(Good Morn All ) WE ARE NOT WITHOUT HOPE When a deep cry forms in the hearts of God’s people, what is the Lord’s response? I believe the answer is found in the book of First Samuel. God allows a holy desperation to come not only into the nation, but into the hearts of those He will use to call the people back to Himself. In this case, it was a barren woman named Hannah. “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefor she wept and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am I not better to thee than ten sons? So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore” (1 Samuel 1:6-10). Here we see Hannah at a place of holy desperation—a place where many of us are today. Note that this desperation differs from that of the world living apart from God. People without God are crying out as circumstances begin to overwhelm them and as despair and hopelessness fill their hearts. We, on the other hand, are not a people without hope. Nevertheless, there is a deep cry forming within many of God’s people. The Bible tells us that Hannah eventually reached a point of desperation where she could not even form words anymore. I have experienced that in my own prayer time—where I come to a point of simply having nothing left to say. But it is in those moments, just as it says in Romans, that “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). A God-breathed holy desperation has come into your heart, and it is no accident that it is happening at this particular moment. It is evidence that God desires to do something in and through you. AN OVERCOMING LIFE At Calvary, Jesus stripped the devil of all power and authority. When Christ arose victorious from the grave, He led an innumerable host of redeemed captives out of Satan’s grasp, and that blood-bought procession in still marching on today. Amazingly, Christ’s triumph at Calvary gave us even more than victory over death. It gained for us incredible spoils in this life: grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness, strength, faith—all the resources needed to lead an overcoming life. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). God has made every provision for the maintaining of His temple: “Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:6). The Holy Spirit is showing us a marvelous truth here: Jesus has supplied us with all the resources we need, in His Holy Spirit. But it is our responsibility to maintain His temple, and the resources for doing so must come directly from the spoils of our warfare. Christ has given us everything necessary for this maintenance to take place. He has adopted us into His household and He stands as the cornerstone of the house, which He has completely cleaned. Finally, He has given us access to the very Holy of Holies. So, by faith, we are now a fully established, complete temple. Jesus didn’t build a house that is only half finished.The resources for keeping this temple in good repair can be found in the Spirit of Christ Himself. He is the treasurer of all spoils. Those resources are released when we see our need and cooperate with God, and that cooperation begins when we are in the midst of conflict. Our resources are the Christlikeness we win while immersed in battle. They are the lessons, the faith, the character we gain from warfare with the enemy. Lots of Love Samuel
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 07:28:24 +0000
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