What Remains?

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Catey Stover in Victory Call

Where have we compromised? What has God left in our lives to test us, to see if we will obey or not?

The Israelites compromised, failing to drive out the enemy in the land they were taking possession of. Instead, they chose to live among them.

Judges 1:28 “When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely. Judges 1:29, “And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.”

Judges 1:33 “Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitant of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land.” Where have we failed to obey God’s instructions, commands?

Judges 3:1, 4 “Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them… They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”

What has God left in our lives to test us, to see if we will obey or not?

We may have dealt with some of the “bigger” stuff but what have we chosen to live with rather than drive out? Are we willing to take up the cause and face those areas left in our lives that we have tucked away and ignored long enough that they have become comfortable with?

Can we rouse ourselves from sleep to do battle, with God’s grace and strength to drive out the enemy we have allowed to live in our midst?

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

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Think About This: “I cannot learn to love my neighbor as myself till I learn to love God, and I cannot learn to love God except by learning to obey Him.” -C.S. Lewis

The Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 36-40| You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is ^[d]for you, but you should rule over it.” -Genesis 4:7

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.