Have you ever read a book or watched a movie featuring a protaganist that just doesn't get it? It's actually painful to endure. You want to just shake them and make them wake up. Every time an option is presented before them, they ALWAYS pick the wrong choice. Maybe you have even watched people in your own life walk down that same kind of path. Over and over again, just when you think they are going to get it, they pick the wrong door again. In fact, sometimes they drive you crazy because you give them advice and try to help them make better choices but they still always end up doing what they want. Now, imagine that person is you. Open your Bible to read Deuteronomy 9 or click here.
The Israelites will possess the land of the Analakites but Moses wants to be very clear that it is not because of their righteousness. He gets right to the point in the chapter when he says, "Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people." We are also a stiff-necked people. How long have you struggled with submitting something to the Lord that you have been holding onto for a long time? How many times have you had to turn back to God and ask for forgiveness over something that you just can't seem to give up? How often do you find yourself wondering why it is that God has not given up on you yet? We are a stiff-necked, stubborn people.
I can relate to this in many ways. I have stubbornly continued on my own path in the realm of physical health for my entire life. I have had many opportunities to bring things under control once and for all. There is always a choice. I choose to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. Which makes me a one of these very stubborn people that we read about in this chapter.
Stubborn: 1. unreasonably determined: unreasonably and obstructively determined to persevere or prevail 2. dogged: carried out in a determined, persistent way 3. hard to remove: difficult to remove or deal with.
I wonder why God chose a nation that was so stubborn and stiff-necked, as His people to make a covenant with. All along, they were always so focused on their wants and needs that they didn't even notice the Lord waiting patiently on them, giving chance after chance to the children He dearly loved. What if God saw something that we can't see? What if He saw a group of people who had the potential for more? What if He saw a capacity to plug into this stubborn attitude and harness it for good? What if, instead of pretending I am not a stiff-necked, stubborn woman always focused on doing what I want, I could become a stiff-necked, stubborn woman focused on doing what God wants? Is it possible to turn the bad around for the good? Is it possible to accept my stubbornness and instead of focusing on what I have done wrong all along, I find a way to use it for God's glory? Just as Moses said, it is never about the Israelite's righteousness anyway. It's also not about my righteousness or my unrighteousness. It's about the righteousness of God and His incredible ability to take that which is ugly and make it beautiful. It's all about God's awesome generosity to choose to use those of us who feel like we aren't worthy of being used. It's His merciful grace that tells us He still wants us and will still lead us into the promised land, even when we have done everything in our power to run away from His good promises our entire lives. That's our God.
I honestly don't know if a day goes by without me looking at my husband, Paul, wondering how he can continue to love me so perfectly with all of my imperfections. I had no idea when I prayed for a godly man to walk into my life and become my husband, that the Lord would send me someone who can truly model to me Christ's love here on Earth. I mess up a lot. I'm not an easy person to live with. I don't always show him love the way he deserves. But he loves me so perfectly, anyway. I am so grateful. But this is how it is with God, too. He puts up with a lot from us. He just keeps loving and loving and loving and loving and loving and loving and loving and loving us. Because that's Who He is. That's His character. There is nothing I can do to make God love me more and there is nothing I can do to make Him love me less. He loves me perfectly even when I am imperfect and undeserving. Because of righteousness, I get to still walk with Him into my promised land if I choose.
"You see, at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."(Romans 5:6-8)
This is our God. He sent His Son, Jesus to die for us, while we were still stuck in our stubbornness. He died while I was still making all the bad choices I tend to make. He died in moments that I chose my plans over God's plans. He died when I was placing other things and idols above God. Christ died so that I can still walk with God even in my imperfections. The moment I proclaimed I believed and needed Him as my Savior was the moment I was forgiven forever. In spite of what I do, God sees me as pure because of what He did through Jesus Christ on the Cross. Knowing this great love is what compels me to try to live a life seeking after Him. This is why I must accept my stubbornness and move on, perhaps using that determined, persevering spirit to continue to run this race with my eyes focused on the Prize set before me, who is Jesus Christ. This is a Prize any of us are given if we choose to believe. Are you confident of this unconditional love, today? Romans 10:9 says that "If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved." If you have never let anyone save you before, I pray you will choose today to be rescued by the One who came to seek and save the Lost. Be found. And then let Him lead you to discover the beautiful destiny He has for you. There's no promise that it will always be easy, but you will never have to walk alone.
Father, thank you for Your love that never fails. Thank you that even in my imperfection, You still want me and use me. Forgive my stubborn, stiff-necked ways that have put me on a path of destruction. Somehow, please use my weaknesses for Your glory. I want to walk with you every step of the way. I love you, Lord. Amen.
Now Choose Life.
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