Monday, July 18, 2016

"A Feast Awaits"


"A Feast Awaits"


     The Lord declared to Israel that Canaan was a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8).  He promised them this blessed place, and when they sent spies to scout out the land, God's chosen earthly people discovered the truth of His Word - "We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey" (Numbers 13:27).

    Alas, however, they also found the children of Anak there, people who appeared to be giants in the sight of the men sent to spy out Canaan.  The land of promise appeared to be the land of peril "that eateth up the inhabitants thereof" (Numbers 13:32).  Rather than consuming the Lord's bounty, God's chosen people drew back from entering the promised land in fear of being consumed.

    "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies" (Psalm 23:5).

    Where unbelief sees monsters, faith sees a meal.  Every believer who long walks with the Lord discovers this to be true.  The challenges, difficulties, and apparent perils of life all provide our most blessed experience of the Lord Jesus Christ as we trust and submit to Him when trouble looms before us.  God is present with us always.  He is "a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1; emphasis added).  His milk and honey await us as we realize that the giants which seem to hinder actually signal to us that a feast awaits us.  Indeed, Israel should have asked themselves the question, "How did the children of Anak become so large?"  "Milk and honey" was the answer, Israel's milk and honey, as promised by God.  They should have seen the giants themselves as confirmation of their Lord's perfect faithfulness and abundant provision that awaited.  "We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" (Hebrews 3:14).

    This is hard truth for our flesh, which like the ten unbelieving spies, desires comfort, pleasure, and ease.  Conversely, this is holy truth for our spirit, wherein dwells the same Spirit that energized Caleb and Joshua.  "Monsters!" cries our flesh.  "We will be eaten!"  "Milk and honey" speaks the Spirit of God.  "A feast awaits - in the presence of your enemies".  We do well to remember always that our salvation came to us by way of a cross that led to resurrection.  The giants that seemed to consume the Lord Jesus at Calvary actually served to usher Him unto glory and "a Name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:9).  In our present lives, the same path lies  before us.  God's promises await us in the presence of our enemies.  The land where we will feast appears to be the land that will feast upon us.  From minor irritations to seeming destruction, our Heavenly Father offers us the most vivid revelation of His faithfulness by leading us to see difficulties as the very confirmation of His promises…

"In the world ye shall have tribulation.  But be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33)
"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
(I John 5:4)

Weekly Memory Verse
    "In the world ye shall have tribulation.  But be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33)
   

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