Walking on in the Power of His Might: "further up and further in"

Walking on in the Power of His Might: "further up and further in": "As I have aged in my walk with God, I have come to realize that many experiences are layered in nature. God will use a situation to reveal a..."

Walking on in the Power of His Might: A Piece of His Peace

Walking on in the Power of His Might: A Piece of His Peace: "Close your eyes and walk around your home. Make yourself recall where the furniture is placed. How many times were you tempted to open your ..."

Walking on in the Power of His Might: Walking in Peace of Mind and Soul

Walking on in the Power of His Might: Walking in Peace of Mind and Soul: "Peace of mind and soul is what we strive for daily. We pray for it, yet it seems the heavens are as brass. We work for it, only to find we a..."

Walking in Peace of Mind and Soul

Peace of mind and soul is what we strive for daily. We pray for it, yet it seems the heavens are as brass. We work for it, only to find we are too tired to recognize it. What is real peace? How do we loose it? How do we find it again? Maybe a little digging in the Word will make it possible for us to regain what we "feel" we have lost.

First of all, Galatians 5:22-23 list peace as the third fruit of the Spirit. Romans 5:1 says, we can have peace with God only through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, the first step to real peace of mind and soul is a personal relationship with God by acccepting Jesus Christ as Savior and living for him as Lord.

Secondly, in John 14:27 Jesus states he would leave us his peace. Not the kind of peace the world can give, which is based only on feelings and good experiences, but his own peace. A peace that believes in the good of an eternal outcome regardless of the circumstances. A peace that knows the love of the Father and believes he is working all things for our good and his glory. A peace that understands the eternal value of difficult times.

Read Mark 4:35-41

Picture the scene. The sea is stirring in such a way that avid seamen are terrified they are going to die, while Jesus, the Creator of the storm, is peacefully asleep in the bottom of the boat. His peace allows him to know that all is well and will continue to be well for all eternity no matter what the circumstances may be on earth. He views the eternal value of the wind, rain and thunder not the finite, earthbound, time limited nature of things.

Note what Jesus says in verse 39 of Mark chapter 4: "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" Herein lies the key to discovering why we have little peace during the storm. We allow our minds to race with thoughts of how to row out of our own raging seas, instead of resting in the Creator of them. Just as Jesus spoke the words, "Peace be still," to the troubled seas, he wants to speak the same words to your troubled soul. To hear him, you need only to choose to view him as the Sovereign and believe he is the Lord of all your circumstances.

Psalm 4:4 "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still."
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

Now, read Psalm 46:11 "The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Of all the patriarchs, why did God allow Jacob to be mentioned here? I believe it is because Jacob was a wrestler with God. Jacob had great difficulty finding peace with God because he sought ways to maneuver around difficult circumstances, often choosing to be deceitful. Lying is the sin that causes us to believe we have the power to manipulate our way around God's plan. We loose fellowship with God, thus loosing our peace with him.

We must stop allowing ourselves to be agitated and disturbed by our circumstances. We cannot allow ourselves to be fearful, intimidated and unsettled. We must choose to walk by faith, in true obedience to God's Holy Word and allow him to fill us daily with his peace so we can walk in peace of mind and soul.

The Only....

While quoting John 3:16 a seven year old child said,

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only forgotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting live".

Children often replace unfamiliar words with words they believe mean the same thing as they present memorized materials. But since this child happened to be one for my students, I couldn't leave this one uncorrected.

Over my years of teaching, I have learned that to replace these familiar words, a child must be brought to a true understanding of the new word before the incorrect, familiar word can be replaced. So, instead of just correcting the word I choose to enter a conversation with the child. First, I asked him what the word forgotten means. He responded with, "something you don't remember." Next, I asked who the verse was talking about. He said, "I guess Jesus, cause he's God's Son." Then, I asked if he thought God would forget His only Son. "No, not after he went to all that trouble to get him here," was his replied.

