Monday devotions 18 January 2021
God’s
Word records for us the lives of many of His servants that managed to
build Kingdom in the face of adversity. Building in times when life is
hard and all but a rose garden, is a great challenge that the body of
Christ faces at this unprecedented time. It can be very daunting, and
we may tend to feel discouraged, not knowing how to go forward. Let us
take a quick look at some examples of how people still managed to
build, even though life was hard for them. I am sure there may be more
things that these people built but this is what stood out for me at
present.
Moses
In Exodus 33:7-11 we read that Moses built a tent of meeting outside the camp where he and anyone else could retreat to, to speak to the Lord. I can imagine the hustle and bustle in the tent camp of thousands of Israelites, and nowhere to find a place to just be in God’s presence. Moses saw this need and built a place of meeting with God. It was here that God met him and where God spoke to him face to face as with a friend. It was here where Joshua stayed in the presence of God when Moses went back to work. It was here where the pillar of cloud by day and the fire of God by night was a visible sign of God’s presence with the people. Later, God formalized this temporary tabernacle when He gave Moses instructions how to build the tabernacle of His presence that eventually became the blueprint for the temple of Solomon in the Promised Land.
Hezekiah
In 2 Chronicles 32:2-4:30 and 2 Kings 20:20 we read how king Hezekiah built a tunnel that diverted the Gihon water springs into the pool of Siloam, so that the city will have water inside its walls. He was building in a time when they faced the mighty Assyrian army who was on its way to besiege Jerusalem.
Daniel
Daniel was but a teenager when he went into captivity to Babylon. He served in the court of several of the Babylonian kings with no hope to ever have the ‘normal’ life he must have dreamt of as a young boy. As far as we know he never had a family and never went back to Israel – yet he continuously built God’s Kingdom, even at the threat to his own life. He built with righteousness and integrity within an occult and corrupt government system to such an extent that the gentile king Nebuchadnezzar had to acknowledge that his God was the one and only true God.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah brought God’s word to a people in a time that nobody wanted to listen. No matter how much he prophesied, the people accused him of bringing fake news, while the fake news was hailed as truth. He is called the weeping prophet because he cried before God on behalf of the people and in the face of the hopelessness of him preaching but nobody hearing. God also sent words of hope to the people in captivity through Jeremiah that He will once again restore them when they return to Him – for some this only came true in the next generation, yet it was a word of hope for them to hold on to.
The Disciples
Jesus’s disciples built Kingdom with enthusiasm and passion through many trials, tribulations, and persecution. Paul says in Philippians 4 that he had learned to be content with what he has, for he has known lack, abundance, and distress. Paul was shipwrecked, Peter and many other disciples were imprisoned. Paul was assaulted and left for dead. All the disciples except for John died in service of the Messiah and was executed for their belief – their knowing – that Jesus had been resurrected. They built kingdom despite danger and even when facing death.
And so we can go on and on reading and learning from people who came before us who faced immense hardships and still built the Kingdom of God, because the Holy Spirit was with them, strengthened and encouraged them with the presence of God. Finally, let us take the following truths and lessons from the above with us into this year that now looks as challenging as climbing Mount Everest:
1. Let us build a “tent of meeting”, a place where we can go to encounter Him and let Him speak to us face to face.
2. God introduces Himself to us in the word as the “Fountain of Living Water” (John 4). Let us bring that spring of living water into the protection of the walls of the city where the enemy cannot get hold of it, for it is our “wellspring of life”.
3. Let us build with integrity in an environment where corruption and the darkness of occultism is growing day by day. As the darkness grows, let our light shine even brighter.
4. Let us bring hope to a world that has lost hope – proclaiming God’s goodness even when we do not see it manifest in our own life and time, holding on to God’s promises even when they will only manifest in the generations to come.
5. Let us build in the face of adversity and persecution – well knowing that this life is a temporary journey in a temporary dwelling, but that we are citizens of a heavenly Kingdom and our citizenship is everlasting.
Moses
In Exodus 33:7-11 we read that Moses built a tent of meeting outside the camp where he and anyone else could retreat to, to speak to the Lord. I can imagine the hustle and bustle in the tent camp of thousands of Israelites, and nowhere to find a place to just be in God’s presence. Moses saw this need and built a place of meeting with God. It was here that God met him and where God spoke to him face to face as with a friend. It was here where Joshua stayed in the presence of God when Moses went back to work. It was here where the pillar of cloud by day and the fire of God by night was a visible sign of God’s presence with the people. Later, God formalized this temporary tabernacle when He gave Moses instructions how to build the tabernacle of His presence that eventually became the blueprint for the temple of Solomon in the Promised Land.
Hezekiah
In 2 Chronicles 32:2-4:30 and 2 Kings 20:20 we read how king Hezekiah built a tunnel that diverted the Gihon water springs into the pool of Siloam, so that the city will have water inside its walls. He was building in a time when they faced the mighty Assyrian army who was on its way to besiege Jerusalem.
Daniel
Daniel was but a teenager when he went into captivity to Babylon. He served in the court of several of the Babylonian kings with no hope to ever have the ‘normal’ life he must have dreamt of as a young boy. As far as we know he never had a family and never went back to Israel – yet he continuously built God’s Kingdom, even at the threat to his own life. He built with righteousness and integrity within an occult and corrupt government system to such an extent that the gentile king Nebuchadnezzar had to acknowledge that his God was the one and only true God.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah brought God’s word to a people in a time that nobody wanted to listen. No matter how much he prophesied, the people accused him of bringing fake news, while the fake news was hailed as truth. He is called the weeping prophet because he cried before God on behalf of the people and in the face of the hopelessness of him preaching but nobody hearing. God also sent words of hope to the people in captivity through Jeremiah that He will once again restore them when they return to Him – for some this only came true in the next generation, yet it was a word of hope for them to hold on to.
The Disciples
Jesus’s disciples built Kingdom with enthusiasm and passion through many trials, tribulations, and persecution. Paul says in Philippians 4 that he had learned to be content with what he has, for he has known lack, abundance, and distress. Paul was shipwrecked, Peter and many other disciples were imprisoned. Paul was assaulted and left for dead. All the disciples except for John died in service of the Messiah and was executed for their belief – their knowing – that Jesus had been resurrected. They built kingdom despite danger and even when facing death.
And so we can go on and on reading and learning from people who came before us who faced immense hardships and still built the Kingdom of God, because the Holy Spirit was with them, strengthened and encouraged them with the presence of God. Finally, let us take the following truths and lessons from the above with us into this year that now looks as challenging as climbing Mount Everest:
1. Let us build a “tent of meeting”, a place where we can go to encounter Him and let Him speak to us face to face.
2. God introduces Himself to us in the word as the “Fountain of Living Water” (John 4). Let us bring that spring of living water into the protection of the walls of the city where the enemy cannot get hold of it, for it is our “wellspring of life”.
3. Let us build with integrity in an environment where corruption and the darkness of occultism is growing day by day. As the darkness grows, let our light shine even brighter.
4. Let us bring hope to a world that has lost hope – proclaiming God’s goodness even when we do not see it manifest in our own life and time, holding on to God’s promises even when they will only manifest in the generations to come.
5. Let us build in the face of adversity and persecution – well knowing that this life is a temporary journey in a temporary dwelling, but that we are citizens of a heavenly Kingdom and our citizenship is everlasting.
Alisa Turner
©HG Venter January 2021
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