The pre-existence of the Word

 Tell the righteous that it shall be well (Series 4)

Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him (Isaiah 3:10, 11).

 

There is time for every purpose

God has set the seasons, which are meant to remain as long as the earth remains. They come and go after accomplishing their purpose and the cycle continues.

“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, and day and night Shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22).

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Therefore, it is prudent to learn to know the seasons we are in life. As global seasons are specific to the different regions of the earth, so do individuals have specific seasons. This makes it paramount to discern our seasons. As each season come with different opportunities. Anyhow, when discern the seasons we are able to seize the opportunities that come with each season. A farmer who fails to recognize the planting season will not sow, and a farmer who does not appreciate the harvesting season will procrastinate harvesting till the crop is destroyed by the rains.

...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do... (1 Chronicles 12:32a).

Before the captives were released, from captivity, it was time for them to make weapons. Every farming tool was supposed to be made into a weapon. Because, it was time of warfare.

“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, .... 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ 11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord (Joel 3:1, 10,11).

 

Our conduct in a specific season determines the next season. The victory of the previous season determines whether one will have enough potential energy to usher into the next season.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days. That the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. …. 3 He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken (Micah 4:1-4).

At the appropriate time after the Lord’s deliverance, the weapons fashioned back into tools. However, those who failed to optimize on the time of war will have spared their enemies; the sins and habits that so easily ensnares us.

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell (Numbers 33:55).

God warned the Israelites that if they spared the inhabitants, they shall have invited trouble. It is unfortunate, in theory X of motivation, McGregor stated that people are inherently lazy and need to be forced to work (McGregor, 1960). This limits our potential.

Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times (2 Kings 13:18-19).

Though, God would have ordained a season of rest from war, one may have to continue fighting even in the days of rest.

But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety (Deuteronomy 12:10).

Story is narrated of villagers who were pursuing a bear. But, the bear outran them and found a woman who was harvesting her sweet potatoes. The villagers beseeched the woman to rescue her from the villagers. In her “wisdom,” the woman covered the bear with the potato veins. Soon after, the villagers arrived following the bears footsteps. The villagers beseeched the woman to tell them of the animals whereabout but she declined. The villagers left after warning the woman of the risks. A few minutes later, the villagers had a shout as the woman screamed for rescue. However, on arrival, it was too late as the bear had killed the woman and left.

 

Our conduct in each season is determined by the voice that we are attentive to. Taking the illustration of the woman and the bear, every day we are faced with choices; to listen what God is saying or the world, man’s sinful nature or the enemy. This determines whether our actions will be faith or fear driven.

V9. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

V24. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it (Numbers 14:9, 24).

Depending on which voice we listen to, determine what we see: the giant/grasshoppers or God’s great salvation. When we listen to God we ignore feelings and circumstances and walk by faith.

……Let the weak say I am strong (Joel 3:10). We are in a warfare, against the enemy and the flesh. More often than not, we have to say no to self.

For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:16).

We should always seek God’s opinion and not men’s opinion, as our hearts are heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.

Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5).

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he... (Proverbs 23:7a).

They saw a shepherd boy in David, God saw a King.

The saw a barren woman in Hannah, God saw the mother of a great prophet

Jeremiah saw himself as young, God saw a great prophet.

Gideon saw himself as the youngest from the smallest tribe, God saw a mighty man of valor.

Moses saw a stammerer in himself, God saw a deliverer

People saw Jephthah as the son of a harlot; this made him settle with worthless men in Tod, but God saw a mighty man of valor.

It does not matter how you feel, or how people see you. Just believe, It shall be well.