Do we really have a true concept of the word begotten? Do we really understand all the trouble Jesus went through to come here? Can we grasp the emotion of the Father while presenting His One and Only Son to and for sinful man so He could buy back His own creation?

This Christmas choose to remember how much God loves you! He gave His only Begotten Son for you!
Bask in that love today as you serve Him in all you do and say in this holiday season.
Merry Christmas!

A Piece of His Peace

Close your eyes and walk around your home. Make yourself recall where the furniture is placed. How many times were you tempted to open your eyes so you could see what was in front of you? Or to reach out you hand so you would not bump into something. Even with the familiar we become sceptical. That is just what happened with Moses is Exodus 6:30. But, in Exodus 7 we see God restating his plan to use Moses as the deliverer of Israel. God is ever patience with us and willing to reassure us in his peace if we are willing to settle ourselves down long enough to listen.

What tangible item did God use to help Moses and Aaron demonstrate God's power? Read Exodus 7:8-13. This rod was used numerous times in the history of the children Israel. It was with this rod the plagues were brought forth, the Red Sea was parted, and with it Moses brought forth water from the rock. I believe a key to understanding the use of this rod in the life of Moses can be found in Psalm 90:16-17.

"Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."

To establish the work of his hands, God allowed Moses to carry a rod for tangible peace. You  might say he was allowed to handle a piece of God's peace. Moses was learning to follow God and allow himself to be used by the Almighty. He was much more at ease following the direction of the Unseen One with something in his hand to give him the confidence to lead.

In our dispensation what item of tangible peace has God placed in our hand?
 It is rod, a lamp, and a sword.
The Word of God, the Bible is the piece of God's peace that has been given to us. We have been entrusted with the precious pages of Israel's history and the written story of the life of Christ as a visible example of how to live in this world in peace with God and man.

Now, settle down in Psalm 91. How can one read those words and not breathe a sigh of relief?  Hold the Word, study the Word and cling to it. Let God confirm and establish His plan for you today in his Holy Word. Rest in a piece of God's peace!

"further up and further in"

As I have aged in my walk with God, I have come to realize that many experiences are layered in nature. God will use a situation to reveal a hidden sin or he will allow a circumstance that will draw me closer to him.

In Exodus chapter 5 we find Moses and Aaron before the Pharaoh asking for the Israelites release. Pharaoh refused, and in turn, increased the labors of the Hebrews by requiring them to collect the straw needed to make the bricks. To understand the depth of this situation in God's sovereign layering system, I want to include a portion from Allan A. MacRae's, "The Relation of Archaeology to the Bible," in Modern Science and Christian Faith.

Archaeologists became interested early in examining Egyptian bricks of Moses' time to see if they contained straw. They found that, while many did contain straw, many also did not, leaving the impression that the Bible was wrong. But as usual in such cases, sooner or later it is shown that "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." (Ps. 19:7)-who know no better than to doubt the truth of God's Word. It is now known that oat straw boiled in water, when added to clay, makes the clay much easier to handle. With out the organic material obtained from the straw, the difficulty of making bricks was greatly increased. The fact that brick makers of Egypt found the use of straw essential, whether visible evidence remains or not, is fully borne out, as various writers have asserted.

It is my belief that God allowed the Israelites labors to be increased to begin the process of revealing hidden sin and to unveil the layers of his character and nature to them. They must be broken from their dependencies regarding Pharaoh and learn to depend on God and God alone.

As the Hebrews worked for Pharaoh, he gave them a place to live and food to eat. They were physically oppressed and requested deliverance from him. They were spiritually oppressed and requested redemption from God. They needed to be able to view the Almighty, as both their Deliver and Redeemer. When Pharaoh increased their labor, they reported to him their frustration. He repeated his demands. As the officers of the Hebrews were returning to report to the people, they met Moses. The officers rebuked Moses.

Exodus 5:21- And they said unto them, the Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

Reading Exodus 5:22-23, I get the sense that Moses was feeling dejected. But the Almighty was about to peel back a page in his master plan that would allow all mankind to see redemption.

