Leviticus 26:3-6 - ‘If you walk in
My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you
rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the
field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall
last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of
sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall
lie down, and none will make you afraid…
God gave Moses a two part message for the Children of Israel. The first part included all the blessings he
was ready to shower upon them if they walked in his statutes. The second part spelled out the penalty for
not obeying his commands and statues.
The first list insured a prosperous and healthy life that was full of
good things. The second reversed all
those good things and reminded them of the sure death that would come if they
did not obey.
There was
what I will call a repentance clause included in his directions. He knew that these children of his would mess
up…and wanted them to know that he was a merciful and forgiving God. So he let
them know before they messed up that a simple confession of their sins….combined
with a humble heart would restore them right back to the blessing side of God’s
presence. Verses 40 - 42 say it clearly…. “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their
fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and
that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also
have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their
enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their
guilt— then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with
Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.”
What a great reminder that no matter how much we mess up…God
is waiting for us to repent and accept our guilt with a humble heart…so he can
begin the process of restoration. I have no clue who said this phrase first…but
it stuck with my heart… ‘There is nothing we can do to make God love us more
and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.’ God’s love follows
the outline of 1 Corinthians 13. All he
wants from us is to be obedient and let his love power our ability to keep his
commands…no matter what.
Father…thank you for the reminder that you are merciful God
that wants our love and heart…no matter how long we have kept it from you. Forgive me for the times that I have failed
to ask your forgiveness for the sin in my life.
Help me to identify it and humbly ask you to restore me to the fullness
of your love and care. Amen.
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