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Safe Thus Far

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I Samuel 7:12, Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”
God had just delivered Israel from their enemy’s hand and had given victory over the Philistines.
As children of God, we too can say “thus far” the Lord has helped us. The words are like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. No matter the circumstance, the situation, the trial, the temptation —Thus far has the Lord helped us. The words “thus far” also point forward. Considering His faithfulness and loving-kindness in the past, we can trust that He will continue to help us because we have not yet come to the end. Because His grace and mercies are sure and everlasting, no matter the battles and toils to come He will never forsake us, and at the very end we will be able to say He has kept us safe thus far.
Memorial Stones at Jordan – Two Sets of Twelve. When Joshua and the Israelites were crossing over the Jordan River that God parted for them, God told Joshua to have twelve men carry a stone from the river floor over to the other side.There a memorial would be constructed so it would be seen and told how God had brought them across Jordan.
Joshua himself set up twelve stones in the midst of the dry Jordan riverbed where the feet of the priests which carried the ark of the covenant over had stood. Joshua’s act points to Jesus, our great High Priest who gives us the “white stone wherein our new name is written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (Revelation 2:17) It cannot be physically seen, but we know it it there in our heart and our soul is safe because of the Holy Ghost. Our salvation is personal- between us and God, like the hidden stones, but through the Holy Spirit others can witness the existence of our salvation and the white stone (Jesus) that has been placed in our hearts- this is grace. One memorial seen – one unseen. We all have times we can look back on and know it was only the Lord that brought us through that. Like the stones that were visible, this becomes part of our testimony to the keeping power of our God. Others can be encouraged to trust Him in the difficult times through our testimony of God’s faithfulness.
The shepherds of the Alps have a beautiful custom of ending the day by singing an evening farewell to one another. As the sun begins to set, they gather their flocks and begin to lead them down the mountain paths while they sing, “Thus far has the Lord helped us. Let us praise His name.” Let us call out to one another through the darkness encouraging God’s weary travelers. The Lord who “thus far” has helped you will help you all your journey through.

A Covering

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A covering is used to cover something else, typically in order to protect or conceal it.  When I begin to think in terms of our spiritual covering that God has provided, my heart is overwhelmed by the depth of God’s love for me.  I know that many have written and spoke on this subject and that my few words will be feeble in comparison but sometimes as one of the Redeemed I just need to say so.

First of all, if something needs covered this means it is vulnerable or weak and needs protection from the elements surrounding it so it will not suffer harm or damage.  When God came to me I was lost and undone and needed my sins to be covered by the blood of His Son.  I am reminded of a couple of scriptures that describe this covering so well.  First in the garden of Eden when Eve and Adam sinned against God and knew they were naked they tried to make their own covering to cover their nakedness and sin by sewing fig leaves together.  But this did not work.  They were still ashamed.  When God came to them in the garden and they confessed what they had done wrong, God himself made them tunics of skin and clothed them.  This highlights that there would have to be a sacrifice now to cover the sin of mankind which would be Jesus’s death upon the cross.  God himself provided the sacrifice that was needed.

The other scripture that I identify with so well is in Ezekiel 16.  In this scripture we find a babe that has been cast out without a father or mother to care for it.  As others passed by no one had compassion or pity for the babe.  But when He passed by, He said it could live.  He spread His skirt over the babe and covered it.  He entered into a covenant with the babe.  It now belonged to him.  He washed away all the blood and anointed it with oil.  Then  He dressed the babe with the best garment and shoes.  Aren’t you glad that when Jesus came by your way that he reached down into the depths of your sin, picked you up, cleansed you, filled you with his Spirit, and dressed you in new garments-made you a new creature and made a covenant with you?

Isaiah 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels.

I am also so glad that He not only saved my soul but that He is ever present upon this journey of life to be our Protector and Provider.  Many times I think about the mother hen and her little chicks and how that they may be all over the place but when danger arises they flock to their mother and she spreads her wings over them to protect them.  I want to stay under the wings of God’s protection.  A great example of God’s protection is shown when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness.  It took the blood on the doorpost to bring the deliverance but also on the journey through the wilderness God protected and provided for their every need.

Exodus 13:21  And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.

In the desert the heat is unbearable during the day and the nights are so very cold.  The cloud provided them shelter from the sun and the pillar of fire provided heat and light for the night.  At one point the Egyptians were so close that the children of Israel could see them.  They began to worry and complain and blame Moses.  Moses told them that the Lord shall fight for you and to hold their peace.  So the angel of the Lord which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them.  It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians and a cloud of light to the children of Israel and they came not near each other all night.  Moses stretched out his hand over the Red Sea and the Lord caused the sea to go back all night long to create a path wide enough for the thousands of Israelite’s to cross over.  If anyone had decided to leave the camp they would not have survived.  If you want God’s protection and favor you have to stay in His camp and do His will.

God is in control of everything and I definitely want to be in a place where I can be covered by His protection.  I have been in this way for several years and know that many times in my life that God’s hand has kept disaster and trouble from overwhelming me and mine.  I believe that He can do anything and that He will work on my behalf when I have needs or problems.

Deuteronomy 33: 12  And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

 

 

 

The Top 10 Reasons I Can Be Thankful To God

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1) I am thankful to God for His love. Without His love I would wonder afraid of tomorrow. His love helps me to not fear and to be confident in whom I call my Heavenly father. Had God not loved me first I would not know how to show the love of God toward others.

