Num 18:20
“Then the Lord said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.”
When Israel entered the land of promise and divided up the land among the tribes, clans, and families of Israel, God commanded them not to give the priests and Levites any land. God said He would be their portion of land and their inheritance. Land during this time was very important to people. It was their means of livelihood, their place of security, their savings program, retirement, and the inheritance for their children for generations to come. In fact, they were not allowed to sell their land. It was the family’s security for generations.
But while everyone else was getting land and security for their family, God did not allow the priests to own land because He was to be their land, their livelihood, their place of security, their savings and retirement plan, and their inheritance for generations to come. Today, we live in perilous times when people are losing their jobs, homes, and pension plans. Our world economy is rocking and reeling, and no one is really sure what the future holds for us. But as the people of this world desperately try to hold on to what they have, God declares over you and me that “I am your portion and your inheritance.”
I Peter 2:9 says “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” God has chosen you and me to be His royal priesthood, holy nation, and special people in the world today. We are distinct from the rest of the world because our security is not in our jobs, our land, our homes, our savings, our retirement plan, or inheritance for our children. God Himself is our portion and our inheritance. The God of the universe who rules over all things, who has all power in His hands is our security. The God who clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air is our provider. The God who does not change and is not affected by political and economic climate is our portion.
God has called us to be a distinct people not only to be our inheritance and portion, but that in the midst of this economic and political chaos “that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” It is in the midst of the darkness, confusion, hopelessness and chaos that we can shine the brightest. But we can only shine if God is truly our portion and our inheritance. As a royal priesthood we represent God to the world, and we intercede for the world before God.
Whatever challenges, uncertainties, or fears you may be facing, make God your portion and your inheritance today. In doing so, may “your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Andy Clark
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Give Me This Mountain
Numbers 14:24“But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”
In Numbers 14, God brought Israel to the edge of the land of promise to take them into the inheritance He had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, Israel because of fear and doubt, Isreal failed to enter into and take possession of God’s promise. Caleb “was of a different spirit.” What kind of a spirit did Caleb have that caused God to single him out with a commendation and promise? He had a spirit of faith. While the rest of the children of Israel saw all the problems and challenges of the promise, Caleb and Joshua saw what God saw. He saw a land of great potential and possibilities and believed God’s promise to give it to them. (Joshua 14:7)
God also declared Caleb as His “servant” who followed Him “wholeheartedly.” Caleb was not out doing his own thing or pursuing what he wanted. There is a liberty and reward with being a wholehearted servant of God. Paul in Romans chapter one identified himself as a bond servant of Christ. The picture there in Roman times was of a slave who was given his freedom but chooses to remain a slave for life. He would put his ear to the doorpost of the master’s house, the master would pierce his ear with a punch, and he became a slave for life. It is a total abandonment of one’s self, one’s freedoms and one’s will to the will of the master. It is in wholehearted servanthood to Christ that we come into the fullness of His enablement and the fulfillment of His promises.
There are some other benefits to wholehearted servanthood. Forty-five years later as Israel under Joshua has begun to take possession of the land of promise, Caleb reminds Joshua of God’s promise. “As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said." (Joshua 14:11-12)
Out of wholehearted servanthood comes a strength and authority. It is from this place of strength and authority that Caleb declares, “give me this mountain.” Possession of the mountain was not automatically his because God had promised it. It had giants and great fortified cities that had to be conquered. But as a wholehearted servant of God, Caleb knew that He came to conquer by the authority of his Master.
God has “given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.” (2 Peter 1:4) They are promises that have great potential and great challenges. These promises that can only be fulfilled through servant people who have a different spirit and follow God wholeheartedly or with utter abandonment. May we wholly abandon ourselves to God and His purposes that His glory may be seen in us.
Andy Clark
In Numbers 14, God brought Israel to the edge of the land of promise to take them into the inheritance He had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, Israel because of fear and doubt, Isreal failed to enter into and take possession of God’s promise. Caleb “was of a different spirit.” What kind of a spirit did Caleb have that caused God to single him out with a commendation and promise? He had a spirit of faith. While the rest of the children of Israel saw all the problems and challenges of the promise, Caleb and Joshua saw what God saw. He saw a land of great potential and possibilities and believed God’s promise to give it to them. (Joshua 14:7)
God also declared Caleb as His “servant” who followed Him “wholeheartedly.” Caleb was not out doing his own thing or pursuing what he wanted. There is a liberty and reward with being a wholehearted servant of God. Paul in Romans chapter one identified himself as a bond servant of Christ. The picture there in Roman times was of a slave who was given his freedom but chooses to remain a slave for life. He would put his ear to the doorpost of the master’s house, the master would pierce his ear with a punch, and he became a slave for life. It is a total abandonment of one’s self, one’s freedoms and one’s will to the will of the master. It is in wholehearted servanthood to Christ that we come into the fullness of His enablement and the fulfillment of His promises.
There are some other benefits to wholehearted servanthood. Forty-five years later as Israel under Joshua has begun to take possession of the land of promise, Caleb reminds Joshua of God’s promise. “As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said." (Joshua 14:11-12)
Out of wholehearted servanthood comes a strength and authority. It is from this place of strength and authority that Caleb declares, “give me this mountain.” Possession of the mountain was not automatically his because God had promised it. It had giants and great fortified cities that had to be conquered. But as a wholehearted servant of God, Caleb knew that He came to conquer by the authority of his Master.
