God in the Midst of Them…

 

Numbers 2:1-2 (ESV) "The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 'The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. '"

—The tabernacle was where the glory of the Lord resided in the cloud

—God was in the midst of His people...

—He tabernacled among them in the very heart of their camp. 

—His glory was central and His Presence led them. 

—Each tribe had their own place but were united under His command.

Reminded me of being one body in Christ...

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.—Romans 12:4-5

also…I can’t emphasize enough that God was in the very heart…the very center…of the camp.  Beloved…this is where God needs to be always in each one of our own hearts and lives. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;—Psalm 46:5

Those who served (levites) were nearest

The other tribes at a distance

The Israelite’s camp around the tabernacle formed a cross

This reminded me again of being “in Christ” and in Him I am an overcomer.  I can do nothing good without Him, but in Him I can do all things because He strengthens me. 

I never need to distance myself from Him. I can live in His Presence. 

26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'—Acts 17:26-28

I can go forward on my journey toward my heavenly home because He is with me.  He brings light to my darkness and order to my confusion.  He guides my steps and His banner over me is love. When my own flesh, fear and fragility overcome my heart, to my Jesus I can go. He is my very present help in trouble.  

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:16

He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is established;

He will not be afraid,

Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.—Psalm 112:7-8

Be Thou My Strong Habitation…

 

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.--Psalm 71:3

I am redeemed!  You, my God, have set me free!  You are the house of my habitation..in You I live, move and have my being.  You, O Lord, are my house of defense, my strong tower...my rock.  To You and to You alone will I continually resort.  You have given commandment to save me!  Bend down your ear and deliver me speedily from those who are my enemies...from those who desire to see me fall.  For thy namesake lead me and guide me.  Pull me out of the net they have secretly laid for me.  You are my strength and into Your hands I commit my spirit.   I rejoice in Your mercy.....You have considered my trouble and have known my soul in all its adversities.  You have not given me into the hands of my enemies but have set my feet in a wide place.  You are always with me. 

Have mercy on me Lord, for I am in trouble.  Have mercy on me Lord for I am weak.  My soul is consumed with grief and my eyes from crying.  My times are in Your hands.  You hear me when I cry and draw me out of many waters.  My weakness does not place me in jeopardy because You are my strong tower!   Hide me in the secret place of Your tabernacle, show to me Your marvelous kindness.  Make Your face to shine upon me, and save me for thy mercies sake. My hope is in You, my God who preserves the faithful and strengthens the hearts of those who fear You. 

I dwell under the shadow of the Almighty God!  You are my refuge and my fortress...my God in whom I will trust..  You give your angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways and make all things work together for good for me...I am called for Your purposes.   You, Father, know my name and have set Your love upon me.!!   I can come boldly to Your throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  When I call, You will answer.  You will honor me and deliver me and show me Your salvation.  I will be strong and of good courage...I will fear not; nor shall I be afraid:  for the Lord, my God goes with me and will not fail me nor forsake me. Happy am I because my God is the Lord.

The Sweetness in Knowing Him…

 

A Psalm of David When He Was in the Wilderness of Judah.  

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals.  But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.—Psalm 63

Oh God, You are my God.  David always personalizes his relationship with his God!  I, following his example, do the same.  He is my God.  How sweet these words are to me when I say them.  I belong to Him...He belongs to me.  All His promises are mine.  All His love and care are mine.  I have the richest of what heaven and earth have to offer even now!  I have HIM!!  He has redeemed me and called me by name.   Hour by hour He supplies my needs.  He guides and upholds my every step.  When I rest on Him, He does not fail.  When I trust in Him, my trust is not in vain.  He delivers me out of all my troubles...He does not leave me in deep waters, nor do the flames that surround, burn me.  He is always with me. No one, not even me, can snatch me out of His hands.  Nothing..NOTHING... can separate me from Him.  He is my treasure.  In Him I live and move and have my being.  He is my all sufficient God.  Sufficient for my every need.  He keeps me as a King keeps His jewels...My God, will never for a moment forget me.

David sought God early and always.  His thirst, like a physical thirst, would be heard.  He was in a weary land and had a weary heart...His desire was to be in the presence of His God.  He looked for Him in the sanctuary.  He looked for Him everywhere and would not be distracted.  He followed hard after Him, knowing  His lovingkindness was better than life itself.  David followed at His God's heels...he did not let him out of his sight.  The withdrawal of the light of His countenance was as the shadow of death to David.  He knew that without the hand of His God upholding him, he would soon fall. He knew that everything he needed was in Him!  

