Don’t Be Cut Off from His Kindness

Family of Five Baptized
two years ago in the Atlantic Ocean.
Obedience.
Trusting in the Kindness of the Lord.
Praise, Honor, and Glory to Jesus!

Prayer – Lord, I know You are a loving God…but sometimes I just don’t get how You instructed the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land to destroy the people living there—and now I’ve grasp the truth that You desire purity. The inhabitants of that Promised Land were idol worshippers and they had to be annihilated for the land to be pure. Even all the times the Israelites rebelled or followed idols—You either banished them or obliterated them. Holiness is what You require. No idol worship. You are the one true God; that is the first of the Ten Commandments. You require obedience—to all of Your commandments. I trust You Lord God—with my life and with the love and mercy that You have bestowed on me, on my family, friends and neighbors. I trust You.

Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. Romans 11:22

 

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in this scripture.

 

Is God kind and severe to you? Are you trusting and obeying?

Trust is important. God sees everything we do and hears every word we think or speak. Can you trust Him with your very thoughts and actions? I just had the most amazing thing happen to us recently when we were traveling. My hubby loves Chick-fil-A and we don’t have one in our community, but he likes to stop whenever he can for a spicy chicken sandwich when we are nearby that chain. I thought…mind you just thought didn’t pray out loud or even ask hubby if he wanted me to locate one during our vacation trip. Next thing you know…Chick-fil-A popped up on the Navigator! Eeek! God heard my thoughts and answered me even before I searched and prayed. Is God good or what!? Needless to say…we stopped, and Jerry got his spicy chicken pimento sandwich, a kale salad, and a half-n-half tea with lemonade! Thrilled to pieces! Grin from ear to ear! Tummy more than satisfied. Yes. God know our every thought…and we can trust Him to be kind to us.

God is severe with those who are disobedient. Severe—what does that mean? That He is hard-hearted, unsympathetic, unyielding and punishes them in a harsh way?  Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus about God being angry with those who disobey Him.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Ephesians 5:1-6 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Does Actually, Solomon wrote a list in Proverbs of the things the Lord God hates and it hasn’t changed since that time. This lists, along with following the Ten Commandments, might be good to keep in mind for those who want to be obedient to our Lord God. How many times do we need to be told to listen and obey?

There are six things the LORD hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. Proverbs 6:16-19

Living to please the Lord is challenging—but I think it will ultimately be rewarding to trust His kindness and the guidance that He provides us. Consider that the things He wants us to avoid are actually harmful to us or others around us. He is protecting us from ourselves…and encouraging the purity that He requires if we are to spend eternity with Him. Do you want to be cut off from His presence because you were disobedient? What do you choose to do?

 

Verses of Salvation ~ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light." Ephesians 5:10-14

 

© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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