Tag: Amazing Grace

Where God Meets Me and You . . .

Do you feel desperate to meet with the Lord in your brokenness and pain? God meets you at His seat of mercy. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

Not at the door.

Not at the altar.

If God met me at the door first, it wold be about me, being there.

If God met me at the altar first, it would be about me, and my offering.

God meets us in all our failures and brokenness at the mercy seat.

A pattern’s given. The words are written. The plans are drawn up.
“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.” (1)

God desired to dwell with His people. He asked them to construct a place of refuge and safety:

According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it. (2)

God gave instructions to build His place to dwell.  First in importance was the ark of the covenant:  And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; . . . (3) 

God gave pattern with exact measure and size:
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around . . . (4) 

Make an ark out of a dessert wood. A wood when punctured, oozes out a sap that heals wounds. Overlay it with pure gold, inside and out and then give it a crown molding all around.

Does this description remind us of anything?

God continues His meticulous instructions:

 And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. (5)

The 10 commandments, written by the finger of God, given to Moses for His children to know. They were put in the box made of wood, overlaid with gold.

Inside this ark, the 10 commandments reside.

Jesus, Himself was the only Man able to keep all these commandments, never a spot or miss. Only Jesus.

Next, God proclaims:

You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; . . . (6)

With golden cherub and wings stretched out to meet, God proclaims the pattern concerning His mercy seat,
 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. (7)

So we have a picture clear in our mind. The box made of wood, covered with pure gold, and inside are the 10 commandments. And God says,
 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony . . .

The seat of mercy sits atop the ark. Covering the Commandments kept inside the box overlaid in pure gold.

“This is where I will meet.” God tells us all.

Who is listening to these gracious words of mercy?

A story is told in 1 Samuel, chapter 6, of this ark being captured by the Philistines. It was set near their god named Dagon that day. Well, the next morning, their god Dagon, was flat on his face.

Lifted again by Philistine people, only to find next morning Dagon had fallen, again. But now with broken neck and hands.

“Let’s get rid of this ark and send it back home,” the Philistines said.

The Israelites were delighted when the ark was returned.

But something happened that day, it’s recorded, in all the excitement, they took the liberties that day, to lift the mercy seat and uncover the Law.

Fifty thousand and seventy people died that day. The mercy seat was lifted off the ark covering the commandments.

What was God saying? What was the message that day?

What is mercy anyway?
MER’CY, n. [L. misericordia.]
1. That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves;

the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant.

2.Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.

God meets us at His seat of mercy.

Jesus became a man, yet He was God come down. Pure and Holy.

He was pierced for our transgressions. His blood that poured out brings healing to our souls.

He paid our debt, that we might receive His undeserved favor.

He meets us first, not at the door. Nor at the altar. Jesus meets us at His mercy seat.

And great warning comes to us who try to lift the mercy seat. God wants us to be Holy and gracious and compassionate, He is just.

The picture’s complete.

Jesus’ love covers me.

Because of His love, I desire to open my heart’s door. Because of His love, I offer Him, . . .

my life.

The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty. Num 14.
__________________________
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you God?” (Micah 6:8).

(1) Exodus 25:8
(2) Exodus 25:9
(3)Exodus 25:10
(4) Exodus 25:11
(5) Exodus 25:16
(6) Exodus 25:17
(7) Exodus 25:21

(8)Exodus 25:22

Faith-less? or Faith-full? Look up. Listen up!

We must remind each other, God is good, even though things don’t seem as they should.

“This is impossible,” we say in our hearts, or perhaps out-loud.

The Bible reminds us, God is able to make a way, . . . through the wilderness:

This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters, . . .
 “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland . . . ” Isaiah 43:16-19.

We, who believe in God through His Son, (His great and perfect provision for us, Jesus), must not let our thoughts paralyze us. What are the promises? We must fight to think on these things and pray for increased faith.

“Eyes up, ears open. God speaks: “

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.
 I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no savior.
 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
     Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?” Isaiah 43:10-13.

Am I a child of God? Perhaps that’s the first question.

God is good, the Bible tells us. The world is broken, dark, chaotic because of the fall. But God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” Gen. 1.

The account is written. Wise is the man who checks out the light of His Word daily.

God’s faithful love is dependent on nothing.

Love is who He is, . . .

the LORD:

For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Isaiah 43:3.

Is He my Savior? Am I a child of God trusting and relying on Him to save me for salvation, and give guidance and help for each day’s trials?

How can I trust Him greater? Am I relying on my intellect, my bank account, my careful plans to save me from my hour of peril or trial?

“Yes, that’s sensible. That’s logical.”

Even more than people to come and discourage our trust in a (so called) invisible God, our own hearts discourage us in our weakness.

This is the fight. This is the battle. We must as soldiers have a plain command: “Look up. Listen up.”

As soldiers in the lord’s army, are our eyes up? Hear God speak:

But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze Isaiah 43:1-2.

Or are we faith-less this day:

“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel . . . But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied me with your offenses” Isaiah 43:22, 24.

Today, one heart at a time, beginning with mine, I feel the need to repent. I need to believe God and pray. “Forgive me for my unbelief Lord, increase my faith, in Jesus Name, Amen.”

“I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sins no more.
 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;
    state the case for your innocence” Isaiah 43: 25,26.

“Lord Jesus, the only innocence I have is the complete and sufficient washing of Your blood. ‘This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’ And for that, I say, Thank You Lord.”

Jesus lifted my eyes and gave me ears to hear again. His amazing grace, how sweet the sound. He saves me from myself daily.

Are you a child of God? He is only a prayer away. Call on the name of the Son that God the Father has sent to pay each of our debt in full for our sin and shame. Yes, believe in Jesus, and ask Him to empty you of all the old, and fill you a new with the Holy Spirit.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” John 3:16,17.

If you have prayed and asked Jesus to come into your life to cleanse and make you new, please tell a trusted friend that today is the day of salvation for you!

 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Amen! (Exclamation point, mine).