This is a continuation of the previous message, so if you haven’t read it, please do so first.
Most people are results driven. If we do not see fruit on our efforts, we consider it necessary to either give up or change direction.
When we try to apply this nature of man to the Kingdom of God, we’ll easily get discouraged and either give up or just do activities for the sake of tradition. This is because in God’s Kingdom it is all about His plan. We are part of a greater picture. We saw in the previous message that Abraham never really got what he could have expected. The Lord was very clear that the promise was for Abraham’s offspring and Abraham was willing to go along with it, which is why he became the father of all who believe. Although his carnal nature would have liked to be great, live in a mansion and see a huge family, his love for the Lord and his faith in Him made him content to live in tents and only have one son of the promise, whom he even was prepared to kill if God so desired it.
Abraham knew the secret of faith, which means trusting that the Lord knows what He is doing. How about us? What are we called to do? Are we doing what we are doing just for the sake of religion or because we have heard from the Lord? Have we become discouraged and do nothing? What do we aim for – to be great, well known and popular or to be what God wants us to be?
In 2 Timothy 4:2-4 Paul warned Timothy against preachers who would preach outside of God’s will with questionable motives: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy4:2-4&version=NIV1984. This indicates that not all preaching is of God and part of His plan, since charisma and talent also draw people and can lead to great ‘ministries’, just as the charisma of great entertainers draw people.
To the Lord greatness is to be fruitful in accomplishing His plan. He has a greater plan as we saw from Hebrews 11:39-40 yesterday: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
A covenant is a pact that gives each party the right to do as the other party is doing. If party one blesses, party two may bless, if party one misbehaves party two may reprimand him or for that matter also ‘misbehave’ such us withdrawing support, etc. Under covenant Abraham gave the Lord the mandate to sacrifice His only son because Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his.
Under the new covenant our obedience to the Holy Spirit’s commands gives the Lord the mandate to act on our behalf. If we please the Lord by faith and trust Him to guide us into His plan for our life, He has the mandate to do just that. If we seek Him every moment to determine what He wants us to do, we give Him the mandate to give us what we look for. If we put ourselves on the altar we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will,” (Romans 12:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2012:1-2&version=NIV1984).
I had to learn this lesson with these messages I’m writing, which is why I had to stop promoting it for a while. The Lord wanted me to understand I am not to look for results, but to trust Him for the results, which is why we have this prayer from Isaiah 55:11 at the end of each message. If we look for results, we are liable to inflate our efforts with human schemes. The Lord knows His greater plan and what He’d like to accomplish in people’s lives. All we need to do is to listen and obey. One day in heaven the fruit of our labour will be revealed.
Lord, help me to simply listen and obey.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
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