Love

Recently as I read the scripture, I again happened upon the children of Israel poised on the brink of the promised land. They came through the wilderness, had seen miracles, heard the voice of God, seen the cloud by day and the fire by night all as part of the preparation for their future.

As I read these words, I was offended by the continual backsliding of the children of Israel. How could a person, let alone an entire people be plagued by such an unwarranted lack of faith? God had shown more love and outpouring of blessings upon this people, and they kept looking backward.

At every bobble or pebble in the road, it seemed that they would attempt to return to Eygpt. They would complain that God, or Moses or God and Moses had brought them to the desert to starve or die at the hand of their enemy. Such a profound lack of faith from a people that had seen so much. How could this be?

But as usually happens when I’m pointing my boney finger at someone else, I realize that I have a bunch pointing back at me. I started thinking about how God has always been faithful to bring me, again and again to the brink of revival. I’m given the opportunity to see the Promised Land from just across the river. I have the tools at my disposal to defeat what stands in my way and enter into God’s promises. But then, like Peter and so often the Children of Isreal, I take my eyes off of God and start looking at the obstacles in my path. I hesitate and end up convincing myself that I don’t have what it takes.

The truth is I don’t have what it takes, NONE of us do! Our only hope is in Jesus, in the Name that is above every name. God has brought us out, delivered us from evil, placed our boot-heel on the neck of the enemy and shown us revival, but we hesitate, we doubt, we fear, we fail.

The Children of Isreal were plagued with failures, bondage, defeat, more bondage, wondering, scattering, and near annihilation. I believe they were obligated to serve Him and never, as a nation developed a True Love for God, only a sense of obligation.

Our walk, our Salvation is based on Love. What He did to purchase it, what we must do to receive it, really receive it was and is initiated by True Love. Loving God is the most satisfying thing that a person can do. Loving God will change your heart, will change your mind, will change the way you pray and change the way you want to live.

Had the Israelites been head over heels in love with God they would have followed Him anywhere, never hesitating. I believe that Christians have got to learn to Love God. Often I believe that we try to instill all the obligation parts of Christianity into new converts before we help them develop the profound Love that will guide them better and further than rules and obligations.

I need to spend some time working on that, and I recommend that we all take a little time away from the normal. Just for a little bit, lay aside everything that you think you know about God. Lay aside every idea about what it takes to be saved, every idea and thought about doctrine, every ritual, and tradition and Focus on LOVING the Creator, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him. Don’t ask for anything, just LOVE Him. Love Him until your Heart Melts, until the tears flow like rivers until everything that holds you back and restricts you fall away.

When I read about the Children of Israel, I’m really reading about me. When I’m angry at their continual backsliding, it’s actually the shame of my true self being exposed to light. But if I can learn to Love Him that first Loved me, then I can learn to please Him, I can learn to Love You and learn to be a better man.

The old saying goes “If you live for God hard, it’ll be easy, but if you try to live for Him easy, it’ll be hard.” I still believe the premise of that is true, but I believe, that at least for me that if I Love God, really learn to Love God first that He’ll guide me through the hard parts, hold me close to Him and show me how to live and how to die. Loving God Hard will show you that there is no other life but Life in Him.

I hope this makes sense and blesses someone as much as I’ve been blessed by it.
Greg

Author: Greg Fee

I'm a Husband, Father, Pawpaw and Pastor. I love spending time with my grand-buddies. A minister since 1988, I have been blessed to work in several churches around the U.S and currently am blessed to pastor an Awesome Church. I've also had the pleasure of ministering in faraway places while traveling for work. Some of my greatest honors have been the relationships I gained with several of the modern-day Heros of the Faith, the ministering families all around the world. Several years ago I started working with leather as a means to fight boredom while working in remote areas. It swiftly became a passion that I want to share as well. My plan is to keep spreading God's Love through the written and preached word, through walking the walk, and to keep making cool stuff along the way. Check that out at whisper_n_jack on Instagram View all posts by Greg Fee