First things first then a "covenant"...

First let me share with you that we have 11 of our 50 missionary spots sponsored so far for the Dominican Republic (DR)! Praise God from whom all blessing flow!  Keep that support for the DR coming in as God moves on your hearts! Nothing is more exciting than to watch God bring in the resources for each one of the trips! I have to say watching His hand move is so totally awesome! Keep praying!!! We still have some team slots open. If you are interested, contact me.

Today when I was reading through my Chronological One Year Bible, there were a couple of verses from Exodus 34:10-26 that hung on my heart. Before I share the verses with you, I want to put them in context. These verses come following chapters 32-33 where the children of Israel made a golden calf because of their impatience with Moses being gone so long on Mt. Sinai, Moses return and the smashing of the tablet, Moses asking the children of Israel to decide who was on the Lord's side, and Moses asking for God’s forgiveness and mercy for the sin of God’s people.

By the time we get to chapter 34, Moses has been instructed by God to cut/chisel stones and engrave them with the covenant God made with him before. Moses then went to the top of Mt. Sinai again and it was here that God’s glory passed before Moses. God then began to speak again the truths of the covenant to Moses in Chapter 34:10-26.

Now my heart hanger verses...34:12,15...

¹²Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. (ESV)

¹⁵lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice... (ESV)

I like The Message Bible translation on these because they are relational. 

¹²Stay vigilant. Don’t let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up. (TMSG)

¹⁵Be careful that you don’t make a covenant with the people who live in the land and take up with their sex-and-religion life, join them in meals at their altars... (TMSG)

The word that stuck out to me in those verses was "covenant." Don’t make a covenant with the people who live in the land. 

A covenant is also translated as a contract or agreement between two parties.

God was saying to the children of Israel that He did not want them making a covenant, a contract or agreement with the people He would be driving out of the land. He knew if the children of Israel did so, it would position them to worship false gods.

Can I ask you something today?  Who have you positioned yourself with?  Has doing so put you in a place where you are now worshiping false gods? Has money become your god? Has position and power become your god? Has your business become your God? Has power of influence become your god? Has a person become your god? Has an area of lust of the flesh, eyes and/or pride of life become your god?

Have you entered into a land and made a covenant with the people God isn’t fighting for but is actually removing from the land? If you have … RUN to God just like Moses did. Confess your sin. Receive His grace, mercy, and love. Let Him reveal Himself to you again.  He wants to! But, He is a gentleman. He will not bust your door down, but He is patiently waiting.

I love you guys…Thank you for loving and supporting Pure Joy!

His,

Vickie