I want to long after God as David did.  I want to follow hard after Him...to look for Him everywhere and to have eyes to see His hand in everything!  Life here on earth is temporary...our God and His mercy are from everlasting to everlasting.  I want my soul to be satisfied feasting, as David did, on the marrow and fatness of God.  I want His shade to be my sweet, sweet resting place.  As I meditate on Him in the night, I pray that He brings to mind all the times He has delivered and that in my weakness I will remember that in Him who is sufficient, I have everything I need. 

Sadly, however, David knew that because he did follow closely after God that there would be people who would want to destroy God's work of grace in His life.  As David sought His God, they earnestly sought his ruin.   David was a man with many enemies.  But he knew that his enemies would fade and he would flourish.  He knew that they would fall and be victims of their own wicked schemes.  The pit dug for David, they themselves would fall into.  The hell they prepared for David would swallow them up.   He knew they were destined for destruction so he would continue then to rejoice in His God.

Beloved…it is so important to remember that we do not war against flesh and blood, but against prinicipalites and powers.  When you follow hard after God, there will be some that will follow just as hard after you in an attempt to destroy your witness for Him...to ruin His work of grace in your life.  THEY WILL NOT SUCCEED.  The Lord looks at them and laughs...He holds them in derision.  He sees there end.  Know that God has His banner of love over you.  His mercy to you will not fail.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noon day!  I love what Spurgeon notes here:  The mouth of those who speak lies will be stopped but the mouth that speaks praises to God will sing forever!

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.—Psalm 37:4-9

Here I Am, In Your Hand…

 

As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.--Jeremiah 26:14

I love this...Jeremiah speaking to his enemies says...here am I in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.  Jeremiah truly knew that despite how it looked from the outside, he was always in the palm of God's hand.  He knew that whatever happened to him, God was controlling it all and protecting him.  God is near...we live in His presence.  He goes with you wherever you go.  He is not a God afar off....He is near at hand.  

What freedom and peace is ours when we come to that place of trust....where we can  say as Jesus did, "nevertheless, not My will but Yours, be done."  What a blessing to have such an awareness of His presence and an assurance of His care and of His perfect love that we can say as Jeremiah did..."do with me as seems good to you"...or as David did in Psalm 31: 

 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in Your hand;  

  

Praying that each of us can meet each moment with this kind heart attitude of explicit trust and acceptance of His will...That, by faith, we would walk with Him in agreement...and dwell in the shelter of His perfect love knowing  that He really does perfect all that concerns us and performs all things for us.

Looking Out for the Interests of Others…

 

15 Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” 18 And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”—Numbers 27:15-21

Beloved...May we be like Moses...even facing his own death he considered the people. Instead of arguing with the Lord on his own behalf, Moses accepted God’s decision and advocated for the people.  He wanted them to have a good leader to shepherd them after He was gone. His words in verses 16 and 17 brought  the care and compassion of Jesus to mind.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.—Matthew 9:36

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians 2:1-4

Radiant Beauty in Christ…

 

"The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.—Deuteronomy 28:9-10

Beloved…How gracious is our God!  Think on these two verses…read the cross-references and be blessed!  God’s desire for His people, Israel, was that they be a testimony to the world of His love and care for them.  Unbelievably, He wants the same for us who believe today. Even as I write this His Spirit who dwells in me is doing that work.  

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

I love that as I draw near to my beautiful Savior, ugly, sinful and unholy me becomes beautiful. So beautiful that others can see that I belong to Him…because by His grace, I begin to resemble Him more and more. 

They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.—Psalm 34:5

In Christ, I am “radiantly” beautiful. He covers my sin and shame. He shines through me and reaches the hearts of those around me with His grace and love. Fear is no longer mine because I am secure in Him. The name of the eternal God is written on my heart. I belong to Him and nothing can separate me from His love. Those who fight against me, fight against Him and will perish.  It is them who should fear. 

No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.—Deuteronomy 11:25

Beloved…Lift up Your eyes to Him…He wants to bless You. He wants to make Your countenance shine and give you peace. 

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace."'

