Galatians 4:1-7 – “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ” Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Paul’s way of explaining our relationship with God is powerful. He brings to mind that a child, although a member of the family and ultimately owner of all the family fortunes and worth, is little different from a slave because the child is under the authority of their parents or those whom the parents have placed over them. They are not allowed to operate as an “owner” until the father deems, they are ready. Owner of all but the authority of a slave is the condition described.
Then he declared to us that we are “sons” (a non-gender term as used here), and because of that truth, God has sent the Spirit of God into our hearts crying, “Abba! Father!” As a result, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters; if we are sons and daughters, we are Heirs of God!
My friends, often we live beneath our privilege as children of the Most High! Frequently we live as slaves rather than sons and daughters? It is time that we assess who we are and whose we are. It is time to reread the Bible and determine what this “New Covenant” that is established upon “Better Promises” is about and what it affords. It is time that we reevaluate our relationship with the Lord and have the authority and power to overcome the enemy of our souls and the grace to live the Abundant Life that Jesus promised. You are not a Slave! You are a Child of God and an Heir according to His Promise!
Let us move from a slave mentality to a son and daughter mentality. Let us move from timidity to boldness in our relationship, heritage, and covenant. Let us begin to live as HEIRS and bring real hope to this hopeless world outside of Christ.
God bless and keep you as you go through your day!
2 Timothy 2:1, 11-13 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
How about you? Do you want to be “Strong in Grace?” I believe I can answer that for you without violating your right to decide for yourself and say Absolutely! In verses 11-13, some truths regarding our walk in Christ in this life by saying:
If we have died in Him, we will live in Him.
If we endure, we will reign.
If we deny Him, He will deny us.
If we are faithless, He will remain faithful.
God cannot deny Himself.
We are dead in Christ through the experience of the “new birth.” We have been made new creations through the gift of Salvation and one day, we will live with Him eternally. Jesus never hid the fact that we would face difficulties in life and the Christian walk, nor does Paul. He tells us that the end of that enduring is reigning with Jesus. He warns that if we deny the Lord, God will deny us on that day, which is not something that we desire. He tells us that we may be less than faithful, but God will always be faithful because He cannot deny Himself, and He is faithful.
Therefore, to be “Strong in Grace” is to embrace the faith that is in Jesus Himself. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, and deeds. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to shed the Love of God abroad in our hearts and to teach us all things that Jesus said. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to quicken our mortal bodies so that we shake off the shackles of carnality and move into the realm of the spiritual. It is to become focused on the King and the Kingdom of God as paramount and supreme above all else. It is to Surrender our lives totally to God!
In that condition and position, we become “Strong in Grace,” no matter what comes, we come out the other side In Christ and, therefore, Victorious!
Daniel 3:16-25 – “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” 19 Saved in Fiery Trial Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” NKJV
What a beautiful beginning to a new day. I am sitting with my morning coffee, bible, and the presence of the Lord, reading and listening. In the stillness, I heard, “There is a Fourth Man in the Fire! Do you see Him!”
The Book of Daniel is a fascinating book to me. I love watching the hand of God upon lives that are wholly committed to Him and seeing His delivering hand. A truth that, too frequently, we forget and allow ourselves to fret, fuss, and fume over various situations and circumstances.
The Hebrews taken captive to Babylon had, among them, four very distinctive personalities. Daniel, whom they named Belteshazzar, but we always find him called Daniel. Hananiah, the Babylonians renamed Shadrach, Mishael to Meshack, and Azariah to Abed-Nego, names we find them referred to in the book henceforth. These four young men made some early decisions regarding their commitment to the Almighty God whom they served.
They refused to eat the king’s meat or drink the king’s drink. Oh, how we need to understand that we must “come out from among them and be separate.” They did not try to make themselves noticeable to everyone around them in their difference; they just maintained their commitment to God and allowed the result to speak for itself. Their commitment elevated them to prominent positions in the kingdom of Babylon, yet they maintained their integrity and commitment to God.
They refused to bow before the king’s idol even though, in the natural, it meant sure death. They responded to the king by saying, King, we do not need to try to justify our actions to you; we trust the God we serve, and He will deliver us; if not, no big deal. We must never forget that this life here is just a sojourning; we are passing through as “strangers and pilgrims on this earth.” This is a temporary home, not our permanent one. Go therefore, keeping the focus on the “goal, the prize of the high calling” is more important than being politically correct or fitting in with the world.
