah 63:10). When someone falls into the hand of the Living God, at this point, is where they discover how wrong they are, but it’s too late. Judas is a great example of this. Judas betrayed Christ, and by the time, he realized how wrong he was, it was too late for him (John 13:21-30). Falling into the hands of the Living God will be frightening for the one who has rejected and scorned the Holy Spirit and committed the outright rejection of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32, Hebrews 10:28-29). The true children of the Living God do not need to worry about facing God in judgment. Those who are not living lives that practice sin will be able to stand before God.
“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God,” (1 John 3:7-10 NLT).
“In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like him. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us,” (1 John 4:17-19 BSB).
Linda A. Knowles
“PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU”
By Linda A. Knowles
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“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.”
Isaiah 26:3 KJV
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There is no one like Jesus. He gives us a peace that this world cannot afford. As a Child of the Living God, peace is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit that is produced and worked in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This peace is something you don’t have once in awhile. The peace Jesus gives you is for ALL the time, not once in awhile, not sometimes. ALL THE TIME. The peace He gives you is perfect. The peace He gives you is complete, not lacking.
In Isaiah 26:3, we see it is the Lord who gives us perfect peace. The transliteration for the words “perfect” and “peace” is the Hebrew word “Shalom.” That phrase perfect peace means “calmness, tranquility, rest, contentment, safety, soundness, complete.” Think about that for a moment, you can go about your day knowing you, as a Child of the Living God, have been given that kind of peace by Jesus Christ your Savior. The peace that Jesus has given you allows you to be free. When you keep your mind fixed upon Jesus and all that He has done for you, He keeps you in perfect peace (Complete Rest) because you are trusting in Him.
As you are going about your day, remember you can be in complete rest and know that, as a Child of God, you have this kind of peace, a peace this world cannot offer nor can it afford.
Heavenly Father, You are my Shalom, my Complete Rest, and You have not given me the spirit of fear but of love and of power and a sound mind. Lord, be my Guide throughout this day and instruct me in Your ways as I fix my mind upon You knowing that You will keep me in perfect peace as my mind is fixed upon You. Thank You for guarding my heart and mind with the peace that surpasses all understanding me. Thank You for the Complete Rest You have given me. I put my hope and my trust in You and will stand upon the truth of Your word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
King Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, has flipped my brain inside out and upside down as I have been studying his life for the last two days. Each verse got more interesting, but what King Rehoboam did scared the living daylights out of me.
“And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 12:1-4KJV)
I shook my head as I read this passage of Scripture. It’s a little unnerving. First thing to note is that in this particular verse Israel is in reference to Judah. Second thing to note is King Rehoboam was very high in popularity at this time. Not only was he popular but he had also made an attempt to serve God. The Results: Judah prospered. We find this evidence in 2 Chronicles 11:17 (KJV), which states, “This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.”
Rehoboam had success and was enjoying a time of blessing. He and his kingdom were firmly established and made strong. He was at the highest point in popularity and in power. Then, we see a tragic turn of events. In the time of blessing, Rehoboam “…forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” King Rehoboam committed two major sins: (1) He forsook the law of the Lord, and (2) He caused all Israel to sin because they followed his lead. We can see Rehoboam’s sin didn’t just affect him; it affected all Israel. When you are a leader, it is inevitable that people will follow you. They look at your example, and eventually, you will see them modeling what you have modeled for them. Any leadership role you play, you are held with a higher level of accountability by God. How you lead those who follow your example will affect your standing in the eyes of God. In this case, Israel took its leadership from Rehoboam and the whole nation forsook God’s law; they forgot about God and abandoned him.
There were consequences to them forsaking and abandoning God and His law. We can see the results of their sin in verses 3-5 (KJV), which states, “With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.”
I think it’s safe to say God has His limits. This verse, “…Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.” I looked up the word “forsake” in the Hebrew Language. The Hebrew word is “azab” which means “to loosen, to relinquish, to permit.” When we decide to forsake or abandon God, we are letting go, giving up on God; when we decide to forsake or abandon God, we are voluntarily surrendering our claim to God being the One we follow. There does come a time when God has had enough. We don’t like being ignored or disrespected or pushed aside. Can you imagine how God feels when we ignore, disrespect, or push Him aside? He is your Creator, who has given you life. It is not wise to push God aside or show Him any kind of disdain or indifference toward Him especially when God has lavished you with mercy and grace and has poured out His blessings upon you.
