And they did not listen to Moses. And some left from it until morning; and it became rotten with maggots, and stunk. And Moses was angry against them. 

Exodus 16:20 (HRB)

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In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.

Disobedience Equates to Adverse Consequences

Exodus 16:20 serves as a powerful reminder of what can unfold in our lives when we fail the tests and trials YAHWEH sets before us, by blatantly disobeying. It is our nature to do what feels or gives us the most pleasure(s). The Bible reminds us that we are carnal-minded (Romans 7:14) and want to satisfy our fleshly desires instead of YAHWEH’s Torah. But, Exodus 16:20 reminds us that when we disobey YAHWEH’s voice, commands, principles, and statutes, there are consequences to our actions. Especially when we consciously and deliberately choose to persist in sinful behavior(s) without having a genuine desire to change our ways and seek forgiveness, essentially rejecting the opportunity for redemption and reconciliation.

Our sin(s) is loud, noisy, smelly, stinky, and deadly (Romans 8:6, Ezekiel 18:4). Yes, that accurately describes sin. In Exodus 16:20, Yahshar’el was given specific instructions from Moses (Moses received these instructions from YAH) to go out daily and pick up sufficient manna and quail for their households and to consume it in one day and not to leave any leftovers for tomorrow, unless it was the day before the Sabbath. Yahshar’el was disobedient to Moses, which means they disobeyed YAHWEH‘s command. I must add that this was a test (see Exodus 16:4, Psalm 66:10) that Yahshar’el failed miserably. YAHWEH wanted to see if His chosen people would walk into His Torah or not.

Examine Yourself

How many tests have you successfully passed? Give yourself a pat on the back if you are walking in YAHWEH‘s Torah and have passed many tests. Now, examine yourself, and be honest (Lamentations 3:40). How many tests have you failed? Why? What could you have done differently? What did you learn from your error(s)? If YAHWEH gives you a retest on that situation(s), will you pass it the second, third, or fourth time around?

And YAHWEH said to Moses, Behold, I AM will rain bread from the heavens for you. And the people shall go out and gather the matter of a day in its day, so that I may test them, whether they will walk in My Torah or not.

Exodus 16:4 (HRB)

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In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.

Asks Yourself

We need to ask these questions ourselves so we don’t repeat our disobedience to YAHWEH. And most importantly, we need to repent and make a 180-degree turn from our sin(s). It can be challenging for some to do the right thing and please YAHWEH instead of our flesh. The solution is straightforward. Read your Bible daily to renew your mind and to build up your faith and fear of YAHWEH. This is the first micro-step you can take to prepare yourself to pass any test(s) or trial that YAHWEH puts before you.

Present Yourself

The Scripture said: “study to present yourself approved to Elohim, a workman unashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Let focus on the first part of that verse, to “present yourself approved to Elohim.” It is imperative that we pass all test(s) that YAHWEH allows us to encounter because we must prove to YAHWEH that our hearts and minds are focused on pleasing Him only! That we are grounded in His words, that His words ordered our steps, and lead and control our hearts! Glory! YAHWEH wants to see in action(s) that our characteristics are identical to the Fruit of the Spirit and the Torah. When we can prove this to YAHWEH repeatedly, He then knows He can trust us to carry out bigger and better plans successfully that He has already prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Can I get an Amen? Glory, HalleluYAH!

Prepare Yourself

The prophet said, send me, and I will go (Isaiah 6:8). How can YAHWEH send us on a mission when we are all caught up in pleasing our fleshly desires and not His? How can YAHWEH expect us to carry out His plans accordingly when we can’t even listen and obey His Torah? The truth is that He can’t trust us and that we are unreliable and unstable in our hearts and minds. Therefore, YAHWEH can’t use us as the vessels as He preordained because we are straddling the fence. We are unsure if we want to serve YAHWEH, the Devil, or ourselves (1 Corinthians 10:21).

Today is a great day to repent and ask YAHWEH forgiveness for failing tests and trials.

Choose YAHWEH

Today is the time to choose that you and your household will serve and obey YAH. Or maybe you are saying, I didn’t fail any test(s), and that you are living a holy life, and YAHWEH is pleased with you. If this is the case for you, pray and ask YAHWEH to continue giving you the mental and spiritual strength to live by His Torah. The bottom line is that we all need to live a blameless life and strive daily to please YAHWEH and excel in every test or trial that He allows us to experience. Choose YAHWEH’s ways today and every day! Amen.

And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid, for Elohim has come in order to test you, and so that His fear may be on your faces, that you may not sin.

Exodus 20:20 (HRB)

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In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.

Other Scripture to meditate on: Psalm 139:23-24, Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:7

By: David and Dana Edwards 

The post Don’t Let Your Life Rot appeared first on Journal Thy Journey.

1 Samuel 15:3, 9-16. Read the whole chapter for all the details.

King Saul, the prophet Samuel, and the Amalekites in 1 Samuel Chapter 15 illustrate the importance of following the commands and instructions of YAHWEH. This chapter sheds light on the character of YAHWEH and how he dealt with and currently deals with his children concerning obedience. Obedience was and is significant to YAHWEH, as he is our Elhom who never changes. (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, Isaiah 40:8, Isaiah 40:28)

Before you start this week’s Food for Thought, please consider this question: What have you been offering or sacrificing to YAHWEH instead of obeying his commands and instructions?

Now go, and you shall strike Amalek and destroy all that he has. And you shall have no pity on him, and you shall put to death all from man to woman, from little one to suckling, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey .

1 Samuel 15:3 (HRB)

In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.

