It's a peculiar thing ?
Hebrews 11:7 says, "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith".
Hebrews 11 presents to us a cloud of witnesses who through faith were consider righteous.
I often speak about standing in the shoes of those God called to establish His nation.
I hope we realise that God never said this crowd were a perfect bunch. Let us look for a moment on a few of the crowd.
v31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies
I believe, to understand who we are as individuals we must first understand who we are as nation. to understand ourselves and our identity we have to confront ourselves head on.We are called a peculiar group, chosen from among the mixed multitude of the nations upon the earth.
The peculiarity of God’s chosen ones, makes them unique among the human community.
I have called you to be a peculiar people, 1 Peter 2:9 tells us. (KJB). Was the formation of this group some happenstance, an arbitrary thought in the mind of God or was it by divine design from the beginning.
Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship c through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Having been given such wonderful spiritual blessings, we are told that each one of us must understand the value of the price of these precious pearls and to honour them as we carry them through the covenant life. It is as if we are an ark in which these priceless gems are to be protected. They, are in fact identifiers, characteristics of a holy people. However, the blessings of a holy and abundant life come with caveats.
Exodus 19:5 reads,
5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you a will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth
The separation of this people group establishes the uniqueness of their calling. God chose them, they did not choose Him. They are to be symbolic of the separation of Christ’s bride from all other women.
God’s heart is zealous or jealous for His bride. He is very much concerned about her in all her ways. As a husband, He wants His wife to desire Him as He desires her. He wants her to be faithful to Him and He wants to be the only one who will provide for her.
Whether we like it or not, being among the chosen of God brings a lot of responsibility and a considerable weight to carry. This understanding is something that is often amiss in the teaching of a believers life. The cost of discipleship must be presented to all us before we accept the conditions of following Christ.(Luke 14:25) However, the burden of Christ is not a heavy one to carry for those who accept the way.
Walking the way of Christ brings along its challenges, something Jesus, never avoided telling us.
In recent days, I have been considering where most of us are in our faith. Matthew 8 gives us a number of examples of faith. From the healing of the leper, the healing of the centurions servant, the healing of Peter’s mother, the casting out of demons and to the calming of the storm, we see episodes where we could say different levels of faith are required. But the question is, 'where is our own level of faith in any of these events?' Some of us might believe in healing but may have difficulty in exercising the faith that is needed to cast out demons. On the other hand we may find the casting out of demons not so challenging but may find it more so to control the weather, or to even to move a mountain.
Some of us may find it easier to pray for the healing of someone who is in a remote place but find it harder to accept our own healing from the prayer of another. You see, it’s not quite a simple answer when it comes to matters of faith, or is it?
Scripture tells us that we have all been given a level of faith.
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
It is, however, incumbent upon every believer to advance and increase our levels of faith.
Nonetheless, we must understand that at whatever level of faith we may have, it is something we must all live by if we are to be among the righteous crowd of witnesses. The names of the faithful are being added to theirs. Faith is the nature of the separated or holy life. Exodus 19:5 tells us that we are to keep God’s covenants. As a result our faith will avail much.
(James 5:13). Faith and Covenant are synchronised.
James 5:3 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Friends, I want us to be encouraged. God is concerned about every aspect of our lives. Our faith, and trust in Him are paramount in affirming our proximity to Him.
Every child of God must go through trials and every child of God will receive their own unique ones. Let us establish this; I will not go through your trials and you will not go through mine. We are as peculiar to one another in this as we are to the world. We can only endure them if we call upon Father’s grace and strength. Trials are refining moments that act like the tempering of iron in a blacksmiths furnace. It’s no fun being in the fire, but the fire of God in the furnace is a refining fire that only destroys what does not belong in the thing that is being cast. But the consuming fire receives that which is purified, like the sweet incense upon the flame.
Sitting on a seat near the Kotel, in Jerusalem, the Lord told me to look at the wall and not at the people who were offering up their prayers. He showed me how all the great stones were different, and how like this wall, His people were. Pieced together and joined with the hands of the master builders, this wall still remains standing after thousands of years — though only a remnant of the original complex. Each stone of different shape and size, and cut by other hands makes each one of them unique.
Be encouraged friends, that God has made us all unique, just like these stones. Our trials, though as heavy as stones, are not more than we can bear. They are life changing, strengthening and positioning.
In the depth of the soil from which we were made lies a beautiful uncut diamond that needs fashioning for the crown we will receive from our King. As we are shaped in the hand of the jeweller, we will feel every cut of the blade and the burning of the polishing wheel.
Every cut on the face of the diamond produces a facet that will shine the light in a specific direction. I see the Lord holding up this diamond to His eye and moving it around with His fingers; the light of His countenance reflecting of its surface is directed upon one of the many paths we may find ourselves walking along the journey of our faith.
Isaiah 43
43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even everyone that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him....
Shalom.
Grant.
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