ARE YOU THIRSTY?

And from there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.” Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!— (‭Numbers‬ ‭21‬:‭16-17‬ ESV)

Have you ever experience thirst - real thirst?  There are times, especially after preaching, where I could drink a whole bottle of water without hardly taking a breath.  My system longs for this resource to quench my thirst.

Living in the desert we also understand what it means to be parched and thirsty.  We get so little rain that our topography is often brown and brittle.  If we want to see green we have to go "down the hill."  If we don't water our lawns they will dry out and become an eyesore.  

In the same manner - our spiritual lives often reflect that same dried out experience.  Our prayer life is dead or next to nothing.  And, we don't spend time in the word which furthers our drought spiritually.

The Children Of Israel we're in a drought experience.  They were wandering in the wilderness and they were headed to "Beer" (Be-er) which name meant "fountains."

Previously, they asked God for water with a grumbling and discontented heart and God punished them by releasing "fiery" snakes into their lives.  They cried out in repentance and God provided a means for them to be healed - a fiery serpent wrapped upon a bronze pole - that, if anyone looked at the snake on the pole - they would be healed. (A symbol of the cross of Christ).

Now, (in God's mercy) God gathers them in order to give them water.  The people then began to sing in thanksgiving for God's mercy and provision.

As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. (‭Psalm‬ ‭84‬:‭6‬ ESV)

The Valley of Baca was a dry wilderness place.  In Hosea, it is referred to as The Valley of Anchor or "The Valley of Weeping."  

What was once a place of failure, a place of sorrow and weeping and place of barrenness now becomes a place of overflow, of blessing and prosperity.  God sent the rains and filled up its pools.

Look at God's promises to those who are thirsty...

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ESV)

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭37-38‬ ESV)

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭17-18‬ ESV)

Perhaps you are parched and spiritually dry right now.  Perhaps you have not enjoyed to springs of living water from God on high.  Like Israel, as you come to Him in humility and thanksgiving - GOD WILL POUR OUT INTO YOUR LIFE and will quench your thirst.  God will not forsake you.  He is waiting for you to give you the waters of life freely and abundantly.  I pray that blessing over your life right now.

DEALING WITH CONFLICT

Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. (‭Numbers‬ ‭20‬:‭2-9‬ ESV)

One of the struggles of pastoring is that of strife and quarreling and division between people.  In a perfect world that would not be the case but in my world - there is always something brewing somewhere.

If it is not one thing - it is another.  The fact is, we are all human and we still live on earth and we have to learn how to get along.

My goal is always to bring Jesus alongside of any problems that might arise and to allow the Holy Spirit to show up heal whatever situation that we are facing.  

I like what is said in Acts 9:31...

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. (‭Acts‬ ‭9‬:‭31‬ ESV)

I'm not an idealist but a realist when it comes to matters like this.  Life happens.  People get offended.  But here's the thing - it is God's intention that we always come to Him for solutions and that we allow the Holy Spirit to reign and rule over every difficulty and hard place - whether at church or at home or at school or even at work.

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ESV)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ESV)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ESV)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ESV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6-7‬ ESV)

I have been a pastor for now over 40 years.  I've seen about everything there is to see.  I've faced about every problem known to mankind.  People come in different body suits but their agendas are all the same and pride hinders them from moving forward or getting the peace they so need.

Quite honestly, if there is conflict in your life, the only person who can really touch you is God.  You need the power of His Holy Spirit.

Psalm 23 gives a vivid picture of this as the shepherd takes care of his sheep.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬ ESV)

During the mating season the male sheep become aggressive with another as they fight over the ewes.  The shepherd coats their head with oil (kind of like an axle grease).  Instead of butting their heads against one another and hurting one another they just glide past one another.

Should not this be the way we should live?  Instead of conflict and problems we should be going to God our Father and allow Him to coat our lives with the oil of the Holy Spirit to help us deal with every difficulty that besets us.

God is the healer of conflicts and He is the resolver of problems.  He is waiting for you to depend on Him and to allow your life to come under His covering.  He's got this!  He's not surprised by what you are going through and He wants to come along your side and help you to be an overcomer in your life.  Trust Him with your conflict today!

WHERE IS GOD?

On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses. (‭Numbers‬ ‭9‬:‭15-23‬ ESV)

Israel was given a gift - a visible sign of God's presence among them.  God instructed them to watch for the cloud that would cover them by day and the fire that would cover them by night.  The cloud would bring shade in the daytime and the fire would provide heat for them in the evening.  When the cloud moved - they were to move also.  Sometimes it would be a short stay and sometimes it would be longer.  They were to walk in obedience to wherever God was or going.  They only journeyed when they were told to and they only stopped when they were told to.

It was to be a proof of God's presence in their life.  It would a visible comforting item that they could look up and see that God was with them.

