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.
Genesis 3:9 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
“Where art thou?” – Consider the heart that asks this question… It is a question with desire for the one He asking for, it is with concern, with interest, with love, affection, compassion… It is the call of a lover looking for His love. He desires to commune with His love, to simply be with His love and enjoy their presence… It is a call that says ‘come to me’; ‘present yourself to me’; let me see you and love you’.
“the Lord God called to Adam” – It was a peronal call. It’s an intimate call. One on one. From one heart to another. A singular interest, a singular love and desire.
1 – “servant” – It is always good for us to be reminded that we are to be servants. Make me a servant, humble and meek… Luke 15:18-19 / John 13:3-5. May we always be servants to Christ and His body. May we serve our family, our church and our brothers and sisters in God. In our homes, our schools, our workplaces… Matthew 25:13-27 Continue reading “James 1”→
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
In remembrance of Him! We do well to remember Him, and how quickly we do terribly when we forget Him. I am born again only 3 and a half years but I have come to know how very precious it is to remember Him. To consider and to meditate on Him. It is a tender-loving mercy that Jesus instituted this table. I can see now how surely I would have fallen if we did not remember Him regularly. Not for the benefit of His self-worth or pride, as if He needed our sympathy… But how lovingly and mercifully Jesus knew we desperately needed to be instructed to remember Him. – How clearly He knows the consequences of a people/person who forgets. Continue reading “Communion – NTC Ballynahinch 07.10.12”→
Learning With Lovell 