WTFMT 41 (HGM ON 28 MAR 17

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-41 TEXT: "For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." (Exodus 32:29)

 

I. BLESSING BELONG TO US

A. God is attempting to release many blessing to His people. But quite often these blessing are missed. A believer may bog down in the mean's which God uses, rather than focus upon God's intentions.

B. If such be the case, the treasures are ignored while the methods fill the believer's vision. The apostle Paul learned to focus upon the purposes of God. Others with him focused upon the hardships, and therefore left the work of God. Leaving the work of God, they forsook the purposes of God. C. When God brings us into the wilderness, we must forsake the hardships. They are not the purposes of God. If you see only the hardships which you are experiencing, you will never see the possessions God has for you. Like the children of Israel, you may get so bogged down with the wilderness conditions that you never see the Promised Land.

D. Forget about conditions as much as you can, and allow God to work within you. The more God can do in you, the more He can do for you!

E. God is attempting to make us a fruitful believer. The purpose of God is to fill your life with victory all the time. Lelia N. Morris, who lived a hundred years ago, caught this vision and wrote the hymn;

Victory All The Time. Victory victory! blessed blood-bo't victory! Victory! Victory! vict'ry all the time; As Jehovah liveth, strength divine He giveth Unto those who know Him, vict'ry all the time.

F. Another lady gifted in song was Deborah. She too saw and experienced God's victory. She was a judge of Israel in the days before the kings of Israel. After her victory against the oppressing king of Canaan, Jabin, by name, she sang the lead part in a duet with Barak, her general. Some of their words are recorded in Judges; "The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel." (Judges 5:5) Even as the difficulties in the Wilderness of Sinai melted for Joshua and Caleb, so God melted them for Deborah.

G. For God, there is no insurmountable mountain; "The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth." (Psalm 97:5) Any difficulty will melt before the Lord. A believer may so focus upon difficulties that they are enlarged, magnified. This is expressed in the cliché, "some people make mountains out of molehills. Most of the older generation in the wilderness was like this. But there are yet the Joshua and Caleb today who so walk with God that they "make molehills out of mountains." It is our choice.

H. When the generation of Joshua and Caleb saw and heard about all the difficulties involved in possessing the Promised Land, it overwhelmed them. This prevented them from possessing the land. God attempted to communicate to these people that His greatness was sufficient to surmount any and all difficulties. Whatever it is that must be faced in life, God is bigger!!

I. Nothing can stand against the greatness of God. Hear the voice of the prophet Nahum coming to us through 25 centuries; "The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him." (Nahum 1:5-6)

J. Imagine a power of such immensity being our ally. We can't lose! Just the thought ought to double us over with laughter. There is no power that can compare to God's. No power - nothing- exists apart from God. He created all. No power, no circumstances, no situation can operate apart from and independent of God. The very existence of Satan cannot be without God. God could even now snuff out his existence and activities. All things have come out from God. He is our all and all and over all.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

A. We each have our own views of life. When we meet horrible situations, we see everything breaking apart. Our view of life is warped. We see things outside of God and beyond His control. So we attempt to fix things and get the pieces together again for God, so that once again He will be in control. Whom are we trying to fool??

B. Don't kid yourself. God is in control, always. He is still on the throne, always. Allow God to reveal life to us, instead of badly botching its meanings through our own misunderstandings. Our mind is not built for such a task as understanding life. But the revelation is in God; there we can discover it.