John 5 19 So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn].
It’s quite a thought isn’t it. The Almighty Creator, Jesus, was always going about fulfilling His Father’s will. He listened for it, He knew it, He was submissive to it and obedient to it.
John 17 23 I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and recognise that You sent Me and that You have loved them even as You have loved Me.
1 Corinthians 11 1 Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ.
It is terrifying to see what the flesh is capable of without God! It is harrowing to look back and realise/acknowledge what I have done according to my own understanding without knowing my Heavenly Father’s will.
Consider all that Jesus accomplished in His complete obedience. Consider the life and testimony of Paul who followed in Jesus example.
Oh may we be so careful to follow in Jesus footsteps. Can we say that we have listened for His will? That we know it? That we are submitted to it? And obey it? Oh Lord teach us your ways, teach us to know your will and to walk in obedience to Your Holy Spirit’s leading. Heavenly Father transform us by the renewal of minds to be one with you so that the world me see and know Your glory and love in our lives.
We will never walk in perfection. The struggle with the flesh is daily but the heart that is at least seeking, hungering and crying to know Him more is the heart that The Lord is seeking for.
Proverbs 23 26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
• May we never doubt the power of The Spirit and what The Lord can do through a willing, obedient vessel.
• We will not all be blessed with physical vigour as Caleb but there is no excuse not to have such a testimony in the Spirit.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may be seen over me.
• There was no loss of effectiveness and ability. There was no loss of confidence or faith. Caleb did not for a second doubt the power of God as he moved in obedience.
• Let us encourage and remind the older saints of such precious truths. Oh, that there would be an older generation that does not slack in faith and vigour of The Spirit; who are fierce in prayer; who are mighty in compassion and unmovable in wisdom and faithfulness. Let us recognise those who are older in years of service and be challenged and inspired by their knowledge of The Lord and love for Him.
• Too often the weight and responsibility of the future is placed upon the youth! This is reckless and worldly foolishness and utterly unbiblical! The young are to look to their elders and be encouraged and inspired; taught and trained! Oh may we look with awe to our examples and follow with joy in their footsteps. May we look to exalt our elders in The Lord who have walked before us, who have dug wells and springs in the valleys and desert places. Those who can share the never failing faithfulness of The Lord; those who have sought Him, found Him, proved Him and have been granted to be bearers of His glorious testimonies!
• Our thinking is so backward today and we have lost the wisdom and pattern of God in this area.
Joshua 14:12
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
• Caleb doesn’t ask for a small, easy patch. He doesn’t request land already conquered.
• Caleb picked a fight! A mighty fight! A fight that he could not win on his own! A fight that would prove and glorify The Lord God. A fight that would be a mighty and precious testimony unto God. He saw the potential; He saw the limitless ability of Almighty God; He saw the testimony to be won and the abundant promise to be claimed!
• Caleb was careful to confess that His victory relied solely on the presence and blessing of The Lord being with him. He did not aim/seek to take this mountain in His own strength.
Exodus 17:7 “And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”
• It is staggering to consider what their eyes have seen and witnessed; to consider all that the children of Israel have been brought through; to consider the intimacy and tenderness that The Lord God has shown them… and their hearts still yet question The Lord!!
• May we never be so blind as to question the presence, goodness and love of God! We can be so quick to judge the Israelites as foolish but let us be careful for we too can be just as guilty and just as selfish, foolish and ungrateful.
Psalm 139:7 Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence? – Consider the whole psalm.
Hebrews 13:5 “for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
• How tenderly and compassionately The Lord watches over His people. What a precious comfort is the watchful eye of our Good Shepherd! Our all sufficient one! Our Wonderful Counsellor! Our Saviour! Our Father! It is a great sin indeed to question His love and attention to His children. It is a clear sign of an unbelieving heart to ask such a thing. Such a question must so grieve The Lord!
2 Chronicles 13 14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto The Lord, and the priests sounded with trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
The enemy has come in like a flood. (Isaiah 59:19) They are in the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 23:4) It looks a hopeless situation. Human logic and wisdom would say that the enemy had won.
“cried” – (Psalm 34:6) They cried in fear, dismay, urgency. There was an emergency! There was a desperate need! They knew their state! They realised the danger/problem! They acknowledged their need, their weakness, their dependence on God! They confessed it! They cried “unto The Lord”! It was His name that they called on! It was in Him that they trusted and hoped!
“trumpets” – They sounded an alarm! They called upon their God, their hope! (Romans 10:13)
“Then” – After they had cried. After they had called! After they had come and remembered the God that they were crying too! – In their crying they called upon their God. Their mind was taken off the battle and they sought God! How we often need to take our eyes off the battle! In their crying they remembered their confidence, the remembered His testimonies, they remembered Him! They remembered His promises and that He had never failed them or forsaken them! They remembered His word!
