DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NOT IF BUT WHEN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – NOT IF BUT WHEN

"Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you." (Deuteronomy 30:1-3)

It was not a matter of if but when. God knew the inclinations of their behavior (31:21) and that the Israelites would be drawn away from serving the true God to serving other gods. In chapter 31, God said that the people would rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land that they would live, and that they would forsake God and break His covenant which He made with them (31:16). They would suffer the curse of God's anger (31:17).

It did not take a rocket scientist to know which way was best. As Moses said,

" 'This commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?" But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil' " (30:11-14).

The Apostle Paul uses this text in referring to our salvation in Romans 10:6 -10. "But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, 'Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" ' (that is, to bring Christ down from above), or, "Who will descent into the abyss" ' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ' word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is the, the word of faith which we preach)." The Gospel is not some esoteric mystical idea that is afar off and cannot be understood. It is easy to understand that Christ died for our sins. The more difficult thing is to confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, and be saved (vs. 9-10).

We are all bound to sin. It is not a matter of "if" but "when." Our focus verse in Deuteronomy reminds us that God is compassionate and will receive us to Himself when we return to Him. Oh, what a wonderful, gracious, longsuffering, compassionate God we serve.

Love, Dad