THE POWER OF THREE
By
March 16, 2009"That you be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (Heb 6:12 - 15) Many of you are familiar with my teachings on the three levels of living modeled by the Outer Court (natural principles), Inner Court (spiritual principles) and the Holy of Holies (supernatural principles). It's available in download format here. In this passage from Hebrews we see that we are to obtain the promises meant for us by a combination of all three. First of all, we are not to be slothful or lazy. That means we are to engage ourselves in work. We are to apply ourselves with all diligence to the vision. God does not reward slackers. It seems we have two camps here. The first would rather pray and be "spiritual" than actually do the work that needs to be done. On the other hand, there are those who would rather work 16 hours a day than to actually slow down and grow in spiritual strength. We must strike a balance and the rest of verse 12 tells us that work is combined with faith and patience. Patience is one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is a spiritual discipline, the result of having what you think you know about God tested in the crucible of life. The word translated as patience literally means "calmness in the face of suffering and adversity". Are any of you suffering? Are any of you in adversity? Remain calm. How? By pursuing God which means you can't be so focused on work and activity that there is no time for meditating in His Word, seeking His face and listening to what He may say. The third element is faith. It is the potentially mountain moving force that can change everything but yet we are told to combine faith with work, not only here but also in James, and to exercise calmness in the midst of the test. By the way, it is in calmness that we best hear the still small voice that is the Lord. Getting to the place of calm is critical. From this place, we hear the rhema word of God. That present word that the Lord speaks, that in hearing it, ignites faith. The kind of faith that moves mountains. It seems that the work reveals the limitations while developing in us patience. The patience creates an atmosphere where we can hear and receive what the Spirit is saying. When we hear God speak to us, (faith comes by hearing), we have faith and faith if it is living always produces more works. Work, faith and patience. Don't leave home without them.
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Comments (6) - Post a Comment
Great post Michael and a good reminder that there is always a way - a way maker - and the fuel for the journey.
Eric at 11:58am EDT - March 16, 2009
Lots of good information here that really hits home. I have learned this the hard way over the past year or so. This is a really good devotional that opens up scripture in a way that some may not understand untill they live it for themselves. I can honestly say that this is one of the best real life applications of scripture I have seen presented in this area. Good Job
Jeremy Staton at 3:09pm EDT - March 16, 2009
Great post, Michael. I would like to say thank you for the diligence that it takes to consistently put out a blog like yours. It's not easy. I've tried and it takes time (time spent in the outer court, inner court and in the Holy of Holies). Thank you for being faithful................
Yvonne C. Hyde at 6:10pm EDT - March 16, 2009
how do you explain work in the life of the following
1) people called to full time intercession- some are being told this isnt god and work is defined as secular
2) those who are ill and have not been restored - how are they to work
3) mums who are raisiing children
how do we explain to the world those we are evangelising if we work as they do - they toil I thought - so please define work so that people in the kingdom can understand and help us how to work and sow and reap and the work Peter did he put down the net led by Jesus and the fishes jumped in - Please help Micheal some of us are getting confused
sange at 9:02pm EDT - March 16, 2009
Michael,
I am of the same mind as Jeremy about the useful insights gained from this blog post. I also had a few thoughts, if I may, in response to Sange's questions.
It is clear from Scripture that we each are accountable to the Lord for the use of our time within the context of our circumstances. Many times those circumstances are to evoke critical internal growth. Intercession is work, and if someone is called to it, they better do it. There is no peace walking away from a calling. Part of that intercession may be to open the hearts and minds of family members, etc. who may not see it as a work of God. It is far too easy to get wrapped up in this world and fail to lay up treasures in heaven. We either please God or men. You make the choice.
I spent many years with limited mobility. If that is someone's situation, beyond asking the Lord for wisdom and healing, ask Him what He wants you do. There are many affairs in the world and in our own neighborhoods He wants to change. Why not participate in prayer? The effects last forever. How cool is that?
And finally, I raised four children, and over the years, babysat about a dozen more. It was the toughest job I have ever done--for many reasons--not the least of which is it is unceasing. Most husbands do not come home and say \"Honey, how about taking a couple hours off?\" or \"Let me watch the kids and fix dinner so you can spend time with the Lord.\" A wife and mother is the always-on-call servant. That--is work.
The set-aside time with the Lord may be small, but a person can sing hymns or choruses (and influence the children too) and meditate on a single Bible verse. Some of my most memorable help came in those \"small packages.\" They began to teach me about where I put my focus--booth of mind and spirit. And focus indicates Who or what we worship.
Half my kids really serve the Lord; the remaining two will soon enough. As I have run into the children I used to babysit who are now young adults, I have been surprised to find several are now strong Christ-followers. Considering how I felt during those years... well, I am amazed at God! There may be years of sowing before the harvest, that's all. Again, it's still work and God wants it done. Who else will do it? I think the government would like to take over so they can bring children up to accept new standards and values--leaving God out, of course. Sound good to you? I didn't think so.
So work, while it is yet day.
Tia Nielsen at 6:55am EDT - March 17, 2009
I noticed that this is not the first time at all that you mention the topic. Why have you decided to touch it again?
How to Get Six Pack Fast at 10:30am EDT - April 15, 2009