King Rehoboam and the people repented, and God saw the change of heart. Sounds good, right? Forgiveness doesn’t mean you will NOT suffer the consequences. The consequences may not be as severe as they would have been if you didn’t repent. Let’s look at verses 7-8 (KJV), which states, “And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” What was their consequences for forsaking God and His law? They would end up the servants to Shishak, King of Egypt. By being the servants to Shishak, they would learn and know what it is like to be ruled by a man rather than being ruled by God. The NLT phrases verse 8, this way, “But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.” Need I say more on that?
Shishak attacked Jerusalem and ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple as well as the palace. Then, the gold shields which were made by King Solomon were stolen. God didn’t spare Rehoboam, a king, from the consequences of his choices. Do you think he would allow any of us to escape the consequences of our own individual actions and choices? The problem is when you make something else the lord of your life, you become a slave to that object. When you make a person the lord of your life, you become a slave to that person. Whatever consumes you is what you are a slave to.
GOD DOES NOT AND WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANOTHER. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will not share the same temple with another object or another person. If you are backslidden, lukewarm, complacent, or lost God as your First Love, then you, being the temple of the Holy Spirit, will no longer be experiencing the Glory of God. You, whom the Holy Spirit once resided in, will be Ichabod, meaning “The glory has departed from Israel.” Do NOT grieve the Holy Spirit. If you find yourself in any of these conditions, I strongly encourage you to repent and make things right with God.
CAN YOU DUPLICATE OR SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD? NO, NEVER, CAN’T HAPPEN, IMPOSSIBLE. Sure, you can try. King Rehoboam tried to. Look at verse 10-11, which states, “King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.”
I make no apologies for finding what Rehoboam did to be foolish. He was trying to keep the former glory of the temple by using substitutes. “King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace…” He tried to keep the original appearance of the glory of the temple. Rehoboam had the guards protecting bronze shields which were cheap, shoddy, and inexpensive. He had substitutes to keep up the appearance of the former glory. The temple no longer demonstrated a genuine display of the glory of the Temple, but it only gave a FAKE appearance of the former glory of the temple. Remember everything was stolen from the temple. Now all Rehoboam could use was substitutes.
When you are no longer for God, when you are backslidden, when you are not in right relationship with God, if you have forsaken God, then the glory of God is not seen in you. You can put on a performance or even display a picture of perfection, but that fact is, when you are FAKING, the fake display you are putting on will lack intensity, clarity, vividness, and the brightness that only the true glory of God has. YOU CANNOT DUPLICATE THE GLORY OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE JUST LIKE REHOBOAM COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FORMER GLORY OF THE TEMPLE. Just because you put on a picture of perfection does NOT mean that God is going to accept you and your behavior. Nothing you do will substitute the presence and glory of God in your life. Either you are for God or against Him. You are either serving God or not. Nothing can replace God and His glory shining in your life.
The way Rehoboam ended his reign and his life was in a very sad state, “But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart.”
We can all learn from Rehoboam. First, when you go through good times and times of blessings, guard your heart. Hold your faith closely, and cling to God. Cling to the truths of God. Second, when you repent and humble yourself before God, He will NOT reject a broken spirit and a repentant heart. Third, be steadfast in your love for God and make your face like flint determined to do His will.
As we live life, let us live in such a way before God, that when we stand before Him to give an account for how we lived our lives, we will hear the words, “Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant.
Much Love To You All,
Linda A. Knowles
“…but doers of the word will be justified;”
Romans 2:13 NKJV
No one ever said doing a spiritual self-examination would be easy, but we do so, as children of God, because it is necessary. God is longsuffering, not slack concerning any of His promises. He is longsuffering because He wants us to turn to Him, to repent, and to turn from any and all sin.
Asking God to point out our sin is difficult. The reason we ask God to point out our sin is so that He can cleanse and heal us. God will never bring harm to you. God has good plans for you for a hope and a future, but that also includes letting Him clean you up. While it is a little unnerving knowing that He sees everything we say and do, it can also be quite comforting knowing that we can come to Him with a humble and sincere heart and ask Him to change in us whatever displeases Him.