The Command of YAHWEH

King Saul was commanded by YAHWEH through the prophet Samuel to eradicate all Amalekite men, women, and children and not pity them. This command extended beyond the Amalekite people as all of their oxen, sheep, camels, and donkeys were also to be killed. After receiving clear instructions, King Saul went to war with the Amalekites exterminating everything they despised and considered worthless. They captured King Agag of Amalek and extended compassion and mercy to him and to the best and second best of the flocks, herds, lambs, and other things that were good in their eyes. They were careful to keep the best for themselves.

YAHWEH’s Disapproval

Initially, Saul obediently followed the commands given to him and went to war, leaving destruction in his wake. However, as time passed, he and his men exhibited signs of favoritism and selective obedience in showing pity towards King Agag and keeping the more valuable livestock. This shift in attitude did not go unnoticed by YAHWEH, who expressed His strong disapproval of Samuel. YAHWEH mentioned Saul’s decision to turn away from Him and disregard His specific instructions to exterminate everything. As a result, YAHWEH became sorry for having appointed Saul as king over Israel. Upon hearing this news, Samuel was left feeling deeply disappointed and angered by Saul’s failure to follow YAHWEH’s commands.

And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Yahweh: I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.

1 Samuel 15:13 (WOY)

In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.

Samuel Confronts Saul

Samuel went to meet Saul to tell him what his fate would be for his disobedience. But, he was astonished when Saul greeted him and pridefully proclaimed, “I have performed the commandment of YAHWEH ” (1 Samuel 15:13). Samuel must have thought Saul was delusional since the livestock that YAHWEH commanded killed “without pity” could be heard, smelled, and seen. Samuel sought to point out to Saul that he sinned by failing to obey YAHWEH’s precise instructions. Therefore Samuel quickly and sharply responded, asking Saul if you did what was commanded, why do I hear the noise of the Amalekite’s flocks and herd? Sometimes our sin is just as obvious, but we ignore or excuse it, just like Saul did.

Sauls attempted to fill Samuel’s ears with deception and utter foolishness of how the people spared the animals so they could later sacrifice them to YAHWEH Samuel’s Elohim. Notice that Saul never acknowledges YAHWEH to be His Elohim throughout this chapter. Samuel stopped Sauls’s Blabbering and declared to him that which YAHWEH spoke to him. After which, Saul again stated a second time to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of YAHWEH, and I went in the way which YAHWEH sent me” (1 Samuel 15:20-21). Yet, in the next part of this same scripture, we see how self-deceived and stubborn Saul is to accept that he has disobeyed YAHWEH. King Saul delusionally describes how they brought back Agag, king of Amalek, as if that was the command. His statement alone proves that he did not follow the instructions. Saul was to exterminate all Amalekites and their animals. And again, he insisted that the people took the animals to sacrifice them as a burnt offering later. To this, Samuel asked Saul the question I’m asking you today. 

Questions?

• “Does YAHWEH delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of YAHWEH? (1 Samuel 15:20)
• Does YAHWEH prefer offerings and sacrifices or obedience to His voice (commands)?
• Is there any evidence to suggest that YAHWEH’s preference for obedience has shifted?

And Samuel said, Does YAHWEH delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of YAHWEH? Behold! Obeying is better than sacrifice; to give attention is better than the fat of rams.

1 Samuel 15:22 (HRB)

In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.

Samuel answers his own question, “Behold! Obeying is better than sacrifice; to give attention is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:20). There is absolutely nothing you can give to YAHWEH that is better than unwavering loyalty and obedience. Samuel explained that going against YAHWEH’s commands in rebellion is like working witchcraft, while refusing to follow YAHWEH’s commands through stubbornness is like committing idolatry and iniquity. As Bible Believing Believers (BBBs), these words should ring in our ears and cause us to faithfully commit to following and obeying YAHWEH and his son Yahshua.

YAHWEH’s Decision and Saul’s Confession

The prophet Samuel declared to Saul that since he rejected the Word of YAHWEH, YAHWEH rejected him from being King. Saul was deeply troubled by the prospect of losing his kingdom. Still, his rebellious and stubborn heart towards YAHWEH prevented him from genuinely feeling remorseful. He resorted to expressing false guilt and sincerity by admitting to transgressing YAHWEH’s word and the prophet’s. “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of YAHWEH and your word.” But he quickly shows his heart again by saying, “because I feared the people, and I listened to their voice,” shifting the blame onto the people, claiming that he feared their voice and they practically made him sin. Saul’s unwillingness to accept full accountability for his sins clearly indicates his inability or want to repent.

Conclusion 

What was clear and noticeable to Samuel was blurry and perhaps invisible to Saul. Saul’s heart had clouded his judgment, rendering him blind, deaf, and oblivious to his own sins. Just as Saul failed to notice and acknowledge the sin in his own life, many believers today have blind spots in their situations and experiences. Failure to obey YAHWEH and Yahshua is not a doctrine, philosophy, or belief issue; instead, it’s a heart issue. We need to follow the example of King Saul’s predecessor, his father King David, as he wrote Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me [thoroughly], O El, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if any wicked way is in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.” Therefore, we must always strive to remain faithful to YAHWEH and His son, Yahshua, committing to obey Him. By doing so, we can ensure that we are living a life that is pleasing to Him and in accordance with His Word.

Note: (2 Samuel 1:8-10) Years later, King Saul was KILLED BY AN AMALEKITE. This indicates that King Saul had pity on other Amalekites along with King Agag and did not destroy them all. Disobedience will always lead to unexpected consequences, sometimes physical death!

By David Edwards

The post Can You Hear, Smell, or See It? appeared first on Journal Thy Journey.