They were delivered by THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE, whom Nebuchadnezzar declared looked like “the Son of God.” Even the Babylonian king could not deny the truth of God nor His great power because of the commitment of these young men.
It does not matter what we face! It does not matter what obstacles are laid in our path! It does not matter what opposition comes our way! It does not matter what danger our lives might be placed in – – THERE IS A FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE!
If we “seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness,” our eyes upon Him and our commitment firmly rooted in His Word and refuse, as the three Hebrew Children, to Bend, Break, or Bow, we will walk out of the fire either in this life or in the next unscathed and into His presence! They may be able to kill our bodies, but they cannot kill our souls. Therefore, we need not fear them, whoever they might be!
I urge you to begin your day today with the confidence that if today leads you to the fiery furnace, the FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE will be awaiting you there to cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you can trust, rest, and be protected. We will either receive deliverance or promotion, and both are victories!
I pray for the rich and bountiful blessing to be upon each of you as you go through your day!
Psalms 121 –“I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” NKJV
It is another beautiful morning in the DFW area. Summer is upon us, but there is a nice southerly breeze blowing, train horns shattering the morning silence, the coffee temperature is perfect, and my Bible is providing needed nourishment. In conversation with the Lord, these passages came up regarding HELP.
Like the Psalmist, we all face possible or imminent attacks from time to time in our lives. The Psalmist was looking to the hills (mountains) and asked where my help came from. Was he looking at the natural mountains? Was he looking to heaven? Was he looking to Jerusalem?
No matter, he identifies where his help is coming from – – The LORD who made heaven and earth. He looked at the one who would not allow our feet to slip—who does not sleep or slumber. The one sustains, keeps, or protects us in Everything! He is our covering to keep us from being burned by the sun or trouble. He is the one who preserves us from all evil and preserves our souls as we go out and come in. He is our fortress, our defender, our protector, our deliverer, our guide, and our counselor.
I have experienced this protective care and keeping of the Lord more than once. He would make a way when there seemed to be no way. He came through when there was help from no other source. He came through financially, providing funds when an emergency arose that my family and I would be devastated without His miracle. He came through and provided healing when I faced cancer’s sentence of death and numerous other times when my physical condition prevented me from accomplishing His purposes for that time.
He has provided wise counsel with a clear path to victory when there was confusion and searching for the way. He has provided the loving touch of His hand when loneliness and despair had set in and lifted me from the pit of self-pity back onto the solid foundation of victory. He has been my provider, defender, protector, guide, friend, counselor, and LORD in so many instances that time will not allow me to include him here.
Where is our Help? Where is our country’s help? Where is our family’s help? It is coming from the LORD! He has promised that if we call unto HIM, He will Answer us! Lord, I am calling, confident that you are answering! As in the Old Western movies, the U.S. Cavalry is coming in the nick of time. The Christ of Calvary will be ON TIME, EVERY TIME!
Look up! Your redemption draws near! Today would be s a great day for each of us to begin the day rejoicing in the Lord and thanking Him for what He has done, is doing, and is going to do on your behalf!
May the LORD bless you richly as you embark on today’s journey!
2 Chronicles 20:14-17 –“Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus, says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah, and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” NKJV
As the darkness hovers over my backyard, there are faint signs of things beginning to spring to life for a new day. The stillness has a peace about it that is pleasant. I am rejuvenated as I read God’s Word, and the energy source of the Word of God inspires and empowers me. As I sat meditating and musing on the things of God, the thought of Standing Still and Going Ninety Miles an hour flooded my spirit…
We are at a crossroads in our nation and many of our lives today. There are upheavals and troubles on every hand. There is much debate, argument, and disagreement about what we need to and should do on many fronts. We elect officials to govern, and often, they lose sight of the Republic’s fundamental objective and purpose. We do that in our personal lives and try to “Stand Still and Go, Ninety simultaneously.”
On the spiritual front, in our individual lives and as a nation, there comes a time when we need to realize that we face battles far greater than we are in our natural state. We are surrounded by enemies on every hand who want to destroy us physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, politically, and spiritually.