“…For You will repay each man according to His deeds.”
Psalm 62:12 BSB
Our goal must always be to please God by seeking Him and acting on His Word through obedience and walking by faith, living our lives as a living sacrifice before Him. This is why is it not enough to have knowledge of what is right. We must act on what is right, doing what is right. We must be “doers of the word” so that we “will be justified.”
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.
Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.”
James 1:22 BSB
We do what is right because we love God; Because we love God, we understand obedience is better than sacrifice. Because we love God, we obey His commands and His laws. Because we love God, we apply His Word to every aspect of our life. We are doers of the Word, not just hearers only so that we won’t be self-deceived.
In all we do, let us always set out to please God and be doers of His word because “doers of the word will be justified.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for being patient with me. I ask, Lord, that You show me whatever it is in my life that is not pleasing to You that I might turn away from it. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Forgive me, O Lord, and heal me. Make me whole. Thank You for forgiving me and setting me free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
Yes, God does still speak to His children today.
As children of the Most High God, we do not take on the beliefs of those in the world whether they are the ordinary unbelievers you come across every day or secular actors, athletes, singers, and the like who believe that if you talk much about God they consider you to be a good Christian but then consider you to be crazy if you say God speaks to you. The vain imagination of man and the world’s philosophy is contrary to the nature and character of God and is in direct opposition to what the Word of God says.
Our God is THE personal God. He is so personal that you are fearfully and wonderfully made complex (Psalm 139:14). There is nowhere you can go that you can flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7-10). God knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). You CANNOT get more personal than that. He wants to talk to you (Isaiah 1:18, James 4:8, Hebrews 4:12), and He wants you to talk to Him (Jeremiah 33:3, John 10:27-28, 1 John 1:3). Having a relationship with God involves communication with Him, and you can talk with God anytime even if you are shopping, cooking, cleaning house, doing yardwork, tending to your children, and taking care of other responsibilities or anything you are doing in your leisure time (Joshua 1:9; Psalm 16:8, 145:18). You’re not limited in when you can talk to your Heavenly Father or in how often you can speak with your Heavenly Father.
“GOD DOESN’T SPEAK TO ME LIKE HE DOES TO YOU; WHY DOESN’T GOD SPEAK TO ME LIKE HE DOES TO YOU…”
Do you want to hear God’s voice? If yes, what are you doing to nurture your relationship with God in order to hear His voice? Are you being quiet enough to listen to Him? In other words, are you going into your prayer closet where it is just you and God alone, in place of solitude, where He can speak to you without you being distracted? Are you willing for God to interrupt you at anytime no matter what you are doing so He can talk to you? If you have a relationship with God, you should be daily spending time in the Word, developing discernment about what is right and what is wrong, and hearing Him speak to you through His Word. If you have a relationship with God, then you should be spending time in prayer, seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness. If you have a relationship with God, you should know the Word is clear when it states that “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19 NLT) Since God does NOT change, the phrase “God doesn’t speak” is incorrect, and, therefore, does NOT line up with the Unchanging God the Bible speaks of. God uses various ways to speak to His children.
It is important to note this: Do NOT complain God doesn’t talk to you (1) if you are not opening your Bible to study or read it, (2) if you are practicing a life of sin that is drowning out His voice, (3) if you are not paying attention to Him because you’re too “busy” to give Him your attention, (4) if you are complacent, non-committed, indifferent, or stagnant when it comes to God and the things that concern God such as His Will and His Ways, or (5) if you have cut yourself off from Him by actually choosing to be disobedient, disloyal, and have chosen your ways and your will rather than God’s.
“SO GOD SPOKE TO YOU AUDIBLY?”
Usually when someone says, “God told me” or “God spoke to me,” the automatic assumption and conclusion on the part of the listener is that the person heard God speak audibly. However, the Bible is filled with metaphoric language, which is “the changing of form or nature of a person or thing into something different by natural or supernatural means,” and anthropomorphic language, which is “ascribing human attributes to God.” For instance, in the New Testament, we are told “God is spirit,” (John 4:24) yet at the same time, we speak of being in the hands of God (Deuteronomy 7:8, Isaiah 49:16) and talk about God holding the waters of the earth in His hand (Isaiah 40:12), and we see, in Genesis 1:1, God spoke things into existence such as the heavens and the earth, and in Genesis 3:8, we see Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).
