“While they were camped near the Jordan River on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 51 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines. 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy. 54 You must distribute the land among the clans by sacred lot and in proportion to their size. A larger portion of land will be allotted to each of the larger clans, and a smaller portion will be allotted to each of the smaller clans. The decision of the sacred lot is final. In this way, the portions of land will be divided among your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.” Numbers 33:50-55 NLT
Lord of new beginnings,
Here we are at the end of the book of numbers. A whole new generation ready for a new beginning. It is good to stop and take stock of where we are in our lives and with You. As they did.
We may not be going to drive people out -rather we want to draw them into Your love through Christ. But we can heed the other warnings! It talks about not taking on the practises of other people who believe in idols and worship things other than You. It talks about them being splinters in their eyes and thorns in their sides. This was because You knew it might influence them to go away from Your way.
Perhaps we need to check we are not being influenced subtly or have lapsing into other worship. Reading the odd horoscope – You forbid fortune tellers (Deuteronomy 18:9). Saying things like touch wood rather than trusting in You, God. Being superstitious about spilt salt or going out a different door to the one we came in. Saying Cor blimey which I believe comes from the cockney God blind me! You, God sent a Christian I greatly respected to encouraged me as a new Christian to Spiritually clean my house and remove anything the Holy Spirit prompted me to. It led to me discovering an old set of Tarot cards and other things which I did not need to give house room.
I would house clean for human guests so help me keep a clean house for You Lord. And while I am at it check out my heart and make sure Jesus is fully Lord of all.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Friday 14th March 2025
Holiness, holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need
Holiness is what You want for me
Repeat
Righteousness, righteousness is what I long for
Righteousness is what I need (That’s what I need)
Righteousness, righteousness is what You want for me
Repeat
Take my heart and mold it
Take my mind; transform it
Take my will; conform it
To Yours, to Yours Oh Lord
Brokenness, brokenness
Is what You want for me (Gotta be broken)
Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for
Brokenness is what I need
Brokenness, brokenness
Is what You want for me
Chorus Repeat . . .
Lyrics: Scott Underwood