The enemy of our souls has and will show no mercy; he is the devil. Yet, if we seek the face of the Lord in true repentant prayer and intercession, there will come a time when the Lord says to us, as he did to Jehoshaphat and Judah, “You do not need to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah, and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”
I am taking that as a directive for life on every front. I am hearing the Lord whisper in my spirit to Stand Still and Listen rather than run ninety miles an hour doing, scurrying about, and planning. Just Stand Still and Listen to the voice of the Lord. Once you hear His voice, then it is time to act! That is in every arena of life! Wait on the LORD; Hear His Voice, Act upon His Word.
I pray for God’s richest blessings as you go through your day!
Isaiah 40:28-31 – “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.” NKJV
Thank God that God never gets tired, although sometimes I wonder if He grows weary with us due to our inaction, unbelief, and resistance to His promises and plans. He is the ALL-WISE creator of the universe and infuses His power into our lives when we are weak and need His strength. He comes to us when we are faint and on the verge of collapsing under the load, enabling us to have renewed strength for the struggle, the journey, and the battle.
Here, Isaiah gives us something that sometimes, in our “Microwave World” and “Instant Everything,” lifestyles miss or find challenging to accept. He tells us that those who Wait on the LORD will renew their strength. The result is given in the word picture that the prophet uses. We will mount up with wings like eagles.
Eagles can soar high above everything and see with precision minute things on the surface below while soaring so high that they are almost invisible to the naked eye. We will also run and not grow weary. All of us who have ever had to run know that this is humanly impossible; therefore, it is a clear indication that this strength and stamina will come from Divine Sources. Not only will we run and not grow weary, but we will not faint, give up, or give in our Walk! We will move forward into Victorious Living!
The key to everything in this is Waiting on the LORD! Not only is timing everything, but the development of character and the learning that takes place in the time of Waiting on the LORD is indispensable for a victorious spiritual walk. If there is one thing I could teach all new believers, it would be the secret and art of Waiting on the LORD! If I could convince people of the value and need of this, I would have enabled them to live above the circumstances, obstacles, and trials of life in a rarified atmosphere known only to the angelic hosts.
Instead of being impatient and in a hurry, learn and ask God to help you. Learn to Wait on the LORD! As you do, you will find that you not only accomplish more, but you do so without the stress and pressure that life in human strength brings.
James 1:19-20 – “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” NKJV
Several years ago, I had a member of the congregation that I was leading tell me about an incident that had just occurred in his life, “I don’t get mad; I get even.” I asked if he believed that was God’s way, and his reply was, “I don’t know, but it’s my way.” Among other passages of scripture that I called to his attention was this one from James. He was unflinching in his resolve to exact a pound of flesh from the person who had caused him a wound, and nothing I could say changed his mind. I prayed for that man over this issue until his death, and so far, as I know, he never altered that view.
James warns or encourages us, depending on how we view it, and how we should interact with others. He tells us that we should be “swift to hear.” That would be beautiful if it were not so contrary to our natural human mindset that many find it almost impossible. Most are either anxiously framing their response to what is being said without really listening or are so absorbed with the points they want to make that they do not hear anyone or anything else.
He also said we are to be “slow to speak.” I cannot tell you how often I have had someone tell me, “Well, I just speak what is on my mind and let the chips fall where they may.” That may sound good, but is it the heart and mind of God? Sometimes Silence is the correct response, and the Bible clearly states that “a soft answer turns away wrath.”
Usually, that statement is made by a person who justifies saying whatever they want to say as though it were a pious thing when it is laden with self and selfishness. It does not consider the other brother or sister or even the situation. It only gives release for the individual to speak their mind!
James continues and tells us that “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” If we speak in anger, we will probably say things that we will later wish we could take back, but we cannot retrieve words. Once they are released into the atmosphere, they are there forever, and sadly, we will hear them played back one day when we stand before God. The only solution is to get them under the Blood of Jesus and washed away, which requires repentance.
No wonder the Bible tells us to “not let the sun go down on our anger.” If you allow it to fester in your heart, it will infiltrate your thought processes and become part of your reasoning and interaction with others and eventually will produce a poison that will damage you and others around you. It will cost you relationships, peace of mind, and possibly even the fulfillment of the purposes of God for your life.
