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Teach me to do your will, Lord; And may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:10) It is the prayer of the psalmist; and making it yours and mine, as we continue to plumb the depths of it, will yield fruit that will indeed find us being led on level ground towards where God wants you and I to be. May you be enriched this day to walk in the path to it, in the instruction of the Spirit. His God instructs him, is how the prophet Isaiah expresses the truth. (Isaiah 28:26) It underscores the importance of a personal relationship, in which God through His Spirit, guides and leads you. He needs to be your God, in a relationship with you, as your heavenly Father.
And the Holy Spirit, who comes to abide in you, as a child of God, teaches you as you hear His word, and trains you, through a practical application of it in your life. It happens as you get to know Him more and more, to trust and believe in Him, in His plans and thoughts for you, that are always and forever for your good. It is also a process, as can be seen in the life of Moses, in the old testament, one of its towering personalities, when it came to effective leadership. But he began with doubts and fears, much like what can be the case with you and I, when initially the call of God seems to be too stupendous a task, one that is way beyond your human capability. It is why the word of God very specifically makes mention of the fact that Elijah was an ordinary man with like passions, much like you and I. The Bible is not about super men but about a super natural God. And He remains the same, even this day, unchanging and ever present, forever. It was the assurance of His ever abiding presence with him, with which God answered the doubts and fear, of Moses, his feeling of inadequacy and inability.
And in the blessedness of the new covenant in which you walk in today, post Calvary’s victory, the Spirit of Christ abides in you, and therefore, greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. And if the Lord Himself is for you, who can be against you? Above all, nothing can separate you from the love of God in you, that is in Christ Jesus. You can indeed be more than a conqueror in the circumstances of like that may threaten to bring you down. One by one, the God who never gives up on you, persevered with Moses, and dealt with the reasons put forward by him. In the process, He revealed His majestic Name to be, ‘I am who I am, and I will be what I will be’. It was through which God, the great I AM, declared His unchanging, and ever present nature, one that can be expressed by the word ‘Always’! He is always present, and always unchanging, in His wondrous nature, and remains so even this day, even in your life and mine, and will remain so, in the generations to come, always and forever!
Great is His faithfulness!
And He is also the God who always helps you. It was the truth that He spoke and brought to pass in the life of Moses, as He dealt with all the inner hindrances, that were preventing Moses from stepping forward in his high calling, that was seen in his words to the God Almighty.
‘They will not listen to me’:
Then Moses answered and said, ‘ But suppose they will not believe me, or listen to my voice, suppose they say, ‘God has not appeared to you?. (Exodus 4:1) His words revealed that he had not really believed or listened with attentive understanding to what God had spoken to him, a little earlier, which was, ‘They will listen to you..’, ‘Then they shall heed your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now, please let us go three days into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God’. (Exodus 3:18) God had spoken it to him, though it apparently had not been received rightly by Moses, at that point of time. For, he was then more self focused and self absorbed with his own limitations riding high in his thoughts, preventing anything higher and more positive to register within him.
And it can happen even now, when a person you are in conversation with is more intent on figuring out what their reply ought to be, in order to put their point across, instead of listening to what you are saying. And in the end both of you could be saying the same thing and any contradiction a mere figment of the other person’s imagination. There was an underlying deeper reason for it in the case of Moses.
Unbelief and lack of trust:
At that stage of his walk with God, in Moses there was unbelief, and a lack of trust regarding what God can accomplish in any given circumstance. And it happened because his commitment to God had not yet grown deep, but was shallow. It was why doubt and fear could hold sway within him then, much like the seed sown on rocky soil in the parable of the sower. It quickly dried up, in challenging circumstances, for it’s roots did not go deep. The prophet Ezekiel too wonderfully pictures it as stepping into a flowing stream of water. Some can be happy, just to be ankle deep in it, then maybe venture waist high, but still with their feet firmly on the ground, in essence, still holding on to the self, the world and it’s system. But it is when you let go, and go deeper still, that you can swim to be carried along by the waters of the Spirit, feeling light and effortlessly free.
It is the liberty of the Spirit, that sets you free to know and do the will of God in your life. It is how the psalmist knew and experienced God in his life to be able to call Him his ever present help, and his strength. And Moses, as he was able to do later on in his life, could have acknowledged the word that came to him by saying, ‘Lord, if you say so, I know that they will listen,’ for, man does not live by bread alone.
It was how Mary, young as she was, was able to acknowledge and receive the word of God to her that said, ‘Nothing shall be impossible with God’, by saying, ‘I am the Lord’s servant; may it be unto me according to your word’. It all goes to show that it is never about your age; rather it is the depth of your relationship with God that matters when it comes to yielding to the leading of the Spirit in your life, to be led on level ground in the path of God’s good and perfect will for you.
Going past your past!:
You and I and everyone around you has a past! And sometimes, as it happened with Moses, it can keep you from moving forward. Moses, as recorded honestly in the scriptures, , had a past of which he was not proud of, that had caused him to flee from the scene of the crime, so to speak, to dwell in the desert, tending sheep for forty years. Understandably from a human point of view, he in his own eyes, had a credibility problem, for he assumed that the questions raised about his past, would undermine the truth of God’s word to him, one that he was called to speak forth to the people of Israel. It speaks into every heart even today, for everyone in some way or the other has in his past, some things that he would rather forget, instead of being reminded of it. But God knows it all. In your life, He knows your past; and in spite of it all, He offers you a bright future. It is the beacon of hope that shines into your heart today, flooding your life with glorious light, dispelling the gloomy darkness of your past, that could have kept you from moving forward. It is how the apostle Paul was able to say about his past, that though he was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and an insolent man, it was purely the mercy and grace and the faith and love of God in Christ Jesus, that enabled and counted him faithful to be called into ministry. (1 Timothy 1:12-14) It is also what happened in the life of Moses on that day, as God broke the chains of his past, to lead him forward.
Overcoming misunderstandings:
Misunderstandings with his own people was what Moses had to grapple with and overcome, through God’s work of grace in him, for it was precisely on account of it that he had remained a fugitive for many long years from his own people. Nothing or no one can improve upon the word of God that states it as, He supposed that his brethren would understand that he was sent by God to deliver them; but they did not understand. (Acts 7:25) It was the root cause behind his exile. And Moses now, is asked by God to go back to the same people, with the same message! One can understand Moses’s reluctance; but there is also the truth that God never misunderstands you. And therefore trusting people is made possible.
Trusting people because you trust God:
In my haste, I said, ‘All men are liars’, are the psalmist’s words, the key word being ‘haste’! For, life involves trusting people, even in fulfilling the call of God upon your life. And it becomes possible when your primary trust is in God that the people whom you trust would be trustworthy. Your faith is in God, that the people whom you put your faith in would be faithful. For when you are unable to trust anyone, you will have a bigger problem, to end up lonely and dispirited in life.
Faith involves focus:
It is the everlasting principle of God’s word. And it is what the devil tries to divert you from. He does it by making you focus on your own lack, instead of focusing on the God who can satisfy all your lack. And as long as that is the case, there can be no progress in your life. It is why Peter’s words to the lame beggar whose focus was upon the pennies on his plate were, ‘Look at us’! And it saw the lame man who was sitting at the gate to begin with, enter in to worship in the temple, having been made miraculously well and whole in his physical body! Blessed is the man whose trust is in the Lord, is the Psalmist’s conclusion; and so can be yours, in the issue of trust. Moses, owing to the unfortunate incident found his belief system shaken; his belief and trust in God to hear from Him rightly, his belief in who he was, and his trust in other people. And his focus was always upon himself, in his conversation with God, leading maybe, to him not hearing what God had to say to him.
There is always the need to shift your focus from yourself, to be upon the Lord Almighty in order to be led in the right path and on level ground by the Spirit of God. It underscores the need to worship Him, not neglecting the gathering of saints, in order to hear from Him, in word and song, as it is the faces of those who look into Him that are radiant. And the temptation to remain self focused is something that can easily enter in, when life is not so pleasant. It is what many of God’s people have faced. It can be seen even in the life of Abraham, as the promise of God was seemingly delayed. And God’s instruction to him at that point, is a wise lesson that you and I need to apply in order to move forward.
‘Come out of your tent’:
As Abraham focusing on himself , in discouragement, spoke unto God regarding the absence of a heir who would enjoy his God given riches, it was the Lord’s reply, Then He brought him outside, and said, ‘ Look now towards heaven and count the number of stars, if you are able to number them’. And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be’. (Genesis 14:5) Abraham had to come out of his tent, instead of being bogged in his thoughts concerning himself, to see the wonderful picture of the promise of God, coming to pass not just in his life, but in his coming generations too. He is the God we serve and worship even this day as a descendant of Abraham by faith. In fact, you and I, are figuratively speaking, one of the innumerable stars that the Lord God pointed out to Abraham on that day, as being his descendants, his children, by faith in the Son of God!
