Scripture
There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.
~Psalm 106:3, NLT
Quote
When God’s children are disobedient, they are ungrateful and unhappy.
~Ya’akov
Psalm 106 is the last of this division and again it deals with Israel’s history and their perpetual disobedience. There is a list of offenses:
- Ingratitude and Rebellion [v.7]. Before they were out of Egypt [at the Red Sea] they had forgotten all the things God did for them in Egypt and they rebelled against Moses. In spite of their attitude, God parted the waters of the Red Sea, saved the Israelites and destroyed their enemies before their very eyes. So they sang His praises on the banks of the sea but in three days they again would be complaining.
- In the wilderness, their desires ran wild, they put God to the test.
- They were jealous of Moses and envious of Aaron. Dathan and Abiram lead in this rebellion and they were swallowed up by the earth.
- At Mount Sinai, they made the golden calf: They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. God would have destroyed them then and there but Moses interceded for them.
- More rebellion, then they refused to go in and conquer the land of Canaan. This lead to 40 years of aimless wandering.
- Then at Moab, they played the harlot and worshiped Baal Peor, a form of demonic worship. This time Phinehas interceded for them as a plague was killing them by the thousands.
- Rebellion at the Rock. They showed out so bad at Meribah that Moses lost his temper and got in trouble himself. He basically threatened them and called them a bunch of rebels. He wasn’t wrong in what he said but he failed to give God the glory.
- Then, when they did go into the land, they failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the LORD had commanded them. Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs.
- Then, they defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols which was adultery in the LORD ’s sight. They even sacrificed their children in the altar fires of Molech and Chemosh. The LORD ’s anger burned against his people, and he abhorred His own special possession.
- The LORD handed them over to their enemies because of their disobedience and again and again He rescued them, but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin.
God was ready to give them everything: peace, prosperity, abundance, wealth, and joy but they would not submit to His will nor would they obey His commands. They were determined to live by their own wits and they refused to repent and turn from their sin. No wonder they were always unhappy about something. No wonder they gripped and complained incessantly–they were living in perpetual disobedience. What has God commanded all his children to do? It begins with GO and it ends with making disciples. Jonah was an unhappy preacher. He loved his country, he loved his comfort, he loved his reputation but he despised Gentiles and he hated Assyrians. He encamped outside Nineveh where he sat down and waited. This is the posture of an unhappy Christian. They sit and watch with a critical eye. Be pro-active; get involved in ministry for Pete’s sake and then you want have so much time to sit and watch. God didn’t call you to sit, He called you to go. God’s command to Jonah was “Get up and go,” not “sit down and watch.”
- I want to thank those who have prayed, the break through came yesterday morning and I have a load off my back. We will probably be in the book of Jonah all week. I am out of my comfort zone, four of the five messages, I have never preached before.
- I wanted to go hear TRUMP but I did not want to fight the crowd and I knew there would be one. Big Luther is a crook but that is true of 98% of those in Congress. I’m about to the point that I agree with my late Father-in-law. He said you could put them all in a sack and shake it and then you would be able to tell one from the other. We have too many RINO’s. Democrats masquerading as Republicans. I have a friend that says Judge Moore is crazy but I am voting for him. He may shake Washington up and the LORD knows, they need shaking. McCain and all those like him need to switch to the democratic party or quit and go home.
- Had a horrible year trying to grow tomatoes. I pulled up all my plants except one yesterday but the LORD blessed us with peas. They were putting on again but June wanted me to cut them down. We are down to peppers, turnip greens, okra and squash.
- Big Mama’s long range weather forecast is hot through next Wednesday and then cooler weather.