JUST LIKE MOST THINGS, DELIVERANCE COMES WITH A PRICE. HOWEVER, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IT’S NOT A PRICE TO BE PAID WITH SILVER OR GOLD, STOCK NOR BONDS. FACT OF THE MATTER IT IS NOT THE TANGIBLE THINGS THAT GOD DESIRES, HE DESIRES THE INTANGIBLES. IF WE DESIRE ANYTHING FROM THE LORD, WE MUST BE WILLING TO GIVE SOMETHING TO THE LORD. IF WE DO NOT GIVE ANYTHING TO GOD, WHY SHOULD WE EXPECT ANYTHING FROM GOD? GOD IS NOT IMPRESSED WITH HOW MUCH MONEY WE GIVE, BUT HE IS PLEASED WHEN HE SEES HOW MUCH OF OUR HEART WE GIVE. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE TRYING TO IMPRESS GOD, AS OPPOSED TO PLEASING GOD. ALLOW ME TO MOCK TIME MOMENTARILY AND TELL YOU THAT YOU CANNOT IMPRESS GOD BECAUSE TO IMPRESS A PERSON MEANS TO AMAZE THEM, WHICH MEANS THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU COULD DO WHATEVER IT WAS THAT YOU COULD DO. SINCE GOD KNOWS ALL THINGS, HE KNOWS JUST WHAT WE CAN DO. WE CAN’T IMPRESS HIM, BUT WE CAN PLEASE HIM. SO IF YOU ARE HELD HOSTAGE BY YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE COST OF YOUR DELIVERANCE IS A SINCERE HEART.
II. THE TEXT
THE PEOPLE OF GOD BEGAN TO WORSHIP THE GODS OF THE PHILISTINES AND THE CANAANITES. HOW SOON DO WE FORGET THE GOODNESS OF GOD AS WELL AS THE COMMANDS OF GOD. EXODUS 34:14 TEACHES, “FOR THOU SHALT WORSHIP NO OTHER GOD: FOR THE LORD, WHOSE NAME IS JEALOUS, IS A JEALOUS GOD.” EXODUS 20:3, “THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.”
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, LIKE SO MANY OTHER TIMES IN THE PAST, FOUND THEMSELVES IN A BAD SITUATION BECAUSE THEY NEGATED, NEGLECTED, ABANDONED, AND ABUSED THE COMMANDS OF GOD. AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHENEVER WE TAKE GOD’S WORD LIGHTLY WE DO IT TO OUR OWN DETRIMENT. WHENEVER WE DISREGARD GOD, THE WHIRLWIND OF LIFE’S STORMS WILL SEEMINGLY GET THE BEST OF US. VERSE 2 TEACHES THAT THE PEOPLE LAMENTED FOR THE LORD FOR TWENTY YEARS. THEY CRIED, BUT GOD LET THEM SATURATE IN THEIR SADNESS. HE LET THEM MARINATE IN THEIR MISERY. GOD DID NOT CHANGE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES UNTIL THEY WERE READY TO CHANGE THEIR HEARTS.
III. PAYING THE PRICE
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CHANGED THEIR PATTERN, AND GOD CHANGED THEIR PREDICAMENT. WHEN THE PEOPLE OF GOD HAVE THE HEART TO FAITHFULLY SERVE GOD, HE WILL DO EXCEEDING AND ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL WE ASK AND THINK.
I KNOW YOU MIGHT BE SAYING THAT I’M NOT GOING THROUGH ANYTHING RIGHT NOW; YOU BETTER PUT RIGHT NOW ON THAT, BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, ALL OF US GO THROUGH SOMETHING. EVERYTHING THAT WE GO THROUGH IS NOT ALWAYS THE RESULT OF OUR ACTIONS, THEY ARE JUST THINGS THAT OCCUR IN LIFE. HOWEVER, JUST BECAUSE WE GO THROUGH IT, DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE TO GIVE IN TO IT. AND WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE GOING THROUGH ANYTHING, YOU CAN HELP THAT PERSON WHO IS GOING THROUGH IT.
WHEN THE PEOPLE OF GOD SUBMITTED TO GOD, GOD WENT TO WORK ON THEIR BEHALF. VERSE 10 TEACHES THAT GOD THUNDERED AGAINST THE PHILISTINES, AND COMFITTED THEM, WHICH MEANS, HE CAUSE A GREAT PANIC, SO MUCH SO, THAT THEY FLED BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHEN GOD GOES TO WORK ON BEHALF OF HIS CHILDREN, NOTHING CAN STAND IN THE WAY OF AN OMNIPOTENT GOD. WE SERVE A GOD THAT CANNOT FAIL, SO NO MATTER:
WHATEVER YOUR’RE GOING THROUGH, CALL ON GOD.
HOW HIGH YOUR MOUNTAIN, CALL ON GOD.
HOW CRUEL YOUR CROSS, CALL ON GOD.
HOW DARK THE DISAPPOINTMENT, CALL ON GOD.
HOW SICK WE GET, CALL ON GOD.
IF GOD COULD MAKE A WAY FOR:
ABRAHAM.
NOAH.
MOSES.
JOSHUA.
GIDEON.
THE HEBREW CHILDREN.
DAVID
PAUL & SILAS
SURELY HE CAN MAKE A WAY FOR YOU AND I. GOD PAID THE COST OF OUR DELIVERANCE WHEN HE SENT FORTH HIS SON.
