Love The Lord… Love Your Neighbor…..

Reading through Exodus chapter 23 the theme is crystal clear. It can be summed up in two short commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your mind, strength, heart, and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself”. When we do these two things the earth and everything in it flourishes. God promised the Israelites good nutrition, protection from illness, and no reproduction problems to those that serve Him only. He even promises them a long, full life. His design for us incorporates these two principles. Which basically says, follow Him and live your life not so focused on yourself. It seems pretty simple and straight forward. It’s when we run into compromises that the train starts to derail. When we get away from these two commands that we lose sight and begin to stray away from doing what’s right. We must always use discernment when it comes to loving our neighbor. And sometimes that means not being too receptive to their anti-God ideas and lifestyles. We must insulate ourselves with His Holy Spirit, this helps us live in the world, without being of it. Anything that goes against God, should be carefully handled. If we don’t, we will eventually fail at both of these clear commands God has given us. Stay close to God, and love people, it’s what He wants from us. And it guarantees our significance, our peace, and our purpose in this life. All of which there is no law.

20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. 21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is My representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. 22 But if you are careful to obey him, following all My instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. 23 For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. 24 You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.25 “You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. 26 There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.27 “I will send My terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. 28 I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. 30 I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land. 31 And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.32 “Make no treaties with them or their gods. 33 They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against Me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.” Exodus 23:20-33