Making the Mark
“He made known has ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel
(Ps. 103:7).”
Moses was shown God’s way, but the
children of Israel did not come to know the Lord, although He was present
throughout their journeys as shown in the following verse:
“Moreover brethren, I would
not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud,
and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud
and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the
same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:
and that Rock was Christ. (I Cor. 10:1 – 4)”
Although the Israelites experienced God's mighty and wonderful acts, many unfortunately missed knowing Him and His way. He said in the following verse:
"Forty years long was I greived with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: (Ps. 95:10)"
A number of present-day souls have witnessed the wonderful mercies of the
Lord in the lives of saints, but have elected to go their own way instead of
submitting to the Lord.
They see the
acts, but do not seek and come to know God.
When the Apostle Paul was called by Jesus on his way to
Damascus, the men with him heard a voice (Acts 9:7), but as explained later by
Paul himself, they did not hear the voice that spoke to him (Acts 22:9).
Knowing Him is to know true life and to love Him. We
must hear from Him to know His way.
This is a personal walk. So what does the Lord want us to seek?
Hear the words of Jesus:
“Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the
loaves, and were filled.
Labour not
for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting
life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father
sealed (Jn. 6:26-27).”
This is the adventure and excitement of Christianity, because He’s the only one
with the true words of life (Jn. 6:68)!
He’s the only one with eternal life, love and
substance of true liberty.
That’s why so many of our forebearers looked to him.
As another example, although some may be deprived of
material comfort in this
life and may have even experienced being despised; those same who come to truly know the Lord Jesus Christ
have love, joy, liberty and everything as heirs with him (Rom. 8:17).
What a marvelous paradox.
But as the scripture says, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in
our eyes" (Ps. 118:23).
Reach for what Paul and David wanted - true and enduring riches.
Notice much of what the Apostle
Paul prayed for the saints to have:
“ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for
you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding; (Col. 1: 9 et seq).”
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and
in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be
sincere and without offence till the day of Christ (Phil. 1: 9 et seq);”
“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:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened ... (Eph. 1: 17 et seq)”
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of
this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of
faith and with power: …(II Th. 1:11-12)”
This cannot be over emphasized, fulfillment in God is truly knowing
Him
(Jer. 9:23-24)! Believers are to be
obedient to His way and learn about Him (Mt. 11:29).
The more you learn, the more fulfilled you become and want to learn until
you (again) understand what King David stated by the Holy Ghost:
“One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after; that I may dwell
in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
Lord and to inquire in his temple
(Ps. 27:4).”
In what manner are we to reach for this great fulfillment?
We are to seek diligently and persistently (Mt. 7:7-11).
Search with reverence and obedience (Prov. 2:1-5).
Please note the teaching presented by the Lord Jesus Christ:
“ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which
when a man hath found, he hideth and for the joy thereof goeth and selleth all
that he hath, and buyeth that field (Mt. 13:44)”
The man in the parable sold all he had and purchased the field because of the
sheer joy he derived from finding the treasure!
You see, once you find such treasure, He’s worth infinitely more than
everything you have or could ever obtain on this earth!