Their hearts were stirred, their hopes resurrected, their spirits renewed with life… “THEN” they shouted!!
“shouted” – It was a shout of victory! The shout of a victory not yet seen but believed in! (Hebrews 11:1) The shout of a victory already won! A confidence, a dependance, a full-hearted trust in God! What a shout it must have been!
2 Chronicles 13 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.
Hallelujah! Let us fully rely upon Him. Truly He has already provided every need! Truly He has already won every victory on our behalf! He is everything.
1 Chronicles 13:3-4 3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. 4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
There was a desire for the presence and blessing of God but the motivation was wrong.
2 Samuel 6:9 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
“bring… God to us” / “How shall the…Lord come to me?” – They desired to add God… to add Him to what they had. He would be “the icing on the cake” They would bring God to them! The thing seemed right to “all the people”. The main congregation of God’s chosen people. Consider how it would be/feel to contradict or correct such a people.
Nobody thought to enquire of God first! Nobody!! There was no one who stood to remind them of the word of God and the pattern that He had ordained! Nobody remembered or stated the law of God or considered His desire. Nobody saw or made others aware of a problem! Listen to their hearts… “let us bring… God to us” Is that your heart? Do you desire to bring the presence and testimony of God into your life? Do you feel you are lacking His power, His authority and His character? Beware of building yourself a new cart!
When it comes to seeking God in our own lives be very, very careful of doing what seems right! The presence of God is not acquired through listening to many sermons, going to many meetings, doing many outreaches and being busy about religious activities… Seek God!! Seek Him only! How much time do you spend simply being with Jesus? THAT is what He died for! He died that we might commune with Him! How much time do you spend truly seeking His will, surrendering your own, laying down your own plans? … Do not build a new cart in your heart! Destroy it!
We so easily think that we are right and that we are doing the right thing. We love to assume that we are right!! Oh but how costly it is! Spiritual lives our lost because of our ignorance! Eventually we will look at our lives, realising the tragic truth that God is not in any of it and be left with the heart piercing question that David had…
1 Chronicles 13:11 11 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.
David was displeased with The Lord. Wow! That truly reveals his heart is all of this. He was displeased at the Lord’s actions. He was frustrated. He was not happy that God acted this way. Consider Cain’s reaction when God corrected him. David’s pride was hurt. His way, his method, his logic, his understanding and his wisdom… They had all been denied. He was displeased that all of His effort was not good enough! He saw the tragic loss and the true lack of God’s blessing!! A right desire, a right thought but a wrong motive. Consider verse 3: WHY??!! Why did they not inquire of God at Kirjath-Jearim?? Already this shows that their hearts were not yielded and submitted!
1 Chronicles 13:12 12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
He was afraid. The communion was broken. His pride was hit. The comfort, pride and seurity in His own path was shaken/broken. If only David had had a fear of God first!! If only David had sought God’s will first! If only he had enquired of God first! 1 Kings 22:5 …. Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day. Then the question would not have been how can I bring God to me but… How can I come to God?
1 Chronicles 15:1 1 And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.
Preparation for the testimony of God. David had a desire for the presence and the testimony of God to be in His city. What of our hearts?
Are we preparing a place for God to dwell? It is not a standard to reach. To prepare does not mean to create a place of perfection… We will never reach that!! But is there a heart that is yielding and doing whatever it can for God to live there? The heart that yields this way is a heart preparing. Surrendering everything you think is right in order to gain The way, The truth and The life!
Is there a singular desire for the presence and testimony of God? This is not something that we simply attain and store. It is something that we will ever desire, ever seek after. If our hearts are right we will consistently feel like we have not found it or possess it. However the presence and power of God will be witnessed and testified in our lives as we continue to yield our lives, sanctify ourselves and walk in obedience to His word. (Walk in the Spirit)
1 Chronicles 15:2 2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
Now we see that David had sought for God! He has sought for God in His word, He has spent time enquiring for God’s will and discovered the ordained pattern. He discovered truth. God revealed to Him the requirements that were necessary! He realises now that the new cart was wrong. The only way He could have come to this point is though yielding to the will of God, reading the scriptures and surrendering to the truth.
1 Chronicles 15:13 13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
Flesh will eventually die. The Lord’s testimony will, in His time, strike through any false representation. David came some distance before Uzza died… But God will have HIS testimony.
There is a “due order” and only obedience commands a blessing. Disobedience has grave consequences… A life was lost!! What spiritual lives have been or will be lost if we do not walk in the will of God!! How imperative it is that we inquire of Him for Him for His will and seek Him for it.
Learning With Lovell 