Faith Can Be Easy And Hard…

There are easy things in life and their are hard things in life. Christianity includes both. Having faith can be easy and hard. Being obedient to God can be easy, but most of the time it takes hard work. It takes discipline. It takes dedication. It takes a commitment. It takes fortitude. When we don’t listen to God, or better stated, disobey His commands, the consequences are much more difficult to deal with. Here in Judges we see an example of this playing out. The Israelites were instructed to drive out all of the pagan people living in the Promised Land. God told them He would fight for them and drive them out. But, as we all know, they failed to do it. As a result, God tells them that these pagan people will be a thorn in their side, and their false gods will be a constant temptation to them. This thorn in their sides was probably the same “thorn in the flesh” that the Apostle Paul had to deal with. When we don’t listen to God, and do what He says, we end up dealing with consequences far more complex than we ever imagined. And worse yet, they become a daily reminder of the fact that we failed in doing what we should’ve done. Be faithful, be obedient, for no one wants to deal with constant turmoil that could’ve been prevented.

1 The Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break My covenant with you. 2 For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed My command. Why did you do this? 3 So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”4 When the Angel of the Lord finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. 5 So they called the place Bokim (which means “weeping”), and they offered sacrifices there to the Lord. Judges 2:1-5