If we learn to listen, truly listen, and carefully weigh our words and diffuse anger, we will see God’s Righteousness shine forth into the situation and what God can do in an instant we could never accomplish in two lifetimes. So, I once again am encouraging everyone to become Hearers and not just Speakers or Doers.
May God bless and be with you as you go through your day!
Judges 6:11-18 – “Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The LORD looked at him and said, ” Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 But the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18 “Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”
It is sometimes amusing but comforting to realize that God does not see as man sees. He is not limited to what is visible or a current reality in the natural. God sees the end from the beginning, and we are limited to seeing the beginning from the end. We may believe there is potential, but God not only believes the potential but sees it as a finished product, IF… If what? If we will walk in obedience and dare to dream and press toward the prize of the high calling.
This account is a powerful revelation of the truth that “God sees in us what we cannot see in ourselves.” Of course, I have known some who thought they were a god, but here I am addressing what most people see in themselves.
Can you imagine how Gideon felt when the angel of the LORD came to him and called him a ‘valiant warrior’? You do not have to wonder because the account gives the mental attitude of Gideon. Gideon did not simply shrink back in the sense of insufficiency; he questioned God Himself. That could be dangerous, but sometimes, it seems God welcomes our questions. Why? Because it allows him to demonstrate His power, person, purpose, and love. It allows Him to demonstrate that what He has placed in us can produce incredible results in this life.
Gideon asked, “If the LORD is with us, THEN WHY?” Why what? Why are we in such deep turmoil nationally? Why is there such disarray in our lives? Why is there such unrest? Why are the enemies enjoying such apparent success? Why? He also asked, “If the LORD is with us, Where?” Where what? Where are all the miracles we have heard about in our history?
If the LORD brought us to freedom from bondage, why has he abandoned us? I love the next verse. It says, ‘The LORD looked at him…’ It did not say the angel of the LORD but The Lord. The LORD revealed what He saw in Gideon, which was something Gideon could not see in himself. I have no doubt Gideon longed for Israel’s deliverance and for someone to champion the cause of Freedom for the people but never saw himself as that vessel. The LORD said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel…” WOW! Hey, Gideon, it is In You! God has made you a conqueror, a valiant warrior, and a victory. This is your assignment. I AM WITH YOU! Hallelujah! That is enough!
As did Moses, Gideon protested that he was insignificant, making him a candidate for God’s demonstration of incredible exploits through him. Had he been full of himself and seen himself as larger than life, he would not have been usable for the King of Kings.
Had he not been humble and little in his own sight, he would have disobeyed when the LORD sent home his warriors and left him with three hundred men to face an entire army. But God saw in him a pliable, teachable, and humble heart. That is what God saw in David, calling him a man after God’s own heart. It was not that either was sinless or perfect, but they were obedient and recognized God as God.
God sees in you far more than you see in yourself,and as Jeremiah declared that God knows the plans, He has for you and is far greater than you can imagine. God knows His purpose and assignment for your life, and it is not limited to the natural or immediate it is only limited by your willingness to walk in obedience.
I am not suggesting that each of us will become national leaders or deliverers. Some of us may simply be those who pour water on the hands of those who are, but each assignment is vital, and what God sees in you is far more than you see in yourself. Never, and I plead, Never limit your vision to what you think you can do. Learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God and the Word of God. God says that we are more than conquerors through Jesus. All things are possible to those who believe. Obedience is far better than sacrifice; if we are willing and obedient, we will enjoy the fruit of His victory!
God bless you as you open your hearts to His Possibilities in your life!
Mark 5:30 – “Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” NASB
I love the songs “He Touched Me” and “Touching Jesus.” My title question might cause one to assume that I was talking about the Lord touching us, but the person of my question is Jesus. Our Lord and His disciples had crossed over the sea to the country of the Gerasenes, and the encounter with the demoniac resulted in those people asking Him to leave.
He and his disciples crossed back to their starting point, and he found a huge crowd awaiting Him. The crowd and the needs were so numerous that he stayed by the seashore ministering. One of the synagogue officials, Jairus, came requesting healing for his daughter, and many others were trying to get to Jesus to receive their healing, their miracle. The throng of people was so overpowering that he could hardly move without being bumped, touched, or grabbed.
In that situation, the woman who had had a hemorrhage for 12 years endured terrible treatment by physicians. She was broke and still afflicted with her malady. She heard about Jesus and said, “If I can just touch His garment, I will get well.” That was her faith point and focal point. Touching Jesus!
