Key Verse: Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Day Six (Day Thirty-Four)
“When Forty Days become Forty Years”
Ever hear this saying? “I spent a whole week there one day!”
Some days seem to take a whole lot more time and energy to get through than others.
We who follow Jesus need to keep step. Some feel that Jesus wants to work with us and carry all our burdens. He’s got to be a mighty big God to carry that much stuff! I think it’s more an idea of separation, and leaving that stuff behind. We’ll carry stuff for children just learning to walk, but what about those of us who have been “around the block” a few times already? Hopefully, we learn to travel light. The Bible tells us to look at those who have gone before us as examples for our own faith. That means learning from pillars of Biblical faith in what God wants and what He doesn’t want.
Most realize the importance of early childhood training. It’s no different for bigger kids and adults. We can take our queue from the example of God leading the children of Israel through a dessert obstacle course. Here’s the drill: wait for, then follow the demonstration of miraculous signs and wonders in order to get from A to B. It’s that simple. As long as they follow God’s lead i.e. directions and instructions, they would receive God’s promises, which were many, but for simplification, He wanted to give them the land of milk and honey. It’s that simple. Here they are again: wait for the signs, move with God, receive the blessing, and presto, The Promised Land! Now the consequence; step outside the formula to take a short-cut, and it was “Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go. & Do Not Collect $200”. Promised blessing forfeit. Oh yes, and did I mention this little thing called a time delay: “Miss a turn”, or was that “try again until you get it right”. Anyway as the story goes, one turn led to another and before they knew what hit them, forty days turned into forty years. Sounds like a fish story, right? Actually, that’s a really, really good one too.
I know life’s not that simple, but it’s been said that the gospel story is that simple. God is ultimately bigger and better than anything I can think or even imagine. In fact He gave me my imagination. So, dah, don’t you think we should be listening and doing what He says? And what was it that Jesus told His disciples as He was demonstrating one of those “signs and wonders” (Acts 1:9 says He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight) (oh, and did I mention that He was eating and drinking and visiting people when we was supposed to be dead?), He told them to wait. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Wait until they receive the promise. Is history repeating itself? Wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, and receive Holy Spirit power that’s going to blow this town, country and world away through signs and wonders that are promised to follow.
Does anyone want to buy a “Get Out of Jail Free” card?