1 John 4:19
19 We love him, because he first loved us

2) I am thankful to God for His mercy. He was merciful to me and did not punish me when I did not understand His will. He has been merciful to me and shown patience towards me when I had understanding and did not submit as I should have. And as I learn and improve He shows mercy to me and gives me another crack at being successful and what I go forth to do.

Titus 3:4-5
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

3) I am thankful to God for His grace. Without God’s grace we would not be saved through faith. In fact we do not deserve it but He gave it anyway. When God has had, or has, or could have every right and reason to withhold on us He has not. Rather through each moment where we could totally perish grace provides us the only right that justifies us to even get to walk by faith at all.

Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

4) I am thankful to God for His compassion for others in need. Without compassion none of us would be saved. Without compassion the hungry would starve. Without compassion the poor would perish. Without compassion the lost and broken would lose their souls and burn forever. But since the dawn of creation God has given us compassion that without it we would have perished in our own lack.

Zechariah 7:10
10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

Galatians 6:2
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

5) I am thankful for the promise that God never leaves. When all others would forsake us for it being inconvenient or by other reasons we should all be reminded that every second of our lives is in the attention of God. He was with me before I knew Him and is with me as He is in me. And one day I will never leave His presence when He calls me from earth to Heaven.

Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6) I am thankful for God’s blessings. The things that happen that help us in the times we never expected, the things that happen suddenly or in the nick of time. The literal, spiritual and physical blessings that could only come from God remind me no matter what season that He is there!

Philippians 4:19
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

7) I am thankful for God’s protection. When things could have been worse and they were not God was there. When things didn’t even happen that never crossed my mind to comprehend He was there. When the angels of Heaven destroy the minions of Satan through my advocate of Christ I am not without a covering.

Psalm 138:7
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

8) I am thankful for the Holy Spirit. The spirit lets me know what true joy feels like. The spirit teaches me in things I am unlearned in or wrong about. The spirit keeps churches in perfect order, ministries refreshed and the works of the body of Christ with conviction. Without it we would be so far away from the will of God.

1 John 2:27
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

9) I am thankful for my future in Heaven. It is the resting place of the righteous and a place where neither Satan nor his power can come. The curse of man will be left behind. The pains of life, confusion of all things why, mourning will cease, sorrow will be no more. Worship and joy forevermore.

Revelation 21:4
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

10) I am thankful for salvation through Jesus Christ. It has made my old sins to pass away and my forgiven life to become new. It has taught me to not live as I was and by what I know was God. It gives me hope for today and longing for a greater tomorrow. It provides the peace that surpasses all understanding.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

Establishing Your Perimeter

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Perimeter is commonly defined as:

  • the continuous line forming the boundary of a closed geometric figure.

  • the outermost parts or boundary of an area or object.

  • a defended boundary of a military position or base.

1) Keep things well lit so that you can see what’s out there:

  • keep the lights on: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ” (Matthew 5:16).

  • this will keep temptations that think they will prevail from even happening

  • this also keeps others who know you from provoking you through your actions that send the message that this is not acceptable nor will it be again

2) Don’t leave things you hold valuable out in the open

  • Personal Prayer Time: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:6).

  • personal prayer time will help you to keep established the things you are believing for by faith

  • personal prayer time allows God to help humble you in a trial

  • personal prayer time allows God to speak to you

  • it allows for God to give you wisdom for the future

  • it brings peace in your time of stress

3) Keep what you care about locked down:

  • Set Priorities: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. ” (Luke 16:13).

  • setting and maintaining a made up mind will produce stability and establish you

  • setting priorities will help you to align what is of lesser importance than your relationship with God

  • setting your priorities shows God how you love him by how you change things for his pleasure

4) Use your security system to keep things on watch when you are not around

  • we can’t live in the constant stress of what may come: “The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. ” (Psalm 121:5)

  • trusting God in a situation that you cannot change takes unnecessary stress from you and allows you to focus on the spiritual warfare at hand

  • knowing that God is our protector in things we cannot see helps us to live a more righteous life, it helps us to be in his favor by living right so that we have more help than we would have had on our own

  • walking in the peace of God when all hell breaks loose around you is the closest thing to Heaven that we will ever know. Living in complete surrender to his will and acknowledging his dominion will help us to live lighter of load

5) Have something to arm yourself to protect you in the event of a breach

  •  Obey God: “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:28-31).

  • even when we have failed in the past it is better to get back up again and try to strive for a stronger walk with God than it would be to give up all together
  • obey God by living the word to others so that they can see something in your life that convicts sin
  • love others by sharing the word of God to teach them about the better self that they can become
  • arm yourself against the enemy with an entire bible of reminders that his dominion is short and only for a season
  • obedience to God’s commands is the true sign of your love for God, and the only way you can know if you are obeying God is by knowing his Word.

God Is Our Protector

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In order to walk in a greater boldness we must know that we serve a God who is our protector. He watches over us when we cannot even see for ourselves. He keeps us from greater harms. And while living in a world of free choice brings a lot of harms we would never want we are still with someone who helps us with things beyond our understanding.

How are we protected from greater harms?

You are protected from the temptation of evil because God is strong

Matthew 16:18

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

John 19:11

11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

You are protected from feeling alone amongst evil because you are never left behind

Hebrews 13:5

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Luke 12:32

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.