Love

1 Corinthians 13:13

But for now, three things last—

trust, hope, love;

and the greatest of these is love.

 

While all these last, I pray that we all can experience the love when we spend eternity with ADONAI. Lord let the love of people grow in me, I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Facing our selfishness

Numbers 22:34-35

Bil’am said to the angel of ADONAI, “I have sinned. I didn’t know that you were standing on the road to block me. Now, therefore, if what I am doing displeases you, I will go back.” But the angel of ADONAI said to Bil’am, “No, go on with the men; but you are to say only what I tell you to say.” So Bil’am went along with the princes of Balak.

 

This is the way of sin, Bil’am was caught in his selfishness and wanted an easy way out of the situation. Yet his selfishness, his sin, had already let him accept the gifts of the princes and he was on the road to meet the king. So he had to face the results of his bad choices before coming to confession before ADONAI. All of us have to face the results of the bad choices we make under sin. It is the grace that God gives us if we cling to our trust in Him that lets us face those results with a witness and testimony that can be shared with others. Lord let me stand firmly on Your love as I admit my own failings and face the consequences for them. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Salvation through our faults

Numbers 20:7-12

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Take the staff, assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother; and before their eyes, tell the rock to produce its water. You will bring them water out of the rock and thus enable the community and their livestock to drink.” Moshe took the staff from the presence of ADONAI, as he had ordered him. But after Moshe and Aharon had assembled the community in front of the rock, he said to them, “Listen here, you rebels! Are we supposed to bring you water from this rock?” Then Moshe raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his staff. Water flowed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank.

But ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, “Because you did not trust in me, so as to cause me to be regarded as holy by the people of Isra’el, you will not bring this community into the land I have given them.”

 

Even though Moshe was a man who spoke face to face with ADONAI, he was still a man prone to sin without the help of God. The miracle of the spring was going to happen no matter what, ADONAI was going to see to the needs of His people. Had Moshe followed ADONAI’s orders there would be no doubt in the minds of the Israelites that God had done this, but because Moshe got angry with the disobedience of the people he allowed himself to disobey and struck the rock leaving some to question God’s power. The miracle was the same, the people were saved, but Moshe’s testimony was weakened by his sin and thus he was not allowed to enter Kanaan. Lord be faithful to those I witness to even if my own sin would get in the way. Keep me from failing You so others will know Your love. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Interceding

Numbers 17:11-13

Moshe said to Aharon, “Take your fire pan, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, and hurry with it to the assembly to make atonement for them, because anger has gone out from ADONAI, and the plague has already begun!” (16:47) Aharon took it, as Moshe had said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. There the plague had already begun among the people, but he added the incense and made atonement for the people. (16:48) He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.

 

What a powerful precursor to Yeshua, the cohen gadol, the high priest standing between life and death for those who would trust in ADONAI. Lord I know I will never be an Aharon, but let me stand in the gap so those I know will come to know You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Remorse

Numbers 14:39-42

When Moshe told these things to all the people of Isra’el, the people felt great remorse. They arose early the next morning, came up to the top of the mountain and said, “Here we are, and we did sin, but now we’ll go up to the place ADONAI promised.” Moshe answered, “Why are you opposing what ADONAI said? You won’t succeed! Don’t go up there, because ADONAI isn’t with you. If you do, your enemies will defeat you.

 

There is a cost for sin, we can be like the nation of Israel when they rebelled against ADONAI and not invaded the land as directed. We can with remorse but still sinful rebellious thoughts try to do what on the outside looks righteous, but because our spirit isn’t right is still defying God. Or we can accept that we missed an opportunity to serve and accept those consequences of that failure and move on in repentance before ADONAI. Lord let me accept all the correction You have given me and keep me from doing things that hinder Your kingdom. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Shabbat

Mark 2:27

Then he said to them,”Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat;

 

In my opinion this verse means that the important thing isn’t that we take time to worship ADONAI, but in that worship, that honest worship that sets aside everything else, ADONAI restores us so we can do His work. Lord let me never forget You have given me all that I need in this life. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Thankfulness

Mark 1:40-44

A man afflicted with tzara’at came to Yeshua and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Yeshua reached out his hand, touched him and said to him, “I am willing! Be cleansed!” Instantly the tzara’at left him, and he was cleansed. Yeshua sent him away with this stern warning: “See to it that you tell no one; instead, as a testimony to the people, go and let the cohen examine you, and offer for your cleansing what Moshe commanded.”