God has “given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.” (2 Peter 1:4) They are promises that have great potential and great challenges. These promises that can only be fulfilled through servant people who have a different spirit and follow God wholeheartedly or with utter abandonment. May we wholly abandon ourselves to God and His purposes that His glory may be seen in us.
Andy Clark
Monday, July 12, 2010
Living with Purpose
These days in which we are living, I believe God is calling us to live life with a greater sense of purpose. So often we get caught up in the routine of life, whether it is in ministry, our job, marriage, or family. God is calling us to be more intentional in serving Him, loving our wife and family, serving our church, at work, or in our community.
To enter the promises of God we need to live intentionally. We need to intentionally hear God’s voice in the small daily decisions and activities of our life. We need to purposefully take ownership or act on the prompting of God’s Spirit. We need to purposefully meditate on God’s Word and allow it to shape our character, values, decisions, and lifestyle. We need to live on the edge, where the supernatural happens in our marriage, family, church and career. Supernatural -- such that God invades these areas and does things beyond our capabilities and we begin to see that supernatural wisdom and favor of God in our daily lives.
I like the way Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
“Run in such a way.” There is an art to running correctly to enhance speed and endurance. There is an art to swinging a golf club. Every aspect of the swing must be intentional to be able to hit the ball right where you want it. You can not excel without first developing your skill in whatever you do and doing it God’s way. He is prepared to coach us by His Spirit.
“Strict training.” This is the discipline to achieve the goal or purpose. The New Kings James uses the word “temperate,” which has the sense of balance in what you do. We tend often to succumb to the tyranny of the urgent and fail to do that which is most important.
“Running aimlessly and beating the air.” In the midst of the endless distractions in life we have to keep focused on the purposes of God in our lives, whether immediate or long term. Satan loves to get us caught up in daily, small challenges and activities that take our eyes and our efforts off of God’s purposes.
Let us endeavor not to run aimlessly or beat the air, but to run with God’s purposes, both daily and long term, so that we may enter into His promises for us.
Andy Clark
To enter the promises of God we need to live intentionally. We need to intentionally hear God’s voice in the small daily decisions and activities of our life. We need to purposefully take ownership or act on the prompting of God’s Spirit. We need to purposefully meditate on God’s Word and allow it to shape our character, values, decisions, and lifestyle. We need to live on the edge, where the supernatural happens in our marriage, family, church and career. Supernatural -- such that God invades these areas and does things beyond our capabilities and we begin to see that supernatural wisdom and favor of God in our daily lives.
I like the way Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
“Run in such a way.” There is an art to running correctly to enhance speed and endurance. There is an art to swinging a golf club. Every aspect of the swing must be intentional to be able to hit the ball right where you want it. You can not excel without first developing your skill in whatever you do and doing it God’s way. He is prepared to coach us by His Spirit.
“Strict training.” This is the discipline to achieve the goal or purpose. The New Kings James uses the word “temperate,” which has the sense of balance in what you do. We tend often to succumb to the tyranny of the urgent and fail to do that which is most important.
“Running aimlessly and beating the air.” In the midst of the endless distractions in life we have to keep focused on the purposes of God in our lives, whether immediate or long term. Satan loves to get us caught up in daily, small challenges and activities that take our eyes and our efforts off of God’s purposes.
Let us endeavor not to run aimlessly or beat the air, but to run with God’s purposes, both daily and long term, so that we may enter into His promises for us.
Andy Clark
Monday, July 5, 2010
Embracing God
In Genesis 32:22-28 we read the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob is returning from his years with Laban to the land of promise. But as he approaches, he hears that his brother Esau is coming with an armed band of 400 men. Jacob sends some gifts of peace ahead of him to Esau and then splits his family and possession into two groups in hopes than one group will escape Esau. Finally, he does that which is most important, he pulls away from everything to spend time with God.
The Man whom Jacob encounters in verse 24 is believed to be a Theofony, an appearance of Christ in the OT. In verse 28 it says, “you have struggled with God …. and have prevailed.” The struggle Jacob had with God was not a wrestling match, but more accurately an embrace. Basically, Jacob wrapped his arms around God and would not let him go. Even after God touched his hip socket, his place of strength, Jacob would not let go until God blessed him with a new identity. Instead of Jacob the “deceiver,” he became Israel “Prince with God” or “He Strives with God.” Jacob would not settle for anything less than his full inheritance.
Why could God not get free from Jacob? How can a mortal man wrestle with God and prevail? THE KEY! God cannot break the embrace of faith. Jacob’s promise of blessing was established by God in Genesis 25:23 and declared by Jacob’s father, Isaac, in Genesis 27:27-29. Esau, who represents the flesh, was coming to take Jacob’s blessing. Jacob did not fight or wrestle with Esau, the flesh, natural man, circumstances, (we do not wrestle with flesh and blood) but Jacob embraced God, the true source of the blessing, and did not let go of God until the promise was confirmed and established.
2 Peter 1:4 says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Like Jacob, we have been given exceeding great and precious promises. These promises allow us to escape the hold the world has on us so that we can be partakers of the divine nature. We can only enter into this divine nature and promises by embracing God and not letting go until his promises have been fulfilled in us.
“And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 22:28) Whatever challenges you are facing today, turn aside to embrace God in love and faith. As you do, He will change your nature, deliver you from your affliction, and fulfill His promises to you.
Andy Clark
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