Numbers 7; Psalms 42,43; Song of Solomon 5; Hebrews 5

I’m in the beginning third of a book called When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas. One thing that stands out to me with clarity in his book is how many clever ways one can be distracted from his work/calling.

In the scriptures today I make note of the offerings brought in for the Lord. Paragraph after paragraph describing the offering brought in each day. The Lord speaks to Moses, telling him, ⁵ “Receive their gifts, and use these oxen and wagons for transporting the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites according to the work they have to do.” ⁶ So Moses took the wagons and oxen and presented them to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonite division for their work …” (Numbers 7:5-7, NLT) My takeaway focuses on: offerings for the Lord being used/redistributed for other work, obedience, kingdom focus.

In the psalms, a sense of abandonment, despair, attack, longing for God and crying out. But these pieces, they pull me back to the Lord, to a kingdom focus.

⁷ I hear the tumult of the raging seas
    as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
⁸ But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
    and through each night I sing his songs,
    praying to God who gives me life. (Psalm 42:7-8, NLT)

And,

³ Send out your light and your truth;
    let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you live.
⁴ There I will go to the altar of God,
    to God—the source of all my joy.
I will praise you with my harp,
    O God, my God! (Psalm 43:3-4, NLT)

In Song of Solomon,

² I slept, but my heart was awake,
    when I heard my lover knocking and calling:
“Open to me, my treasure, my darling,
    my dove, my perfect one …”

She questions, she wonders, she delays. There’s no doubt of her passion and desire, but in the wait an opportunity is lost.

⁴ My lover tried to unlatch the door,
    and my heart thrilled within me.
⁵ I jumped up to open the door for my love,
    and my hands dripped with perfume.
My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh
    as I pulled back the bolt.
⁶ I opened to my lover,
    but he was gone!
    My heart sank. (Song of Solomon 5:2, 4-6, NLT)

In Hebrews 5 explains that a high priest is chosen, presenting gifts to God, offering sacrifices, and dealing gently with people. “⁴ And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.

⁷ While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. ⁸ Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (Hebrews 5:4, 7-8, NLT)

All of these scriptures remind me to focus. People and circumstances, my very own heart and even a momentary hesitation can take me off course, distract me, and take my eyes off calling and kingdom work.

Lord, an enemy delights that I would live powerless, fruitless, indecisive and wandering. But you remind me of a bigger picture, a calling piece that fits within it. There are lots of people and things that can distract me, but I want to lock my eyes on you. You remind me repeatedly to focus on your kingdom, to focus on you, the true source of all my joy. I don’t want to live dulled by distraction.

Courtney (66books365)

Advertisement

Genesis 14, Matthew 13, Nehemiah 3, Acts 13

 No compromises! No excuses! Live deliberately for the LORD, God Most High, and for Him Alone!

 “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,… Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. … But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you,” Genesis 14:18-23

Found at Bible Gateway –  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.%2014;%20Matt.%2013;%20Neh.%203;%20Acts%2013&version=NIV1984

             Seeing this pattern repeated in each of these chapters, You move me to prayer and action. I see –

In Genesis 14, Abram rescues his nephew from the enemy’s territory to the glory of God.         

In Matthew 13, Jesus emphasizes the extreme value and importance of the Word of God (v.1-23). It sets people free from the lies of their enemy the devil in order to enable them to live an eternally fruitful life with and for God. Jesus states that there is a war for souls between the evil one and God (v.19, 37-43, 47-50) with the ultimate destinations being hell or heaven. Jesus reinforces the worth of God’s Kingdom as likening it to the most valuable treasure (v.44-46, 52)! Jesus ends by exemplifying how I should be living – For God, Jesus’ Father, despite any family or community’s “lack of faith”. Jesus lived to please His Witness of One, His Father, God.

In Nehemiah 3, Jerusalem’s Gates of protection are rebuilt or repaired by specific people known by God, God’s people.

In Acts 13, people “were worshiping the Lord and fasting,” and upon hearing the Holy Spirit, they obeyed Him for proclaiming the gospel, the Word of God.

             As a mom and citizen, how am I protecting my family and friends from the lies and deceptions the enemy spews constantly through the TV, magazines, culture, and fleshly indulgences? Am I listening to their pain, confusion and frustration without giving them the eternal tools to win the spiritual war for their souls? Am I standing up for Truth by speaking God’s Word in love, encouraging and exhorting them to be accountable to the One Who died, taking their punishment for their personal sins? Or am I being complacent, rationalizing and making excuses that it’s someone else’s job, I’m not qualified, I’m too busy or that I don’t want to deal with it? Am I not being like God’s people in Nehemiah 3? Am I being like a weed or tare? (Please God, make it not so!)  

             Do I take God’s Word seriously for myself? Do I really treasure and believe it enough to do it, to turn aside from all the other influences and watch God accomplish the results for His glory alone? Do I give God all of myself and my resources without looking for “payback”? Do give my full ten percent to God off the top, Joyously and Eagerly as Abram did, and as God commands me? Do I worship God with my life? Do I seek His Face in His Word and listen and heed the Holy Spirit to watch God display His Glory despite my humanness? I so want to!!

             The door slammed shut, figuratively. Once again the temptation of submitting to Christ was abated. “No”, she said. “When?” I asked. “After I … I don’t know.”  How long must I wait? For how long must I watch the pain of God’s chastening on a “deaf” and deceived person who I know so well? How long must I suffer in empathy for this person who I love and cherish? How much more than I is the Lord Jesus Christ suffering for her soul. I am keeper of the Gate, keeping the standards, planting the Word of God, loving deeply and without condition, treasuring God’s promises in my heart, living for Him alone, and being empowered by His Holy Spirit to endure her lack of faith.

             Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the opportunity to love You and all those You put in my path. I praise You, living God, for changing some of my family members into Your image, making them new Creatures in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). I rejoice in Your Handiwork in their lives! I dedicate to You, again, my entire family to live for Your glory alone. Please do just what it takes to make them all totally Yours. Please give me discernment of the lies and deception around me. Please open my heart and mind to Your Word to set myself and others free from all that ensnares us away from You. I seek to bear much eternal fruit. Please enable and empower me so You can do this through me. Please let me know by Your Holy Spirit what I should and should not express, and how, for specific situations. I rest and trust in You, for You are God Most High and I am not. I am grateful and rejoice that I am just your child, covered by Your Blood, and never an adult in You. Thank You. Amen.

 Crystal (PsalmThirty4)