Numbers 11:1-23; Mark 14:12-21; Psalms 52:1-7; Proverbs 15:11

OT: “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched… Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” …Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased.” (‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11:1-2, 4-6, 10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

God is pleased by a grateful heart. On the other hand, ungratefulness displeases Him. God had rescued the Israelites out of hard and cruel bondage. He saved them from the hand of Egypts army by parting the Red Sea and allowing them to pass through. He had provided fresh water for them in the middle of the desert, and He was daily providing a miraculous provision of food to sustain them in the middle of the barren wilderness. Instead of being amazed at God and thankful for His continuing provision, all they wanted was the food that they had as slaves in Egypt. They would rather be enslaved and treated harshly by the Egyptians than to “suffer” through that dreadful manna day after day after day. They wanted their preferences instead of God’s provision. They couldn’t recognize the miraculous because they were blinded by ungratefulness. How many times do we miss the miraculous things God is doing in our lives because His provision doesn’t cater to our preferences? How often are we unwilling to obey the Lord because we may miss out on our delicacies? In the midst of this quarantine, we have been stripped of some pleasures. Are we grateful for God’s continued provision or are we complaining because things aren’t as we like? Lord, by Your grace, as I satisfy myself in You, produce in me a grateful heart that is content in any season.

Numbers 10:1-36; Mark 14:1-11; Psalms 51:10-19; Proverbs 15:8-10

Psalms: “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you. Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God — God of my salvation — and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God. In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:10-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

David knew that he had a heart issue. In verse 5 of this psalm, he acknowledged that he was born with a sin nature. The only way for him to walk righteously was for God to newly create a clean and pure heart for him that was not soaked in and hardened by sin… and for God to renew his spirit into a spirit that was upright, steadfast, and willing to submit to God and obey His word, will, and ways. He knew that the key to for Him to live a bless-able life was access to God’s life-giving presence and grace-giving Holy Spirit. He also knew that sacrificing animals on the altar couldn’t accomplish what he was after. Sacrificing animals on the altar couldn’t remove his sin. The only way for him to become clean was to offer his life on the altar – to come humbled and completely broken before God, and allow God to do a renewing work in his heart and spirit. That is exactly what God does for us when we come humbled and broken before Him, acknowledging our sin and inability to make ourselves righteous, fully placing our faith on Christ’s sacrifice that redeemed us from sin, and relying completely on Christ’s resurrection power to make us new in Him. When we do that, our sin-soaked selves are put to death, and we are given new life and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Then God, as described in Philippians 2:13, works in us to both will and do according to His pleasure.

Proverbs: “The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:8-9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Outward religious ritual without sincere and integrous inward humility and submission are detestable to the Lord. But it delights the Lord when people humble themselves before Him, trust Him completely, and lay their lives before Him in prayer. The Lord detests practices and patterns that lead people away from Him – but He loves it when people set there eyes on Him and pursue His words, will, and ways. He desires to bless us with His life, His provision, and His protection – but He won’t bless people that are constantly running away from Him. Instead, if we repent of the things that we are chasing, humble ourselves, turn, and pursue Him; He will renew us and strengthen our will and resolve to pursue Him and walk righteously.

Numbers 9:4-23; Mark 13:28-37; Psalms 51:1-9; Proverbs 15:5-7

NT: “Now concerning that day or hour no one knows — neither the angels in heaven nor the Son — but only the Father. Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming. It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his servants, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming — whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:32-37‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

In this passage, there are a couple of Greek words that get translated into “Be Alert!” The first is ‘agrypneo.’ That word means to stay awake – to stay attentive and not fall asleep. The second is ‘gregoreo,’ which means to pay active attention to something. Those are things that every believer should be doing, regardless of the times or seasons. Our Master has “left the house” so to speak, and has left it in our care. He has gone to prepare a place for us and will be returning. Though no one knows the day or hour, we do know that He is returning. Are we doing His work while He is gone, or have we grown complacent in our waiting? We have been given this time and place in history. Are we going to be active in the grace He gives us, or are we going to fall asleep and waste the opportunity that is before us? While we are waiting for His return, it is not a passive waiting. It is an active waiting where our lives are full of doing what He has charged us to do, so that when He does return, He will find a growing, vibrant, mature, faith-filled Church that has been ever advancing His kingdom here on earth. Instead of trying to predict when He will come, we should be about making things ready for when He does come – actively attentive to what He has called us to do and actively attentive to the signs of His return.

