By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

Thoughtless people backslide, compromise and corrupt themselves. The Bible reveals how the Israelites who journeyed through the wilderness compromised their faith and corrupted themselves many times because they were thoughtless of God’s provisions, promises and dealings with them. Though God was merciful to them as a nation and forgave their transgression, those who sinned and died in their iniquities did not get to the Promised Land. But those who remained alive and repented received His forgiveness. People like Achan, Ananias and Sapphira who died in their backslidden state were lost forever.

The children of Israel corrupted themselves and provoked the Lord. They “remembered not the multitude of [His] mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea… They soon forgat his works… [and] waited not for his counsel.”

People who corrupt their lives and provoke the Lord will be judged. Those who forget the Saviour and die in their foolishness will perish. In keeping His promise to Moses, God did not totally wipe out the children of Israel as a nation. He still brought the younger generation into the Promised Land: the older generation that provoked Him perished in the wilderness. The mercy of the Lord still avails for anyone who repents and abides in His grace. But for those who yield to corruption, “the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”

The children of Israel provoked God because they “despised the pleasant land, and believed not his word.” Therefore, He overthrew them in the wilderness and scattered them in the lands. So-called believers who provoke the Lord and despise heaven and His glory will be condemned. The Scripture admonishes us not to “commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”To escape sudden destruction and eternal damnation, we must heed the warnings of the Scripture.

Believers who want their prayers to be answered by the Lord must not provoke Him. Since He is the One who guides and shows us the way into the abundance of His provision and fulfilment of His promises in our lives, we should not tempt the Lord or do anything that will provoke Him. “But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries… There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.”

God is the timeless Benefactor. “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.” The goodness of the Lord to past generations is still available today.

However, you must fulfil the condition to benefit from His covenant. God’s grace, mercy, love, goodness and promises are available for those who “keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.”

God fulfils His promises only to those who meet the condition of benefits in the Covenant, those who “keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” To benefit from the covenant, we must also “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”

The covenant is complete and so are the blessings we receive from it. Everything we need for our spiritual, family and professional life is contained in the covenant. Also, our safety and security is provided in the covenant. “And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.” Moreover, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law… That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Believers are blessed as a result of the blood of the Covenant. Though we did not witness the death of Christ on the cross at Calvary through which provision for the covenant of salvation, healing and deliverance was made, He still confirms the covenant because it is “an everlasting covenant.” Therefore, we should always express our gratitude to God for the provisions of Calvary. “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities… healeth all thy diseases… redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” God is able and willing to fulfil His promises in our lives if we ask in faith.

• Further Reading (KJV): Psalms 100:1-5; 103:1-5; 105:37; 106:7,13-16,19-21; 78:40-42; 2 Peter 2:19,20; Psalm 106:24-29; 1 Corinthians 10:5-11;Exodus 23:20-22,25,26; Psalm 103:17-19; Hebrews 10:16,19,20,23,38,39;Deuteronomy 7:12,15; Galatians 3:13-15; Psalms 105:10; 103:1-5; Psalms 103:17-19; 105:7-10; 106:45,48.