Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: [7] Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV
The preacher in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says there is a time for everything under the sun. Galatians 4:1 says the heir is under tutelage until the time appointed by the Father. As people of God we must be people acquainted with the time appointed by the Father. As people of God we must be very sensitive to be in tune with Gods agenda for a specific matter. Habakkuk 2:1-2 says the vision is for an appointed time, because it shall surely come and not tarry. God has a set time for everything, as the preacher says in Ecclesiastes 3:1. There is therefore a need for sensitivity that we do not go ahead due to impatience or be too late due to slothfulness or ignorance.
Like a farmer, there are times when he must sow if he hopes to have a harvest and also times when he must reap if he wants to eat the fruit of his harvest. So also, Jesus said in John 9:4 that there is a time where we can work the work of God and times where no man can work. While it is God’s will for all men to seek Him, there is a time where He would be found and a time where seeking Him would bring no answer. The Children of Israel were led to the promised land by the pillar of cloud and fire, Exodus 13:21. If one Israelite decided to sleep when the cloud was moving, he would have woken up to the harsh realities of the desert without manna and without the protection of the cloud. We should not be caught up in the place of waiting, not knowing that the cloud of glory has moved.
Scriptures shows us several cases of those who missed their appointed time of visitation of the Lord. In Songs of Solomon 5:1-7, this bride did not have to go through beating and lose her veil if only she was sensitive to the time the Lord set for her. Israel did not have to spend extra 40 years in the wilderness if they had obeyed God to go into the promised land when He spoke to them in Numbers 14. Jerusalem also did not have to go through the destruction and loss of their land if they had known the time of their visitation, when their Messiah came in Luke 19:41-44. The foolish virgins also had a similar issue in Matthew 25:1-13, when they were trying to gather oil when it was too late. Sometimes, our excuse is that we are praying about a particular issue and due to lack of sensitivity, we often miss the move of the Spirit.
The Lord spoke of a people, the Sons of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel had to do at all times. One characteristic of these people is that they were burden bearers, bearing the burden of the Lord and His people as intercessors. The bible says they were a strong donkey crouching down between two burdens, Genesis 49:14-15. This means that at some point Issachar was inactive and slothful, even though he had what it took to carry the burden. However, when he saw that rest was good and saw the land of promise, he submitted himself to be a slave for the sake of entering into rest. The tendency to miss God’s timing and be slothful can be taken away the moment we see the promise God has given to us. That keeps us alert so that even if we would enjoy freedom, we bound ourselves to the Lord to be a part of His promise. Hebrews 6:19 says that hope is an anchor to our souls. Paul also says in Romans 13:11 that it is time to wake up from sleep because salvation is nearer than when we first believed. It is in view of this salvation, understanding what it is, that we would not miss the visitation of the Lord.
God leads us in various ways, individually and collectively as a church. It takes people who have seen the rest God has promised us to willingly submit themselves as slaves to the Lord, seeking the Lord, follow the Lord and wait for Him in the hope of His promise. He that has promised will come and will not tarry. May we not miss His visitation.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus thank you for your promise of Salvation to me. Father open my eyes that I may understand the hope of your calling. You said there remains a rest for the people of God. Help me to understand the gravity of this promise of rest, that I may wait like a watch man in the night for the coming of the Lord. With the hope clear to me, I know the anticipation will drive sleep away. May I not miss the time of Your visitation. Amen.
0 Comments