Exodus 23:2
You were created the way you are for a reason… There was plan devised before you were formed and the attributes, characteristics and stature that you posses are uniquely associated with you and the plan that God has for you… I say this today because so many of us try to alter our very appearance and or characteristics to fit our square design into the round whole of society and our peers… Know that you were formed in beauty and in holiness; it is neither the plan of God nor the desire of God for you to sell yourself short while traveling through this life… Moses reminds us today that we are called to be different; we are called to walk in faith and take the road less traveled to avoid snares and end up doing wrong… Remember that Moses was challenged by the people and eventually did not see the promised land because of the pressure applied by the people of God when He should have found peace in the plan of God… This same principle applies to us today, we have to stop allowing people to invade our minds and thoughts with meaningless chatter and confusion… We enter this world as a common people with hell awaiting our arrival; however, through the bloodshed of Jesus we are transformed and therefore converted into a different creature… 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Knowing that we are a chosen people, understanding that we have been set aside for a specific purpose and realizing that we are each unique in our own way tells me that I cannot conform myself to the ways of this world…
When we realize that God has something special in store for our lives or when we begin to comprehend that He is faithful and will provide everything that we stand in need of; then we can not only step out on faith, but we can dare to be different and walk under His influence instead of the influence of others… This is the very message that we are called to learn from today’s focus verse taken from the book of Exodus… Even though people around us may seem to be prospering and they may seem to have what our flesh desires; we must remember that we are store up our treasures in a place “where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Make no mistake about it today, the bible says that we cannot serve to masters… You have a big decision to make and you must make this decision daily… This decision that lies at the foot of your bed is whether or not you are going to walk according to God’s will or the people around you… You can’t have one foot on one side and the other foot on the other nor can you try and sit on the fence of juggle the too… The bible says that a lukewarm church will be spewed out of the mouth of God… Something that is lukewarm is neither hot nor cold; the same thing is being expressed here… Stop trying to fit in, stop trying to please your fellow man and stop trying to walk according to other people’s standards… Matthew 7: 13-14 says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” The book of Exodus reminds us today that we must stray away from the crowd and the wrongdoing of this world, this calls for you to separate yourself from evil, overcome peer pressure and accept being “different” when it comes to the “norm” of society… Again, the bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a peculiar people; we are a holy nation and a royal priesthood… The fact of the matter is that as a child of God you have been set apart! You have been transformed and are not the same as people of the world…
With that being said, the book of Exodus tells us to not follow the crowd in doing wrong, this passage centers around the Israelites exit from Egypt and the fact that they begin to disobey God, they forgot about who delivered them and weren’t satisfied with what they had! God gave them manna from heaven to eat, but that was not good enough for them! Remember the things that God has already done for you, don’t get caught up in what others desire, but focus on the needs that you have and you will see that God has already provided them! Too often we look past the grace of God into the desires of the flesh, we have a car to drive but want something more luxurious, we have a home to sleep in, but we want a 5 bedroom house, the Israelites ignored the mercy and deliverance of God and we are being warned today to not do the same! David had to get away from the crowd (his brothers and Saul) in order to receive his kingdom, Joshua had to give the people an ultimatum before the Lord but made it known that he was going to follow the only true and wise God… The bible declares that there is a broad way to travel that leads to hell and that there is a narrow we to travel which lead to heaven and few will find it! Many will take the broad way because it feels right, it is wide open, there are no restraints and everybody else is on the this path (the emphasis being that everybody else is on this path, this is the crowd that is spoken of in this book of Exodus); the narrow way, limits the things you can do and places you can go and few will see this path as the right path and will not travel it! Exodus reminds us to choice the narrow path, put all your trust in the Lord and don’t put confidence in man (Psalms 118:8)! Don’t follow the crowd, the bible says be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… To be conformed is to do the accepted thing, play by the rules set and live according to that standard already in place… Transform means to be converted, change or be made over! God desires to make you over, change you for the better, and convert you so that souls can be saved! He has a path set for your life that will be plentiful in blessings when you leave this earth, but you must stop following the crowd in order to receive His blessings!
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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