DON’T GET TOO RADICAL!!!
A while ago I was reading the dialogue between Pharaoh and Moses over letting “My people go.” As I read I began to see how it parallels the way the devil often tempts us to compromise total obedience to God. Check out Exodus 7-11.
The first compromise Pharaoh suggested, was for Israel just worship God near Egypt (“Don’t go too far away!” Ex 8:28). When that didn’t work he suggested, “Ok, you can worship – but not as families!” (Ex 10:10,11). But that wasn’t good enough for God. Pharaoh tried another tactic…”ok, you can go…but leave your goods, the stuff you own, with us in Egypt” (10:24). But Moses wasn’t taken in. Finally, after the Plague of the firstborn & the entire land of Egypt was devastated they were allowed to leave.
In the same way, when God gives us a dream and we attempt to head out to the Promised Land the devil tempts us in similar fashion. “You wanna worship God, eh? Go ahead…but don’t be too different than the rest of us. Don’t get too radical or do anything too drastic…just stay nearby, so you can return with ease and settle back into “normal” life again…” That liar will try to keep us as close to the world as possible, he’ll want us to compromise and think, “well, after all, I am worshipping God, aren’t I? I know I’m not totally sold out, but that doesn’t matter does it?”
If that doesn’t stop us he’ll try his next tactic, “Ok, go ahead and be a worshipper of God…but just don’t let it spread to those around you. Keep it private and personal…don’t let your family know about it (they may think you’re weird anyway!)” And we’ll begin to separate our lives into a few areas: Here’s my God part (that’s on Sunday) and here’s the rest of it. I’m already sacrificing on Sunday…what more could God want?
But the radical ones won’t be taken in by that scheme. So that ol’ serpent will hiss another line at you, “Okay, be a worshipper…you can even let your family in on this too…but leave your goods, your wealth in my care. Don’t be too radical now, you’ve given God your life and family…giving him your earthly goods is WAY too much!” Even the devil knows the truth of Jesus’ words “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!” But the God-fearers, those whose hearts have been won by the Almighty, they won’t let the devil take care of their resources! Like Moses, they know that their wealth is to be a “sacrifice” and that they’ll use these gifts of God to “worship the Lord” (see 10:25,26).
And so the Moses-like, the Radical ones, turn away from Egypt and give their all to the King of Kings. Like Elisha, they burn the ties with their old life (1 Kings 19:21), like the disciples they forsake their old life for the glory of being in Jesus’ presence (Mt 4:18-22). They don’t worship half-heartedly, in the world and hidden away, with their treasures secure in satan’s grasp. They give their all, they sacrifice, take up their cross and see the wonders of an obedient life!