­­Renewed Commitment

Deuteronomy 29:9-19, 29

Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

 ¹⁰ "All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, ¹¹ "your little ones and your wives-also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water- ¹² "that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, ¹³ "that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 ¹⁴ "I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, ¹⁵ "but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today  ¹⁶ (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, ¹⁷ and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them-wood and stone and silver and gold); ¹⁸ "so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;  ¹⁹ "and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart' -as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.

²⁹ "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Before the Lord reminded the children of Israel of His covenant with them, He first reminded them of where He had brought them from. As He was reminding them how He clothed them and their clothes did not wear out, this today refers to our garment of righteousness, that God has clothed us with, through Christ. The shoes that God referred to that he fit them with, represents the shoes of the Gospel of peace that we have been fit with, in Christ Jesus.

Just like the children of Israel, God has preserved us in righteousness and holiness, all through the wilderness, and has caused us to continue in peace. Our garments of righteousness and the shoes of peace did not wear out. God has been with us. Righteousness, peace and joy are the kingdom of God (Rom 14:17), and it has remained intact and standing in our lives. Through all we’ve been through, the kingdom of God has prevailed in our lives. If the Lord did not preserve us, we’d be no more.

The key to appropriating prosperity in our lives is keeping the word of God (Deut 29:9). If you keep the law of God, you will walk in prosperity, and be a generation of prosperity in deed. It is not just preservation now; it is prosperity. The key is to know the word of God, and renewing our commitment to keeping it. Every morning we should wake and seek God regarding our lives, what He wants us to do, and whatever He tells us to do, we should be committed to do it.

Why is God telling us to renew our commitment?

As Moses was continuing with the whole story, he came to a point of telling them that there are three things they had to take care of. As we renew our commitment to God, there are also three things we must uphold, if we are to enjoy establishment and prosperity.

•  Never bow down to any idol

Deut. 29:18

"so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;  

This is one of the commitments we are making as a church, never to bow down to any idol.

Ezekiel 14

People can have an idol in their hearts. When we exalt somebody or something, a talent, gift etc. in our hearts, it becomes an idol. Our renewed commitment shall be to serve our God alone, to bow down to Him alone. People have many talents, but if you ever exalt that talent above the giver of the talent, it becomes idol worship. If you try to exalt anything or anyone beyond God, it becomes idol worship. Today we are kicking out any idols in our lives. Whatever means to you much more than God has to step aside.

It is nothing that will give you meaning, not even money. God gives us meaning. Bow down to the giver of miracles, not the miracles. Never bow to popularity and fame, prosperity, anointing, miracles, gifts, money, etc.

• Never allow any root of bitterness

Deuteronomy 29:18b

“…and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood”;  

Hebrews 12:15
...looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

On the journey where we have come from, moving from step to step, people have done things to and against us, who have hit us and done many vile things against us. On the same verse where we are told not to bow down to any other gods, we are told not to allow bitterness in us. God is a jealous God. Idol worship is hurting God, while bitterness is hurting ourselves. Bitterness keeps us from receiving from God, acting as a barrier/ curtain between us and God.

Bitterness starts as anger, and grows to rage, then on to bitterness. Bitter people start speaking evil about everything, and end up corrupting even others. Whenever we allow bitterness, we are not offending God, but ourselves, hindering ourselves from blessings, breakthrough and walking victorious in this life.

In this world, we will be offended, but God cautions us from allowing a root of bitterness from growing in us. He wants us to stay in an environment that will be so suitable for us to receive from Him. We should allow Him to reveal any root of bitterness in us, and help us deal with it.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

 ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Bitterness is what might hinder you from enjoying prosperity. You may not have any idols before you, but bitterness will keep you from receiving from God.

• Walk in the Spirit

Deuteronomy 29:19

"…and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart' -as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.”

Time has come that we walk in the Spirit, not in our own understanding or way. You cannot compare a drunkard with a sober man. From today henceforth, we will not walk in our own ways and style, but in God’s style and way. This is what will separate those who walk with God and those who do not.

Malachi 3:18
Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God
and one who does not serve Him. 

There has to be a clear cut difference between the drunkard and the sober person, between that person who walks in the Spirit and those who are led by their flesh.

Galatians 5:16-17

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

In this season of restoration and establishment, we have to walk in the Spirit of the living God.

I appeal to everybody who has not been filled by the Spirit of God to desire to be filled, to desire to walk in the Spirit. Desire having the gifts of the Spirit, and manifest the fruit of the Spirit. This is what will help you hear God and walk in Him.

We will bow to no other, but to our God.

Joshua 24: 14-14

"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15  "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." 16 So the people answered and said: "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;

 17 "for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 "And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God." 19 But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

 20 "If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good." 21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD!" 22 So Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses!" 23 "Now therefore," he said, "put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel." 24 And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!"

Let’s purpose to serve the Lord with sincerity. Make a deliberate choice like Joshua to serve the Lord, with you and everything you have. Make a deliberate choice to make God our priority.

God has so much land for us to possess and work to do, but until we come to a point of making a commitment to serve Him and Him alone, we will not flow in the anointing that is in us.

If we see any of us not walking in the ways of God, in idolatry, bitterness or walking in our own understanding, let us caution each other. Let us never think that we have arrived at our destination, and stop being diligent in renewing our minds. The Bible cautions us that when we think we are standing, we be careful lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12).

This is the season of renewal. Just like an eagle renews its strength, feathers and beak when it ages, on the mountain, we have to keep renewing our commitment to God, and do what we have to do to keep walking in strength.

Once we get renewed, there is prosperity and establishment waiting. The ball is in our court; what is that commitment we are making to God? Are we ready to make a renewal? 

Amen. 

-- Pastor Mary Mugo.


4/05/14 Sunday service sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.

Pastor Mary Mugo is the Senior Pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.