This morning when I was reading my bible over a cup coffee as usual, I saw a verse that related back to a post I had recently shared, the post had said "People's own foolishness ruins their lives, but in their minds they blame the Lord." And the verse I read this morning said, "And He answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy fathers house, in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim' (1 Kings 18:18) What I found really striking, really interesting about both is they really say the same, we are responsible for our own calamity because of disobedience to the Lord. This wasn't a new idea to me, but to be honest I hadn't really meditated on that thought for a long time, I hadn't really given it much thought at all for quite some time. It was something that I first saw and noticed in the Old Testament when I first began reading again a couple years ago and it was part of my motivation to change my ways. I saw as I read the warnings the Lord had given, and the disobedience and trouble that followed for Israel as a result of their disobedience(List of blessings and curses begins in Deuteronomy 28). I realized that Israel was really no different than the six year old I cared for at the time who had been told not to hit his brother or he'd have to sit in time out and did it anyway, then got mad at me when he was faced with the consequences. I saw that in Israel first, then in myself.
I was convicted upon that revelation and knew I needed to change and really follow in His ways, comparing Israel and myself to the disobedient child I finally understood what it must feel like in a small way when we do this to God. (I do want to say well I am writing here "disobedient child" he truly was not always disobedient, I'm mostly referring to the described incident.) I had given him warnings and he knew the rules and their consequences, but still he choose to disobey and blamed me when I enforced the rules. It was frustrating, and a little hurtful frankly when I had tried so hard to get him to do right, even promising treats at the end of the day if he was good and special activities, but still he choose to do wrong, so I had to enforce the rules. Now, recognizing the similarities in the situations between the boy's behavior, Israel's and my own I realized that most of the bad things in my life, I had caused, I was responsible for them by my bad choices, not God and not anyone else, it was my actions, my choices that had made me so unhappy.
But our Father, in His benevolence didn't leave me in a place where I saw only what I had done wrong and it's consequence, through His word and later through practice of it, He showed me that Deuteronomy 4:40, is truth, which reads like this in the NIV "Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time." As I am learning to follow in His ways and continually seeking more of Him I am seeing my life get better and better. Not necessarily in a materialistic way, though that is also improving, but the life I live is getting better and happier. My life is more joyous now because I always have hope, and the stresses and worries that once dogged me daily are drifting away into nothing because I am trusting evermore on Him. I am receiving the blessing of abundant life and walking in it, when I obey His Commands because that is what He has told us from the start, it was the promise made long ago, that I and many ignored. In His Word He has given the rules to follow, and the consequences for when we don't, so we can't blame God when things go wrong, we are just as accountable for our actions as was the boy who hit his little brother.
Today meditating on all of that, those verses and the past incident mentioned, I wish I would have remembered it a couple of nights ago when I was talking to someone who was angry about the way things were going in their life. They made some bad choices, did things that they knew they shouldn't, and now faced with fines and other legal issues they are blaming God. They are angry and feel like a loving God would never have allowed this to happen to their family, they do not see that God tried to stop it using those around them to warn of their careless, reckless ways. They do not see that it was disobedience that brought about their calamity, and now I'm hoping for a chance to share this with them, to maybe plant a seed of truth that will grow to revelation, and if not this post then at least the opportunity to share some versus and maybe some of the testimony I shared here with you. I am hoping to share truth with this person, and help them to see free will is a responsibility and we are accountable for the choices we make as a result of it, and I pray that whoever else needed this today receives it. Be blessed in Jesus name.
Deuteronomy 5:29
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
Deuteronomy 12:28
Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Galatians 6:8
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work
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