What is your portion? Look and see. Consider your father Abraham, that though he went out and fought a battle and risked his life and his fortune to rescue his nephew and the goods that had been taken as booty, yet you see from his words that his effort was not just a daring adventure but he went in dependence upon Me. You see that he was not tempted to gain anything for himself, and when offered the booty he refused, though he did not refuse for those who fought with him. You see that his portion was truly in Me, and when he gave the tithe to Melchizedek in effect he was giving it to Me, for Melchizedek, as it says here, was a priest unto Me.
It was Abraham’s joy to receive My blessing through Melchizedek and this was the portion that delighted his heart. Look beyond his mighty deed, look beyond his courageous act, see, consider and value the desire of his heart to have his portion in Me. If this be truly the desire of your heart and the heart of anyone who shall truly be a son of Abraham, then indeed you will not only exercise courage but genuine faithfulness and generosity for you will, in having your portion in Me, not desire to grasp anything for yourselves and you will prize My blessing above any other possession.
Will you, then, not consider what it truly means to have Me as your portion?
Tags: Blessings, Dependence
Do you see how many times I showed mercy to Ahab and to the people of Israel? What was the purpose of this mercy? Did I not say through My servant the prophet that he might know that I Am the Lord, for you see My mercy not only in the victory that I gave him in both of the battles when his army was greatly outnumbered, but also in other ways. First of all, in hardening Abinadab’s heart so that his demands went beyond the bounds in encouraging Ahab’s heart to follow the counsel of his advisors when the odds were so great against him and in sending My prophet with My Word to direct and encourage him and even to inform him of the counsel that had been given to his enemies. I have already told you how Ahab disregarded My counsel and in fact did not even seek it, so that ultimately judgment was pronounced against him for he held lightly the value of My mercy, and even as the hearts and minds of the Arameans were confused by drunkenness and by unwise darkened counsel, so Ahab’s mind and heart were darkened by pride and self- will. I would have you see not only that My mercy is given in extreme circumstances so that My people may know that I Am the Lord, but when it is disregarded again and again in the interest of man’s pride and self-will then not only is their foolish heart darkened, as if they too are in a drunken stupor, but ultimate judgment and destruction will be visited upon them. Have I not shown much mercy in these last fifty years to My people Israel that they might know that I Am the Lord? What have they done with My mercy?
Tags: God Counsel, Judgment, Mercy
Posted by: admin in Psalm
How much does your life depend upon Me? How conscious are you of Me in all your activities, your planning, and your striving? Are you striving in your own strength, feeling that it all depends on your efforts? You see in this portion the awareness of the psalmist of how much in life truly depends upon Me. You see from his words that a man’s life is not without effort, for he truly labors to build the house, he truly watches to guard the city, he truly toils to secure his food, and he truly longs to have progeny to carry on his family line. But in all of this the psalmist is aware that unless there is genuine dependence on Me the effort is in vain.
Understand that this is not merely a matter of human striving and diligence but a matter of the heart. I would remind you that the one who truly in his heart depends upon Me can rest secure that all of his efforts are not in vain, that he will be rewarded with provision, security and progeny.
This is to be the confidence and the strength of one who truly trusts in Me for everything, the very important matters of life mentioned here, and all of the rest that is not mentioned.
Tags: Dependence, God Confident