2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As we get ready to revisit the events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection during this Lent-Easter season, the Lord leads me to discuss the issue of commitment. The dictionary defines commitment as the acceptance of a promise or thing entrusted or charged to a person. This is a word that many young people in our society don’t want to have to confront. That is one reason why it is so important for us as parents, grandparents, and friends to help them find a way to realize that without quality commitments, their lives will never attain the potential for fulfillment that our loving Abba makes available. To give the Father’s perspective on this issue, we need to look at some of the examples from the Scriptures that shed light on it.
Joseph’s life in many ways foreshadowed that of the Son. Just as Christ was tempted in the wilderness [MT 4: 1-11], Joseph also faced temptations that tested his faith in God. GN 39: 6a-10 speaks of his encounter with the Egyptian official, Potiphar’s, wife. “Joseph was well built and good looking, and after awhile his master’s wife began to desire Joseph and asked him to go to bed with her. He refused and said to her, ‘Look, my master does not have to concern himself with anything in the house, because I am here. He has put me in charge of everything he has. I have as much authority in this house as he has, and he has not kept back anything from me except you. How could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?’ Although she asked Joseph day after day, he would not go to bed with her.” The phrase which really reveals the state of Joseph’s heart-attitude is the question he asks, “How could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?” You notice that he didn’t say, “and sin against Potiphar.” Joseph knew who his real Master was. Had Joseph not been committed to God, think of how little use to God he would have been when it was time to save the people from starvation later on in his life. When we think of the God-sized assignment that was to be Joseph’s, we can put more Godly perspective on the importance of his commitment to his faith. Hopefully, it will also bring us to examine our own commitment to faith in God, because we may not have the ability to fully understand the far-reaching consequences of an assignment God gives us.
In Joseph’s case, his righteous behavior allowed him to carry out the assignment the Father had for him. However, it behooves us to look at a case of what can happen when the recipient of an invitation from God to join Him in His work was not responded to in righteousness. Joshua 7: 1, “The Lord’s command to Israel not to take from Jericho anything that was to be destroyed was not obeyed. A man named Achan disobeyed that order and so the Lord was furious with the Israelites.” (25-26) “…The people then stoned Achan to death [after he confessed-probably without remorse] along with his family and possessions. A stone memorial was put on his grave and that place was called “Trouble Valley.” Achan’s commitment to God was faulty if it existed at all. There are clearly times when God asks people to do something that they don’t understand or with which they don’t agree. What Achan didn’t understand was a righteous Lord’s will that any person, animal, or thing that had to do with idolatry should be expunged from the land that He was giving to His people by divine right. It was God’s will that the Israelites, His people, were chosen to worship and serve only Him and no other god. That was also the basis for God’s will that the Jews should not intermarry with non-Jews at the time. If we are really faithful and obedient to God, is it necessary for us to know all the details of His purpose at the time we are given an assignment? It is my belief that it isn’t. God asks us to obey Him and may or may not allow us to know all the reasons why. That is His sovereign choice. Our willingness to obey Him is a measure of our commitment to Him.
There are times when a person’s unwillingness to make a clear commitment to God has negative consequences to others. We see this in JOSH 22: 20. “Remember how Achan, son of Zerah [tribe of Judah], refused to obey the command about the things condemned to destruction. The whole community of Israel was punished for that. Achan was not the only one who died because of his sin.” God is committed to extinguishing idolatry. His perspective can be seen in EX 20: 5, “Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate Me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation.” Now, from a human perspective, that seems kind of unfair. But remember, mankind doesn’t have the ability to see the big picture that God sees. Nor is mankind as consistently righteous as God is. What good would God’s law or His word have been if He didn’t have a total commitment to it? Our Lord is righteous, fair, and always consistent. Achan knew this commandment and knowingly broke it.
PRAYER: O Lord, in Your righteousness and wisdom, You ask us to make commitments to You. They are always designed to be in our best interests, because You love us so much. When we make the adjustments in our lives necessary for us to make and keep these commitments, we are blessed and You can carry out Your purpose through us. When we refuse to obey, then we and often others suffer negative consequences. We dedicate ourselves to making whatever adjustments we must make to conform our lives to Your will. Your righteousness and consistency reveal to us that we can put our trust in You, even when we don’t fully understand an assignment You give us. Thank You, Dear Lord, for loving us so much that You offer us this chance to commit ourselves to Your service. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will look at more examples from the Scriptures that will reveal the necessity of making quality commitments in our lives. In the meanwhile, we need to remember that as adults we need to set a good example for our young people and to let them understand why it is so important for them to make quality commitments in their own lives. Join me in celebrating our shared commitment to obey the Lord of our lives and revel in the knowledge that His love for us is complete and consistent. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn