“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.” (Psalm 57:1)
Being under Quarantine for more than a month now has given us the opportunity to seek the Lord, ask for His mercy and take refuge under the shadow of His wings for a season. Let us not just keep our fingers crossed but point our fingers to the Cross of Calvary, to the Passover Lamb that took away the sins of the world (which we just celebrated days ago). There we can activate our faith and believe in Him because our faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). This calamity will surely pass…
Malachi 4:2 says, "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings! Glory to God! The Son of Righteousness has risen from death, hell and the grave (Jesus’ resurrection)! 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed!” Trust God healing has come! Thank Him and expect He is turning all things around even now and working behind the scenes! Like calves, leaping for joy, soon we will be out of our stalls again, hehe! Hallelujah!
In my article about the Passover last week, I ended with this verse and note: Exodus 6:9-11: “So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, BECAUSE OF ANGUISH OF SPIRIT AND CRUEL BONDAGE. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land."
However, before that verse, in Exodus 4:29-31, it said, “Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.”
The people believed? They did! And even bowed and worshiped! Yes, like so many of us, we initially believe! But like in the parable of the sower (Mark 4:14-17), when opposition, tribulation and temptation come, we shrink back in offense and unbelief! The Word then becomes unfruitful! Whew!
Although they believed at first, when the Egyptian taskmasters made their work harder (Exodus 5:9-16), the true condition of their hearts were exposed! The children of Israel having been under slavery and hardship for more than 400 years in Egypt, their hearts have really become callous and full of unbelief that they cannot trust God that through Moses He was about to fulfill His promise and deliver them out of Egypt. If I were God, I would keep Moses from telling Pharaoh anymore in letting my people go. They were not ready and still wallowing in their slavery, unbelief and self-pity.
Yet, even in the hardness of their hearts, God still went on and commanded Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go! That is the kind of God we serve! In spite that most of us are not ready to trust what He is about to do because of too many hardships, unanswered prayers, unfulfilled dreams, frustrations and disappointments, God still goes ahead to confront the Enemy and our circumstances to prepare the way for us until we are ready to respond.
Then Exodus 7:3-5 says this: "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. "But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
The Lord commands Pharaoh to let His people go yet hardens his heart! Why does He do that? So He can work many signs and wonders in Egypt for all to see that He is the LORD GOD and there is no other! Both Israel and Egypt will see and know! Deliverance to Israel and judgment to Egypt! He will make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians. Hardening Pharaoh’s heart was God’s way of preparing Israel out of his anguish and unbelief and making them ready! He will show them His signs and wonders so they will fear and believe Him. Isaiah 55:8 says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD”! Glory to God! Ironic isn’t it? The delay of the deliverance was for Israel’s good, their benefit and lesson! God always means it for good and not for evil!
God has a reason and purpose for everything, even for COVID-19! We may not figure it all out, but He is in control and at work behind the curtains! All of us groan that deliverance should have been sooner. But Father knows best!
Perhaps we should keep Deuteronomy 8:2-3 in view: “Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD.” Oh God, what have we and the whole world been feeding on?!!! Lord, have mercy!
Jesus is the Bread of Life and our Passover Lamb! When he died on the cross and was laid on the tomb, what did His disciples do? They were all excited, full of faith and can hardly wait for the resurrection! NO! In fact, even before the crucifixion, Mark 14:50 says, “Then they all forsook Him and fled”! They hid themselves behind locked doors for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). Not one understood the crucifixion. Not one believed in the resurrection! They were defeated, utterly frustrated, disappointed and disillusioned!
The Apostle Paul wrote: “What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." (Romans 3:3-4) Thus, similar to the Israelites in Exodus earlier mentioned, in the midst of the disciples’ unbelief and hardness of heart, God continued to do and fulfill His promise and purpose! God was actually preparing them!
The three days and three nights of doubt, fear and hopelessness behind closed doors must have been unbearable for the disciples. They didn’t even know how long they would be waiting. They could hardly talk to each other, they could hardly eat or drink and they could hardly sleep or rest. They were utterly troubled and devastated within unmeasurably! Forget about being fishers of men, they might as well return to being fishermen.
They thought Jesus was in the grave decaying and no more. But, Jesus was at work! 1 Peter 3:19-20 says, “So he went and preached to the spirits in prison- those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.” Wow, Jesus was preaching to the disobedient in the underworld! He also went to paradise - Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22) and showed Himself to the Old Testament saints! He snatched the keys of Hell and Death (Rev. 1:18)!
Colossians 2:15 says, He “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Also in Eph 4:8-10, it says, “Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and MANY BODIES OF THE SAINTS WHO HAD FALLEN ASLEEP WERE RAISED; AND COMING OUT OF THE GRAVES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:51-53)
For three days and three nights while the disciples were moaning and groaning, any flickering hope doused, Jesus accomplished what He came for in the first place. God was preparing them. What they did not realize was that their lives were about to be forever changed and turned right side up! Hallelujah!
Life is never easy between problems and solutions. Between Egypt and Promised Land. Between asking and receiving. Between death and resurrection. But one thing is certain: With God nothing is impossible, God will keep us through and He still full of suddenlies and surprises! Indeed, there is a weight in waiting…
Keep praying, keep trusting, keep believing in the God of the Resurrection!
You may be in quarantine, may be not so much for the Covid-19 virus, but perhaps for the SIN virus. This is the time to repent, turn and make peace with God through Jesus Christ.
The bible says, “…The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:8-10) Glory to the Lamb!
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:23-24)
A testimony is waiting for you.
Be the good news of the good news so that others will hear the good news!
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]-- To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). (Eph 3:20-21 TAB) To God be the glory!!!
WM
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