10.j. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Obadiah 1:19  Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Judges 2:16    Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them

Judges 3:9    But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel,

Joel 2:32   And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

Micah 5:4-9     And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.  And he shall be their peace

Isaiah 19:20    It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.

Ecclesiastes 11:9   Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

How many times in the bible has God delivered people out of their troubles and trials?   You can read throughout scripture where God has either both judged and rescued or rescued His people from enemies. Yet the biggest rescue is not from outside influences.  It is from ourselves and sinful nature.  How many times do we seek God’s intervention into affairs affecting us but give no thought to our inner self?  We need rescuing from self-centered, self-reliant, self-gratifying, self-worth, and self-seeking ways.  These are sins born out in our hearts, mind, and soul.  We easily come to Jesus Christ when our lives are affected but why is it so hard to look inward with scripture eyes?  It is by far better to live persecuted, poor and despised with a pure heart that humbly serves, seeks, thirsts, trusts, relies upon, and obeys Jesus Christ.  Try thinking about inward thoughts and motives and asking yourself if these are in-line with God’s Word.  We should be humbled by what the Holy Spirit teaches us today when our thoughts go inward heart deep.    

4.g. “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back”

Nehemiah 9:25   So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

“Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

Does this scripture reveal the intent of man’s heart?  Do you see any revelation into the paths mankind takes when they are in times of prosperity?  Time and time again God is sought with an open pleading heart in times of trials and trouble.  This happens when you realize you are powerless in facing the trials and troubles before you.  You humble yourself and call out to God because everything you have tried within your own power has failed.  It is not as though you did not try with all your strength and courage to overcome but in the end, your efforts were not enough.  Worldly wisdom would say to keep trying, get back up again, you can do this, and you are an overcomer.  Too many times we listen to the worldly voice because it is the only words of hope in our mind.  It is the words we latch on to because the word of God is void in our hearts and mind.  However, when we have hit rock bottom and our heart, mind, and soul have become depleted of self-power, self-courage, self-wisdom, and self-strength it is then we can open the door to Jesus Christ and say forgive me please help.  It is then we can make a commitment, put a stake in the ground, and stand firm in conviction to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, trust, and obey Jesus Christ.  Nehemiah 9:38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”