I had an "ah-ha!" moment while reading 1 Chronicles with my husband the other day. The story of Uzzah and the Ark in chapter 13, verses 5-14, made me mad when I read it! It's the story of David bringing the Ark from Kiriath-jearim to Jerusalem and Uzzah reached out to keep the Ark from falling when an ox stumbled. God struck him dead!
I asked Kyle, "What?! Why?"
Kyle, "Well, Becky, God said, 'Do NOT touch the ark!'"
"But, Uzzah was just trying to keep it from falling-!"
Then I had my "ah-ha!" moment. God's word does not change. He says it and He means it. So I began thinking of all the things in my own life where I try to make excuses...
"But God, she talked about me behind my back...!" But I told you to love your enemies as yourself.
"But God, Dad wouldn't listen..." But I told you to Honor Your Father and Mother.
"But God, she started it..." But I told you to live in harmony with one another.
"But God, he deserved..." But I told you vegence is mine.
I would've done the exact same thing as Uzzah and I do feel bad for him! But God said, Do not touch the Ark. And if you read on in 15:15, "And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord." So not only were they going against God's word by having ox carry the ark, but Uzzah touched it. So if God's word stands true here, I really don't think God cares about my stupid excuses either. If he says it, I'd better do my best to do it! Boy do I ever owe my poor dad an apology for my stupid, irrational, selfish behavior. And I really need to apologize to some people for the way I treated them!
Will I continue to screw up? Um, yes. I'm human. Thankfully, I live in the day and age where I am not bound by the law. The law died with Christ on the cross! Should I continue to live by righteousness? YES! Am I doomed to die, like Uzzah, because I screw up? NO!
"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) So even when God knew I was a sinner, and would continue to sin, He died once and for all for my sins! "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) Hallelujah!
I asked Kyle, "What?! Why?"
Kyle, "Well, Becky, God said, 'Do NOT touch the ark!'"
"But, Uzzah was just trying to keep it from falling-!"
Then I had my "ah-ha!" moment. God's word does not change. He says it and He means it. So I began thinking of all the things in my own life where I try to make excuses...
"But God, she talked about me behind my back...!" But I told you to love your enemies as yourself.
"But God, Dad wouldn't listen..." But I told you to Honor Your Father and Mother.
"But God, she started it..." But I told you to live in harmony with one another.
"But God, he deserved..." But I told you vegence is mine.
I would've done the exact same thing as Uzzah and I do feel bad for him! But God said, Do not touch the Ark. And if you read on in 15:15, "And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord." So not only were they going against God's word by having ox carry the ark, but Uzzah touched it. So if God's word stands true here, I really don't think God cares about my stupid excuses either. If he says it, I'd better do my best to do it! Boy do I ever owe my poor dad an apology for my stupid, irrational, selfish behavior. And I really need to apologize to some people for the way I treated them!
Will I continue to screw up? Um, yes. I'm human. Thankfully, I live in the day and age where I am not bound by the law. The law died with Christ on the cross! Should I continue to live by righteousness? YES! Am I doomed to die, like Uzzah, because I screw up? NO!
"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) So even when God knew I was a sinner, and would continue to sin, He died once and for all for my sins! "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) Hallelujah!
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