EASY AS 1, 2, 3

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance." Then the Lord said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. "Do not make cast idols. "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. "The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. "No one is to appear before me empty-handed. "Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God. "Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Feast remain until morning. "Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments." Exodus 34:9-28

God’s people had broken their covenant with Him when they decided to worship a golden calf crafted from their jewelry by Aaron. Moses had just wrapped up 40 days and 40 nights with the Lord on Mount Sinai, having received instruction and direction on God’s expectations for the way the people were to live but also a blueprint for the tabernacle and all its components needed for proper worship. As Moses came into the camp, he was so enraged that the Israelites had abandoned God…the same God who had delivered them from Egypt…that he smashed the two stone tablets on which God had written His commandments with His finger.

In our scripture today, God is ready to give His people a second chance.

How does it start? Here are the words of Moses who has just seen God’s glory revealed to him. "O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance." Notice the three key steps Moses used in repairing relationship with God:

First, there was confession. Before God, Moses acknowledged that the people were stiff-necked. Indeed, the Israelites chose their own desire to worship an idol over God’s command to not do so. It was this blatant, intentional disobedience that got them into trouble. It was repentance that would get them out of it.

Remember these words from First John:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9

Moses had confessed the sins of the Israelites. He now took the second step toward repairing the damages relationship with God. He sought forgiveness.

After admitting his people were stubborn in disobedience, Moses asked God to "forgive our wickedness and our sin." Let’s return to the words from First John:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9

Moses didn’t attempt to cover up the sinfulness of the people. He openly confessed it before God, seeking His forgiveness and purity from their unrighteousness. This action displayed a turning back to God and in seeing this, God did forgive His people and took steps to reestablish His covenant with them.

In doing this, God gave the Israelites a second chance. He didn’t have to do it but He chose to display His awesome grace and mercy and keep the promises He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But there was one final step that Moses took that needs to be considered right along with confession and seeking forgiveness. For Moses displayed the character of surrender before God.

Did you notice his words? He said, "Take us as your inheritance." In other words, "possess us because we belong to You." Surrendering yourself means that it isn’t about you anymore but about the one you are surrendering yourself to. And it was this attitude that Jesus displayed in its purest, most perfect form as He surrendered Himself for us and died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Indeed, if you want to define the matter of surrender, look to the cross.

Question: How is your relationship with God? Is it in need of repair? How about in need of strengthening? Have you totally surrendered for Jesus like He did for you as He was nailed to the cross? Do you fully appreciate that we serve a God who is just not a God of second chances but One who is patient with our continued failings…like a father or mother to a child who is growing up?
Friends, What an awesome assurance we have that we don’t just serve a God of second chances but a forgiving Heavenly Father…a Divine Parent…who shows us His faithfulness is great and His mercies are truly new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Need to fix your relationship with God. Confess, seek forgiveness and surrender yourself to Him. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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