We are living in the land of the free. Let freedom ring! Since this is the land of the free, home of the brave, why are so many people in bondage and fear? The path of sin offers us freedom but delivers us to bondage. God promises us a yoke, but leads us to freedom. People are in bondage to many different things. Acarophobia, Bacteriophobia, Claustrophobia, Demophobia, and one of the worst yet, Cacophobia, that is the fear of ugliness. We fear and we fuss and we cuss and we gripe. We do everything except Praise God. Seems like alot of people can't find a church to go to, or a time set aside to praise him. We are in bondage to drugs, lust, cursing, cheating, hating, we have forgotten what it is to truly be free.
In Egypt, the nation of Isreal had become the slaves of the Egyptians. It was the only way of life that they knew. They didn't know any other way to live. That is how we get. We curse and drink, and gripe and fuss and hurt, and we have done this so long that we don't know any other way to live. We just belly up to the bar, and order another one, to try to make it all go away. We fret and worry, and complain and moan, then we go to the doctor to get some pills to make it all go away. We are a nation in bondage.
God sent Moses to deliver the nation of Isreal from their slavery. Once they had left Egypt and were in the wilderness with Moses, many times the presence of God would come down and envelope the mountain, or the tabernacle. This cloud was sometimes described as smoke and it contained the Glory of God. Why were they needing his Glory? They needed the Glory because the Glory contains his power, it means that he has come near. They were in bondage and they needed delivered, and God sent his Glory before them to lead the way.
When God gave the 10 commandments to the nation of Isreal while they were in the wilderness, they saw the Glory of God and heard his voice. And they became afraid, because of their sinfulness.
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." Exo. 20: 18-19
The people who wanted to stay at a distance from his voice, and that wanted to avoid his glory died in the wilderness. They never did obtain the fullness of God's promise of a land of milk and honey, they never got their full freedom. This is how it is today. If you want to be free, you must approach God yourself. You can't stand at a distance and get your mom to approach God for you, or your priest, or your friend, or even your kids. Sometimes we want others to bring us before God, rather than to approach him ourselves. This will never bring you freedeom, but will always leave you in bondage. Still today, people are afraid of God's voice, and afraid to approach him in all of his glory.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
God longs for you to draw near to him, because one touch of his glory, and you will be changed forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment