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A fickle bunch...

A goal again... to read through the Bible in 2016.  This is about the time when I get bogged down in that decision because the books of the law, once you get past creation and the exciting journey out of Egypt, are many many words... rules, laws, possible scenarios.  If I had kept up with ideal reading plan, I would be reading 3 chapters a day and should be finishing the book of Numbers today... Thirty-one days in January + twenty days in February = 153 chapters -

Genesis =      50 chapters
Exodus =       40 chapters
Leviticus =    27 chapters
Numbers =    36 chapters
                     153 total

So today I read Exodus 23-25...  I'm a little behind.  God has just given Moses the ten commandments and three additional chapters of laws.

One verse has enveloped me:  chapter 24 verse 7.  "Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people.  They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey."

They were committed - no doubt about; they were all in; they pledged obedience; they were fully engaged...

Intrigued by this commitment,  I read on.  Remembering the next scene, it unfolded the same way it did the last time I read it - Moses was called back to the mountain by God.  Less than 40 days later, these committed, all in, no doubt about it, fully engaged folks uttered to Aaron - who was left in charge, "As for this fellow Moses who bought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.  Come, make us gods."

Don't forget commandment #1 back in chapter 20 just a few days earlier... You shall have no others gods before ME..

I find myself wanting to shake my fist at these children of Israel, and bring them to their knees with a a bit of gentle conviction like... HE was there with you; you saw His glory on that mountain; you couldn't be patient for 40 days; you said you would obey; you are SO fickle!

And in the next breath, I hear myself sigh... Where would I have landed?  Would I have relied on my own experience, my fears, my feelings, the words and ideas of others?

Jesus asks us simply to believe that He is the son of God, that He was born, died for all sin, was resurrected from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.  To confess our absolute need for His saving grace.  To come asking forgiveness.  To humble ourselves.  To follow Him with everything.

Every day we decide if we are committed, if we pledge obedience, if we will choose to do what He asks us to do.  We must go back again and again to His commandment:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
 and
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Why do we seem to make it so difficult?  Choose obedience - choose HIS word to live by!

Fickle or faithful   - the choice really is ours...

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