The cord of three strands

When David stood before Goliath, he knew that God was going to bring deliverance not only for him but also for the people of Israel, and not only that God’s manifest destiny for Israel would be preserved and not destroyed.

What was it that David had that gave him such complete confidence that when he came out to challenge Goliath, he would prevail?

I believe that it was the strength of David’s relationship with God, that he had built up over the lonely years of shepherding, when he was overlooked by his family, as he learned to worship God and to serve Him only, he developed a strong bond with God the Father Almighty, the Lord God Almighty, the Lord of Hosts.

In Ecclesiastes 4:12 we read that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. I believe that there were three key aspects to David’s relationship with God that enabled him to stand fast in the face of death.

(1) Faith
(2) Preparation
(3) Keeping it real

Each of those strands is in turn made up of three components. So we have
Faith, the presence of God, the call of God. David not only believed God, he had also been set apart by God, anointed by God (the call of God) and he also had cultivated the presence of God by becoming a worshipper.
Likewise, we have no business standing before Goliath unless we likewise have faith: we believe God; we’ve been called: appointed, anointed; we have cultivated the presence of God around our lives through seeking Him in prayer, through the word, and through worship. If we do that, we have the first strand in our lives intact.

Which brings me to the second strand. We have preparation. This in turn requires the presence of God (the anointing, the call of God, worship), and it requires humility, and it requires us to show up having done the absolute best with what God has given us. Consider the parable of the talents. Jesus has given us gifts, He has given us talents. And we’re to use them. But not the things that He hasn’t given to us. David was not (at the time of facing Goliath) a battle-hardened warrior. That was the problem. He was a shepherd boy, with a lot of time on his hands. Did he sit around thinking “oh dear, poor me, I’m only a poor useless shepherd boy, what can God ever use me for, I’m not a warrior, I’m not particularly talented, I’m not especially clever, oh poor me”. No he did not. He practiced with his slingshot. In the hours and hours of boredom, watching over his “few sheep”, he did not waste what he had. He learned to be a crack shot. God used this to overcome Goliath.

So you’re thinking “Well, I have absolutely nothing, I’m not even any good with a slingshot, I’m a complete unco, God could never have used me”. Wrong. God will use whatever you have. That is where the humility component and the anointing component come in. If David truly had no skills in at all, he would have overcome Goliath with “just” the anointing on his life. Humility required of David that he recognize that Saul’s armour wasn’t going to work. He went in the strength he had, having learned the lessons from the stories of his ancestors, in particular Moses and Gideon. But the preparation strand means that effort was required, and time was required, and waiting on God was required. God knows the timing. Our times are in His hands.
In the meantime we don’t sit twiddling our thumbs, we put our hands to the plow whatever is in front of us and we use the time wisely to prepare.

Finally, we have the component of “keeping it real”. Which is similar to the strand of preparation, yet different. The emphasis of this strand is humility. We understand not just that we can do nothing apart from God but that we can do everything in Him. All things are ours. All things are possible, to those who believe. So this strand is combined with faith. In fact its faith, hope and love wrapped in a cloak of humility.

So we have the three strands of the cord that must tie us to God, and does tie us to God in Christ.

The faith strand, made up of faith, the presence of God and the call of God. In other words, the anointing.
The preparation strand, made up of our talents and effort (preparation), the presence of God and humility.
The “keeping it real” strand: faith, hope and love wrapped up in the cloak of humility.

Remember we are God’s workmanship, and we are created to do good works in Christ.

Colossians chapter 1, the Message:

“The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.”

There is a hope laid up for us in heaven, that God wants to use us to bring to earth. Touching heaven, pulling down the blessing, and changing earth. All things are possible, if we believe.

Time after time

…we were by nature objects of wrath…but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ^…

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that… he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us…For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

…we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.

God’s mercies are new every morning.

Like the song, God says “If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be waiting… time after time”

though a righteous man (or woman) may fall 7 times, he rises again.  Only make a choice.

