Today if, (the word "if" is to choose)
I choose today to _____. Fill in the blank. It's a choice.
The book of Hebrews 3:15 says, Remember what it say’s: “Today if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”
When God called Moses to deliver Israel from the grasp of Pharaoh, they were promised a land flowing with milk and honey. It was destined, pre-ordained, and promised before creation, that Israel would come to a place of rest, the promised land.
When Israel sent the 12 spies to survey the promised land, they returned to Moses and the people with their report. The report would echo through time, and be recorded in the bible as a reminder to Israel and the believer. Israel was guaranteed the promised land, but it didn’t mean it was going to be easy. God allowed the sending of the 12 spies so that Israel would be prepared for battle, its inhabitants, and whether the land was suitable for crops.
Caleb with the support of Joshua was no match to the unbelieving hearts surrounding them. As Caleb cried out, “Let’s go up and take control because we can definitely conquer it” was drowned out by the other 10 spies, “we can’t attack those people”, “because they’re too strong compared to us.”
It was a dreadful and disheartening report, as it was sinking into the hearts of the congregation, Israel was imploding with disbelief. God had promised the land, but the dreaded words, “We can’t“ and “because” shattered every hope God had set before them. As in the garden of Eden, God wanted to dwell and live among His people, but His people once again would choose otherwise.
The promised land was so close, and yet so far.
Israel’s fall from grace was not due to the contents of the report or the obstacles they would face in the promised land. It was unbelief in God!
Unbelief in God is a tragedy, it will spiral the believer and a nation down the pit of immorality.
When we don’t trust God, what we are saying is, we don't believe there is a God.
We don’t have to look too far to see how God has been removed from our nation. I start with our nation because it’s a result of the people. We live in a republic, we the people get to vote our politicians in office, they are the values and morals that should represent the people.
When our most talented, brightest, and educated in our nation cannot define a woman, I think there is something amiss. When we spend billions of dollars looking for life in our universe, and as a nation, we are at odds of recognizing life in the womb. When so-called “experts” are regarded as truth, push the narrative of 50 genders and counting. When marriage is no longer defined as a union between a woman and man. When men can get pregnant and adults can perform sexually explicit acts before kids and call it education. Something is wrong! America has lost its identity.
What happened to Israel? They lost their identity. God chose Israel to be the messenger of the coming Messiah. Israel, the crown and glory of God, a nation that would exemplify honoring and glorifying God. But instead, they chose to step down as it were from God’s promotion, and go back to wandering the desert for forty years.
A person's identity can include beliefs, qualities, personality traits, appearance, gender, and ethnicity. But our culture has redefined human qualities and identity. Sexual orientation is now confusing, ethnicity is no longer a people from different nations, and languages, but black, white, and brown. We are being morphed into modern culture, and we are believing as a people, that we are progressing when in reality we are falling farther away from God.
Without God, in our world, nation, and our lives we are only slumping deeper into sin and farther from God. We should never forget that our identity is in Christ and not in culture.
You have a choice!
You can choose and accept how God has created you, and how He has defined you. There is no person in all of creation that is like you, He is the architect and designer of you. You are unique and you are different. You have been created in the image of God, male or female, dark skin or light skin, curly hair or straight hair, tall or short you are special to God. He loves you inside and out.
Or you can choose to walk away from God, the result is falling farther and farther from Him. Once you start falling it becomes harder to gain control. But, like Israel trust in God and turn from your unbelief and He will restore you to that place He prepared for you; in His presence.
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