Corona Devo 1819
Lord, You are not far from us today. It is not difficult to understand You. You desire us to know You, if we will just call on Your name. If we will cry to You for help, You will answer us today. Lord, You speak to us. Help us to follow Your laws and decrees today. Amen.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them. (7) He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them. (8) O Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong. ~Psalm 99:6-8
Moses and Aaron and Samuel weren't so different from you and me. They were ordinary guys, but what made them extraordinary was their faith in God. They called on his name and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.
There is no special-recipe to faith, but these are the ingredients: Call on the Lord's name, cry to the Lord for help, follow the laws and decrees he gave us.
Being "spiritual", or "faithful", or "righteous" is not something unattainable or something that "other (faithful) people do": it is something that we (can) do. We can choose this day to call on God's name, and to follow the laws and decrees he gives us.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them. ~Psalm 99:6
We (you and me!) can be (and ARE!) among his priests. (Men and women who seek God's ways, teach God's ways and live God's ways: we are among his priests).
Moses and Aaron and Samuel cried to the Lord for help... ~Psalm 99:6
Ask the Lord today. Cry to the Lord for help today. In any area. In every area of our need. For understanding. For strength. For guidance. For healing. For protection. For wisdom. Cry to the Lord for help today.
(6) Moses and Aaron and Samuel cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them... (8)O Lord our God, you answered them. ~Psalm 99:6, 8
Ask Him. Cry to Him. And God will answer us and forgive us.
You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong. ~Psalm 99:8
God will also always be a holy/righteous/sinless Father to us. He will love us and He will train us up in the way we should go. He will discipline us when necessary. Isn't that what a loving father does (for their child's good)? An off-course child without consequence will grow from a tiny monster into an adult one.
You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong. ~Psalm 99:8
Our Heavenly Father loves us so much. So very much that He will punish us when we go wrong. And when we acknowledge it, and repent, and cry to the Lord for help...he will answer us.
It is such a beautiful and merciful (and truthful) cycle.
Our God is so good, exalt Him.
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the Lord our God is holy! ~Psalm 99:9
~~~
The difference between ordinary faith and extraordinary faith is found in God's Word:
Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name.
They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them.
(7) ...they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.
(8) O Lord our God, you answered them. ~Psalm 99:6-8
Sounds like a recipe for extraordinary faith in God today!
Sidenote: Is God's Word relevant today? All of it? Is the Bible timely? Is Scripture living and active (alive) today?
Sometimes we might think that some of it is, but not all. When was the last time we saw a pillar of cloud? (He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them. ~Psalm 99:7)
The pillar of cloud reference comes from the Old Testament (Exodus 40 and Numbers 9), when the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness, being led by Moses, toward the Promised Land. They knew where to go, and they knew God was with them because the Lord spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud.
Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. (18) In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.... (23) So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses. ~Numbers 9:17-23
Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it... (38) The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys. ~Exodus 40:36, 38
Is God's Word relevant today?
The calling on his name part, and the crying for help part, and Him answering, and us following His laws and decrees part were all relevant for me today.
I called on the Lord, and He answered with these verses. But...a pillar of cloud? That part of the recipe was an excluded ingredient...until sunset.
And then He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud (Psalm 99:7).
Lord, You are not far from us today. It is not difficult to understand You. You desire us to know You, if we will just call on Your name. If we will cry to You for help, You will answer us today. Lord, You speak to us. Help us to follow Your laws and decrees today. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment