2015-03-06
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, we looked at some of the other covenant relationships that are in the Bible. Isaac in his agreement of peace with Abimelech [GN 26: 24-30], the agreement between Laban and his nephew, Jacob after Jacob had married two of Laban’s daughter and had greatly improved and increased the older man’s flocks [GN 31: 44-54], Moses and the Israelite elders at the time the Covenant of the Law was given [EX 24: 7-11], and David and Abner [2 SAM 3: 12-21] were all examples. We also saw how David’s household was increased by 36 people, when Mephibosheth accompanied by his servant Ziba, Ziba’s 15 sons and 20 servants were all welcomed into it. Every person mentioned in this paragraph was given increased feeling of security by the covenants involved. Isaac was given the use of the same well his father, Abraham, had used without concerns of angering Abimelech. Jacob could take his family back to his home along with some of the sheep without worrying that Laban would come after him or force him to work longer than the 14 years he had already worked for him. David and Abner were at peace with each other, as Abner helped David consolidate his power to be king of all Israel.
My own life had started out badly, in the lap of a dysfunctional family fraught with emotionally unhealthy competition between its members. My childhood had been a dark and spiritually empty time. We had attended a synagogue in which prayers were said in Hebrew, a foreign language in which I had no interest at the time and didn’t understand. I said prayers in that language without ever understanding them. I was unhappy and later in my teen years angry. I didn’t really believe God existed, or if He did, had any interest in me. And yet, there was always that glimmer of hope that I could escape this existence and find happiness. After all, others around me had it. Sadly, I had jumped from the frying pan into the fire with my first marriage into an Orthodox family. Things went from bad to worse, especially after my first husband returned from being conscripted in the Army, and his father died. His father had been the only one in that family with whom I got along. I simply didn’t fit into the environment in which I found myself. And all the while I felt lost, the Lord in heaven had me in His sight. It had to be He, Who awakened me from this nightmare and gradually brought me into His light [1 PET 2: 9].
At this point, we must delve into these questions: How secure can we be at the King’s table? Will this feast end? Mephibosheth was undoubtedly secure for the rest of his life. His Covenant Partner would see to it. Jews are taught to reject Jesus as Messiah, except for Messianic Jews. The road we must travel to come to genuine faith in the Lord is longer and more complicated than for someone who is already a Christian. But such a road is definitely worth traveling! Small-minded traditionally Jewish relatives and friends will reject you and have nothing to do with you. It’s sometimes a tough loss, if you had previously thought their friendship was unconditional. It takes self-confidence and maturity, two things that I didn’t have in generous quantity at the time I was first called to faith in Yeshua. Everyone must go through a period of sifting through what he will accept or reject from his childhood, what he will do for a living (thus study at university), and what is values will be. Once this is done, then he can settle into the life he has chosen for himself. In my case, it happened much later than I would have wished. I was becoming an adult at a time when opportunities for women were still quite limited, but beginning to open up. Once parting from my first husband was accomplished, I was free to finally make some of these decisions, although I had a troubled son who needed my care at the time.
PS 146: 5, “But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their Helper, Whose hope is in the Lord their God.” The truth of this verse was beginning to dawn on me. I had tried other belief systems in an effort to find happiness and peace, even begun to come to realize God is real, alive, and a Force for good in my life. Against my own plan, I met my present husband and began to fall in love again. I met Peter at a time when I was in severe financial stress and my son was acting out against me in response to having the rug pulled out from under him with the break-up of my first marriage. Even so, I knew any strength and self-confidence I would have would not come from another person. I was beginning to realize, it had to come from God. The only explanation that makes sense for having faith is that it comes from God, through the Holy Spirit. I was being given that gift, but had no idea I would spend my life sharing it with others. I was hearing God’s words in JER 29: 11-13, “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you not to bring disaster, plans to give you the future for which you hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” God had brought me to the end of myself and was filling my heart with the Holy Spirit and faith in Him! What greater gift can an undeserving and unhappy human be given? EPH 2: 8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
PRAYER: O Lord, we are Your friends, adopted children, and humbled servants. This day we come to Your mighty throne with heads bowed, arms out, and knees bent [just as the Hebrew letter, tsaddi] to thank and praise You for the amazing blessings of goodness You bring into our lives. The great sacrifice of Your Son on the cross, has given us salvation and eternal peace [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25; 1 JN 1: 9] . All You ask of us is our faith in Him, genuine confession and repentance, and that we faithfully obey Your lessons for us—so much for so little! Even people who are angry, headed for all kinds of trouble, who didn’t believe you existed or cared about them can be given the gift of faith in Yeshua [Jesus]. In our earthly lifetime, we may never know why You have called us to faith or given us talents we can use to make a difference for You. But through faithful living, we can make discoveries that strengthen that faith. We can believe that You prepared the circumstances under which these discoveries are made. PS 19: 8, “The Lord’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light.” In our limited human perspective, we often don’t see or understand what Your motives are in allowing trouble in our lives. But, Dearest Lord, those are our times of greatest growth in spiritual maturity. Over time, we learn our need to rely on You. PS 37: 5, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it, and He will.” We pray that we understand and carry out Your will for us. PS 143: 10, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” You deserve our thanks and praise forever. In Christ’s holy/mighty name we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: As the “Covenant Applications” segment of these “Our Covenant” messages continues, we go on looking at the feast from the King’s table of blessings. We’ll look at just how secure one feasting at the King’s table can be with yet another glimpse of the enormity of God’s power. It may have taken a long time in human years for God to cause me to fall in love with the Hebrew language, as I have, but that’s just one more example of what God can do. (I’ve been studying Hebrew for almost two years now and have seen a beautiful spiritual quality to it that I never would have known about from my first experiences with it). We can ask if there are things in each of our lives that we never thought we would do or appreciate. 1 JN 1: 5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” While God’s power is beyond human comprehension, it is always used for good. Our God is loving, always-righteous, and wise. His patience with human foibles is beyond belief. 2 PET 3: 9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Anyone who reads His mission statements [JN 6: 39-40 and EPH 1: 4-5] and understands Him knows this is true. 1 PET 5: 6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” We, who are blessed with faith in Him, are blessed indeed! Praise and thanks be to Him forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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