Israel – Page 33 – Praying Pint

96. For those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed

1 Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

1 Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.

1 Samuel 2:27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.

The sons of Eli were young men commissioned for the service of God in line with those set apart for this purpose. They did not know God. They treated this service to God with contempt. They focused on self-gain and self-pleasure. There was no service to God in the work they did. They were worthless.

No one is exempt from being drawn away from God. Every minute of every day we face a battle with self, satan, and others for service to God. Satan tempts us to seek that which is pleasing to us. People will be, unknowingly, chipping away at our faith and soon we are void of who God is. Our service to Him becomes service to self. Peter said it like this: Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

85. Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?

Judges 6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Hosea 6:3-4     Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Isaiah 43:19-20     Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 50:2    Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?

I read this article in Share Faith Magazine and thought it had a very interesting view on Gideon’s fleece.

Gideon did not put out the fleece to figure out God’s will. He already knew God’s will. That was plain within the first thirty seconds of his meeting with the angel. He put out the fleece even though he already knew what he was supposed to do.

Gideon put out the fleece because he was faithless and unbelieving. Gideon had already seen miracles. Why did he need a wet fleece and dry ground? He laid out the fleece because He did not trust God to fulfill His promises. He knew God’s will but refused to go and do it.

Do you sometimes try to lay out the fleece before God?

Think about what you’re doing. Whether it’s figuring out if you should take the job offer, move to another area of the country, have children, buy the car, take the vacation, or start the new ministry, you don’t need fleece. You simply need faith.

God still performs miracles. God still shows His power. God still provides direction, but He doesn’t need your fleece to do it. When you think that maybe you should lay out the fleece, instead surrender in faith. God does not reveal His will by having us devise little tricks and tests to see what He will do. He is gracious and kind, but He doesn’t do stunts on demand. He guides in His own ways, on His own terms, in His own timing. That’s what sovereignty is. That’s why we can submit to God’s gracious and loving sovereignty.

Discerning God’s will isn’t voodoo or divination. We don’t need fleece, or any other techniques to figure it out. It is a matter of simple obedience and submitting to His leading, step-by-step. God is big enough to carry through without fleece, tests, or other tricks. Your “fleece” may simply be confusing you or getting in the way.

Instead of laying out the fleece or trying other techniques to figure out God’s will, merely trust and obey.

82. The anger of the Lord burned

Judges 3:7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.

But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Judges 3:12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

Judges 3:28 “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Judges 4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

Judges 4:31 Then the land had peace forty years.

Can you see the theme here? There was a falling away from God, punishment, calling out to God, and peace restored. In the cases above punishment was for 8 years, a cry to the Lord, and then peace for 40 years. Punishment for 18 years, a cry to the Lord, and peace for 80 years. Punishment for 20 years, a cry to the Lord, and peace for 40 years.

Why is there a falling away from serving and living for Jesus? What causes or leads us down paths that are not God-honoring, God serving, obedient to God, following God, God-reliant, or God trusting. We have been given examples of what others did but if we were to look deep into our heart and mind we might see, self-centered indulgence, pride, complacency, neglect, worldly wants, and a lack of hunger and thirst for God’s word in our life. When His word is set aside because of the busyness of life, your path is already set on a course away from needing Him. This path is very well worn and seems to be the same path that others are on. Following others down this path does not end well.

Do you want power, peace, and purpose in your life? Stay in His word. Cherish it every day. Seek to hear His quiet small voice of leading. Obediently follow Him. Humbly serve Him.

81. That he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart,

Judges 2:20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.”

Exodus 24:3-8     Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”

Deuteronomy 29:10-13    “You are standing today, all of you, before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel,  your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water,  so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today,  that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Deuteronomy 8:2    And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

What is it that would test your heart, mind, and soul for God? What is it that you keep or allow time in your heart that is not in line with honoring God? How is a person to know if what is in their heart is pure and not just head nod words without commitment, fruit, action? Serving God, living for Jesus, and being filled with the Holy Spirit comes from a heart and soul that has been opened to the word of God and has intentionally chosen a life of obedience and reliance. Staying in His word each day gives our heart and mind foundational reinforcement (everlasting food) and confidence in Jesus today with hope for tomorrow. When our heart, mind, and soul are not nourished with the word of God what is it that fills that void? Could it be job recognition, coveted lifestyle and all that goes with it, more money, more stuff, busyness, sports, work, family, friends, and anything else that can occupy time alone with God’s word (commitment), being attentive to what it is saying to your heart (seeking/listening), and being willing to humbly act in line with His word (obedience). Time away from His word allows our heart, mind, and soul to be filled with that which does not honor and glorify God.

76. “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.”

Joshua 10:24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

Deuteronomy 31:6    Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8     It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

1 Samuel 17:37     And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the bear

Psalms 77:11     I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

2 Timothy 4:17-18    The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10     Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Romans 8:37     No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Be strong. Be courageous. Do not fear. Do not be in dread. Do not fear. Do not be dismayed. WHY????? Because the Lord goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. He will deliver you. He loves you.

We may not have kingdoms to fight or people seeking to destroy and kill us but we do have battles each of us our fighting that requires strength above self. Hope beyond self. A power greater than self. We face things that only God can intervene and overcome. He is able and willing but are you seeking His intervention or trying to do it on your own or have you completely given up and not even turned to God for help. Certainly, you have experienced some of God’s mighty works in your life if you would just give it a thought. When you look back and remember that time when the hand of God protected you, relieved your spirit, overcame certain impossible roadblocks, healed your heart, etc….. God has not changed.