Up to this point the Hebrews had only known God as El-Shaddai, or God Almighty. In Exodus 6, we see him introduce himself to Moses as JEHOVAH or Yahweh, the redemptive name of God. He continues in chapter 6 to reveal his future plans for the redemption of the nation of Israel. But in Exodus 6:9, we see the Israelite's refused to respond to this redeeming plan.  They were anguished in spirit because of their cruel bondage.

Had the Israelites allowed God to condition their emotional responses? No! Instead of standing in awe of his wonderful plan for them, they whined because of their labors and refused to except God's consolation.

How often do we do the same thing? We doubt the truth of God's word and refuse to believe that things will ever get any better. How exasperated God must become with us! Yet, he loves us and continues to draw us "further up and further in." (C.S Lewis)

Worship Him and Walk On!

What happens in your spirit when you are awestruck by God? What can you do in those moments that is a true expression of your love for him? Worship!

Exodus 4:31- And the people believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Moses told Aaron everything that had happened between he and God. Aaron believed Moses' report and went with him to meet with the elders of Israel. Aaron told them and he did the signs and wonders for them.
Then the people fell into worship for two reasons. First, because they knew that God had visited them. Secondly, because they knew he had heard their prayers for deliverance. They were awestruck with the wonder of God's power and might.

When we are awestruck by God and his power, we can surrender emotions and emotional responses in a real way. It is in those times we can "feel" his presence and "rest" in the fact that we have a real, living God. What causes us to lose that awe? Sin.

I have learned that I must keep short accounts with God. Daily confession is necessary. I also have learned that Satan uses guilt to cause me to dwell on past sins which can hinder my worship of God.

I love Romans 8 that proclaims I am not condemned and that I have the ability to make a choice between following the flesh or following the Spirit. I am an adopted child of God. But often, I fall into sin because I am afraid of what others will think. Maybe, I lie to cover a mistake. I speak evil of a brother because I believe he is being unfair. Sometimes, I whine about God's provision for me because I think someone else's is better. There are even those times when I don't know what is hindering my relationship with God, so the Spirit prays for me and I am brought to I John 1:9.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Just what are we here for? We were created by God to show forth his glory. As we learn to stand in awe of him and all he is doing in our lives, we will learn to respond to him in true worship.

John 4:24- God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Responding to the feeling of worship is not truthful worship. Responding to the God to be worshipped is. He is worthy! However he draws us into that awesome place should be by his leading. Whether it be weeping, shouting, laughing, dancing, face to the ground or standing hands raised, worship is all for Him! Worshipping God in spirit and in truth means we have to learn how to have the proper use of our emotions and learn to surrender to God's direction in our circumstances even when they are difficult. After all, they are for our good and His Glory.

Don't let what you think others will think hinder you from learning to worship God. It is in the act of worship that we can release all of who we are to all of who He is and gain the power to continue in our walk with him. Worship him and walk on!

I am weak, but...............

After Moses received his own dose of, "I am weak, but He is strong," (Exodus 4:1-17) he packed up his family and headed back to Egypt. Along the way, God told him to do all the wonders he was shown for Pharaoh- BUT- Take a look at verse 21 in Exodus 4.

"I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go."

Studying this I began to grasp the concept that the I Am is the Almighty and I am a weak vessel, often unfit for the Master's use. God not only hand picks His vessels of honor, but He also picks His vessels of dishonor, according to II Timothy 2:20-21.

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

Notice the condition given in verse 21.

"If a man therefore purge himself from these,"

As hand picked vessels in New Testament history, we have been given the privilege to choose to obey or disobey God's commands. Follow me for a moment and let me paint a picture for you using the history of Moses to illustrate this point.

Pharaoh choose to have no regard for the God of the Israelites. After all, he was a god, and the Israelites had been oppressed with that visually for 400 plus years. Generation after generation had built massive images of the Pharaoh. They had felt the overwhelming burden of toil and struggle, laboring for their taskmaster. This was all part of God's divine plan to show the Israelites who he was. God could have destroyed Egypt with a natural disaster and allowed His people to leave without Moses' leadership or hardening the Pharaoh's heart. But, he chose both of these devices to grab the attention of the Hebrew people and begin a training process that would last some 40 plus years, so we could have an example to follow when we find ourselves feeling powerful and wanting to manipulate people to change our circumstances.