BAR OF MEASURE FOR THE BELIEVER
Within the pages of the Bible, we see the standard of morality and the standard of ethics are set forth by God, and therefore, any preaching or teaching is measured by the Word of God. If a teaching or preaching does not line up with the Word of God, then it must be thrown out. With that being said, since the Bible is the Authoritative Word of God for those who are believers, it should be no surprise to believers when their fellow brothers and sisters use phrasing often used within the pages of the Bible which they cherish to give them instructions for how to live a life pleasing to God. God speaks to us through both the Old and the New Testaments. If you believe in the New Testament, you must also believe in the Old Testament. The apostles and disciples did not have the New Testament you hold in your hand today. They got their teaching from the Law and the Prophets as well as those who were in the very presence of Christ and walking with Him during Christ’s time on earth as well as through the disciples who went forth into all the world to make disciples of all nations preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and the testimonies of those who were witnesses and were saved through the hearing of the message of the cross.
“HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?” GOD SPEAKS IN VARIOUS WAYS.
Linda A. Knowles
She inspired King Josiah and a nation to repent. Her name? Huldah, a prophetess who lived in the 2nd District of Jerusalem during the time of King Josiah’s reign. Not a lot is said about her. However, her role in the nation of Judah was one of great significance.
Here is their story: King Josiah, eight years old, had become king and reigned for 31 years. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s eyes, followed the example of his ancestor King David, and continued doing what was right. (Reference 2 Kings 22:1-7)
Fast forward to the 18th year of his reign,
“Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!’ Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. Shaphan went to the king and reported, ‘Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.’ Shaphan also told the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.’ So Shaphan read it to the king. When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: ‘Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do.’” -2 Kings 22:8-11
Josiah’s response was a fitting response given the fact He had heard the Words of the Lord. He listened to the Book of the Law which was now found, filled with despair, he tears in clothes in act of remorse. The king was not dignified in that moment of despair. Even Josiah himself took note, “We have not been doing everything it says we must do.” King Josiah wanted to know what they should do. As a result, he sent Hilkiah, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah to go to the temple, speak to the Lord for him (King Josiah), the people, and Judah. King Josiah had recognized God was angry at them because of their ancestors’ disobedience to the Words written on the scroll.
The men made their way over to consult Huldah about what they had found. For them to go to her, it was obvious she was respected, and she had a message from the Lord for them,
“She said to them, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched. But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord. So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city. So they took her message back to the king.’” -2 Kings 22:15-20
Huldah spoke boldly and confidently. She gave the men the message the Lord had her to give without hesitation. The message the Lord gave her was clear, and she had the courage to tell them exactly what God wanted. Huldah was willing to be used.
King Josiah’s response to the message God gave Huldah to give him is remarkable:
“Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. 3 The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.” -2 Kings 23:1-3
He took the warning Huldah gave and he acted on the Word of the Lord. King Josiah took the lead, called everyone together in one place for the reading of the Word of God, and they pledged themselves to the Covenant. The King vowed to keep the commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul in the presence of God. King Josiah gave himself over to the ways of God. He removed the idolatrous priests who offered sacrifices to pagan gods, removed pagan worship and shrines of prostitution from the Temple of the Lord, idolatrous priests were not allowed to eat of the unleavened bread with the other priests, destroyed altars on the palace roof and the upper room of the palace and any other altar for worship to other gods, and the list goes on of the actions King Josiah made. He took drastic action. (Reference 2 Kings 23)
Like Huldah, are you willing to be used by the Lord to carry out the task He has given you?
Are you willing to be shaped and molded by the Lord like King Josiah was?
Will you, like Josiah, set your face like stone determined to do the will of God?
Will you push aside God’s Word, or will you draw close to Him and take immediate action on what needs to change in your life?
Is there anything you have to do so your life falls in line with God’s Word?
Remember our God never fails. He is the One who strengthens you and delivers you. You need only to go to Him and call out to Him. But if you go to the Lord for counsel and He tells you what to do, then be prepared to jump into action and follow every instruction He gives you.
“And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” -1 Samuel 15:22
L.A. Knowles
Stained Glass Confessions 