May 12th, 2011
Deuteronomy 23: 15-25
“If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. 16 Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them. 17 No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute.18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute[d] into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both. 19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess. 21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. 24 If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.”
Reflection:
” Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth” — this verse stood out to me most. I would say i didn’t know why, but it definitely applies at the moment.
On July 5th, 2010, i vowed to God, my whole life. On July 9th, i gave Him everything. I told Him that i’d live for Him- and i meant it. — Well, recently, i haven’t been taking back my word, but definitely things haven’t been has powerful and hyped up as it was in the summer. So this verse just kind of reminds me that i made a promise, with the Lord our God and said i’d give my life. But since then, all i have been doing is being selfish and needy. When one thing went wrong, i’d thing of everything else that is wrong and ask why God hasn’t been blessing me, and why He’s been blessing everyone else.
I made a vow to Him, now i remember. So now, i have to keep to it. Just because i’m not on fire doesn’t mean i can’t worship Him with everything.
I also came across another verse yesterday, during my Girls Connect Group- I don’t quite remember the verse, but it said something like, “I am living for Him, no longer myself.’ and that really again reminded me that…i’m no longer living for myself. I’m living with Christ in me, and living for what He did 2000 years ago.
And the rest of the passage i think really relates the how we should be treating others. I haven’t been myself these days- being extremely honest, shooting rude comments, and just not being a woman of God. Even after i do something mean, i do it with confidence but live with the guilt for about 10 seconds, then forget about it. I’m not like that! I never was…i’ve been so bitter.
So now i’m making a change!
Application:
Now that i know my faults- what i’ve been doing wrong, i’m ready to live a positive life. I must not forget that i’m living this life for GOD, not me anymore. Since the day i accepted Him into my life; since that day i gave my life to Him, i no longer live for myself.
I’ll start out small. I’ll begin with my words at least and hopefully it’ll turn into habits, and will become the person i want to be- the person God wants me to be.
I will no longer keep grudges against the Lord- He is God afterall, He’ll make all things right. I will trust in Him, and believe He’ll make all things new.
