Tag: we will serve

2.s. “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.”

2 Chronicles 23:16  And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord’s people. Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Deuteronomy 26:17-19    You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice.  And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments,  and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.”

Joshua 24:21-25   And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”  Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.”  He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.”  And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”  So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day

Multiple times throughout history there have been people of God declaring their intentional choices to serve Him, walk in His ways, keep His commandments, statutes, rules, and obey His voice.  They did this as a personal choice and as one voice collectively.  For some, this may have been a shallow commitment and for others, it was heart and soul-deep.

When the commitment is shallow you still may not see any difference between them and others with deep commitment.  For all outward appearance looks the same.  They may have gotten caught up in the moment and gave lip service to make this commitment.  We see this today when a seed of commitment is acted upon it to trust Jesus Christ. Yet the seed does not take root and over time withers dies.  Jesus gave a parable about this and we should take note of the importance of it.  It is up to those with heart and soul-deep service and obedience to nurture and help water and grow these shallow seeds.  This can only happen when there is continual growth and maturing.  And this can only happen when there is a desire to do so.  An intentional choice that is made every day.  An intentional choice that places service to Jesus Christ first.  An intentional choice to feed on His word, to listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, to trust Him when chaos and confusion attack, and to take every thought captive and ensure it is in line with God’s word.

Every small decision over time will yield good or bad.  These insignificant decisions in our mind have long term effects for both now and eternity.

We can rejoice when there has been a commitment made to trust, serve, follow, and obey but we must help and encourage each other in this life long commitment or we risk drifting away.  We don’t have to read far after each of these personal and nationwide commitments to see a drifting and falling away from serving, following, trusting and obeying God.  Be mindful that our sinful nature and self-centered interests are always being tempted by Satan or self to leave our commitment to God.  Our commitment is more than a one and done decision.  It is an intentional, mindful, heart full, and soul-deep choice every moment of every day.  Stay in His word, serve Him, follow Him, trust Him, listen to Him, and obey Him.  In doing this we are able to fight the good fight and encourage, lead, and instruct our brothers and sisters in Christ.

196. “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”

2 Kings 23:1  Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

Exodus 24:3     Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”

Joshua 24:24     And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”

Deuteronomy 10:12    “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deuteronomy 8:19    And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

After some 70+ years, the word of God is read to all the people.  This would mean an entire generation had never heard it read.  They may have heard some speak about it but never read.  The laws, the covenant, the warnings, the power and might of God, and expectations/promises were read out loud.  King Josiah called all of the people together to hear it and upon hearing it Josiah made a public covenant before the Lord and all the people to walk after the Lord and to keep His commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all his heart and soul.

When our heart opens up to God’s word our mind and soul are moved to action.  When our heart is open, our eyes will no longer be blind to see and our ears will no longer be deaf to hear the Holy Spirit of God speaking, leading, guiding, encouraging, strengthening, empowering, and the love of God towards those who come to Him with their whole heart, mind, and soul.

7. Run to the forest of God’s word

Exodus 23:25  You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.

Exodus 23:33   They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Deuteronomy 10:12     “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deuteronomy 10:20    You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him,

Deuteronomy 11:13-14     “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,  he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.

Deuteronomy 13:4    You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.

Deuteronomy 28:1-6    “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.  Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.  Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.  Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

Joshua 24:24    And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”

1 Samuel 12:24     Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

Do you ever wonder what interferes with serving God with all your heart and with all your soul?  Scriptures say “obey the voice of the Lord your God” and then it says to “serve Him with all your heart and soul.”  You have heard  of the question “Does a tree falling over in a forest makes a sound if no one is there to hear it.”  If it is not perceived by someone does not mean it did not make noise.

If we don’t spend time in the forest of God’s word there is no chance we will hear His voice, let alone, be able to follow and obey it with our whole heart and soul.  Spending time in the forest of God’s word allows us to see the massiveness as well as the singularity of it.  It allows us to see the beauty, promises, strength, power, might, and steadfast grace, mercy, and love of God.  Paul speaking to unbeliever said it this way – “how are people to hear unless someone tells them.  but Peter speaking to believers said it this way – “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

Believers should desire and seek the forest of God’s word.  They should run to it each day to hear the voice of God speak into their lives.  They want to hear Him speak so they can serve, follow and obey.

I think people stay out of the forest of God’s word because they have seen all they want to see from a distance.  By staying outside of the forest there is little chance they will need to listen and because they are close enough to see it, they think they are ok enough.

Do you want to see truth and beauty – Run to the forest of God’s word with a desire seeking to hear Him speak into your life.  Blessing comes to those who spend time in the forest listening and obeying Him speak.

 

3. To obey and listen is better than sacrifice

Exodus 19:1   On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.

Exodus 23:22    “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Exodus 24:7     Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

Deuteronomy 28:1    “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

Joshua 24:24    And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”

1 Samuel 15:22    And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

How many times do we try to do good as a means to gain or earn God’s favor?  Doing something with the hope or expectation of a reward for good behavior is much different than doing it as an honor to the person without expectation.  Note the words in Samuel; “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Listening and obeying are signs of a life honoring God.  We can do all the good we want to do but if it is not for the honor and worship of God it is in vain.

How is a person to listen and obey if they are not in His word, or not intentionally choosing to listen and be guided by God.  Performance is different from humble service.  Stay in His word each day with the expectation of knowing more, understanding more, and learning more of Him and His ways, love, promises, and purposes for your life.