and the One who walks with me on it.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Take a Guess…



       Have you ever heard of the great faith and deeds of Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi or Geuel?  (Yes, they are most definitely in the Bible.)  But I’m guessing their names are not familiar to you.  Before you go looking them up, be patient, for I will tell you... eventually.  First I will give you more information to see if you can better guess.

       They were responsible men, wise men, men of standing in their homes and community.  They were chiefs, heads among their people.  Have you figured it out yet?  They were of Jewish descent, lived in exciting times and saw God’s power displayed.  These men were each assigned an important task by Jehovah God, one that (upon completion) would encourage and excite His people.  So, do you remember them now?

Ten unknown scouts- tee hee!
       Probably not, although if you read my post yesterday, you have read about them.  Huh?  You don’t remember?  Well, they were the other ten spies sent into the Promised Land on an important task for Jehovah.  According to Num. 13:3, these men were chiefs or heads in their tribes; therefore they were well respected men who were put in leadership, likely for their wisdom, hard work and sense of responsibility.  These men also saw the great miracles God did in releasing them from the bondage of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and saw the manifested presence of God.  Yet, after all of that, they still saw their problems as bigger than their God.

       Yesterday I was quite contemplative as I read through the list of twelve names, ten of them now forgotten by most of us; but not Joshua and Caleb.  They saw the problems in the land but still knew that God was bigger than the problems and was able to give victory.  But the ten reported negatively believing that God would not be able to deliver them and so the people chose to believe the ten and were too disheartened to enter in.

And Jehovah said to Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shown among them?... And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report upon the land, even those men that brought up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before Jehovah.  Num. 14:11, 36, 37

       What food for thought.  Do I want to miss out on God’s promises because I forget He is more powerful than my problems and IS ABLE to bring victory?  Do I want to be forgotten?  Honestly, I have to say that I have always seen my problems as mountains looming before me and God hiding behind them waiting for me to get to Him on the other side- if I survive.  But in the past decade I have learned that the way of peace and joy in the midst of troubles comes only in and through my Lord, in knowing Him and that He IS bigger than ANYTHING that can ever come against me!

Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Jer 32:27 
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom. 8:31 
(Job to God) "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  Job 42:2  ESV
My purpose shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure; Is. 46:10 

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen. Eph. 3:20,21