29/11/08

Is the Lord among us? Has He broken his promise?

Leviticus 26:12 - And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

The Lord had spoken to his people and promised them the best of things. They included a satisfied life with least amount of efforts to meet their requirements. The Lord spoke to them saying even before their stocks get over new stocks will flow. This was because He would make their hearts his sanctuary and dwell among them. For this He had just one condition given to them and that was to keep his instructions. But He also promised them another promise that if they did not keep the instructions He would do the worst to them which included many disasters which I will like you to read in the below scripture. These promises were not only to those people but are also for us who are children of the Lord. The Lord is true to his promise, so let us decide for ourselves which of the two promises have we opted for; the first or the second.

It is only his grace that we have received through Jesus Christ that we have not seen the worst. The day man rejects this grace we will surely receive the second promise in full. I would not want that to happen nor would you, so let us take a decision at this moment of grace and receive his first promise by making our decision to follow the Lord's instructions.


[ Prayer Starter ]

Lord, You are merciful, but You are true to your Word. It is only your grace which we have received through Jesus Christ, that we see your patience and dilution of your wrath. Lord open the eyes of your people and let them realize it is time they turn back and follow your instructions in spirit. I make this prayer in Jesus Christ, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]

Leviticus 26:1-33
1 'You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.
2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
3 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.
7 You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.
8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.
9 'For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.
10 You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.
11 I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.
12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.
14 'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.
18 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
19 I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
21 'Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.
22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate.
23 'And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,
24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
26 When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
27 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,
28 then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.
30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you.
31 I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.
32 I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.
33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)