Above Only

Above Only

A New Testament version of Deuteronomy 28 might be written like this: ‘It has now come to pass that Jesus has fully obeyed all the commands God gave. If you believe in the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord, trusting in His death, resurrection, and soon return, the Lord your God will elevate you above all nations of the earth. You are fully blessed in Christ. As a result, these blessings will follow you. You will be blessed wherever you live, work, and play. Your enemies will scatter from you. Your bank account and investments will be blessed. You will be blessed in your fields and businesses. The work of your hands will prosper, and you will bear abundant fruit, profit, and good results. You are blessed with children. Whatever you touch will be blessed. You will be blessed throughout your journeys, projects, and transitions—from beginning to end. You will receive sufficient natural rain, divine favor, and the Holy Spirit for bountiful harvests. Because of your faith in Jesus, no curses will ever follow you.

You will be above only - never beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13). God is never beneath, and His covenant lifts you to His level and position. That means if you are pressed down, you will resurface to the top (2 Corinthians 4:8, 9). You recover quickly. You keep yourself under control. You have enough grace to handle any situation. You are not stressed. You are unstoppable in finding your way to the top. You rise above storms. You have the freedom to obey God. You can walk in the fruit of the Spirit. You are truly free from all forms of bondage and curses. This means you carry dignity and respect, whether people acknowledge it or not. Your job, your position in the organizational structure, and circumstances do not define your worth or self-esteem. You are a first-class person, fearfully and wonderfully made. In God’s first-class cabin, there is room for all who believe. Surely, you are above only — never beneath.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed Assurance

Jonathan was a prince while David was from a poor background. Yet he loved David so much that his soul knit to that of David[1]. Jonathan proved to be the greatest friend that David would know. The relationship was so strong that Jonathan and David established a covenant between themselves. A covenant relationship was the strongest form of agreement and commitment people could make to each other. When God chose a form of relationship with humanity, he chose the strongest - a covenant relationship[2]. Three encouraging characteristics of a covenant are:

1) A Covenant is lasting.   Jonathan’s devotion to David did not waver to the extent that it even caused a rift to develop between him and his father, as he repeatedly took David’s side against the king[3]. Later he remembered Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and promoted him to the king’s table[4]. Mountains will pass away but God’s covenant of peace will not pass away[5]. 

2) A Covenant is an exchange. Parties to a covenant exchanged identities, wealth and weapons. They committed to sharing everything. Whoever attacked one of them had attacked all.   God has also given saints his divine nature and access to all his by His name[6].    He put on them his robe of righteousness in place of their filthy rags of sin[7]. All his has become yours.

3) A Covenant is a choice. Parties willingly enter into a covenant.  Jonathan showed uncommon, unconditional and sacrificial love to David. Love is a choice one commits to live by.  Similarly, Jesus had nothing to gain in comparison to what it took to save the world. He showed uncommon love for lost sinners[8]. He knew they would never show their love for Him to the same degree He demonstrated His love for them but He loved anyway.   He loves us because that is His nature and choice[9]. Thank God for his unmerited love and his unfailing covenant commitment to you. That is the blessed assurance.

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[1] 1 Samuel 18:1-5

[2] Hebrews 6:18

[3] 1 Samuel 19:2, 4-7; 20:24-34

[4] 2 Samuel 4:4; 9:5-13

[5] Isaiah 54:10

[6] 2 Peter 1:4, Revelation 3:12

[7] Isaiah 64:6; 61:10; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 8:7

[8] Romans 5:8; 8:38-39; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-10

[9] 1 John 4:7; Ephesians 2:4; Romans 4:16-25

Faces of a Giant

Faces of a Giant

Life challenges can stretch people beyond their comforts and limits.   You most likely have experienced them. They come as invincible giants compared to your own perceived strength.  Sometimes you invade them and other times they ambush you. Each time they present the faces of terror and the ordinary while hiding the face of opportunity.

>> The face of terror. Goliath caused fear by his huge appearance and verbal threats. Fear removes focus from God's ability, care and faithfulness. Faith and fear cannot coexist. Whichever you allow to rule displaces the other.  Saul was so afraid and desperate that he sent an untrained and unprotected boy to fight a seasoned ruthless giant.

Fear and discouragement are the enemy’s weapons of first choice.  No wonder, there are over 350 “fear nots” in the Bible.

>> The face of the ordinary. Goliath challenged the ordinary standard and methods of warfare. He was intimidating when compared to the ordinary appeal to sight, and logic. Saul’s pitfall was trusting in carnal weapons of warfare (2 Corinthians 10:1-5). David represented innovation and the unconventional ways of faith in God.

>> The face of opportunity. David saw the opportunity behind Goliath’s terror.  Opportunities come disguised in enemy threats and other people's desperations. The enemy will not expose the face of opportunity. You have to discern it. David discerned the opportunity and made a courageous choice. Where others saw the formidable armor of Goliath David saw the uncircumcision beneath the armor. Where others saw his big physical size as daunting David saw it as an object hard to miss. Where others saw growing intensity of   resistance David saw evidence of a high priced target behind the battle lines. Where others saw forty days of torment David saw the end of the torment since forty is the number for judgment. Time for judgment had come.

The giants come to enhance your resume and profile. The giants come to expose the real giant in you. They come to also reveal the giants on your side. Whether giants work for you or against you, depends on how you view and respond to them. You can respond as an ordinary human being or a new creature in Christ.