Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

I count eight specific points where the Israelites deliberately and knowingly aroused the jealous wrath of the LORD, God, the Almighty. Several hundreds of years and He withheld His anger. Don't ever doubt that He is not a patient God; this is Godly patience.

Now we, the church in the Global North, need to examine ourselves in the piercing light of the Word of God. Some, just a few of the questions we need to ask ourselves.

• Is our life, in total, aligned with the Word of God?

• Do we display a love of God with all our hearts, souls, mind and strength?

• Do we love our neighbors as ourselves?

• Is our worship God-centered or is it man-centered?

• Do we regard the Word of God as a buffet line to pick and choose those commandments we like and reject those we don't?

• Do we recognize that all men are created in the image of God? And base all our interactions with others on that basis?

The Fear of the LORD is a life lived in belief/trust/commitment/obedience/faith. Must be, has to be, there is no other way.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 144

Mid-day: 119:89-96

Evening: Psalm 69

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