You Have Not Given Heed to My Voice

The story of the Israelites is so rich, so all-encompassing, it's like a looking-glass through which one might look and understand their own story of life with God.Consider, for example, the salvation that we are invited into as disciples of Jesus. Throughout the New Testament we are told that salvation equals eternal and abundant life (John 10:10; John 17:3). That life is made available to us right now.Let that sink in for a moment if you've never pondered it before. The opportunity we have is not only to go to heaven when we die, but to have the life of heaven come into us right now. This is salvation.Why then do many not experience this abundant life? The answer can be drawn out of the story of Israel in so many ways. Consider Judges 6:1-7. Here the Israelites have been reduced to "hiding themselves in the mountains, caves and strongholds," because of the Midianites. These are the same people who made the earth shake, and kings tremble, throughout the book of Joshua. They utterly destroyed other nations and God gave them land upon land, territory upon territory. They were a force to be reckoned with.Now? Hiding. They're hiding in fear.They are once again enslaved. Why? Verse 8-10:

"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of slavery; and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who are oppressed you, and drove them out before you, and gave you their land; and I said to you, 'I am the Lord your God; you shall not pay reference to the gods of the Amorites, and whose land you live.' But you have not given heed to my voice."

The reason they are enslaved, when they could be free was because "[they] have not given heed to [God's] voice." The reason many present Christians are still enslaved when they could be free, and living abundantly, is also from want of heeding the voice of God, and doing what he says.Freedom tastes good. Everyone would say that it is preferable to slavery. The way into this freedom isn't hidden. The path isn't down a secret driveway, but it's obvious and available for all to see and enter.I suppose we can choose to walk on it every day... Even today.