B |
UT my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Phil 4:19-20)
F |
OR this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (Eph 3:14-18)
There is a significant difference between those things that we desire and those that we actually need, and there are also value gradients even among our needs. Our physical bodies need air, water, food, and shelter to survive. These are fundamental needs of our physical being, and there are even greater needs related to sustaining the soul and spirit of man. The physical body is practically dead without the spiritual life offered by our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it is truly dead insofar as the eternity of joys offered in Christ is concerned unless it is joined to Christ by Grace and Mercy.
Human beings are one of the few species of life born in a totally helpless state. As newborn babes, we cannot live without the constant care and attention of the mother to feed, clothe, shelter and love us. Without these benefits, we are as good as dead at birth. This is very much like the heart that is empty of the life-saving grace of the Lord. The dead are not all in tombs and cemeteries – many walks among us. Just as an electric wire is useless without a current, so is the human soul dead without the Spirit of God to enliven, or quicken, it. It is like a flashlight with no batteries to provide light.
What did the sinful world of Noah’s day NEED to survive the Flood? The one thing they needed was the Ark, but this was the very thing they rejected. What does the sinful world need today to survive the sentence of death brought on by sin? The Ark of the Lord Jesus Christ is the VERY thing needful, and the only thing they reject out of hand. Our Ark is Jesus Christ. The DOOR of our Ark is Jesus Christ. I am the door of the sheep. (John 10:7) The Shepherd of the Ark is Jesus. He is the one who separates the sheep from the goats and leads them into the Ark.
Noah did not lead the animals into the Ark, they were beckoned by the Lord. 14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. (Gen 7:14-16) Noah did not close the door of the Ark, it was the Lord. and the LORD shut him in. This reveals that no man can close the DOOR of salvation – only God can satisfy that role.
If we are in Christ, we need not fret over our provisions of life. The most needful thing is already provided – salvation through the shed blood of our Redeemer. What we need most will be supplied by the Lord, and that thing is the wisdom to know Him and follow Him. 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. (Eph 1:17-19)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matt 6:33-34) The Lord has counseled us to SEEK if we wish to FIND. Find What! To find Him in His Word and to follow on.
Seeking the Kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS fulfills all our true needs in glory. It offers perfect liberty available in no other resource. The old walking dead man is buried with Christ, and the new man walks upright with the liberty of all His needs and, yes, even desires being satisfied since they are now conformed to the Will of the Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment