It was on this day, in 1943 that, the sixth Zionist Congress convened in Basel, Switzerland. This would be the last Congress presided over by Theodore Herzl, the father of modern Zionism. During this particular Congress, split among delegates developed over a British proposition to set aside a part of the African nation of Uganda for Jewish colonization. It was understood that, eventually, Jewish colony might evolve into a Jewish homeland.
You can imagine why the Zionist Congress split over this issue. Apparently, there were those who were willing to settle for any place, so long as the Jewish people could settle there and live life as Jews. Then there were those who resisted this compromise because they believed that there was only one place that could serve as a homeland for God’s people — the land of Israel. In time, the wisdom of those who opposed this offer was validated with the establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948.
From this, we see just how important it is that we not compromise on certain issues. How many times have we missed our Father’s will because we compromised for convenience sake? We settled for something else instead of holding out for what He intended for us? The world will offer us many things in order to affect a compromise and to resist the temptation is almost always a struggle. But even though holding out for God’s promises is, very often, an uphill battle, it is also more rewarding. In part, this is why we are told to “press toward the mark” of the prize of the high calling of God (Philippians 3:14). But we must understand that this high calling will always be met with resistance and opportunities to settle for less and maybe even to surrender.
We may not be facing decisions that are as dramatic and far-reaching as where the nation of Israel is going to be, nevertheless to us, they are very important. If the Father has ordained and promised something to us, we must resolve never to surrender and never settle for what the world will offer instead. Can you imagine what would have happened if the Zionist Congress had settled for Uganda instead of the Holy Land? It wouldn’t have worked very well considering that the Messiah is prophesied to return to Jerusalem, not Uganda. We must press toward the mark, even though there will be heavy resistance, knowing the he rewards are well worth it. Today, the state of Israel is a reality, in part, because there were people from previous generations who decided, “We’re not going to compromise. We’re going to hold fast to what we believe God’s promised us.”
So our prayer today is that the Father will strengthen encourage us to press on toward the mark and hold fast to the promises of God, regardless of the resistance we encounter. Regardless of the opportunities presented to us that would require compromise, let’s continue to purpose in our hearts that we will not settle for anything less than what our Father has ordained for us.
Shalom.
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