Psalms: “Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you — you alone — I have sinned and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge… Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:1-4, 6-9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

David was described by God as a man after God’s heart. That doesn’t mean that David was perfect. It means that David was relentlessly pursuing the things that were on God’s heart, and in the process, was having his heart transformed to be like God’s. One of the primary ways that David maintained His passion for God was by readily acknowledging his sin and rapidly repenting when he stepped out of God’s will and ways. David had committed an unthinkable act. First he slept with his companion’s wife while his companion was off fighting for him… and then he had his companion killed to hide his misdeeds. David was the king, and he could have used his position and authority to sweep everything under the rug. When he was confronted, instead of getting angry and defensive, and silencing his accuser; he quickly realized that his sin could not be hidden from God, and that remaining in his sin would jeopardize everything. So he humbled himself, acknowledged his sin, repented to God, and asked for forgiveness. This is so key in our walk with the Lord. Repentance is relational. For us to maintain our relationship with the Lord… to continue receiving His grace… and to stay alert, we must be rapid repenters.

Proverbs: “A fool despises his father’s discipline, but a person who accepts correction is sensible.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Do we receive the Lord’s correction when we sin? Most of the time, His correction comes through other believers: spouses, friends, leaders, subordinates. Do we reject correction and become defensive and angry, or do we consider the words brought to us by others and humble ourselves before the Lord in confession and repentance? Defensiveness is foolish, while humble repentance is sensible – and leads to life.

Numbers 8:1-9:3; Mark 13:14-27; Psalms 50:7-23; Proverbs 15:4

Psalms: “Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel. I am God, your God. I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before me. I will not take a bull from your household or male goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me. But God says to the wicked: What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips? You hate instruction and fling my words behind you… You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you. Understand this, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to rescue you. Whoever offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me, and whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of God.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50:7-17, 21-23‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God had a message for the whole earth. First He delivered His message to His people. His people had made the worship of God to be all about external ritual instead of an expression of the heart. He did not rebuke them for their practice of worship. He rebuked them for the heart, or lack thereof, in which they were offering worship. God doesn’t require worship from us because He needs it. He requires worship from us because we need it. Otherwise, we would forget God and go our own way to our own demise. Sheep without a Shepherd will get lost and die. God doesn’t need anything from us. What we need is to maintain an attitude of humble thanksgiving and to trust the Lord completely. Then God had a message for the unbelieving. He said, what right do you have to quote my scriptures and claim that you know My ways when you actually hate My ways and treat My words as rubbish. How many times do ungodly people justify their actions by taking God’s words out of context… or try to manipulate people into following them by claiming they follow God. To those people, God says that they have deceived themselves into believing that God actually agrees with them, but they will eventually be indicted and found guilty. God’s final words contain a warning and a promise: If you forget God and ignore His words, you will eventually get torn apart, and no one will be there to rescue you. But, if you come to Me in an attitude of authentic worship, and follow My word, My will, and My ways, I will save you. What do we take from this? Are we truly worshipping God or are we just going through external ritual? Do we truly honor God’s word, will, and ways, or do we just pay lip service to the Lord and use portions of His words to serve our own agendas? Lord, search me, know me, show me.

Numbers 7:10-89; Mark 13:1-13; Psalms 50:1-6; Proverbs 15:1-3

NT: “While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but it is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them. And it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations. So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.”” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:3-13‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is Mark’s account of the Olivet Discourse. It is recorded in greater detail in Matthew 24-25, and again in Luke 21. In this discourse, Jesus spoke of things to come and the end of the age. In the midst of this pandemic and other natural occurrences, people are talking about the end times – that the end is upon us. Jesus said that all of these things would happen… that they must happen, and when they do, don’t be alarmed or frightened. The natural disasters and wars are not the end. Evil, calamities, and the furthering of the Gospel will all happen at the same time. As the times grow darker, God’s Light of the Gospel grows ever brighter. As His truth grows ever brighter, those that oppose His truth grow more desperate and louder. The one sign that the end has come is mentioned here, but is spoken specifically in Matthew 24:14: The gospel will be preached to all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. For those who are faithful to God, grace will be given in those troubling times. As we experience the shaking of the earth and the failures of human society, God, through His Holy Spirit, will give us the grace to speak on His behalf – to be His witnesses. He will give us the grace to endure… and those who remain faithful in the midst of all the trials and tribulations, and endure to the end will be saved.

Psalms: “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks; he summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God appears in radiance. Our God is coming; he will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, and a storm rages around him. On high, he summons heaven and earth in order to judge his people: “Gather my faithful ones to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God is the Judge. Selah” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50:1-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

El, Elohim, Yehovah speaks. Three titles of God: the all mighty, ever-existing, one true God of the universe summons the whole earth. The message? God is coming. Before He comes, there is a shaking, a purging, and a refining that makes way for His holiness. One thing that is true about this global pandemic: it has caused a shaking, a purging, and a refining to occur the world over. Is this the end? I don’t believe so, for Matthew 24:14 has not happened. Is God desiring to call out to the earth and radiate His beauty from Zion (His people) for all the earth to see? I would say yes. Are we remaining faithful to Him in the midst of the trials and tribulation through the grace given us by the Holy Spirit?

