The same lesson keeps sweeping in and out of my attention: trust God! He says to me, “Trust My Word, trust My promises, trust that I am ALL who I say I am. I cannot lie. I do not want to lie to you. I desire to give you good gifts because you are My child!”
This very wonderful and difficult lesson grew especially evident when I first began to read through the old testament this past summer. Now in Joshua, I have read countless accounts marking God’s desire for His people to only take Him at His Word and love Him fervently! Every word of instruction and commandment, every seemingly indefeatable battle, every tired step through the dessert: God was on His toes and increasingly ready to be ALL He said He’d be and do ALL He said He’d do. But there was only one condition: His people must heed to His Word and obey...
Did He ask for the obedience of His children out of spite or desire to oppress? I cannot hardly think so without remembering the character of my God. He longs to give us His blessings, otherwise He would not have voiced them! And God was not shy in talking about blessings. As anyone who has read through the early books in the old testament would know, God mentions these things rather often! To me, this shows His pressing desire to give generously. But unlike His love, I do not believe the blessings of God are conditional.
Again, we must obey. And what is our obedience to Him? Love.
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