Partnering With God for His Glory and Our Good - Day 100 Through the Bible

Another Burnsville, NC hand-painted mural

Studying and Applying Scripture to My Life - Today's Lessons / Applications

Our Partnership with God / All for His Glory and Our Good: (Joshua 9 and 10 and Luke 10)  In Joshua 9 the majority of kings gather together as partners against the people of God.  They have seen the power of God behind the Israelite routings and are in great fear.  (Remember as we studied about Christ's passion during the recent Holy Week how this same thing happened - the elders and priests - the great people - gathered together out of fear and envy against Jesus.)  There was an exception to this pattern of behavior toward the godly, and that was evidenced with the Gibeonites who chose to ingratiate themselves to God's people through lies, schemes, and scams - pretending to be something they weren't.  Our reading today in Luke 10 has Jesus reminding his disciples to be careful of this very thing.  "Go your way, behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves." Israel made the mistake of "making a covenant with the Gibeonites without asking counsel of the LORD." As the Scottish minister, Eric Alexander, says:  Prayer is not an option for the people of God.  It is an obligation.  One of the great precepts of the Bible is the necessity of a close walk and fellowship with God..being led by Him.  As Charles Stanley says, " The Lord invites us to partner with Him in expanding His kingdom, but we must never forget that we are very much the junior partners."

My Lessons / Applications: These patterns continue today.  We, as believers, often stand for the world - for its good, its return to godliness - but we rarely stand with the world.  Those following the world's philosophies stand together against the godly.  We see this clearly in the media, in particular.  We also see the ungodly coming into our churches, pretending to be followers of Christ while following worldly philosophies for greed.  Christ warns us often in the Bible to go out prepared, and promises us that He will go with us.  Even the disciples were told to tarry in the city until the Holy Spirit came upon them.  Our power as laborers in God's kingdom does not come from our own abilities.  It is solely from God - His gifts, His Holy Spirit, His Mighty Hand and His Outstretched Arm.  We are honored that He often will work through us, but all glory belongs to Him.  Note in Joshua 9 and 10 how often God is given the glory for His fame, all that He did, all that He gave you, all that He destroyed, as the LORD commanded, the God of Israel fought for Israel, the LORD delivered, the LORD heeded the voice of Joshua, the LORD routed them, the LORD cast down hailstones - 15 times in 2 chapters glory is attributed to God...not man...not Joshua.  In Luke 10, Jesus gives all glory to God:  I thank You, Father, that You have hidden...revealed...for it seemed good in Your sight...all things have been delivered to Me by My Father..."Do we do this today as a nation, recognizing God's power and sovereignty?  Do we do this as His church...or do we take credit for the fruit produced?  In my own life as I see God working...do I lay any and all crowns at His feet?

Woe to You:  Chorazin...Bethsaida...Capernaum...all the people and places to whom the kingdom of God has come near and who rejected the gospel message...woe to them, Jesus says.  The disciples then, and we, the church now, are sent out to preach the kingdom of God, regardless of whether the message is accepted or rejected.  "The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest"...Go...'if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it (that house); if not, it will return to you....if they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, "The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you."'

Lesson / Meditation:  Jesus reminds us that our greatest joy is not to be in the miracles of healing and casting out demons that are performed in His power but in His greatest miracle - the salvation of souls - in our names being written in heaven (Luke 10: 20).  The He turned to His disciples and said privately...."Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

Evangelism is, therefore, a greater work than we imagine.  (John 14:12) - Charles Stanley