Numbers 6:1-7:9; Mark 12:38-44; Psalms 49:10-20; Proverbs 14:34-35

OT: “The Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. You should say to them, “May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.”’ In this way they will pronounce my name over the Israelites, and I will bless them.”” (‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6:22-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is the blessing that God gave to the priests of Israel to proclaim over His people – the Aaronic Blessing. The blessing is not wealth or power or influence or property. Those are all earthly and temporary things. They may be results of blessing, but they are not the actual blessing. What is the blessing? The blessing is that God’s name is placed on you. God said, by speaking this blessing over the Israelites, you will affix My Name to them… and because My Name is on them, I will protect them, show them My favor, and give them peace. This blessing was only for the Israelites – and those who are in Christ have been grafted into this blessing through faith in Christ. However great this blessing is – to have God’s name stamped upon you – those who are in Christ have an even greater blessing. In John 17, Jesus prays what is referred to as His priestly prayer… and in that prayer, He prays over all believers an even greater blessing. Beyond having God’s name on them, believers in Christ are one with God. Christ is in them, they are in Christ, and Christ is in the Father: all are one… inseparable from God’s life and fullness and joy and peace. His Name isn’t just on us. He Himself is in us, and we are in Him. What a blessing!

NT: “Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had — all she had to live on.”” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:41-44‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

True generosity is not measured by the amount, but by the sacrifice. A millionaire giving $10,000 – though it may seem generous, is not as generous as a widowed woman in Nepal who can barely keep food on her table giving a few hundred Rupees. In that scenario, which person displays the character of God? The one who gives a very small percentage of their surplus or the one who gives all? In that scenario, which one is truly blessed with the name and nature of God on them and in them… which one will be blessed with God’s favor and peace? I have been to Nepal and spent time with those who have been rescued off the streets and out of slavery, and adopted into a Spiritual Family. Though they have very little, they give all of themselves to serve the Lord… and they are truly blessed!

Psalms: “Do not be afraid when a person gets rich, when the wealth of his house increases. For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down. Though he blesses himself during his lifetime — and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself — he will go to the generation of his ancestors; they will never see the light. Mankind, with his assets but without understanding, is like the animals that perish.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭49:16-20‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Though wealth may profit you in this life, in and of itself, it is not a blessing. It cannot protect you. It cannot give you true joy. It cannot give you peace. It cannot give you certain hope beyond the grave. Only the blessing of the Lord will do that… and riches cannot buy His blessing. His blessing comes through faith in Him and surrender to Him.

Numbers 5:1-31; Mark 12:35-37; Psalms 49:1-9; Proverbs 14:32-33

Psalms: “Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation brings understanding… Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me. They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches. Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God — since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying — so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭49:1-3, 5-9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

No matter where you go in the world, the wealthy are often the most hesitant to listen to and receive the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom is that God has paid a debt that you cannot pay – the price for your redemption from sin and rescue from eternal death. The wealthy do not see that they have a debt that is beyond their ability to pay. Their prosperity blinds them to their abject need. They place all their trust in their wealth, or their ability to produce or accumulate wealth. What happens to their security when the economy tanks, when the stock market crashes, when their ability to sustain their wealth evaporates away? Those who place their trust in the Lord have no reason to fear, even in uncertain times. Our redemption price has been paid, we have a sure future of eternal life, and we are under the provision and protection of the Lord and His endless supply of resources. Wealth, even great wealth, has limitations – and in the end, it does no good, for you can’t take it with you.

Proverbs: “The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:32‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Those who refuse to submit to the Lord, and instead, live according to their own ways and trust in their own resources, will ultimately get overthrown by their self-reliance and will be outcasts from the eternal presence of God. On the other hand, the righteous (those who humble themselves before God and receive the redemption that He has provided through faith) have a sure hope and a refuge of protection, even in death.