When the Lord began this process, He wanted Moses to issue a command to Pharaoh with a specific consequence.

Exodus 4:22-23- "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn; And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."

God's divine plan had already been revealed to his messenger but, the messenger had to obey God completely to be a true vessel of honor. Read Exodus 4:24-26. In these verses we see a part of the story of Moses that is never told.

God sought the life of Moses because he had not obeyed him completely. Moses had not circumcised one of his own sons. Why? Because his wife, Zipporah objected to it. She knew the commands of God. Her father was the priest of Midian. She allowed her emotions about the process to cause her to disregard the practice as an act of true obedience to God. She whined to Moses, and he, not wanting to deal with her complaints and negative behavior, chose to disobey the Almighty and nearly died by God's hand.

Zipporah kept Moses from obeying God's command because of her selfish desire not to "feel" the child's pain, thus choosing to manipulate the plan of God. But, according to verse 25 of Exodus 4, Zipporah later choose to perform the circumcision herself, after she saw the consequences of her actions. This was obedience, however not from a heart of love. Her attitude was disgraceful.

As followers of Jesus Christ, in New Testament history, we have the privilege of being used by God as vessels of honor or dishonor. We can make choices that can remove us from a treasured position into one of disgrace. Learning to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within, will enable us to live in true loving obedience to God.

God, through his divine will, chose to allow you to be born in this dispensation. Zipporah was not given that privilege. She was not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the one who can help you bear the unbearable. Thank God for the privilege you have been given and yield yourself to the Holy Spirit today. You will then be able to realize where your weaknesses are and "purge" yourself from them, thus giving God the opportunity to use you as "a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

Can you say AAAHHHHH?

Resting, relaxing, reclining, require no work, yet when it comes to applying those concepts to our walk with God, we work ourselves into a frenzy trying to make it happen. To often we resist reclining in His ability to sustain, because our feelings about our own inabilities cause us to question God's call on our lives.

Moses had been tending the sleep of Jethro, his father in law, for nearly 40 years. He was happily married. His life was comfortable. Then one day, as he tended the sheep, he spied a burning bush that was not being consumed. Awestruck, he set out to investigate.  As he approached a voice rang out, "Take off your shoes, for the ground on which you stand is holy." Can you imagine?

Pulse quickening, Moses removed his sandals and dropped face down in the sand. He sat there spell bound, listening to the God of his father's explain who He was and what He wanted from him. Then came the question in verse 11 of Exodus chapter 3. This question was not the humble cry of a willing servant. It was a question that expressed doubt in the sovereign plan of the Almighty. Moses had been chosen, but he didn't rest, relax or recline in that choosing.

In Moses, the Servant of God, F.B. Meyer states, "There was something more than humility here, there was a tone of self-depreciation which was inconsistent with a true faith in God's selection and appointment. Surely it is God's business to choose His special instruments; and when we are persuaded that we are in the line of His purpose, we have no right to question the wisdom of His appointment. To do so is to depreciate His wisdom or to doubt His power and willingness to become all that is necessary to complete our need."

As I type this post, I am reminded of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She too was asked to preform a difficult task for the Almighty. She questioned the timing of that task, but she humbly surrendered and rested in the Sustainer's ability to carry her through whatever was to come.

Psalm 84:11-12 offers a formula for dealing with doubt in The Sovereign's call to serve.

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."

God has called and will equip us all to be His servants, if we willingly submit to His leadership and surrender our will to Him. He has provided all we need in His Word to guide us even in the dark.
Rest in His call. Relax in His leadership. Recline on His promises and He will give all the grace you need to walk by faith in your task for Him.

His Glory!

