HGM FOR 25 APR 17

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-42

TEXT: "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

 

I. REST IN HIM

A. The three Hebrew children were thrown into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar. Before going into the furnace they seemed to care little whether God would deliver them or not. Their trust was in God not in what He would do. Regardless of how things went God would continue to be their focal point of worship and relationship. He did not have to prove anything to them. What God would or would not do seemed insignificant to them.

B. If a situation is significant to God in a certain way then it can be significant to the believer in the same way. But if it is not significant to God in a particular way and the believer is trying to make it so they will be out of the divine path. That which touches our flesh is usually significant to us in a negative way. But it may be significant to God in a positive way.

C. We become more content and comfortable as we walk more and more in God's way. One of our greatest problem is wanting our own way. To avoid this problem we must learn to know God and His ways. Our great hindrance to this learning is our great fascination in learning the works of God.

D. Once we learn the works of God our next fascination is that of the naturally and physically inclined people. In John: "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:28-29) They wanted to know what they had to do in order to work the works of God. Behind that search was a natural satisfaction which the works of God could fulfill.

E. They experienced it when Jesus fed them bread and fish. They sought Jesus for a continuation of this natural feeding. "Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread." (John 6:34) When Jesus refused they sought the means of doing it themselves. So actually they wanted the ability to make the works of God work when they wanted them to work and upon what they wanted them to work. They had no stomach for the things of God only for God to fill their stomachs. Their original motive was not God, but to see signs, wonders, and have their flesh satisfied to their filling. "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (John 6:26)

F. This is true today. Very often the believer desires the miraculous in their hand so that they can do what they want for themselves. But two very important elements are missed. If anyone or anything is to be a work of God it must be in His time and His will. Remember, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

G. In learning God well enough to know His time and will one must spend time before Him and draw near. If one desires to know the timing of the Lord they must spend time with the Lord. What you want you must give that away. We must give away our fleshly or temporal time (time spent on things not of the Lord, [you name them]) and invest that time in drawing near Him and knowing His timing.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

 

A. One must become what the OT calls a "seer." Simply stated it is one who sees. As the prophets and others such as Paul and John, saw the Lord so we must desire to see Him. The more we can see Him the clearer the knowledge of His ways and will become to us. The more we see Him in all of His beauty the less attractive the world becomes to us. The more we desire Him the less we desire of the world. The reverse is true. If we do not see Him as beautiful we will see and desire the seemly beautiful things of the world.

B. Seeing the Lord may mean different things to different people. All I wish to mean here is an insight into His being, regardless of what many may not be seen with your physical eyes.