"So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."—Numbers 6:22-27

Moses speaking…

"Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

"For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,—Deuteronomy 4:5-9 (emphasis mine)

More cross reference verses below…

Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.'—Jeremiah 33:9

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."—Exodus 19:5-6

"And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.—Malachi 3:12

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.—2 Chronicles 7:14-15

O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."—Daniel 19:18-19

Encouragement from Scripture to Let Our Light for Jesus shine!

 

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.—Matthew 5:14-15

Beloved…Jesus doesn’t want people to be left in the dark concerning His ways or His heart.  Be then, as Jesus was, to those around Him as He walked this earth. By His Spirit living within You, show them His ways, teach them His paths, lead them in His truth and display to them His heart.  Show them who your Jesus is as He showed us who His Father is.  

Leaving Scripture on light and radiance here to encourage you today to shine Jesus to those He has placed in your life. Because all the work of “shining” for Him is accomplished by Him as we look to Him and abide in His word. It is that hard and it is that simple. 

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. —Isaiah 60:1

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.—Psalm 34:5

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.—Psalm 37:6

Who is like a wise man?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man's wisdom makes his face shine,

And the sternness of his face is changed.—Ecclesiastes 8:1

If you extend your soul to the hungry

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.—Isaiah 58:10

Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.—Daniel 12:3

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!—Matthew 13:43

If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."—Luke 11:36

He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.—John 5:35

And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.—Acts 6:15

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,—Philippians 2:15

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?—Psalm 27:1

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.—Exodus 13:21-22

"For You are my lamp, O LORD;

The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.—2 Samuel 22:29-30

When His lamp shone upon my head,

And when by His light I walked through darkness;—Job 29:3

For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light.—Psalm 36:9

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!

Let them lead me;

Let them bring me to Your holy hill

And to Your tabernacle.—Psalm 43:3-4

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.—Psalm 84:11

O house of Jacob, come and let us walk

In the light of the LORD.—Isaiah 2:5

He reveals deep and secret things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And light dwells with Him.—Daniel 2:22

Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;

When I fall, I will arise;

When I sit in darkness,

The LORD will be a light to me.—Micah 7:8

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.—James 1:17

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.—1 John 1:5

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.—Revelation 21:23

There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.—Revelation 22:5

The Lord Will Command His Lovingkindness…

 

O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From the Hill Mizar.

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.—Psalm 42:6-8

Overpowered and overwhelmed by the noise of the Lord’s waterfalls and the waves and billows of His affliction, David has become despondent and in deep distress.  In verse 6, however, instead of giving way to depression and fear, he purposes to remember God’s goodness to him in the past. As David called upon, communed with and meditated on God’s past deliverances, he was confident that his God of mercy and comfort would meet him in his current troubles. 

Verse 8 is my favorite and a wonderful example of faith under duress and hope even in the deepest darkness of the soul. It is one to tuck away in our hearts for a time when it will be most certainly needed.  David humbles himself under God’s mighty hand, and…

—knowing that the Lord’s goodness endures continually, 

—knowing that though he now walked in the midst of trouble, God would revive him, 

—knowing as it says in Psalm 93:3-4 that the LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.

…says with confidence

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me

How awesome is that. The Lord will command His lovingkindness." The Lord was David’s KING and the Lord is our King. He is our “Commander”.  In humbly crying out to God for help, David was in a place of obedience and blessing. In fact the Bible says in Deuteronomy 28:2 that the blessings for obedience will come upon us and overtake us. I love that!!  

When we obey, His goodness and mercy follow us and overtake us.  That is so comforting!  Beloved…David knew this. He believed this. He trusted God and was helped. 

Meditating on our God's sovereignty and lovingkindness is such an encouragement as we go through the many trials of life appointed for us.  Dwell on His mercy.  Remember His mercy. Pray for His mercy.  Know that one word from Him will turn your darkness to light, your rough waters to calm seas, your mourning to dancing, and your complaints to praise.  Make His mercy, truth, and power, your refuge. Take up the shield of faith which is your defensive weapons and believe in His power and in His promises.  Remember His presence goes before you and is with you. Stay your mind on Him.  Be strong and brave and let the Lord do what is good in His sight.

"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,

But with great mercies I will gather you.

With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;

But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"

Says the LORD, your Redeemer.—Isaiah 54:7-8