Fear has many layers. Sudden fear causes us to panic. Panic makes us store memories that cause us to limit our experiences. In turn, we do not trust God completely with the circumstances. Our relationship with God is a faith walk. He does not reveal all that He is doing because He wants us to walk by faith. Exodus 2:1-10 is a wonderful picture of the "faith walk." How many times, in this story, could panic have caused a different outcome?

Now, study Proverbs 3:21-26. These verses contain the prescription for dealing with sudden fear or panic.

"My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be they confidence and shall keep they foot from being taken."

Learning to allow God to be God and allowing Him to keep us is really what gives us rest. Panic should not exist in the life of a well rested Christian.

Jochebed had a beautiful baby boy during Pharaoh's decree that all the Hebrew baby boys should be thrown into the Nile river. The Egyptians worshipped Pharaoh and the Nile. They lived in a constant state of panic because of Pharaoh's visible power. An overwhelming since of fear and dread filled their everyday lives. To disobey Pharaoh was out of the question.

Jochebed was able to keep her baby hidden from view for three months. She slept with him, nursing him in the middle of the night. Then she began to fashioned a basket of papyrus. She had to collect these reeds and the other materials in secret. The bitumen or pitch (tar) would have taken a few days to dry. She had to tell her husband and older children what she was doing. She was staying up late at night to complete the task. Then the day came. She placed the ark in the rushes on the bank of the Nile in a place, I am sure, she had witnessed Pharaoh's daughter visiting, at least a time or two. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she prayed for God to protect her baby and deliver him to safety. She left Miriam to watch from a distance while she returned to her duties.

What if Jochebed had allowed panic and worry to control her? Would she have experienced the blessed outcome? Continue pondering the next few verses. Pray and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal how you push your own panic button. Ask God to help you to grow in your trust of HIM. He is in control of all our circumstances. He knows the outcome and He is working it all for our good and HIS glory. (Romans 8:28)

HE WILL..................

Proverbs 3:5-8 has the plan that the Father created for us to follow even during the fearful moments of our lives. This rendering from the Amplified scriptures will light the way as we peer into the types of fear mentioned in Exodus chapter one.

"Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn entirely away from evil. It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones."

As we look at Exodus one, we find two types of fear. First, Pharaoh fears the growth of the the population of the children of Israel. He is concerned they will rise up against him and overthrow his kingdom. He afflicts them, yet they continue to thrive. Secondly, we see the reverential fear of the Hebrew midwives. These women refused to follow the commands of Pharaoh. They knew that man has limits to his power. In verse 21 of Exodus one, we find this kind of fear lead Pharaoh to give the midwives houses. He gave them ownership in his kingdom and left them alone. 

A midwife must show confidence in her duties. After all, she is helping a woman in the most fear-filled situation of her life. The midwife must exihibit strong confidence, calmness and care in the mist of suffering. She cannot allow herself to show fear.

I know at the deliveries of my three children, I relied on the calming presence of the nurses in the room. My husband looked panicked. So, I chose to focus on the faces of the nurses. They were smiling, talking and comforting me, assuring me everything would be alright.

Shiphard and Puah, had to be confident women. They had to be able to deal with the fear, anger and concerns of others in dangerous times. Now, image how they must have felt standing in the presence of the Pharaoh, telling him they did not carry out his command to kill the male babies of the Hebrews. They had to feel at least a little unnerved. He could kill them! Yet they chose to "fear and revere God and turn entirely away from evil." Pharaoh must have seen something in the character and nature of these two women he knew he had better not touch. Therefore, he set them apart and gave them homes in his kingdom. Wow! Let that grab your awe for a moment. He didn't put them in prison or kill them to make them examples of his power and might. The Almighty had the plan. He protected His precious ones from Pharaoh by the hand of Pharaoh.

I don't know about you, but I sure would call that a "straight and plain path." God loves us all that much. He has the plan for us even in the "fear-filled" moments of our lives. Trust Him! Rely on Him! Turn from evil and He will give health to your nerves and allow you to learn to relax in His leading.