For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, (‭Isaiah‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬ ESV)

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. (‭Psalm‬ ‭121‬:‭5‬ ESV)

Are you watching and observing the cloud in your own life?  Do you see visible signs of God's presence in you?  Are you aware when the Holy Spirit is not with you and that somehow you have grieved the Holy Spirit?

We must, like the Israelites, be looking for the visible signs of God's presence in our daily lives.

When Paul says that we must let the peace of God rule in our heart - (Colossians 3:15) he means the presence of God's peace is to be an umpire or a judge in our hearts.

You might ask what the visible signs are today.  Galatians 5 maps some of these signs out for us...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22-23‬ ESV)

When God's presence is in and over us - these fruits will ooze out of your life and be evident to others around you.

Moses once declared to God ...."And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. (‭Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭15‬ ESV)

Do you have that type of yearning for God's presence in your life?  Can you see the visible signs of God in your midst?

The world has desensitized us to sin and unrighteousness.  What was not ok in times past is now acceptable.  We tolerate more sin and unrighteousness.  God's presence is often not with us.

May I encourage you to look closely at your life and ask yourself if God is with you.  Can you look up at night and see the covering of fire over your camp?  Is the cloud over you during the daytime?

Or... has it moved on and you are still functioning as if it is still there?

David's prayer (after he committed adultery with Bathsheba) should be the prayer of every person reading this right now...

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (‭Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭10-12‬ ESV)

LOOKING FOR APPROVAL IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” (‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭22-27‬ ESV)

One of the things I enjoy about the Jewish culture is how "The Blessing" is instilled into their daily lives from their father.  As children prepare to leave the house everyday for school, or especially for a special occasion, the father would bring all his children around him and pronounce a blessing from God upon their lives."

This touches my life deeply as it is something my father had done to his family and it is what I've tried to instill in my family.

When Esau recognized that his brother Jacob had stole the firstborn blessing from his father he called out, "Don't you have a blessing for me also?"

That prayer has been the cry of generations for the span of time - "Don't you have a blessing for me also?"

I recently sat with a man in my office who was struggling with some personal sins that was affecting his own spiritual life and that of his family.  My heart went out to him as he sat there and told of the 3 dads in his life and the abuse they brought to him.  He was sobbing so much that he could hardly get words out to talk.

He just kept saying, "I want my dad's approval."

That has been the cry of many men and women in that they just didn't get the approval they needed from their father and it ended up having an adverse effect upon their lives.

I have heard that men's prisons often pass out greeting cards for them to send home to family on special days.  When Mother's Day came all the men wanted to have a card to send home to their mother.  Thinking this program to be a success they tried it again on Father's Day.  Surprisingly, they hardly gave any cards out to those prisoners.

There was a huge disconnect with these men and their fathers.

I'm a hugger.  I often reach out and touch people as I talk to them.  Every time I do that - I'm sending silent prayers up to God "Please bless them and fulfill their hearts desires."  I'm praying that they don't have to look elsewhere for the blessing or in the wrong places or people."

You might be saying, "So, what do I do?  I didn't get the approval of my dad.  I have spent my whole life trying to get people to approve me and tell me that they like me."

The answer is this: The reality is that you might never get the approval of your father or from the people who surround you.  It is then that you must come up to the Heavenly Father on a daily basis and ask Him to put His hand of blessing on you."

I like what 2 Corinthians 3:5 says, "Our adequacy/ sufficiency is not from ourselves.  It is from God."

I don't need man's approval but I need God's approval.  That's all I need!  When I came to understand that - it changed my perspective on how I relate to those around me at home and at work and in day by day life.

I feel inadequate and insufficient every day of my life.  I feel as if I'm in over my head often.  I have to, on a regular basis, look up and say to God - "I'm your child.  I am in you.  I know you are going to give me the adequacy and sufficiency that I need.  I trust in you.  Amen."

I pray that every person reading this will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are loved and so very very special to God.  Man might has let you down but you are now covered by the blood of Christ and are the "treasure of His heart."

MY NAME IS GERSON NOT GER-SAN

Numbers 3:17 (ESV) 17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

This last year I had the great privilege of hiring a young man for our children's ministry with a rather unusual name.  After telling me a few times that his name was "Gerson" and not "Ger-san" - I finally got it right.

Gerson told me that he was from an Hispanic family and that he was named from Gershom in the Bible. I had read about the Gerson in the Bible but didn't know too much about what he did.  In fact, I felt a little stupid when he asked me if I knew about Gerson in the Bible.

So Gerson (and his wife Nicole) came to work for me and are doing a fantastic job of reaching our children and their families.  People still stumble over his name but for the most part we "get it" and we "get him."

So, as we were reading through our Bible passage today, the name of Gerson jumped out at me, prompting me to do a little research on his name.

The name Gershom in the Bible is not a popular name nor is it a popular name in the United States.  In 1 Chronicles it is referred to as "Gerson."

