OF HIM SHALL BE MUCH REQUIRED

MEMORY VERSE: And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 10:12

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Peter 1-3

God is love (1 John 4:8). John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” However, He does not love all equally. The same God who created Jacob and Esau said: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (Romans 9:13).” He loved Jacob more than Esau. Joseph had two sons: Manasseh (senior) and Ephraim (junior). He took them to his father,Jacob, for prayer. He put Manasseh, the older one, at his father’s right hand and Ephraim, the younger one, at his father’s left hand. When it was time to pray, the old man crossed his hands, and put his right hand on Ephraim, the younger one, and his left hand on Manasseh, the older one. When Joseph saw this, he was displeased. He tried to move his father’s hand from Ephraim to Manasseh but the old man refused. Genesis 48:19 says, “And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” The Lord loved these two boys but He loved Ephraim more than Manasseh. 

The measure of love He dishes out to individuals varies. For example, Jesus Christ said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).” You are in Christ today because the Lord, out of His great love, drew you to Him. The same message you heard that made you give your life to Christ, others heard it and continued in their life of sin. Out of the several billions on the face of the planet today, He drew you to Christ. This is a proof that you are in receipt of a greater measure of His love. He drew you to Christ to give you a glorious future (Isaiah 3:10). He drew you to Christ to turn your shame into glory. Colossians 1:27b says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He drew you to Christ so that you will reign with His son in Heaven (. John 3:3-5). The more the measure of love He dishes out to a fellow, the more the amount of love He expects back from the fellow.  Luke 12:48 says, “But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” The Lord is beginning to pour out of His love in great measure to some of us. He is beginning to use some of us in various ways – ways beyond our wildest dreams. He is beginning to open doors to some of us. He is beginning to turn our lives around. He expects us to reciprocate those love back to Him.  Deuteronomy 10:12 says, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” The Lord loved Solomon and blessed him. When he asked for wisdom, the Lord gave Him wisdom and riches. What did Solomon do? He reciprocated that love back to God. He offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats (2 Chronicles 6:42). Ephraim,on the other hand, did not reciprocate it back. Instead, he began to follow after idols and the Lord abandoned him (Hosea 4:17). 

NOTE: If for one reason or the other, maybe due to sin,  He has turn His attention away from you, there is still something you can do. You can repent,  rededicate your life to Christ and start afresh. Judah became His favourite because Reuben, Simeon and Levi misbehaved badly. But one day, the whole Israel sinned and Moses said "whoever is on the Lord’s side come to me". Only the children of Levi went to him (Exodus 32:26). From that day, the Lord drew Levi back to Himself. Only Levi was allowed to come near the ark of God. If you demonstrate your love to Him, He will draw you to Himself. 

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