The Bible is full of occurrences where God led his people to amazing success. Often, God brought about these great accomplishments through direct, immediate, divine intervention. This is not unlike a coach pulling you aside in the middle of the game and telling you exactly what you should be doing and for you to change now. Other times, however, God started something, got the ball moving, got people motivated, and then led them slowly and gradually into a whole new way of life. This would be sort of like the coach who teaches you the fundamentals and gradually lets you build your skill and grow as you learn the game over time.
Recorded in the book of Exodus in the OT we learn that the Jewish nation has been enslaved in Egypt for 4 centuries. By a series of miraculous events and God shows his power to the Egyptians and they decide to allow his people to leave Egypt. This overnight rescue operation took place… they were free! God’s presence led them out of Egypt and through the dessert… across the Red Sea… towards a new life and land that would bless them!
But the people of Israel were in for a long, slow, and often painful journey. God asked them to trust him, and he would care for them each step of the way. However, they strayed from their faith and trust in God. They came right to brink of full acceptance of God’s leading on the edge of the Promised Land… but they were too scared to trust and move forward so they refused the blessing. God had them wander in the desert for 40 years to refine their faith and prepare them for great things he was going to do in them and through them!
We see God’s promise come to fruition in Joshua 1.
Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites… 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
What journey have you been on this year? A family struggle, a death, a divorce, health battle, financial uncertainty, crisis of faith, or something else. Whether you recognize it or not, God desires a refining of your faith -- pushing you toward blessing and proving that he will, along the way and in his time, care for you and provide for your needs. When we find ourselves on a journey… how does will fear keep us stuck?
Saul, as he was called before his conversion, was a highly regarded teacher of Jewish law. He was such a zealous patriot that he took on a personal mission to punish and kill Christians who seemed to him to be traitors of the Jewish faith.
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” -Acts 9:1-4
You talk about direct and immediate intervention! God literally tears open the sky and Jesus is talking right to Paul. ‘You have been blind, but I am going to open your eyes to the truth about who I am.’ Paul was now a Christ-follower and he never looked back.
Has there been a time when God just smacked up upside the head with his truth? (Use your time for me here, take care of this person, be generous with your finances, stop doing that thing and follow my way). Perhaps you haven’t responded with humility and repentance like Paul did. Perhaps you were like the men who were traveling with Paul… they heard a sound but didn’t recognize it for what it was. We ask for and want direct and immediate intervention, but do we recognize it and follow when it happens (or do we walk away still blind)?
This is a good season as we look toward the end of the year to intently listen to God’s voice. Through his Word, through prayer, through silent time spent with him. Take intentional time to do that this month. Seriously. He’s eager to speak and move. Be present. Be ready. Be waiting. Be trusting.
I’ll do the same along with you.
Nathan
Nathan Hinkle
Lead Pastor