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Short Inspiration from the Scriptures: Now God Knows!


“For now I know that thou fearest God…”
(Gen. 22:12. Read chapter 22)

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In Genesis chapter 22, God tested Abraham by asking him to take his son Isaac to a mountain and offer him as a burnt offering. This test was tailored for Abraham to prove his love, loyalty, devotion, worship, sacrifice, and commitment to his Lord! It’s likely that nothing else on earth was more precious to Abraham than the son God had promised him.

After hearing God’s voice, Abraham took his son and the wood to consume Isaac upon God’s altar!  We see the succession: Abraham journeyed three days to the mountain. And at the base of the mountain, he was prepared to climb with the wood, items for the fire, and the knife to slay his son. God (I’m speaking in human terms) watched to see this progression. This series of events still did not prove Abraham’s loyalty until he attempted to plunge a knife, directly into the body of his son. We see Abraham performing the ultimate sacrifice in vs. 10, when he extended his hand and would have killed his son, but the voice from the angel of the Lord stopped him! The angel of the Lord now knows. Thousands of years later we come to know — what type of man Abraham was, as well. It’s the story of his life, from the book of Genesis, that speaks of his progressive faith and maturity. We see his devotion and loyalty and his ability to “worship” (vs. 5) during his greatest time of testing! What an example to us who read about the details of a man who loved God and ultimately overcame by his faith in God!

The child Isaac was saved. He remained God’s promised seed and through him, God would multiply and bless the earth! What a test of faith, to be set to kill your son, believing that God would raise him from the dead (Heb. 11:19). Abraham passed his test and a nearby ram caught in the brush was sacrificed instead!

How is God Proving Us?

There are special times when God wants to test our integrity, loyalty, commitment, love, or devotion, as well (Ps. 26:2; Ps. 66:10). Sometimes He does it in the smallest ways until (speaking again in human terms) He knows what we will do. More importantly, God tests us to HELP US UNDERSTAND what WE will do! He may do this with progressive steps, as with Abraham. He takes us through these steps…each a bit harder than the prior one, until hopefully, we pass the test.

Have you passed your recent test?

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How? – (Short Inspiration from the Scriptures.)


“And in the desert you saw HOW the Lord your
God carried you, like one carries a child. And he
has brought you safely all the way to this place.”
(Duet. 1:31 – NCV)

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“How…?” is usually a question we ask or ponder that seemingly has no foreseeable answer. The Israelites questioned Moses many times about the way things were unfolding in the wilderness. Many of them murmured and complained or just simply did not believe that God, through Moses, was able to bring them to their destination. What we do see is a great and loving God, who provided for an estimated 2 million people for approximately 40 years! Our God is God!

God doesn’t give us any details in the scripture above as to HOW He preserved Israel from all the dangers in the wilderness and HOW He kept them from becoming extinct as a nation. We do understand from the scripture that He preserved them by carrying them and brought them to their promised land! “How” is God’s business; our business is to trust!

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest
the desire of every living thing.
(Psalms 145:16)

You may be asking “how…?” today. Know this…God has a track record and history that those who belong to Him have been sustained. The old are often overlooked in our society, but look to those who are old and righteous and ask them about His power to provide (Prov. 16:31). King David, in the Bible, had come to a long and fulfilled life and his words remind us of God’s faithfulness: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.  (Psalm 37:25)

Look back on your life and see where God has brought you from and, right now, GIVE HIM THE PRAISE! Then…from there…there is nothing else to say but this: Trust God!

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Not Able!


green leaf tree on top of mountain during daytime

The Apostle Paul stated: “who is sufficient for these things…” (II Cor. 2:16). He also reminds us that “our sufficiency is of God” (II Cor. 3:5)! He has placed DREAMS [as with Jacob] in our hearts and minds at very early stages in our lives. He has shown many of us what we will be and do, many years prior to those things coming to pass. Others of us have destinies waiting to be fulfilled and things yet to be realized. God has placed quite a few of us in undeserved places, and given us the ability to perform way beyond what we could have been or done on our own. His Spirit patiently directs those who are led by it and He gives us glimpses into the mind of Christ to perform the will of God. Who then is sufficient? Who is able? Who knows the mind of God? Yet…God reveals His plans by His Spirit, bringing us to new vistas…new dimensions. Even when we falter, He is ever present to strengthen us for seemingly insurmountable tasks. God is our strength! We come to learn that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us! And if we need encouragement…there is a spark in our lowly spirits that God has shown us where He alone continues to ignite in His times!