She believed that if she could simply “Touch His Garment,” the healing virtue of God would flow out from him to her, and she would be cured. She pressed through the crowd and achieved her goal, touching his garment.
Immediately, the Bible tells us the flow of her blood ceased, and she was totally cured.
Immediately, Jesus stopped and stunned His disciples, asking, “WHO TOUCHED ME?” Remember the condition and situation. The throng of people was overpowering, and Jesus was being touched repeatedly as he moved through the crowd, yet He asked, “WHO TOUCHED ME?”
The disciples responded incredulously and said, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched My garments?” In East Texas, it would have been, “Are you kidding me? Look at this mob; EVERYBODY IS TOUCHING YOU!” But Jesus knew something had happened, which differed from all the other touches uncoupled from faith.
This Faith Touch resulted in virtue or power leaving His body, the power He could feel. He looked at the woman, and she confessed what and why she had done what she did. Jesus responded, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
Who touched Me was the question of Jesus, but it was not a question of simply being physically bumped or touched. This was a question of Who exercised faith and drew out from Me the Divine Power to heal. This is the Touching Jesus we must do for ourselves and others.
Years ago, as lead pastor in a church in East Texas, I was called to the home of a retired minister and his wife. She had been ill and wanted me to come, anoint her with oil, and pray the prayer of faith as directed by James. When I began to pray, I said, “Lord, touch my sister.” She immediately interrupted me and said, “Preacher, don’t pray for a little touch; I want Healing!”
She wanted me to do more than offer words; she wanted me to do what the woman with the hemorrhage did, Touch Jesus in a way that was coupled with faith and would result in total healing. She wanted results, not prayer.
I have said, “Too often, we expect to be prayed for, but we do not expect to be healed.” We expect to go through the motions and do the prescribed religious things in prayer for healing, but we do not expect the Touch of the Master’s Hand to bring about a full recovery. That is not universally true for all believers or even all believers all the time, but it is more prevalent than we acknowledge.
Jesus said we are to “Ask, Seek, and Knock.” We are instructed to be determined and to become the ‘hart panting for the water brooks’ in our pursuit of God. Nothing Less than His Touch should be satisfactory. When We Touch, HIM He will Touch us!
God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus!
Exodus 16:13-21 – “So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ” What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ” It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 “This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18 When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19 Moses said to them, ” Let no man leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.” NASB
It is incredible to me that the children of Israel, having been eyewitnesses to the Miracle Working Power of God in their deliverance, would quickly revert to placing their confidence in the flesh. That is not unique to them; it is a condition that has been a problem for mankind since the Garden of Eden.
Paul addressed the Galatians and questioned how soon they had turned back from what they had received to trusting the flesh. Mankind tends to trust what we can see rather than the unseen, even though it is God’s Promise. It is almost like, “What have you done for me lately?”
Here, Israel complained about having food, and God provided for them supernaturally. In the manna, He not only provided food, but God also created a situation that would Test the Obedience of the people.
This food was unique in that if someone gathered much, there was no excess; if they gathered little, there was no lack. The directive was that nothing be left until the morning or the next day. Simply, you could not horde up a supply for future days. I see several reasons for that. The fact that it could not be carried over until the next day was to ensure their continued dependence on God and His supply. Another is that it required explicit obedience. It required them to get out early, before the day’s heat, and gather what they needed for that day. It required dependence, obedience, and diligence.
God is our true source! That does not mean we do not walk out or live what we are praying for and depend on God. We depend on Him for the anointing to carry out the objective. We are dependent on God for His supply of our needs. God is the source, but if we sit idle in slothfulness and laziness, He will not provide. We reap what we sow. We do not reap blessings if we Do Not Sow. Dependence is a necessary ingredient in our pursuit of His purposes and promises.
We must also be obedient, for without obedience, we find ourselves in rebellion, which moves us outside God’s protective hand. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience opens the door to God’s incredible blessings. Obedience leads us on the path of righteousness.
Disobedience separates us from God and blocks His supply flow, anointing, and robs from the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We must also be diligent and actively pursue the Purposes of God in Dependence and Obedience. As we pass the test of Obedience, we move from Glory to Glory and Victory to Victory.
God, bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus!
Roy's Covenant Corner 