Listen to Jesus: “Get up!”

Bruised not Broken

Isaiah 42 (New International Version)

The Servant of the Lord
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.”

Isaiah 54 (New American Standard)

the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.
“O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.
“Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones.
“All your sons will be taught of the LORD;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
“In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.

Hebrews 13:5 (Amplified Bible)

be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!

Faith

When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?

Or perhaps more directly, “When the Son of Man comes will he find faith in you?”

Remember when Jesus wept?

Well, many times, I’m sure but specifically we’re told that “Jesus wept” when He came to see Mary and Martha and their dead brother Lazarus.

“See how He loved him” said the mourning relatives.

Little did they know, perhaps, why Jesus wept.

I believe with all my heart He wept for the same reason He is weeping now, over the church and over us.  It’s because of the lack of faith.

I believe that John the Revelator got a taste for Jesus’ grief in heaven, when he “wept and wept” when no-one was found worthy of opening the scroll.  No-one, that is, except Jesus.

Jesus alone was worthy to open the scroll in heaven, and He alone is worthy to open the scroll of our hearts to speak FAITH therein.

I believe God want to speak “FAITH!!” to our hearts, thats “FAITH!!” with capital letters and impartation of “FAITH” like the “BE LOOSED!!!” impartation “BE HEALED!! RELEASE!!” of the evangelist.  Jesus wants to impart “FAITH!!” to the church.

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?  Will he find faith in you?

Many years ago I was fortunate enough to travel to Toronto during the revival there, and I had John Arnott pray for me.  I remember it distinctly.  I was standing somewhat limply with my hands outstretched with minimum impartation.  John Arnott came around praying for everyone and when he got to me he slapped both of my outstretched hands—rather hard. “RECEIVE IT!!”, he rebuked.  I wasn’t particular impressed, but now I get it.

This is something we need to get hungry for, this is something we need expectation for, and God isn’t interested in half-hearted commitment, He wants all of us.  He wants to do an inside job in our hearts.

“Behold” spoke Jesus, “Nathaniel, a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile”

Is there guile in you?  Is there self deception?  Who are you trying to fake?

Jesus wants to impart “FAITH” but you’ve got to be “there” to receive it.  You’ve got to be present, engaged, not disaffected, disconnected an dissociated.

God, shake me to wake me, please.

Another story, which reminds me of what my spirit needs at times, was that of Smith’s Wigglesworth.

Apparently he was called to pray for someone, and he got there too late.  The man was dead.

Wigglesworth prayed…. nothing…. Prayed more earnestly… still nothing

After much useless prayer, Wigglesworth picked the man up, threw him against the wall, and proceeded (to the shock of those present) to punch the man (presently dead) in the stomach.

“BE HEALED!!! RELEASE!!! BE LOOSED!!! FAITH!!!” he prayed, each prayer accompanied with a voracious punch more severe and intense than the previous.

Needless to say, the man came to life, somewhat bruised and battered, but greatly relieved no doubt to find himself very much alive!!

The Beginning and The End

Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega.  He is the Beginning and the End.  But as well as this, there is a beginning of His work in us and through us, and there is an end to His work in and through us.

In fact, there are many beginnings and there are many ends to our walk with Jesus, but they all start with Him and they all finish with Him.  The first is when we become Christians, the first time we call on His name, the first time we are saved.  But there are other beginnings.  Every time Jesus calls us to “Come up higher” is a new beginning in Him.

Let me share a picture that I had of one such beginning and one such end.

The beginning I’m envisioning is when Jesus calls us to step up higher in faith.  The picture, is the disciples, in a boat (picture that you and I are the disciples).  The waves are getting bigger.  The wind is getting squallier.  There’s an eerie chill in the air, and dark clouds brooding ferociously beyond the hills.  Soon there is a full blown storm.  Two things are immediately apparent.  This storm is a massive one.  In fact this storm is building in such a way that it looks as if it’s going to kill us.  The second thing is: where is Jesus? He’s not in the boat.