What changes is in us. We become neglectful and complacent with His word and living for Him. God doesn’t change but we do. We can be continually growing in trust, reliance, hope, faith, and love and in our service and obedience to Him. Likewise, if we are neglectful and complacent we lose trust, reliance, hope, faith, love and service and obedience to Him. We lose connection and site of Him in our lives. We find ourselves on paths that give us no purpose and meaning but they seem to occupy all of our heart, soul, and mind.

Do you want to see the awesome power, might, strength, and love of God? Walk with Him each day. Be intentional in your time in His word and humbly serve honor, trust, rely upon, follow and obey Him. You will see His power, might, strength, and love more and more each day. Come forward and place your feet on the necks of the trials that battle against you. Do not fear them but go in the strength and might of Jesus.

73. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Joshua 8:34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Deuteronomy 31:10-12    And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths,  when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.  Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,

Nehemiah 8:2-3     So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.  And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Nehemiah 9:3    And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20     “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.  If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.  But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,  I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,  loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

There was times past when God’s word was read to an entire nation, a time spent listening to His word and time spent in confession and time spent in worship. It is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to not have God’s written word immediately available and easily accessible. Wh don’t have to wait until there is a special day for His word to be read to us, we can read it at anytime we choose. Is it possible that His word is so readily available that we don’t find the need to spend time in it every day? Is it possible that because it is so accessible that we just tuck it away until we think we need it?

God’s word is not to be seen or used as a remedy quick fix book for when we come to hard times or sickness, or troubles, or trials. God’s word is to be food for every moment of every day. His word is to be so needed that it is consumed like the very air we need and breath. If His word is not active in your life is it possible that it is void from your choice of needing it, relying on it, clinging to it, wanting it??????

Choose to spend time in His word, neglecting it will always lead to your heart, mind and soul drifting away from Him.

71. After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin

Joshua 6:18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.

Joshua 7:10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies.

Joshua 7:19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.

In the story of Achan, we see just how deceptive sin can be. In the midst of a miraculous victory, Achan was enticed by a robe, some silver, and some gold—certainly, none of that compares with the power of God he had just witnessed. Yet we know our own hearts can be just as easily swayed. James 1:14–15 says, “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Another aspect of sin’s deception is that it promises a benefit that it just can’t deliver. The stolen items did Achan absolutely no good; he couldn’t spend the money, and he couldn’t wear the clothes. What seemed of great worth to him was actually worthless, buried in a hole in the ground while guilt festered in his heart. The gold and silver Achan stole was stolen from God Himself. The precious metals were to be added to the treasury of the Lord, and, in stealing them, Achan robbed God directly. God is holy and is not to be disobeyed without risking dire consequences.

We fool ourselves if we think we can neglect God’s word and we will be able to keep sin from enticing and tempting us. How can a person who chooses to neglect God’s word find the armor to fight self-interest, satan’s lies, and cultural influences? They won’t be able to and it must be said that disobedience brings ruin even upon the innocent. Sin’s effects go beyond the initial sinner. It will have an effect on your family and your friends.

69. “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

Joshua 5:6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us,

Numbers 14:32-34     But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.  And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.  According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’

Psalms 95:10-11    For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”  Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

Hebrews 3:11    As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

Hebrews 3:18-19   And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Matthew 11:28-29     Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Wandering in the wilderness for forty years seems like a severe punishment in todays standards. We would look at this and call it harsh, unreasonable, and definitely not from a loving God. We are good at that, putting our human twist onto God’s work. We exalt our limited wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God. In this exaltation of self knowledge and understanding we are actually saying “If I were God” and would do things differently.

The key take away from these verses is to intentionally choose to walk by faith, believing in and walking in obedience to God. Without this intentional choice to honor and serve God you will certainly go astray in your heart. Without His word in your daily life you will go astray in your heart. Keep it close, cherish it, and seek to know how to honor and serve Him more and more each day.

68. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off

Joshua 4:6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

Exodus 12:26-27     And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’  you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Exodus 13:14     And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 6:20-21    “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?’  then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Deuteronomy 11:19     You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Psalms 44:1    O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:

Psalms 71:18     So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Psalms 78:3-8     things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.  He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,  that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,  so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;  and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Acts 2:39     For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

When you children ask in time, you have heard and know,, teach to their children, fathers have told us, asks you, and when your children say to you…. all indicate that your children will see something in your life, something you do, something say, something you set aside, something you don’t do, something you don’t say, something you give away and they will ask you about it. Obviously they as well as others should see something different in our lives. They might even ask us why. We might be given chance to tell them the reason for the hope that we have, the reason for the way we act, speak and think, the reason we give, the reason we forgive, the reason we study His word, the reason we pray, the reason we have belief, trust and faith. Spending time in God’s word will give you reason, purpose, and meaning.

67. “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Joshua 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Exodus 15:8     At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

Psalms 33:7     He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;

Psalms 78:13    He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.

Psalms 114:3-5    The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.  The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.  What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?

Matthew 8:26-27    And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

We doubt we wonder, we both believe and believe not. Do you believe the Red Sea was split in two or that the Jordan river was stopped flowing or that Jesus calmed the sea? These are all recorded so that we might believe in the awesome power and might of God. It also shows His love for those called by His name and wrath for those who reject Him. There was the destruction of Egyptians and of those in Jericho. All things are possible for God the creator of all things both seen and unseen.

Think about the trial or trouble you are going through and need God’s intervention. Certainly, since our God can stop a river, split the Red Sea, calm the storm, all by the way seem impossible to do, He is more than able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.

Do you want to grow your faith? Read His word. Study it. Meditate on it. Seek to understand it. Believe it. Desire it. Time spent in His word every day is never wasted, honors Jesus, gives hope, and encourages us in the sovereignty and awesome power and might of God our creator and father.