In the Bible, Gershom is the first born son of Levi. He is a brother of Merari and Kohath, and father of Libni and Shimei. His family became known as the Gershonites. They were to take care of the outer coverings of the tabernacle and the curtains that marked the outer court and the altar (Numbers 3:25-26). Gershon is called Gershom in 1 Chronicles 6:16.

As I read through the definition and the root meanings of his name - I realized that his name fits him and his ministry perfectly.  His people were put in charge of taking care of the tabernacle coverings and curtains.  When they moved from one location to another - they were to take them down, store them and transport them.  They were to maintain them so that they wouldn't leak or fall apart.

Think about that - the ministry of the Gersonites was focused.  The integrity of the tabernacle was dependent on how they maintained and cared for its walls.

Gerson is one of many wonderful staff members that I have - all of which perform a different ministry in the body of Christ.  Not everyone is called to minister and speak nor is everyone called to work with children, etc.  But... all of us doing the assigned job that God has given us causes the body of Christ to grow and be edified.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us...(‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭3-6‬ NIV)

May I encourage you to discover and find the gift that God has entrusted you with.  This Sunday I will be focusing on our Believe series again in regard to the subject of spiritual gifts.  Also, on Saturday, March 14th we will be having another Spiritual Gifts Class at the church.  I pray that you would find your gift and use it for the glory of God.

By the way Gerson and Nicolle and family - Welcome aboard!

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO YOU?

Numbers 1:1 (ESV) 1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai...

We have been journeying through the Old Testament in our daily Bible.  Every page there have been treasures and nuggets of truth that God has revealed to us.

- In Genesis we saw how God created the world and how man became so sinful that God destroyed the earth with a flood.  It was a book of "New Beginnings" and followed the lives of people like Abraham and Joseph.

- In Exodus, we see how Israel escaped slavery in Egypt and how God miraculously set them free from hundreds of years of bondage.  They came through the Red Sea and saw God provide through the desert wilderness. They came to Mount Sinai where God appeared to them in a spectacular way; where Moses went up on the mountain to meet with God and receive the law.

- In Exodus, God reveals His plans to build a tabernacle of meeting and how God established a priesthood.

The Book of Exodus covered a year.  The Book of Leviticus covered only a month.  The Book of Numbers will now cover more than 38 years.

The wilderness was never meant to be Israel's destination. God's intention was to bring them into the Promised Land of Canaan. The wilderness was intended as a temporary place - a place to move through, not to live in.

The Book of Numbers is all about God's people in the wilderness - how they got there, how God deals with them in the wilderness, and how He brings them out of the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.

"The theme of the book of Numbers is the journey to the Promised Land of Canaan. Its opening ten chapters, covering a mere fifty days, describe how Moses organized Israel for the march from Sinai to the Promised Land." (Wenham)

The Book of Numbers gives us a big vision: Where is God taking us? What will it take to get there? What inward qualities must God develop in us and demand in us along the way?

Promised Land people are very different from slave people. Israel emerged from Egypt a slave people, basically unsuited for the Promised Land. How would God transform them into a promised-land people?

"So the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Goshen; their tasks were appointed, and their taskmasters compelled their obedience. Their difficulties had been great, their bondage cruel, but they were free from the necessity of thought and arrangement. Having escaped from their taskmaster, they imagined that freedom meant escape from rule. They had been taught in their year of encampment under the shadow of the mountain that they had to submit to law, and it was irksome to them, and they became discontented. This discontent resulted from lack of perfect confidence in God." (Morgan)

The Book of Numbers approaches it all God's way. When we are in the wilderness, we are tempted to launch a hundred different schemes and plans to escape. But only God's way really works; and the Book of Numbers gives us God's way. The idea that the LORD spoke to Moses is repeated more than 150 times and more than 20 different ways in Numbers.

Notice the opening verse...

Numbers 1:1 (ESV) 1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai...

How does God speak to you today?  How do you know that it was God?  Is it possible to hear His voice? Does God want us to hear His voice? How does God speak? How are we to listen?

Notice some of the people that God spoke to in the Bible...

"God spoke unto Noah, saying” (Genesis 8:15).
“The Lord had said unto Abram …” (Genesis 12:1).
“The Lord said unto Moses …” (Exodus 24:12).
“Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah …” (Isaiah 38:4).
“Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

God is speaking, and we can hear His voice. Christianity is a relationship; every relationship is established and maintained through communication. It is vital that we learn to hear God’s voice, so that we may deepen our relationship with our heavenly Father.

God Speaks to Us in Many Ways

Our creative God is not limited to one form of communication. He is all-powerful; He is omnipresent; He is sovereign. The Bible is filled with accounts of God speaking to individuals, to families, and to nations. In the past He spoke in many different ways, and that is true today as well.

