NEVERTHELESS

Here are a few thoughts from the sermon I heard this morning! I am so blessed by the church He has brought me to and am excited about what I am learning:

The Israelites got to see so much cool stuff! God sent them a cloud, manna, they walked through the sea, they woke up one day to a desert and the next to a lake. These people SAW the acts of God. "NEVERTHELESS, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness." 1 Cor. 10:5 Seeing those acts, experiencing God in such a seemingly practical way wasn't enough to sustain their faith. So why was Moses different? What made Aaron and Caleb's response different?

Psalms 103:7 After 6 verses about God's mighty acts and followed by 15 verses about the character of God is this eye-opening, heart-grabbing verse, "He made known His WAYS to Moses and his ACTS to the people of Israel."

I have seen AMAZING things God has done. He brought me out of a life of sin and darkness and offered me a new life, as His daughter, through His own death and resurrection. He has changed the hearts of so many of my friends. Brought them closer to their parents, closer to their enemies, closer to me even when I didn't deserve it. He has literally saved my life time and time again. Saved my family and friends from pain and anguish. I have seen amazing things, but none of it is enough to sustain my future faith. Knowing His ways will sustain me. Don't underestimate the power of our fleshly passions. Don't overestimate your ability to handle temptation. GOD provides a way out and it is almost always a person, someone who is holding you accountable to the commitments you've made to God. Paul had seen miracle after miracle and he was still afraid of failing to fulfill the Lord's purpose for his life. He had a healthy fear of being "disqualified." 1 Cor. 9:27 So should we. Its not that we are in danger of losing or salvaltion. But we are in danger of wasting this life.

I don't want to feel obligated to read my bible every morning. I don't want to add it to a list of things to do so that I can feel good about myself when I check it off. I know that knowing the ways of my Father, who adores me, will guard me from a purposeless life of disappointment. Because knowing Him is the best thing this life has to offer.

I hope this isn't a downer to read. Because it has had the opposite affect on me. Being reminded that I will always forget. But that he will always remind me. What a comfort. What a joy. Thanking God for what I have keeps me from looking for I don't. He knows what I need. And His blessings are GREAT!!!!!