You are not able! You do not qualify to boast of your abilities. They are God-given and without Him we can do nothing! Be humble! Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord!

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The Tribes are Not Lost After All!


The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from
the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he
had driven them: and I will bring them again into
their land that I gave unto their fathers.
(Jer. 16:14-15)

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I spoke recently with a man who claimed to be a “black Hebrew Israelite” and who appeared to have his roots in Detroit, Michigan. He was really a misguided soul…misquoting and twisting scriptures to try to justify his Jewish standing. From that conversation a thought occurred to me that the tribes are not lost after all.
There has been such debate over the years concerning the lost tribes of Israel. There was a time when the tribes from the Old Testament were a part of one nation under God. Under king Rehoboam’s reign Israel became separated and eventually scattered among the gentile nations of the world. Although few tribes in Israel can be accounted for today; the majority of the tribes are truly lost tribes with no certain identity. No one seems to have the ability to claim them or call them or even know where such people exist. Scores of peoples have come forth over the years and do claim to be descendants of Jacob’s children, but only God knows them that are His (II Tim. 2:19).
God has made a covenant with His people Israel, and He does not break his covenants. God has sworn. He knows where His people are and, in time, the “lost” tribes from all over the world will return to Jerusalem and nearby areas. History records a nation who, thousands of years ago, survived near extinction and today continues to accept migrating Jews from all over the world.
(While Israel awaits to recognize her Messiah, God has also called an “ecclesia” or church — meaning an assembly of unique believers — from the gentile nations of the world. We have, unlike Israel, different covenants, laws, and promises. We await and recognize Jesus as Saviour.)
God has not forgotten Israel! The tribes are not lost after all. They have been found. Each ones’ name has been engraved in the palms of God’s hand (Is. 49:16)! His covenant with them has not been disannulled and every chosen one will be accounted for. When the “fullness of the gentiles” has expired, God will look toward Israel with His favor in a way that has never been known since biblical history!
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God: how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Rom. 11:22)

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A Memorial. Your Memorial?


The Red Sea
When your children ask you, ‘What are these
stones to you?’ you’ll say, ‘The flow of the
Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest
of the Covenant of God as it crossed the
Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are
a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.’”
(Joshua 4:6-7)

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The following is the thoughts of this author’s mental picture of Israel’s Red Sea deliverance based on the Bible along with comments about our memorial:

The Egyptian army pursued the children of Israel into the massive sea bed! Their purpose was to enslave them again or possibly kill scores of them there in a mass grave. God looked at this scene and overthrew Pharaoh’s great army of 600 elite chariots of soldiers, along with all of his other superior fighters on chariots. The one angel of God stood between the fleeing Israelites and the insane Egyptians. At one point…the Egyptian armies were thrown into confusion as a result of God’s presence. He caused their chariot wheels to bog down in miry surfaces of the sea as they retreated…finally realizing God was fighting for His people! Moses stretched his hand out over the sea and the raging sea collapsed over the escaping Egyptians, killing them all! The Israelites meanwhile, continued journeying the opposite route with a corridor of waters (mounted on their left and right) ushering them to the shore on the other side! After safely coming to the land, the Israelites saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians that were washed ashore!

Oh…the praises that must have erupted at one of the greatest deliverances recorded in history! The children of Israel’s praises were encapsulated in the following words from their song!: Exodus, chapter 15 – click here.

After coming forth from the bowels of the Jordan sea, the children of Israel were commanded to set up 12 massive stones (near Jordan’s banks) as a perpetual memorial and to remind future generations of the power of God’s deliverance. These succeeding generations would see the stones and ask what was their purpose. Thus, the traditions of the elders was verbally passed down as generation after generation came to realized the realness of Israel’s mighty God!

Your Memorial?

You should have a memorial…how our great God has delivered you from what would otherwise have been humanly impossible to be delivered from! This memorial should be a place in one’s heart and mind of the power of God. It is a memorial of the past that gives hope for the future!

Never forget where God has brought you from? How He has placed people in your life to change you for the better? Remember your elders and your instructors, those who made a difference during your seasons of unrest. Don’t forget men and women who have helped you. Be thankful!

God has lovingly held back and made many restrictions in our lives! He has also set us free from all kinds of bondages! Like the children of Israel, let’s stop and give memory to the wisdom of a loving God. Israel saw the death of the Egyptians and yet were delivered from death. Look around you and you too will witness violent and premature deaths, as well. But God has spared our lives another day, and so, every new day should be a memorial of the past day. Give thanks and be thankful for these types of memorials are good things!

 

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