In reading a portion of Psalm 18 today, I learned something about the
way God relates to people. It's very simple, and if you're not careful
you can miss it! You know ladies, often times in relating to God, we wonder
just how God will show Himself to us. But did you ever stop to consider
that maybe the Lord is also wondering how we are going to relate to Him??
It goes both ways as you are about to see, so open your Bible and let's
look at verses 20-26 which say:
"The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the
cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways
of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments
were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also
upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath
the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the
cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew
thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt
shew thyself froward."
It's no mystery after reading these verses that those who are faithful
to God shall find Him all that to them which He has promised to be in
His Word! The words of the Lord are pure words, amen? That means they
can be depended upon and delighted in. Sad to say, there are those who
are not delighting in God's Word, there are many who resist the Lord,
and walk contrary to Him. Ladies, if this is the way we relate to God,
then it should be no surprise to find that He will also walk contrary
to us! What He sees of us is what we will see of Him.... There is waiting
for you and I a recompense for our behavior and a reward for our righteous
living....
Leviticus 26:21-24 says, "And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not
hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according
to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob
you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number;
and your high ways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by
me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk
contrary unto you, and will punish you seven times for your sins."
Certainly by this portion of scripture, one can conclude there are serious
results to consider when we choose to walk contrary to the Lord, amen?
Yes, there are tragedies that we bring upon ourselves and our homes when
we walk hostile to God's Word. It's a clear and simple plan that God has
for relating to people: we are recompensed for our behavior! The question
is, what kind of a reward are you earning for yourself today? It is according
to our sins that we are punished.... How are you finding the Lord is dealing
with you these days, dear lady? No doubt the answer is exactly as you've
been dealing with Him! When we wrestle with God, He wrestles with us.
When we delight in Him, He delights in us. The merciful find mercy, the
pure find purity, the froward find they are robbed of all that is dear.
They find plagues, destruction, and desolation upon them.... Have you
really kept God's ways, dear lady? Perhaps you've been blaming God for
particular circumstances in your life that you've brought upon yourself
in relating improperly toward your God....
Galatians 6:7, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap."
You know ladies, broken promises destroy relationships, don't they? When
it comes to relating to people, we've all been guilty of breaking promises
and having them broken by others. You'll find however, that in relating
to us, God never breaks His Word to us! He promises to bless those who
walk uprightly, those who walk with clean hands, ever keeping His Word
before them. But He also promises to walk contrary to those that have
wickedly departed from Him and put His statutes behind them.... By the
way, it's always wicked when we depart from God, even in the slightest
amounts - let's not call it anything other than what God calls it, amen?
We must see things HIS way and stop deceiving ourselves....
Jeremiah 32:19b, "...for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the
sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to
the fruit of his doings."
In closing, it's time for each of you to pick for yourself which promise
you want the Lord to keep to you today! How would you like God to relate
to you? How would you like Him to recompense you, or reward you today?
Are you in the mood for a plague or a blessing, dear lady? Remember, what
HE sees is what you'll get!
Psalm 24:4-5, "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not
lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive
the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
