Tag: walking by faith
Feeling out-numbered?
Scripture Reading for April 10: 2nd Kings 4-8
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you were outnumbered and under-equipped? I loved spending time with my father who was a veteran of World War II. He was drafted in 1941 and spent four years in the Army as a messenger and driver for the officers of the Third Armored Division. He went ashore a few days after D-Day on Normandy beach and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. As he was driving an officer on a mission, he suddenly came upon a German tank. He did a u-turn before his passenger could say a word and beat a path for the cover of his company. As he topped a hill, a shell exploded behind his jeep. He soon passed one of his own tanks who covered him. My father knew what it was like to be in enemy territory and out-numbered! However, there were more for him than against him that day, watching over him!
The Arameans were angry at Elisha, who was warning the king of Israel about their plans of attack. They found out Elisha was staying at Dothan, and came at night and surrounded the city with soldiers, horses and chariots. Elisha’s servant went out the next morning and saw the great army and came back to Elisha alarmed. Elisha prayed that the servant would be able to see all their heavenly help. As this enemy approached, Elisha prayed again, asking the Lord to strike his enemy with blindness. He then led this army to Samaria to the king of Israel and then prayed to open their eyes. God again answered! What a walk of faith to experience God’s abundant help and victory!
God still answers prayer and responds to faith. Do you need fresh vision today? Will you take time to ask the Lord to open your eyes! Confess the truth: “There’s more for me than against me!”
“And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened his servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2nd Kings 6:17
The Blessed Man!
Scripture reading for June 4th: Psalms 1-6
The Book of Psalms was the hymnbook of the Hebrew people and was used in worship and prayer. The word “psalm” denotes a “song sung to the accompaniment of a plucked instrument.” These psalms had at least seven different authors and were written over nearly a thousand years, from the time of Moses to the return from exile. David was one of the primary authors and many reflect his own prayers, worship, fears, and desires as he walked with God.
Psalm 1 is about a man who is blessed by God. There are some things this man does not do. He doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. He also doesn’t stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. This man knows what to do because he delights in the law of the Lord! He is meditating on that law day and night. From that law he clearly understands good and evil.
The ‘blessed man’ was compared to a tree planted by streams of water. This tree was always bearing fruit and was leafy and green because it’s roots were well supplied with moisture and nutrients. Even when it was dry and hot, it drew its water from God’s stream. God abundantly supplied this man because of his faith in God’s word.
This blessed man was contrasted with the wicked man. The wicked man was pictured as the chaff off of the wheat. The wind came and blew it away. It was good for nothing but to be burned up. Just like the chaff that is separated from the wheat by the wind, so the sinner and wicked man will not stand in the time of God’s judgment! They will be separated from the assembly of the righteous and blessed! God is watching over the righteous to provide and protect and ultimately reward them. God is also going to make sure the wicked perish!
This song about the blessed man is for us today! We are to meditate on the Word of God and focus on the living Word, Jesus Christ! Life flows from Him and in Him we find eternal life! Blessing is favor and a river of good flowing from the source of all blessing, God. God loves to bless those who sit at His feet, stand in His way and walk by faith in His Word.
God is most precious!
Scripture reading for May 28: Job 25-28
Bildad opened his final argument by citing the power and dominion of God. He then questioned that in light of God’s greatness, how can man who is born of woman be right with God? (Job 25:4) This is a good question and finds the answer implied by Bildad in other writings of Scripture. Romans 3:10 says that there is none righteous, not even one (Psalm 14:1) . Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The problem with Bildad’s statement is in his understanding of God and man’s relationship. Bildad stated that man was like a maggot in God’s sight, only a worm. (Job 25:6) This view is neither encouraging or accurate!
Job refuted Bildad by asking him what spirit was speaking through him! Job’s counter-argument was that he would continue to trust God, even if he didn’t understand! (Job 27:2-6) God was his only source of hope and encouragement! God’s character and wisdom were worth more to Job than anything this earth had to offer. Finding this wisdom is not easy! (Job 28:12-13)
The bottom line for Job was that the fear of the Lord was wisdom and understanding was to depart from evil! (Job 28:28) Let’s think about this for a minute. Respecting God and His power and authority is the very core of wisdom. We can only live our life successfully if we have this wisdom in operation in our life. Respecting God is the character trait of humility. God, Himself, is humble! Jesus Christ taught his followers to come and learn from Him, because he was humble of heart! (Matthew 11:28-30) By respecting God and being humble we are able to follow God and live successfully by faith and not be destroyed by our sight! We know from God’s word and character that there is a definite “good” and a definite “evil”. We walk in understanding when we depart from evil and do good!
God is the most precious one in our life. Job came to this conclusion as he was forced by the circumstances of a trial to live by faith. He did not have all the answers, but he knew the one who did and who would help him! He steadfastly held on to what he knew and persevered! We can, too! What a precious Lord we have! Don’t let go!
Learning to fly by instrument!
Scripture reading for February 14: Numbers 13-16
Walking by faith is not always easy to learn. We are prone to be strongly influenced by what we see and what our past experiences have conditioned us to believe and understand. In my younger days, I wanted to learn to fly an airplane. Several of my friends and I got together and bought a Cessna 172 with instrument rating. I wanted to be able to learn to fly by instruments. The flight instructor would put a hood over my head so I could only see the instrument panel, and off we would go. When we would turn, or go up or down, I would watch the instruments to learn where the wings were. My mind, however, would play tricks on me. I felt like we were flying sideways or going up or down, when the instruments said we were flying level. Senses can lead us astray. When flying airplanes in clouds or fog, we must learn to trust the instruments.
The twelve Israelite spies were sent into the promised land. They were told to determine what the land was like and what the inhabitants of that land were like. It was a military assessment. God had already told them that the land was flowing with milk and honey. He had already told them that He would take care of the inhabitants. God was to them like the instruments in the plane. If they had kept their focus on what God had said, they would not have veered off course! Two spies actually did keep on course, Joshua and Caleb! They pleaded with the others to get ready to go on in and possess the land that God had promised them. (Numbers 13:30) Ten spies got their eyes on the difficulties and began to spread fear, doubt and unbelief! (Numbers 13:31-33)
The whole community got into the act and began to complain and grumble against Moses and the Lord, saying that God and Moses had brought them this far to let them die in the desert. They even talked of stoning Moses and then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting. God was ticked off. He viewed their grumbling and rebellion against Moses as against Him! (Numbers 14:11, 27) God’s judgment on them was to give them what they had feared–the whole generation 20 years and older died in the desert because of their grumbling and unbelief! They all would wander in the wilderness for 40 years as punishment for their rebellion! (Numbers 14:29-35) Sin is costly! Be careful what you speak! Keep your focus on the instruments (God’s Word) and avoid a crash!