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Jun 29, 2022 18:30pm

Return to the Lord

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I was in complete shock and disbelief as I heard the news, my friend was getting divorced. They had been married several years, and it seemed like the perfect union. They were happy and in love. And he gave her everything. A beautiful house, a nice car, vacations and little trips here and there, she had everything she could have ever wanted or needed, and all she had to do was be committed to him.

But she had an affair.

The questions whirled through my mind when I first heard it. Why? Why would she do that? How could she? Was there something she didn’t have that she needed? But ultimately, the answer was all about one choice. A choice to give in to temptation and sin. She threw it all away for that one choice.

As I read this morning in Deuteronomy 7, I realized, the Israelites had it so good. God had chosen them out of every nation to become His beloved. They were joined to Him through a covenant and He gave them everything. Land for their families and future generations, protection from enemy nations, health, wealth, and love.

“And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.” (Deuteronomy 7:13-16)

He instructed them to completely destroy enemy nations and not take of their people to marry because they would be led away from God. He warned them. He told them exactly what would happen.

And that’s exactly what they would do. They would forsake their vows to the Lord and would worship idols and false gods. They would throw away the very beautiful and sacred relationship with the Lord for that one choice.

Just like Adam and Eve in the garden. Just like David when he saw Bathsheba. Just like Samson when he gave into Delilah. Just like me and you…

Yes, we too have sinned against God. We have strayed away from Him by choosing to put other things before Him. Is what we seek so important that we would risk throwing it all away?

Return to the Lord. Forget the things of this world that tempt you and lure you from Him. We are the bride of Christ and should live holy lives, devoted to Him, and Him alone. God is faithful to forgive. Return to Him.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)