He is Jealous

Today is BEAUTIFUL! God has reminded me of just how much He desires me (and you too). You know, He is always doing this....I just think I'm a block-head and don't pay Him a bit of attention. He did this with the Israelites too, they were just like me. Or.... I am just like them. ;0)

Exodus 34:13-15 (New International Version)

13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. [a] 14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

15 "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.

The difference was that they were blatantly out in the open with their "other" gods. They physically created them out of wood and stone and iron and gold earrings. :) I read about them and think..."boy were they stupid! They had a cloud of smoke and a pillar of light to follow. They had manna falling from the sky. They had Moses, a burning bush, a parted sea, the 10 commandments. How could you make idols out of earrings that the Egyptians just handed over when there was NO doubt that God was with them. He gave them tangible evidence of His presence." And my wee little brain goes on and on and on about them.

Then it dawns on me that He would not have included all of the sad ridiculous stuff in His Word that they did, if it was not for me to read. You know, even though there is comedy in the Bible that is not the purpose. He put it in there to make me look in the mirror at how ridiculous I am. At least the Israelites did not hide there other gods. I sneak around thinking about chocolate, and spend too much time on the phone, or this crazy computer, on facebook, or I sit for hours in front of a box that pours out sin every single second it is on. I do all that in the privacy of my home. At least they were all out in the open about it.

How He is jealous for me, and oh, how I go through my life making Him long for me.

You know He is in total control of everything, except for that one thing, our relationship with Him. He initiates it and saves us and then it is on us to spend time with Him. WOW! And as I sit here listening to David Crowder sing "How He Loves Us", my eyes fill with tears, because I am so unworthy to be called His child. So very unworthy...... and that is what this beautiful time of year is all about.

Good Friday is in two weeks. This is what it is all about... relationship. He paid it all, everything. All I have to do is choose Him and invest time with Him. Absolutely nothing else is required, and like those crazy, stupid Isrealites, like Eve, I fall to temptation. Moment by moment I struggle. GRACE that sums it up once again. I think there is a pattern here!

Have a WONDERFUL, GRACE-FILLED weekend!!!!!!!
:0)

Artist: David Crowder Band
Song: How He Loves


He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.