If you are willing and obedient -

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Have you ever heard someone say that they did not want to become a Christian because of all they would have to give up? Have you every felt that way yourself? When thoughts like this come into our minds, it is because we can't comprehend a different life style or living without a bad habit.

Isaiah 1:19 says IF YOU ARE WILLING AND OBEDIENT, YOU SHALL EAT THE GOOD OF THE LAND: BUT IF YOU REFUSE AND REBEL, YOU SHALL BE DEVOURED WITH THE SWORD; FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAS SPOKEN IT.

We have talked some this week about relationships and how we should CEASE TO DO EVIL, LEARN TO DO GOOD; SEEK JUSTICE, REBUKE THE OPPRESSOR.

The King James version puts it a little different PUT AWAY THE EVIL OF YOUR DOINGS FROM BEFORE MY EYES; CEASE TO DO EVIL; LEARN TO DO WELL; SEEK JUDGMENT, RELIEVE THE OPPRESSED, JUDGE THE FATHERLESS, PLEAD FOR THE WIDOW.

But any way you look at it God's way is different from man's way. He wants us to return good for evil, a soft word for angry words which sometimes is very hard to do.

On my job I talk to people the whole time. We do customer service for a credit card company. We have about 40-50 partners or different credit cards that we service. Some of the meanest people in the world are people who have $35,000 to $50,000 credit lines. They expect the impossible and do not want to be inconvenienced at all. Sometimes I have a very hard time returning a soft, kind word when they call with their anger and unwarranted expectations. They call with 'I want this done now, and I refuse to wait another minute.'

When we serve the Lord, we need to go the distance. To be patient and kind no matter what - and I am talking to myself today, because it is very hard sometimes to CEASE TO DO EVIL when someone is in your face so to speak.

I know one time a woman called in and said every ugly thing she could possibly think up to say and the only thing I could think of to say was 'Merry Christmas to you too.' She hung up.

This scripture today says IF YOU ARE WILLING AND OBEDIENT, YOU SHALL EAT THE GOOD OF THE LAND.

It is worth giving up our way of doing things for the Lord's way of doing things. It is rewarding to our lives and to our peace of mind. Sometimes it takes a while for the 'good of the land' to come, but this scripture says FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAS SPOKEN IT.

We can trust in God.

The negative part of this scripture is also true. My sister, Sarah, smoked all of my life. She was 15 years older than me. She was a nurse and smoked for some 60 years at least. When she was 80 they diagnosed her with lung cancer. She passed away last year. She asked the doctor, who was an old friend of hers, should she quit smoking. He told her it was too late to stop now.

The WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH the 'wages of cigarette smoking is lung cancer.' Wages is what we earn after a week on our job. We get a pay check. That is our wages. Same way with this. The consequences of our actions is our wages.

God does not just put that on us, it is the wages we have earned from what we have done or not done.

So the consequences of ceasing from evil, learning to do good, seeking judgment, rebuking the oppressor - if we are willing and obedient - we shall eat the good of the land.

That is a wonderful promise of God.

Lord, help us to living pleasing your sight. Remind us to do good not evil. Remind us to rebuke the oppressor instead of just going with the flow. Help us to live for you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Have a great day!

Ms. Charlotte