Isaiah 1:19, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;”
I have always found it interesting how the prompting of the Lord, if you are within His will and your ear is attuned to hear, will guide you and lead you and in some instances align your steps with other believers in Jesus Christ. The Lord has been outlining a message within my heart that focuses upon the Holy Spirit and God’s will and desire for everyone to be saved and come to the Truth (2 Timothy 2:3-4). In some cases, as God prepares me for a message, He will provide confirmation through life experiences, circumstances, or the people around me. In this instance, for the past couple of weeks before church, several of the sermons on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) along with the sermon series at church were in relation to the Holy Spirit and His guidance and fulfillment of our walk with Christ. I have experienced moments of confirmation before where the Lord will be working with me either to write a message related to a particular topic or working in my life in a certain area when the podcasts I listen to or Christian message(s) on tv align with the subject the Lord is working in my heart. Even though it has happened before and this is not the first time, it continues to amaze me of the sovereignty of the Lord and His will for our lives.
The message for today brings forth the knowledge and opportunity of God’s blessings in your life if your heart desires to align with His will. If you willingly follow the LORD and His plan for your life, He will pour out His blessings and you will eat of the good things of the land (Isaiah 1:19-20). This all leads back to the point in reference to the Holy Spirit. A few days ago, I was studying out a section within the Bible while writing my third book and a verse about King Bera of the city of Sodom was highlighted that had previously not been brought to my attention. Just as a reminder, Sodom was one of the cities destroyed by fire and sulfur for the grievous sins they committed (Genesis 18:20). My point today is not regarding the grievous nature of the sin of Sodom, but more importantly the opportunity the King and city had to repent and turn to the LORD.
What was brought to my attention during the study, was that King Bera of Sodom was at the meeting when Abram (Abraham before the Lord renamed him and Sarai) met with the King of Salem the Priest of God Most High, Melchizedek. Within Genesis 14 King Kedorlaomer of Elam along with the kings allied with him defeat the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah and carry away the town’s people, spoils of war, food supplies and Abram’s nephew Lot and all he owns. Abram is told of Lot’s capture and gathers up his 318 trained men born into his household and pursues, and defeats King Kedorlaomer of Elam and the kings allied with him. Upon their defeat, Abram rescues his nephew Lot and brings back the town’s people and possessions that had been taken.
During Abram’s return from his victory, the King of Sodom along with the King of Salem, the High Priest Melchizedek came out to meet Abram. During this meeting the High Priest Melchizedek blesses Abram and Abram tithed ten percent of the spoils to the High Priest (Genesis 14:17-24). What is interesting is I had never noticed the King of Sodom was in the presence of Abram and Melchizedek. When I read through Genesis my assumption has been the destruction of Sodom came about because the people of that town were naturally evil and without an opportunity to repent and turn back from their wicked ways. I am saddened to have thought this way because if you know God and spend time with Him in His Word, you know He is a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15). God’s desire and longing is that everyone would be saved and brought into eternal life and that no one should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Our loving Creator even desired the same for King Bera and the citizens of the city of Sodom. God’s desire is that while King Bera was in the company of Abram and Melchizedek, the King would have experienced the presence of our LORD and at some point repented and turned to Him and away from the wickedness that eventually was the reason for the destruction of the city.
Throughout history and into the future, God makes Himself known through situations that if your heart is receptive and your spirit awakened, He is revealed, and His calling made clear. One instance where a King and the citizens were receptive to God’s revelation was in the book of Jonah. Jonah arrived in the city of Nineveh and announced that God intended to destroy the city and citizens of Nineveh in 40 days due to their wicked ways. The King, along with the citizens received the message from Jonah, repented, fasted, and turned from their evil ways. In their repentance and turning to God, God forgave them and spared them.
Their willingness to repent which led to God’s forgiveness, came from Jonah expressing the Lord’s discontentment with their actions and the eventual destruction of the city.
Granted, it does not state the Lord directly told the King of Sodom he would eventually be destroyed due to his and the town’s wicked ways, but sitting in the presence of Abram and Melchizedek, I believe God’s presence would have been revealed and His glory and sovereignty evident. We know the conversations were centered around the LORD and His righteousness, blessings, and favor. Even with the conversations centered around the LORD and sitting in the greatness of Abram and Melchizedek, the King of Sodom did not take heed and later in Genesis the city and all the citizens were destroyed except for Lot and his family. Mark 6: 11 tells us, “But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
The focus of today’s message is to encourage each one of you to keep your hearts transformed in God’s love through His Word, minds renewed in His Truth and spirits receptive to His directive and calling upon your lives. That each of your spirits would be discerning of the presence of God and accepting of the Holy Spirit and His guidance. I pray your hearts are not callous and minds hardened to go your own way, leaving the LORD out of your plans. Rather, when you are outside of His divine will, your heart is receptive and you stop, seek Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring you back into God’s perfect plan for your life. Back to the will of the One that knows you best and even better than you know yourself. The One that knit you together in your mother’s womb with all your days planned out before you were even formed (Psalm 139:16).
Matthew 24:14 states the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the world for all nations to hear and then the end will come. Knowing that God gives opportunity for repentance before destruction, I ask where has God been tugging on your heart that you may turn back and experience His love and forgiveness? The Holy Spirit has been sent to be your Advocate and convict the world of its sin and God’s righteousness and coming judgement (John 16:8). God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and His forgiveness is available to everyone that desires to turn to Him. I encourage you to open your heart through prayer and ask God to reveal to you, areas within your life that if repented and released, your days would be filled with the freedom and Grace of His love, and you would eat of the good of the land.
Dear Lord, strengthen and embolden everyone that reads this message that their hearts are receptive, minds renewed, and spirits encouraged to repent, release, and walk in Your love, Grace, freedom, Peace and favor. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray all these things and give you all the honor, glory, and praise!
Shalom!!
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