 

The leper’s testimony was to be seen fulfilling the Word of God as given through Moshe not telling the people who could doubt that he was ever sick. While we know his healing was a testimony to others because it is in the gospel of Mark, how much more powerful it would have been if the leper had obeyed in his healing. We all done this I think, prayed for deliverance and once delivered forget to honor ADONAI as He would be honored but do it our own selfish way. Lord forgive me for not giving You the full honor You deserve for answered prayers. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

God’s lead

Numbers 9:15-19

On the day the tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, that is, the tent of the testimony; and in the evening, over the tabernacle was what appeared to be fire, which remained until morning. So the cloud always covered it, and it looked like fire at night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tent, the people of Isra’el continued their travels; and they camped wherever the cloud stopped. At the order of ADONAI, the people of Isra’el traveled; at the order of ADONAI, they camped; and as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they stayed in camp. Even when the cloud remained on the tabernacle for a long time, the people of Isra’el did what ADONAI had charged them to do and did not travel.

 

Lord I have asked You into my heart and have trusted the sacrifice of Yeshua. I ask You now to lead me as you led the nation all those years ago. Settle over my heart and burden me when I need to stay and tend to a matter and rise up and relieve me when I need to move from a matter. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Missing the boat

Acts 27:9-12

Since much time had been lost, and continuing the voyage was risky, because it was already past Yom-Kippur, Sha’ul advised them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be a catastrophe, not only with huge losses to the cargo and the ship but with loss of our lives as well.” However, the officer paid more attention to the pilot and the ship’s owner than to what Sha’ul said. Moreover, since the harbor was not well suited to sitting out the winter, the majority reached the decision to sail on from there in the hope of reaching Phoenix, another harbor in Crete, and wintering there, where it is protected from the southwest and northwest winds.

 

This has been much of my life, hearing the word from ADONAI but paying more attention to worldly men and matters. Like the men with Sha’ul it has never turned out well in the long run. And like these men, maybe I had to go through that pain to bring me to belief. Still I struggle with these issues today, unexpected bills, past life choices coming to fruition now, low tolerance for people who remind me of bad times. Yet in that struggle I now lean on ADONAI to show me as David said in the 23rd Psalm;

ADONAI is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

He has me lie down in grassy pastures,

he leads me by quiet water,

he restores my inner person.

He guides me in right paths

for the sake of his own name.

It is only in my trust for God and in the salvation of Yeshua that I have found true peace. Lord thank You for all that You have given me in this life, love of family, children, strong friends, and a place to worship You wholly. Lord keep me on this path that I am on because like all sheep I am prone to wander if left alone. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Witnessing at all times

Acts 26:28-32

Agrippa said to Sha’ul, “In this short time, you’re trying to convince me to become Messianic?” Sha’ul replied, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish to God that not only you, but also everyone hearing me today, might become just like me except for these chains!”

Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and the others sitting with them. After they had left, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves either death or prison.” And Agrippa said to Festus, “If he hadn’t appealed to the Emperor, he could have been released.”

 

Sha’ul was living out Yeshua’s words in Mark 13:9-11 “But you, watch yourselves! They will hand you over to the local Sanhedrins, you will be beaten up in synagogues, and on my account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. Indeed, the Good News has to be proclaimed first to all the Goyim. Now when they arrest you and bring you to trial, don’t worry beforehand about what to say. Rather, say whatever is given you when the time comes; for it will not be just you speaking, but the Ruach HaKodesh.”

This is our example to not hold back but let the Ruach flow through us so all may come to know ADONAI. Lord forgive me when I have been too selfish to follow through with Your Word but let me be the witness You would have me to be all the time. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.