Exodus 13:17-22, & Exodus 9:13
Are you impatient? I know I am. Several years ago when you ordered something from a catalog from Sears/Roebuck it took forever to get it. Anything from a pair of socks to a house. Now with Amazon you can order it and get it Now. We're in a "NOW" world. We think we have to have everything now. God is willing to be patient and I'm so glad God is patient. I know that God does things in His own time. He does this to teach us patience.
Where did God lead the people out of Egypt to? Most people say to take them to the promise land. But that's not right. God led them out of bondage so they could serve Him. They were in bondage for over 400 years. God told Abraham that He was going to give him THE best land. The land of milk and honey. Not so they could prosper, but so they could serve Him.
God took them they long way to the promise land instad of going through a shortcut.
We know the story of Moses and the wonders that He performed in God's name. It took Pharoah paying the ultimate price to let God's peopole go. Whey they left God provided for their needs. But those people were not very patient with God. What could have taken 50 days, took the Hebrews 40 years of wondering in the wilderness because they wouldn't be patient with God. Because they wanted to saved "Now." But if they would ahve put God first they would have been there a lot quicker. God provided for every need they complained about. God prepared them to worship Him. He gave them opportunities to serve Him and they failed Him, time and time again. There shouldn't have been any reason they couldn't have made the trip in a straight line.
We are the bride of Christ. Everyone who believes in Christ, who worships Him, will have a place by Him in gloryland. If we don't put Him first, God will let us wonder for years until we put Him first. God will say "ENOUGH!"
We don't need to assimilate the world into the world. We need to put the church into the world. We need to get closer to the image of Jesus and not to the image of the world. The world don't want to hear about Jesus. You can say God cause you can mean any god but the world don't want you to say Jesus. The best the world can give you is what we see right now. The best Jesus can give us is waiting for us in gloryland.
We need to be more like Moses and put Jesus first. If you take Jesus out of the church then it becomes a social hall. I believe there's a better way. God didn't release them so they can just go to the promise land. He wanted them to worship Him. Remember what they did with the calf? They melted their gold and made a golden calf, worshiped that calf. God is a jealous God.
Church is here. Not the building. But the people who are like mind, who put Jesus first.
Do these every day:
- Preach Jesus - teach, sing, worship
- Put Jesus first in our family and church. There shouldn't be a question about who you serve.
- Pray to Jesus without ceasing
How much would you like to be part of something spectacular? Something that means something wonderful? If we do all these things we will be a part of that something spectacular.
Put Jesus first, build your relationship with God. Moses kept asking God to give the Hebrews another chance. And God would soften His heart. But God knew they needed Him. He knew they had to be find Him. He was patiently waiting.