Know!

Know!

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

In reading the verse above, it is important to consider the context. The people of Israel were about to enter into the land which had been promised to them by God to Abraham. The land was currently occupied by many nations, interestingly, with some of them with ties to Noah's descendants. However, one thing that is clear from this account is that God will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. This statement has become the foundation of the lessons over the past few days. The Lord commanded Israel not to spare anyone in the land they were coming to occupy, because there was a need to cleanse the land from sin. The people had sinned and God was going to apply the punishment He had laid out since the creation of the earth on the people. There was also the warning to the people of Israel too: if you walk in the steps of these people and you go into sin, the same punishment will be meted out on you. That is a sobering message: the God who defined sin in the days of Abraham and Israel is still the same God today. He has not changed his mind or lowered His standard. 

We can claim familiarity with God but when it comes to sin, God has no favourites. The price that God paid to deal with sin should give me a good idea of the wrath of God that will be applied on all who dwell in sin. As Jesus hung on the cross, even God turned his face away from His Son, who had to cry out: "my father, my father, why have you forsaken me?". I do have a duty and a responsibility to avoid sin by depending on the grace of God that enables a man to live in victory over sin. No one and nothing else can supply such strength. In that understanding comes the application of the verse above. Knowledge comes from experience and constant interaction. You do not know God through occasional and periodic contacts. You do not get it right by only weekly, monthly or annual appointments. It has to be by daily and regular approaches, seeking to know His will and mind on all things relating to me. He is faithful to all His promises, because He stakes his name and reputation on anything He says. He cannot be found to be a liar or someone who cannot do as He has said. 

He is also a generational God, whose relevance and potency cut across several generations and dispensations. His love was made known to Abraham, and Israel waw still enjoying the fruits of this love centuries later. This is the basis of the confidence in knowing that God can be trusted to keep His Word. Time does not run out for God the way it does for us as human beings. The promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus was made right in the Garden of Eden and till today, men are still taking advantage of the grace that has been released in Christ. I ask God for grace to enable me know and embrace all He has for me in this season. He can be trusted to be faithful to His promises, and nothing on earth can stop or limit Him, unless I decide to walk out of His purpose and plan for my life. He wants to show Himself strong and mighty on my behalf, but I must let Him work as and when He pleases. My life will be glad I did. God's time of favour is here.