Seeing God in our midst - Numbers 14:13-14

These verses are so relevant to our times. Bear with me and let me explain their context first.

These verses come just after the spies have been in the promised land, and 10 spies returned scared by the power of the nations in the land God had promised to give them, and only Caleb and Joshua had seen that God was able. Moses is pleading with God, and reminds himself, and all God’s people, in his prayer of all God has already done in prepare for them taking the land.

The nations had heard that God was with them. They had heard that they spoke with God ‘face to face’. They had heard of His power among them. They had heard that He leads them. God had already prepared their hearts to fear Him and fall before Him as His people went to occupy the land.

But God’s people didn’t see it themselves! All they saw was the size of the opposition, not the power of their God.

As we are about to come out of Lockdown, as God’s people are about to return to their workplaces, as we are about to meet many more people each day, I wonder if we are aware that we are in the same position. People have heard that We have met with the living God and seen Him ‘face to face’. People have heard of His power that has forgiven, redeemed and set free, people have heard of His mighty work transforming sin-scared lives. Yes, the opposition looks powerful, unconquerable, and today’s humanist-secularist world is fiercely opposed to God’s people. But He has gone before us. It’s His Kingdom that will be victorious. It’s His message of good news that will reach others and transform lives. It’s the gates of Hell that constantly fall.

So, let’s see as Moses saw ... all that God had already done to prepare the way of victory. Unashamed, undefeated, unshackled, emboldened by the presence and power of the Spirit, as churches and individuals this is a time of opportunity with a promise of ultimate victory. How we need to hear God’s call to enter into His gospel work seeing all He is and confident in all His power, so that His Kingdom purposes may be accomplished through us in our days.

 

The amazing intricacy of God's work - Ezra 6:1-2

Strange verses to highlight? No. God had sent the exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city, but difficulties had arisen and the hearts of the people had strayed. But now, through Haggai and Zechariah, God had told them to start work again. It was going well,. but then opposition arose again. But, in explaining what they were doing, they mentioned that King Cyrus had commanded them to rebuild. In previous years the investigation that was then requested by the opponents would have generated only opposition. But Darius had become King (v1), and the Persians had taken Babylon in such a way that all records had been preserved. And more, he had seen Daniel's witness, had seen God's power and so he ordered a proper investigation. Just as well ... although he ordered the archives in Babylon to be checked (v1), it was further away that the documents were found (v2). And so the work was not only able to continue but given total authority.

What we see is the intricacy of God's work. His timing in bringing His word to the prophets, His work in softening the hearts of the returned exiles, bringing repentance and a commitment to do the work of God, His placing of Daniel for Darius, His work in Darius' heart, His working so that the documents were found even though not in the place they were ordered to look, and His enabling and enpowering of work on the Temple and Jerusalem. All this came together 'at just the right time'. The opposition that looked like disaster God used for His purposes. He had put all the pieces in place at the right time to completely work out His will.

Facing things that look like a problem? Seems like God is not working as you would wish? Being faithful to God but not seeing quite what He is doing? All these are Ok ... God is on His throne and working out all things well!

Three Points of Comfort in God - Psalm 75:1-2,9

In a time of panic, God's people have every reason to react entirely differently. These verses help us see how. There are three good reasons given:

1. 'Your Name is near' ... We have a God who has made Himself known to us, has revealed His love towards us in Jesus, and covenanted His love towards us ... He will never leave us nor forsake us, and we are hidden within the stronghold of His love. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This is His perfect love that drives out fear.

2. 'People tell of your wonderful deeds' ... He is a God who works in mighty ways. He has told us that He will shake the nations so that the desired of all nations will come into His Kingdom. He does this through many means, even through the fallenness of this world. He is sovereign God. Like Jesus, resting in a boat in the middle of a storm, we can rest in God's sovereign purpose and authority.

3. 'I choose the appointed time' ... We have a God who rules over all of time. The Psalmist in Ps139 reminds us that every day ordained for us was planned before one of them came to be. Our times are in His hands. He has numbered our days. Our life will not end until the time He has ordained. But this verse also speaks of the time of God's judgement. That reminds us that it is God who ordains even that final time and that even then, if we are in Christ, all God's just anger over our rebellion has been spent on Jesus - we are the redeemed. So, whatever the times are, we are secure in Him and need not fear.

There is one result of knowing all this in Jesus ... The Psalm starts and ends with praise. Even in the worst circumstances, God's people can be a people of praise because we know the certainty of God's love, power and authority. So, let's be the people we ought to be in Christ even when all around us fear.

A Famine to Fear - Amos 8:5,11

In a day when regular Church attendance by God's own people is going down, these words of Amos remain hugely relevant. When we spend the day God has given us to worship Him thinking more of the other things we could be doing for our own 'profit' we have forgotten that our greatest, our only eternal, profit is Jesus

We do not gather to tick a box, but to enjoy the presence, hear the voice and be reminded of the mission of the one whose love for us is perfect. When we think little of such a privilege, or even despise it (if not in words but certainly by our actions), we need to consider the alternative ... a famine of hearing God's word, His loving voice, His gentle leading, His compassionate words of peace.

If we are those who truly 'love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength', then our hearts will long to spend time with God and with His people, and will shudder at the thought of being cut off from hearing his voice.

This passage in Amos was a call of love to a loved but foolish people, ... and it still is.

A Heart seeking Jesus - 2 Chronicles 12:14

Uninspiring verse? Actually, no. For every believing Christian it should both warn and inspire.

You see, being a Christian is about an intimate relationship. It is living and walking with the Lord that is the privilege of the true Christian.

A relationship is always an act of the will as well as of the heart. And therefore as we come to Christ we are not only led to trust in Him but to walk with Him, following him where He leads, joyfully doing what He desires.

Any vital relationship chooses to keep the heart steadfast on the one who is loved, and to turn from other calls. So, to not have a heart set upon the Lord is to have a 'roving eye', looking for other loves. We cannot say that we love Jesus if we're also looking elsewhere. And an intimate relationship with Him requires that He is our only love.

So, there is a warning here ... Is my heart set on Jesus, am I looking only to Him? And there is huge inspiration ... A heart set on Jesus (which is not difficult because this is the work of His Spirit in us), as His heart is set on us, leads to that close walk that every Christian should hunger for.