Numbers 4:1-49; Mark 12:18-34; Psalms 48:9-14; Proverbs 14:30-31

NT: “Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and questioned him: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child, that man should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring. The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. None of the seven left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?” Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God?” …One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer.” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:18-24, 28-34‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The Sadducees were a sect of Jews that did not believe that there was resurrection after death. They believed your life ended when you died. In order to challenge Jesus, they concocted a very unlikely hypothetical scenario to try to snare Him in a logical trap and prove how preposterous an idea resurrection was. Jesus’ response to them was that their entire belief system was mistaken. Why? Because they didn’t know the scriptures and they didn’t know the power of God. So many times I see people, that believe in God, go down logical rabbit holes and get lost because they don’t know the scriptures and do not know, nor factor into their thinking, the power of God. On the other hand, the scribe who was an expert in the scriptures, posed a different question to Jesus in order to trap Him as well. But the scribe, who knew the scriptures, couldn’t refute the truth when Jesus presented it to Him… and Jesus actually commended him, telling him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Before we start coming up with our own belief systems, we should first make sure that we know the scriptures… and we need to know God and His power. Do the things that we believe line up with the whole of scripture (not just one out-of-context proof text) and do they take into account the power of God?

Psalms: “God, within your temple, we contemplate your faithful love. Like your name, God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with justice. Mount Zion is glad. Judah’s villages rejoice because of your judgments.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48:9-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The word translated here as contemplate is an interesting word. It actually means to become like or resemble. Basically, as you consider something, the more you consider it and think about it, the more you begin to resemble and become like the thing you are thinking about. The people of God… citizens of the Kingdom of God, should ever contemplate the checed (faithful covenantal love, mercy, goodness) of God… and as they do that, they will grow to resemble Him. They will become those who do good, show mercy, and love faithfully. Through His people, who have been changed into His likeness, His character and His praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Oh how we need to know (and contemplate) the scriptures and the power of God.

Numbers 3:11-51; Mark 11:1-17; Psalms 48:1-8; Proverbs 14:28-29

NT: “He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away. At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from them. But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant to them, and they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully. Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He still had one to send, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came about from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes?”” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:1-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Challenging Jesus, the Pharisees asked Him where and from whom had He received the authority to preach. Instead of answering their question, He told this parable. The earth belongs to the Lord. He created it and gave it life. Genesis even talks about a garden that God planted where life began. Israel was chosen by God to be His “tenant farmers.” They were to be His holy people, a nation of priests, representing God on the earth. They were to be fruitful in righteous and fill the earth with God’s glory. Instead of fulfilling their God-given destiny, they went their own way and forsook the will and ways of God. Time after time, God would send His servants the prophets to speak to Israel and bring them back to their calling and task. Time after time, Israel rejected the prophets and rejected God. Finally, God sent His Son. Jesus was the Son. In response to the Pharisees question – God the Father had sent Him. His authority came from the fact that He was God’s Son, the rightful ruler of the earth. Instead of receiving the Son with gladness, the ruling authorities of Israel rejected Him and killed Him. Because of that, the privilege that was once unique to Israel has now been given to those who place their faith and allegiance in The Son. The church, made up of every nation and tribe (faithful Jews included), are now the holy people of God – a kingdom of priests. How will we, the church respond to our commission?

Psalms: “The Lord is great and highly praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, rising splendidly, is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion — the summit of Zaphon — is the city of the great King. God is known as a stronghold in its citadels… Just as we heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of Armies, in the city of our God; God will establish it forever. Selah” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48:1-3, 8‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is how we, the faithful followers of the Lord, the Church, the City of God should be described. God should be exalted and highly praised among us. We should be a splendid and shining light… a city on a hill beaming brightly with the life we receive from God. We should be full of God’s gospel of the Kingdom and thus be the joy of the whole earth. As we are faithful to God through faith and allegiance to His Son, He will establish us as His people and establish His kingdom in us and through us forever.

Numbers 2:1-3:10; Mark 11:27-33; Psalms 47:8-9; Proverbs 14:26-27

Psalms: “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the peoples have assembled with the people of the God of Abraham. For the leaders of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭47:8-9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

While it is true that the earth is currently influenced and manipulated by the kingdom of darkness, it is also true that the sovereign and rightful King of the nations is God. He has not been unseated from His throne. All of the rulers of the earth must ultimately come under the hand of God, for as Paul states in Romans 13:1, “there is no authority except from God.” The word translated here as leaders is actually the word for shield or protector. Those who have been given authority to protect all belong to God. He is the ultimate King, ruler, and protector of all. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing can usurp His throne. We can submit to His authority, or we can reject His authority, but we can never escape it.

Proverbs: “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence and his children have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:26-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Knowing Who God is, we can see why it is wise to fear (respect, honor, submit to) the Lord. When we lay down our self-confidence and instead fear the Lord, we receive unshakable confidence in Him. When we abide by the word, will, and ways of the Lord, those who are under our care and authority come under the care and protection of the Lord, the Great King of Kings. When we place our trust in and faith on the Lord, into us and out of us will flow unstoppable rivers of life, which not only bring life to ourselves; but life, wholeness, and health to those around us. This is the privilege and honor of all who fear the Lord and live under the rule of God the King.