13/02/2013 - THINGS WE FORGET

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But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Joshua 22:5

After the Lord had given rest to the children of Israel, the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh – that was on the other side of the Jordan – returned to their tents, and Joshua reminded them of the duty of the servants of God: they had to hold fast to the Lord and serve Him with all their heart and with all their soul. These commandments today are also very important for the Almighty to rejoice in His servants; after all, we should not be nominal Christians.

One day Joshua deemed the work as completely done, but later the Lord rebuked him by saying that there was still much land to be conquered. Then Joshua dismissed those two and a half tribes, whose territory lay beyond Jordan, and allowed them to return to their homes. When we feel that the work we’ve been commissioned to do is done, we must check whether it was really finished according to the divine plan.

As a God fearing man, Joshua reminded them of the duty incumbent on all those who serve the Most High. Do not forget these obligations because if you do, we will be returning to the condition of separation from God and then, undoubtedly, the enemy will strike back with his evil attacks. Probably many of my readers have forgotten about it and as result they find themselves in difficult situations today.

Besides the responsibility of walking in the ways of God and keeping His commandments, our obligation is to hold fast to Him; otherwise we will be acting as the religious people that offer nothing special in their worship to the Lord. When someone draws near the Most High and receives His direction they can be admonished concerning any wrong path they might be walking on and therefore they will be able to keep on track.

It is important to serve the Lord with all your heart and all your soul. In His service, God does not accept a divided heart and soul. So be sure to give yourself completely to God’s Word because otherwise you will become religious – and religious rules do not meet the divine requirements. Be a God-fearing person as opposed to being focused on man-made concepts.

Abide by the five observations made by Joshua in this biblical passage for they are of paramount importance. This summary, if followed closely, will turn every servant of God into a successful man or woman in all areas. Many do not know why the Lord does not hear them, but certainly this is because they do not obey the divine guidance.

The greatest mistake most people make is to get carried away by those who are considered authorities within their denominations. We have to serve the Lord – His Word – and not man!

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares