Every year I go through the same frustration; yet I know how the story goes, and I hope and pray that I learn from their mistakes—and don’t make the same ones! I have made the same or similar mistakes, though.  I have made little compromises, and I have tried to figure things out using “human” logic. I have let things or people, and their opinions take a substantial position in my life. And I have wrestled with legalism and grace.

I’ve gotten into the “quiet time” habit with the Lord in the mornings—I read some, I write some, I pray, and I listen to a “through the Bible in a year” plan. My routine regularly gets shaken up a bit because I’m convinced that God doesn’t want me to slip into a religious habit without my heart getting involved; yet one thing is consistent—my commitment to reading and listening to the Word of God.

Every year, as I listen to 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, my soul cries out “why?” Why did the Israelites turn away from the Lord? Why did they choose idols over the Living God? Why did they add bits and pieces of the cultures of surrounding nations and their pagan religions?

I tend to give them a bit of a pass because, you know, that was before the Holy Spirit was given to the church. And now we have the Holy Spirit to keep us out of trouble, guiding and leading us in the way we should go.

I’m fine when I finish with the Old Testament and get to read the joyous news of the gospels. …until I get to Revelation and I read the letters to the seven churches. Wait a minute! Jesus speaks to these New Testament, gifted with the Holy Spirit, Christian churches, and He admonishes them for their many problems (sins) that, like the ancient Israelites, they were guilty of committing! 

Over the past 15 years, I’ve moved quite a bit. I find a Bible-believing church and I tuck myself away in good Bible teaching and blessed worship times. I expand my horizons by following some online Bible teachers. Prophecy updates, and news from the Middle East. I’m pretty picky about who I listen to—it’s important that they teach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). However, what I have heard, and some things I have seen, many modern churches have adopted many of the “inclusive” attitudes of the world and deceptions of the enemy. Gender delusion is the big one that comes to mind; however, just as serious is the addition of the occult and other “new age” or pagan practices to Christianity. …sort of like the ancient Israelites adopting many of the pagan practices of the surrounding nations.

I grew up in a church that taught (and believed) the Bible, plus extra stuff that contradicted what the Bible taught. Of course, there was a time I denied that, but when I took away the extra-biblical stuff, I was left with the conviction that I had been stretching the Word of God to the point that it wasn’t the Word of God anymore—it was “cleverly devised myths.”

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, be we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)

Similar problems to what the Israelites got into are found in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation—perhaps they were written to show that we are not so very different from ancient Israel.

I recognize that an understanding and familiarity with the Bible is essential to safeguard against false teachers and teachings; however, when I embarked on the journey of praying through scripture and started a habit of daily reading the Word, something even more magnificent began to happen—my heart started learning about God’s love. I didn’t have to earn it or work to keep it, and there is nothing that can separate me from His love. (Romans 8:31-19)

1 Corinthians 13 defines it; 1 John 4:16b states it, “…God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.”  And the whole of scripture demonstrates God’s love—even in correction and discipline.

I once thought that the Psalms were too good to be true; they (some of them) were just beautiful, idealistic poetry. Yet if God didn’t mean for us to take them to heart, why would Jesus, when He became a man, quote from that book more than any other? And as I began a yearly journey through the Bible, I began to see God from a changing perspective—and I recognized His kindness and grace, the times of abundance and lack, as well as the times of discipline and hardship through the lenses of God’s righteousness and love.

I cannot think of any other evidence of the patient, enduring aspect of God’s love than that of His relationship with the nation of Israel—His chosen people to demonstrate God’s faithfulness and love to the world. Millenia ago, God made an “everlasting promise” to a man, Abram (later called Abrahm – Genesis 12:1-3), and God, “who cannot lie,” still honors His promise:

“I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.” (Genesis 17:70)

We delude ourselves if we think we are not like them. We, like the Israelites are “prone to wander” in our own wildernesses; however, we have His promises to Israel—and to us—as guarantors of His Word, that:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)