ON HIS TERMS

Do you have people in your life who call on you for prayer, help, advice, yet inevitably never do much more than what rescues their situation for the moment? We graciously go to where they are, offering hope, help, and sound biblical answers that can change their lives for far more than that immediate crisis. We think, maybe this time will be the game changer for them! Finally, they will get saved, really saved, and come into the fellowship of a body of believers to grow and be nurtured, let alone, be an encouragement to others. However, sadly, in many cases, it doesn't happen.

I just wrote a letter to someone who, in so many words, asked me to come to where they are again, which I have so many times done. Each time I went, and since they allege being saved, I go having in view that they would, as a result, finally come into the Church, and dig into Christ. I had such grief this time with their new request of me coming to their ground – not to mention, the premise of the request was unbiblical - that I declined. "They, for their part, may turn to you, but as for you, you are not to turn to them" (Jer.15:19).

God dropped into my heart Judges 17: The failure of the tribes of Israel to persist in overtaking their foreign Canaanite neighbors, as the Lord had commanded, made allowance for mixture and the partaking of other gods and pagan practices in their households. Ultimately, one such Hebrew, an Ephraimite by the name of Micah, consecrated one of his own sons to be his household priest while having a shrine of idols in his home. When a young Levite sojourning through the area came looking for a place to stay, Micah offered a place in his home paying him a year's wage to be both "a father and a priest" to him. Although, Micah made him rather to be like one of his sons. So much for being a father to Micah! Micah consecrated the Levite to be his priest. (How is that possible?!) The young Levite, content to be Micah's personal priest, received the comfort and convenience of his salary and a place to do his ministry. Like the people, like the priest... both undone. Micah concludes contentedly in verse 13, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest."

Of course, maybe the most significant line of this chapter is verse 6, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." God, as rightful King, had lost His place to reign over the children of Israel, which were both the words of warning from Moses and Joshua to the Israelites (Deut.4; Joshua 24). Are we, in our day, seeing something of the same?

The Lord's take away to me in this situation was... "You've seen their response, forsaking the assembling of the brethren together. Be aware that they are taking you to be their household priest while they enjoy their other gods, paying you compliments from their place, but not coming to My House, nor living on My terms. They, like others, have no king for having forsaken Me with doing what they are doing and thinking it will yet be well with them from Me. They know, that to come among you in My House they will see that I am King where they will have to forsake their ways, the lies and excuses they have made for their actions, and the life they are not living, but are meant to. You are priests of the House of the Lord, reaching out to bring those who've become strays again back into the fold. And to bring also, those who know not yet, that they are Mine. Remain a priest of the Most High and His House while still reaching out to bring them into the certainties and security of the fold."

There is more to be mused over from Joshua and Judges regarding this, but in the aftermath of anything we read and say we believe in God's word, we stand or fall on the basis of whether we regard it enough to obey. If not, our faith without the work of obedience is dead! I still believe God believes better things of us. Let's prove Him right!

  - DSC