This week I'll define the Amorites, and talk about how to destroy them. Today's post may hit close to home. Just try to remember John 8:32, "Then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
1. Amorite means bitter. Most of us would balk if someone asked if we had bitterness in our life, but let me phrase it another way. If you looked into the deep recesses of your heart, could you find a place of pain from an experience that happened years ago? If the answer is yes, whether we want to admit it or not, bit-terness has [more than likely] settled in.
Bitterness means: hard to bear, grievous, distressful; causing pain, piercing, sting-ing. Bitterness can often lead to anger as a protective emotion; we don't like feeling hurt so we get angry because it's a less vulnerable emotion.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, "Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger) and quarreling and slander be banished from you..."
But you say, "I was wounded; I'm the vic-tim." Yes, I get that, but allowing pain to stay in your heart becomes bitterness. Harboring bitterness (hurt) is like drink-ing poison and expecting it to kill the other person. It doesn't work that way; you're the one it kills.
So what's the remedy for being so deeply wounded [bitter]? Verse (32) tells us, "And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compas-sionate, understanding), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you." It's often easier said than done, but this is the only way to destroy this Amorite.
2. An Amorite is a rebel. We may not think we're rebellious, but if we're only partially obedient to what the Word of God tells us to do, then we are. What a-bout the Scripture above? Do we know to forgive, but refuse to do it?
Can we handle hard truth this morning? The Bible says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" (1 Samuel 15:23). This is exactly what the prophet Samuel said to King Saul after he disobeyed God. How do we defeat a rebellious spirit? Obedience. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22).
3. Babbler; express publicly. Do we gos-sip? An Amorite is a babbler; one who expresses publicly the business of a-nother; a talebearer.
Proverbs 11:13 says,"He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful keeps a matter hidden."
God takes gossip seriously;"Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy..." (Psalm 101:5). The harsh re-ality is, we'll stand before the Lord and "give an account for every idle word we speak." (Matthew 12:36).
4. Unity. Amorites destroy our unity;
"a house divided cannot stand". (Mark 3:25).
We must walk in unity with one another, but how do we do that? Walking in the Spirit, love and harmony; everyone play-ing their own note in tune, at the right time, like an orchestra. "Fill up and com-plete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in pur-pose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention." (Philippians 2:2).
4. Unity. Amorites destroy our unity;
"a house divided cannot stand". (Mark 3:25).
We must walk in unity with one another, but how do we do that? Walking in the Spirit, love and harmony; everyone play-ing their own note in tune, at the right time, like an orchestra. "Fill up and com-plete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in pur-pose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention." (Philippians 2:2).
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (2)It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron, that came down upon the collar and skirts of his gar-ments [consecrating the whole body]. (3)It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has com-manded the blessing, even life forever-more." (Psalm 133:1-3).
Verse (2) says, "it is like the precious ointment poured on the head..." This ointment represents the anointing. We all want to be anointed, but often don't realize there's an anointing that comes from dwelling together in unity. This a-nointing flows down from our head (Spir-itual authority; Pastor), down upon the collar and skirts of his garments (the church body; us), covering and consecrat-ing us.
If you continue reading, it says, "for there the Lord has commanded the blessing..." If we want to tap into the blessing of God, we need to walk in this harmony He talks about; unity within the body of Christ.
As you can tell, the Amorites are an ene-my to our soul (mind, will, emotions) and conduct. In order to defeat them, we have to be brutally honest with ourselves. Ac-cepting God's unconditional love for us, walking in love toward each other, and obedience to God's Word are the keys to taking our land.
Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word
Verse (2) says, "it is like the precious ointment poured on the head..." This ointment represents the anointing. We all want to be anointed, but often don't realize there's an anointing that comes from dwelling together in unity. This a-nointing flows down from our head (Spir-itual authority; Pastor), down upon the collar and skirts of his garments (the church body; us), covering and consecrat-ing us.
If you continue reading, it says, "for there the Lord has commanded the blessing..." If we want to tap into the blessing of God, we need to walk in this harmony He talks about; unity within the body of Christ.
As you can tell, the Amorites are an ene-my to our soul (mind, will, emotions) and conduct. In order to defeat them, we have to be brutally honest with ourselves. Ac-cepting God's unconditional love for us, walking in love toward each other, and obedience to God's Word are the keys to taking our land.
Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word
No comments:
Post a Comment