Buddy has several beds in our home: one in the loft, one in my bedroom, and a cubicle in the living room to hide in. He also cools his belly off during the summer heat by lying on the kitchen tile or hides near the wall behind one end of the couch.
But wherever he chooses to lie down, Buddy always makes sure that he’s got his human in view. He doesn’t get too far from me.
The Lord commanded Jacob to “‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives… (Genesis 31:3),”’ but Jacob settled near the city of Shechem rather than Bethel, where he’d met the Lord in a vision of the ladder to heaven (Genesis 28:10-22).
As a result of not immediately obeying God, Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah, was raped by the “prince of the land (Genesis 34:2)” and his sons murdered the men of Shechem and looted their village in revenge. This incident led to Jacob fleeing with his family to Bethel, the place God wanted the family to settle (Genesis 35:1).
His grandfather Abraham and his nephew Lot had to part ways in the land of Canaan because there wasn’t enough pastureland to sustain all of their flocks. Now the Lord had commanded Abraham to leave his relatives and travel to the Promised Land, but he still took Lot with him. He didn’t leave all his relatives as God commanded. Lot moved toward Sodom, a wicked city, and progressively interacted with the citizens until he owned a home in the city and participated in their civic affairs.
Lot’s compromise, by lingering and interacting with ungodly people, led to losing his wife and all of his belongings when he fled God’s wrath poured out onto Sodom. He became so morally confused that he offered his virgin daughters to be raped in place of visiting angels. And his daughters, morally confused and not trusting in God’s provision, slept with their father after getting Lot drunk and gave birth to the founders of Moab and Ammon, two enemy nations that plagued and warred with ancient Israel.
As Pastor Dr Charles Stanley pointed out in a sermon, Eve lingered near the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, listening to the serpent instead of passing by (Genesis 3). Because she paused near a site of temptation, Satan took the opportunity to deceive her and the human race has suffered since. (Adam stood by and didn’t intervene, so both of our ancient ancestors were at fault.)
Similarly, I lingered too long in a place of temptation during my recent visit to New Orleans and spent more money on an item than I should have. If I’d been content to just look around and leave, I wouldn’t have been tempted.
But I lingered.
Sometimes our problem is that we plant ourselves in a place God doesn’t want us to be.
We engage in close relationships we’re supposed to stay away from.
Or we should just take note of a situation, offer advice, then move on, as we’re not supposed to get involved further.
We linger in places of temptation. We gaze too long through the picture window, or walk into the shop, or scroll too long through online stores till our resolve weakens.
We’re forgiven of our sins through Christ, but we “reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).”
The bills come due, the ungodly relationships distract us from obeying God and weaken our moral resolve or reputation, attaining our goals are delayed.
So, are you lingering in Shechem right now?
Or are you in Bethel?
The wrong place brings trouble into your life.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
We all make mistakes. But “everyone calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Peter, Acts 2:21
Jesus is the only name you can call upon to be saved. He is the Son of God, God manifested in the flesh (Matthew 1:23). God forgives your sins—past, present, and future—so that He can give you life through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus died on the Cross to pay for all your sins—and was resurrected from the grave to give you life (1 Peter 1:3).
But Jesus won’t force you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. You have to invite Him into your life.
You see, there are not many ways to God. You can only get into heaven if you’re spiritually alive. You remain dead in your sins—spiritually dead—until you invite God into your life. And you can only become spiritually alive by receiving the Holy Spirit, becoming born again. And only Jesus sends the Holy Spirit (John 16:7).
Are you willing to ask Jesus into your life? If so, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible.
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be both my Lord and Savior. I’m ready to walk a new path in life with Your love and help. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.
And join a Bible believing church or Bible study. It’s difficult to stand alone in a culture that rejects God. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
God bless you as you begin your new life. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Meditations About God and Buddy 