It is an easy mistake to make. My children have stumbled on this throughout history. I require obedience above altars, but often My children offer up their altars and sacrifices in place of true obedience. Jacob, after wrestling with Me, began to do some very right things. He began to walk in faith, even leading the way to meet his brother, Esau, instead of cowering in fear at the end of the procession. He humbly made peace with the brother that he had gravely deceived, in the days that Jacob walked apart from Me. Yet, Jacob, whom I had renamed Israel, found it difficult to walk in his new name, meaning "God rules". Once again Jacob deceived his brother by committing to follow Esau southward to Seir, but instead he let Esau get a few days journey ahead of him and then headed north to Shechem.
In the end, much sorrow would come to Jacob for this decision, for it is in Shechem that his daughter would be raped, and his sons would take out their revenge on the guilty party. Yes, he did some right things, but I told him to return to the place where he first made a vow to Me, to that place where he dreamed of a ladder to heaven, to that place where he built a pillar for Me and anointed it with oil. I called him back to Bethel, but he went his own way. He was not surrendered to My will, therefore, he could not obey Me. Israel went against his name, and chose to rule his own life. In Shechem, he erected an altar and he called the place, El-Elohe-Israel, God, the God of Israel (Jacob), his true time of conversion. But his altar-building was more important to him than his OBEDIENCE to My word.
My precious one, are you making the connection? You do some very right things as well, but just like Jacob, you have learned to put right sacrifices ahead of the one sacrifice I require of you--your surrender to My FULL will. Even after you conversion, you have stumbled on the idea of FULL surrender to Me. Like Jacob, you push others out to meet meet Me more intimately, yet you cower behind them, afraid of what this might mean in YOUR life. You speak right things, yet you do not follow your own teaching. Repentance, Surrender, Obedience. You speak My words all the time, but "Sayin' ain't doin!'" Your teaching is one of the altars you have set up. Yes, they are good words. But where is your obedience to My word that I have put in your mouth?
There will always be repercussions for lack of obedience. The way you have been feeling spiritually is a sign of "altars above obedience." The remedy is clear; obey My words and My will. Set your goal to seek My face. Strive after ME! MY Presence! For I am the Showbread, your BREAD OF LIFE, the Living Word. Ingest Me and digest Me! Search ME out! I am here. I can be found, if you would but surrender your all and come to Me! I know that you are weary of how you live your life. Let Me revive you. Let me resuscitate you...
(Gen. 33; Ps. 27:8; Matt. 11:28)
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