Immediately, panic and fear rise up.  “We’re gonna die,” and Jesus has abandoned us.  Great.

Except… what is that up in the distance, on one of the waves.  A branch? A twig? Some debris? Another abandoned ship, capsized, crew already drowned?  A face? No… it’s gone again.

There it is again, only closer.  What the…?  It’s a man? It’s a ghost?

“Take courage, it is I”

There it is. There’s the moment, the chance to come up higher.  The new beginning.  Jesus is with one breath commanding us to take courage, and in the same breath empowering us with courage. It is him!

“If it is you, Lord, then command me to step out onto the waves.”

Then the supernatural strength comes, the empowerment, the grace, and we’re walking on the water with Jesus.

That’s the beginning.  Thats the new level.   That’s when the faith comes.

Jesus is asking us “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in the earth?”.  The answer is definitely “yes”, if we respond to his glorious command and impartation: “Take courage, it is I”

So what of the end? The end is in heaven.  The end is when we get to stand before God, before the angels, and before the saints, and we get to receive the reward of our faith.  I see a row of saints, battle-weary but full of the joy of the Lord, standing before the King, like at a medal ceremony, about to receive the Congressional medal of honor.  Jesus stops at each and every one of us, and at that moment all of heaven stops and savours the moment:  Well done, good and faithful servant.  Jesus looks at each one of us, individually in the eye, and for that moment His joy is complete.  At that moment we understand the infinite, eternal, value of all our trials and the opportunities that Jesus has given us, and we get to complete His joy.

Not just our joy, His joy.

The beginning, and the end.  The beginning is Jesus, the end is Jesus.  Every step of the way, but it requires faith.

But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

And God is pleased with us, as we turn to Him in the midst of the storm, as we call upon the Name of the Lord, and as we are saved.

Strength in Weakness

Isaiah 40: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”.

Consider Hannah: Almost everyone has heard of Hannah, but whoever heard of Penninah? Yet in Hannah’s day, it was the other way round.

Hannah’s fame was such that when God through the prophet Isaiah, that “more are the children of the desolate woman” (referring to God’s blessing to the barren woman), God’s people would have immediately thought of the story of Hannah.

Hannah was a barren woman, without children. More than that, she was persecuted by her husband’s other (we’ll save discussion of polygamy for another day) wife, the not-so-barren, childbearing (and don’t you forget it) Penninah. She was not only barren, she was desolate, hurting and pained. Constantly reminded of her failure, aggravated by the success of her peer, she bore the reproach of her barrenness and it was killing her. Her sadness showed on her face.

Hannah, however, sought the face of God. She went to the tabernacle to make her sacrifice. She would not let go until God blessed her. She did not give in when the clueless High Priest of the day, Eli, mistook her grieving and crying out to the Lord for drunkenness, and rebuked her. Almost to get rid of her, Eli announces to her “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

Immediately, Hannah’s countenance changed. God imparted strength to her, in her weakness, and with the strength came miraculous grace to change the situation and to change the world.

Incredibly, especially given the apostacy of the priesthood of the day, God does indeed grant Hannah’s petition. It wouldn’t be the last Eli would hear from Hannah either.

Hannah’s pain and weakness became her strength. Her song celebrates this:

I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

“The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.

The barren has borne seven, God’s number for completeness. The barren’s faithfulness results in the birth of Samuel, a true prophet after God’s own heart… and she who has many children? Penninah? Panini? Pa… who?

Not that there should be a cause for gloating. No, there is never cause for that. There is, however, always cause to celebrate God’s faithfulness.

Today is the day of God’s favour. Today is the day of salvation.

Receive the strength of God, recall Hannah’s words today, even as you stumble:

“Those who stumbled are girded with strength”

The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

So you’ve failed? So you’re weak? So those mountains keep looking bigger? So what?

Have faith in God. Only keep on believing.

God himself will restore you.

Have a look at the video: