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“Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.” – Psalm 83:4

 

Satan forms alliances with those who desire to “take possession of the pasturelands of God” (Psalm 83:12 NIV). Joshua and his forces faced enemies who united in one common pursuit: to extinguish the light of God’s people from the face of the earth (Joshua 10:3-4). Though our enemies join forces to destroy us, they are still no match for our God.

In incredible fashion, God loosed the destructive forces of nature against Israel’s enemies. First, He threw hailstones from heaven to smite the Amorites. Then, as though the enemy could have escaped such destruction, God actually stopped the sun and moon for the better part of an entire day to provide enough light for Israel to pursue the fleeing armies (Joshua 10:11-14).

There is no stopping our Commander-in-Chief. The Lord will make our enemies blow away “like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind” (Psalm 83:13)! Have you ever watched the whirling dust of a dust storm? It flies so fast that it only touches the ground occasionally. Pursue your enemies; God will “blow them away.” Though they have declared war on God, they are no match for His anger. Remember: He is the “Most High, supreme over all the earth” (v. 18).

2020-12-31T10:58:54-07:00

“Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.” – Psalm 83:4

 

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2020-12-31T10:53:08-07:00

For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:10

Money tests our hearts, our motives, and our character. What we do with it will prove to God whether He can entrust us with the “true riches of heaven” spoken of in Luke 16:11. The spirit of covetousness ruled the Pharisees. The Lord warned them that they could not “serve both God and money” (v. 13), but verse 14 says they “dearly loved their money,” ignoring the Lord’s stern admonition to them.

The principle of covetousness is immortalized in the story of Achan in the Old Testament. God gave explicit instructions to Joshua that no one was to touch anything of value in Jericho. The entire city was God’s, dedicated to Him as the holy firstfruits of the Canaan conquest. Achan’s hand, however, could not resist grasping a bar of gold, coins of silver, and a beautiful Babylonian coat. His sin followed a familiar pattern: “I saw . . . I wanted . . . I took them . . . They are hidden” (Joshua 7:21).

Our eyes can look enviously on things that do not belong to us, and covetousness can lead us to “take” and “hide” that which is not ours. How much better to follow the wisdom of Luke 16:9: “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.”

Use worldly wealth; don’t let it use you!

2020-04-13T00:00:00-06:00
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