Psalm 78:36-37 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

How much do you really know about the covenant that God made alone? The meaning of covenant has changed over the years to implicate two parties but in the Old Testament economy God made a covenant alone, man had no part in it, except to receive the blessings. God said, I will, and nothing man said could change what God had declared. All man had to do to receive the blessing was to remember God’s covenant.

Yet again and again man failed to praise God for all He had done and returned to complaining about their hunger in the flesh and asked to be satisfied physically rather than spiritually. In this man has not changed. More give me more, I am not satisfied.

Psalm 78:38-39 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

We have seen God’s mercy over and over again in this life. Forgiveness is freely given. It is so freely given we give little to no heed to the consequences of sin. We continue to provoke God by seeking satisfaction of the flesh. Give me more.

Psalm 78:40-41 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

In this is the true failure of Christians, who by lying lips and selfish hearts have kept the blessings of God’s covenant with man from flowing out from us to those whom God would have compassion upon because we act selfishly.

Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Is it possible to dwell in His Kingdom and here on earth at the same time?

John 18:36a Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world:

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

If you consider the Word of God to be true, then these two statements are not contradictory. Jesus declared He does not have a worldly kingdom, yet He declares He will come and live with us.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Let me put it as plainly as I can; are your thoughts and actions of one who is living in the world or one who is living in His Kingdom?

A Kingdom is comprised of men and women and children who are subject to the King. They follow the orders of the King. Can you live in the world and follow the King’s commandments? Sure you can. One only has to see that man’s laws allow you to do things which God’s commands forbid. You can obey both at the same time.

Man has not made a law, yet, which makes thinking illegal. You have to act on a bad thought before you can violate man’s law. God is concerned with the condition of the heart. God wants your heart to be pure. The world cares not for your heart and even encourages you to violate God’s commands by enacting laws that allow for sin to exist without worldly penalty.

Sin will always have consequences regardless of what man’s law allows, for such is the nature of sin.

Are you a Kingdom dweller?