β…Whoever is on the Lordβs side, come to me…!”
It is one thing to say you are on the side of the Lord and another thing to live like you are. It’s not a condemnation- it’s a challenge. Read this except from “The Way of the Worshipper”:
“[We live a life set apart] not because of rules and regulations, but because, as we have seen, success requires sacrifice. That’s true for any area of life. Take some time to think about that- what do you really want? It’s important that we all have moments of self-reflection where we honestly evaluate our level of commitment toward meeting the goals we desire to achieve…Granted, many Christians will say that is what we want. I mean, it’s God, right? Who doesn’t want to be intimately connected to Him? Well, desiring that connection and working for it are two different things. See, one thing about God is- He is light, and in Him there is no darkness, and He won’t partner with sin, or traffic in darkness because that is the devil’s legal territory (See 1 John 1:5).”
Just because you’re one of God’s people doesn’t mean you’re on His side. Being on God’s side means doing what He has asked you to do.
In the Old Testament, after Aaron had crafted the golden calf, which the Israelites enthusiastically worshipped instead of the Almighty God, who had rescued them, the Lord was done with their sin. He was patient with their shenanigans up to a point, but once they replaced His worship, of which He is tremendously jealous, He was done. Moses searched for anyone who was on the Lord’s side, finally crying out, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side, come to me!” Immediately and without hesitation, the tribe of Levi ran to his side- and they were the only ones who did. What a heartbreak!
[Read the entire chapter, “Living Like a Levite” in The Way of the Worshipper]
However, the fact is this: Just because you’re one of God’s people doesn’t mean you’re on His side. Being on God’s side means doing what He has asked you to do. It means setting asideΒ everything to worship Him, and Him alone, in the way that He has asked for, not in the way you’re most comfortable. That is the essence of a golden calf, idolatry. Seeing God in an image of your own creation, your own definition. God is on your side, yes, and there is victory in that, but are you on His? That is where true breakthrough and victory is found!
Thought for today
After the Levites showed their loyalty to the Lord by abandoning everything to run to Him, the Lord greatly poured out on that group of people. In fact, He set the tribe of Levi up with an eternal dynasty after that, and they were blessed beyond measure with an eternal covenant. Did God love all of Israel? Of course. Did God bless them all? Nope. God loves everyone.Β However, blessing is directly tied to obedience. From that point on, the Levites were known as priests and worshippers, which is significant because worship is the right response to a great move of God. They also led the Israelites into battle and set up a standard for righteous living to honor the Lord still resonates today. If you are on the Lord’s side, it will cost you something. It might cost you everything. But God will do something in you, through you and for you that will last forever. In fact, in 2 Samuel 7:29 David said, “When you grant a blessing to Your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”
