BLESSING 103…….
“Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
Where I heard a language I did not understand.
“I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
“But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their fate would endure forever.
He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”” Psalm 81
The Lord makes clear in Psalm 81 that the very Israelites He delivered out of bondage in Egypt stubbornly rebelled against Him, would not listen to His voice, turned to other gods, and needed to RETURN TO THE LORD if they were to receive His love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, fellowship, goodness, and blessings. Is this message just for people from long ago, friend, or is it also a message for any of us today who have our faces turned to false gods and our backs turned to the one true God, the Lord Jesus Christ? The only way to everlasting fellowship with God almighty which includes a loving relationship with Him now and forever in heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord with our lives lived accordingly, and it all begins with humbling ourselves and turning away from our sins to the Lord. Repentance, yes! Are you holding onto a lifestyle of sin and forsaking Jesus, or are you holding onto Jesus and a lifestyle of following Him and forsaking a lifestyle of sin? Surrender all to the Lord Jesus Christ, my friend, surrender all to Him now! Turn to Jesus, the one true God, turn to the Lord, oh turn! Oh, what a blessing that the Lord calls us to turn to Him! And that He forgives those who do so with true godly sorrow and faith in Him!