October 20

Amos 5
It was 1997 at the Clergy Keepers conference in Atlanta. The evening before we had sung a song that I had never heard before, All I Once Held Dear or better known as Knowing You. How my heart resonated with the words of that song which are taken from the Scripture! The next morning in the shower, I was singing it to the Lord. Then as I sang the chorus ending in, “And I love You, Lord,” the Lord spoke to me in one of the most clear ways that I have ever heard Him speak. He simply said, “And I love you too.” I melted. I fell to the shower floor under the awe of such a thought, such a communication. Often in times of struggle, I recall that experience to mind. It encourages me to keep pursuing Him. But you know, I cannot live in the past. I cannot be dependent upon that one experience.
The Lord tells Israel, “Seek Me and live; But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing.” Why these places? They are historic places where God had met Israel’s ancestors. It was at Behel that God met Jacob, not once but twice. It was Bethel where Jeroboam defiled the country by placing a golden calf for the country to come worship. It was at Gilgal where Israel renewed the covenant after crossing the Jordan before conquering the land. It was at Beersheba that God did at least two significant works in Abraham’s life. Beersheba was the location where, when Hagar was reduced to nothing, the Lord met her need. It was Beersheba where the Lord appeared to Isaac. It was at Beersheba where the Lord appeared again to Jacob. All of these places are rich with past experience of the Lord meeting with His people. The mere mention of them would bring to mind to the past experience of the revelation of God to the people of Israel. But they had perverted it. They worshipped the memory not the Lord in the memory.
Worship of a memory leads to perversion in our lives. Memory, even 100% accurate memory, does not change us. He changes us. When we honor just a memory, we cease to hear what He has to say about our lives right now. At least that is what happened in Israel. How did it pervert them? Past memories don’t convict us of change needed now. When we worship a memory, we cease viewing what the Lord wants done in our lives today. When we worship a memory, injustice occurs around us and we are not outraged. When we worship a memory, God blesses us with material goods meant to be shared with others, and we spend it mostly upon ourselves. When we worship a memory, even the God-ordained methods of worship become a sham and an affront to Him. When we worship a memory, it opens the door for us to bring in even other gods to use to worship Him.
Lord, empower me to worship You today. Thank you for the memories of the past powerful ways in which You have met me. Thank You for the strength those memories give me in current struggles. But Lord, I need You today! Only You can keep me from slipping down the wrong path. Only You can keep me from becoming unjust. Help Lord! I choose to receive Your grace to seek You and live!
Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john