Looking up, forgetting the past:
The apostle Paul too, if he had continued to dwell on his negative and offensive past, could not have been used mightily by God in the path of carrying out His purposes, and His will for his life, bringing fulfillment to his own soul, and being a blessing to others. He chose instead to dwell upon the grace and mercy of God upon his life that enabled him to say, Forgetting what lies behind, and reaching towards what lies ahead, I press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13,14) It is what you and I need to do concerning a painful and troubling past, or misunderstandings with people, that could otherwise take you backwards in life instead of progressing on wards and upwards. Joseph in the old testament, cruelly and unjustly treated by his own brothers, shows the attitude shift that needs to happen within you, the change in perspective with which you need to view it all. It is then that you can soar upwards to fulfill God’s call upon your life, in the Spirit’s power.
A right perspective:
Joseph named his son, ‘Manasseh’, a word that meant, ‘The Lord has made me forget’. It was not literally forgetting, but with God’s help, he could view what had been done to him, not with an attitude of vengeance, but with higher and nobler thoughts, that came to him from God. And it is what God can work out, even within you, His work of grace in your heart, that you may progress in doing His will for your life. It will not be easy, for even things that you thought had forgotten, can come back in your memory, to trigger the same old pain and hurt in you. But now, you can approach it all with a godly perspective to see the higher goal and purpose that it has accomplished in you. Joseph, initially, on seeing the very same people who had hurt him, spoke harshly, no doubt as painful memories would have washed over him. But, it was not the end of the story in his life, and it need not be so in yours either. For Joseph could declare the good that God had brought about through it all.
And yes, even in your life and mine, the innumerable good that God has already done, would far outweigh the evil done to us by mortal men! All you need to do therefore is to, as the old song goes, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full on His wonderful face, and the things of the world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. You have a God who is always helpful.
Help in your unbelief:
Owing to his painful past, Moses struggled with unbelief and lack of trust. But the always present, and always unchanging God was his Helper, that he may overcome it all.
‘I do believe; help my unbelief’:
It was the cry of the father, who brought his sick child to Jesus that he may be healed. (Mark 9:24) You may have areas or issues in your life too, where doubt weighs in, though you believe in the Lord, and His wondrous nature. It happens when things may be happening that are contrary to what God has spoken, or what you are hoping to receive from Him, in any area of your life. The Lord’s words to the father of the boy who said, ‘But if you can do anything, have compassion on him and heal him’, were, ‘If you can believe; all things are possible to him who believes’. (Mark 9:23) The Lord thus made it clear that ‘believing’ was the issue. But even as the man acknowledged his unbelief, in the midst of his belief, the Lord helped him overcome his doubt. And He is always unchanging in His nature, to help you even now, overcome any weakness in your faith. He is never the Lord who looks down in condemnation upon your doubt and weakness, but rather steps in as your Ever present Helper, who is always faithful. Without faith it is impossible to please God, says His word, but it is also written that the Lord is the author and perfecter of your faith, even as you fix your eyes upon Him, to run the race that God has set before you.
The doubting Thomas !:
He has come to be known as the ‘doubting Thomas’, for the disciple of Jesus doubted His very resurrection! But our precious Lord did not cast him away. Rather, He singled out Thomas, the next time He appeared in their midst, to show him His wounds that he may touch and see, to know that it was really Him. Such is the God, our loving Saviour, who is always present, always unchanging, and always helpful in our lives, now and forever. He will certainly help you, remove your doubt, by removing the cause of it, to bring peace and wholeness in your life.
Miraculous signs & wonders:
He helped the father of the boy who was sick, overcome his unbelief, by healing him. He could not doubt any more! God who declared Himself to be, ‘I am who I am, and I will be what I will be’ to Moses who was at that point plagued by doubts concerning his own ability and credibility, and about the mightiness of God Himself, bowed down by his past misunderstandings with his own people, whom he was now called to lead out of bondage too, He worked miraculous signs to help him believe that He is the ever faithful God, who loves you and never gives up on you. In the same manner, what you are believing God for, and also having doubts about, because it does not seem to be happening, He will do in your life, to rid you of all doubt, and in the process show that with Him all things are possible.
May you fix your eyes upon Lord Jesus, therefore, putting your trust in Him, knowing that He is all that you will ever need in your life, even as you offer thanks unto the Father, for giving you His Son, that He may be your Helper, leading you by His Holy Spirit, on level ground, in the path of doing His will for your life.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