1- God Speaks to Us Through His Word

The Bible is one of God’s provisions to equip us to do His will. (See II Timothy 3:16–17.) God’s Word is alive; it is active in our lives. The Bible is an absolutely essential part of your walk with God. You must not neglect His Word. It is one way that He speaks to you personally, powerfully—today. (See I Thessalonians 1:5, 2:13.)

2- God Speaks to Us Through Our Prayers

God also speaks to us when we pray. Unfortunately, many of us have the mistaken idea that the purpose of prayer is to change God’s mind. We think, “If I can just plead with God long enough and hard enough, He’ll give me what I’m asking for.” Prayer is not a way to twist God’s arm.

Prayer is God’s means of getting through to us, so that we can do things for Him! As we pray, God takes our focus off of our needs and puts our focus on His love and His power. Through prayer, God changes our perspective to conform to His purposes; He establishes His priorities for our lives; He leads us into all truth.

3- God Often Speaks in a “Still, Small Voice”

At a time when the prophet Elijah was discouraged and depressed, God spoke to him: “And he [God] said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he … went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? ” (I Kings 19:11–13).

Sometimes God will speak through “the wind or an earthquake or a fire,” but most often He speaks in a still, small voice. Be attentive!

4- God Speaks Through Circumstances

You must be diligent to seek God and to be attentive to His work in every facet of your life, because another way that God speaks to us is through our circumstances. As you focus on the Lord, especially during difficult or painful circumstances, God can show you His perspective about your circumstances. Rather than trying to figure out everything, equipped only with our limited knowledge and understanding, we can acknowledge the Lord in all of our ways and rely on His love for us, His sovereignty, and His plan for our good. (See Proverbs 3:3–13 and Romans 8:26–32.) He is totally trustworthy.

5- God Speaks Through Others

The Bible records many instances in which God used one individual to deliver His message to another individual. (See I Samuel 13:13–14, 15:23; II Samuel 12:7–15; and Acts 9:10–18, 10:1–33.) God may speak to you through another individual—a friend, a parent, a pastor, even a stranger. You would be wise to confirm what you hear God saying by seeking affirmation of that direction through wise, Godly people.

One of the best places to find individuals who can give you Godly counsel is your local church. Even if your fellow church members do not directly give you counsel, God can use their words to reveal or confirm His will, as the Holy Spirit works in your lives. Also, as a member of a local church, you can observe what God is saying to the entire church. God often will direct you personally through the input of others who are regularly in Christian fellowship with you.

With God, Nothing Is Impossible!

God is not limited in any way. He is not restricted to certain methods of communication with His children. Just as He creatively and dramatically used a donkey to rebuke Balaam, God can just as creatively and dramatically communicate His message to your heart as you hear someone else pray, as you read a testimony included in your church newsletter, or as you suddenly understand the full meaning of a song you hear. With God, nothing is impossible! (See Luke 1:37)

In John 10:14, 27–28, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. … My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Stay as close as possible to the Shepherd, and you will always know if He is the One whose voice you hear.

THE CONDITIONS FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE

“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ESV) 

Leviticus 26 is an interesting portion of scripture in that it lays out the conditions for God's abundant blessings in our lives.

V.3 - "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands..."  In other words, if you follow the words that I have laid out, then I will pour out these blessings into your life."

Notice the blessings... God says, "I will..."

A. Give You Plenty - vv. 4,5

Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭4-5‬ ESV)

B. Give You Peace - v.6a

I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭6‬ ESV)

C. Give You Protection - v. 6b

And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭6‬ ESV)

D. Give You Power - vv. 7,8

You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭7-8‬ ESV)

E. Give You Prosperity - v.9

I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭9‬ ESV)

F. Give You Provision - v. 10

You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭10‬ ESV)

G. Give You His Presence - vv. 11,12

I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭11-12‬ ESV)

H. Give you freedom - v.13

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭13‬ ESV)

These are the very things man is striving for today. These are the things God wants you to have.God will not force you to love or obey Him.  It's your choice.

There is also a 2nd condition set forth here - "If you will not..." (vv.14-15).

Notice the results...

A. Futility - v.16b & Judges 6:1-6

B. Defeat - v.17 & 1 Samuel 4:10

C. Drought - v.19,20 & 1 Kings 17

D. Children devoured by beasts - v. 22 & 2 Kings 17:25

E. Pestilence - v. 25b & Numbers 16:49

F. Starvation - v.29 & 2 Kings 6:28-29

G. Desolations - v.31 & 2 Kings 25:9

H. Dispersion - v.33 & Psalm 44:11

I. 70 years of captivity - v.34,35 & Jeremiah 25:11-12

May I encourage you today to put your trust fully on God and His Word.  His promise to all of us is blessing, blessing, and more blessing.  It sure beats the alternative.

(Outline from Pastor Chuck Smith).