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Category: Sovereignty (Page 5 of 5)

When God Calls You To It, Do It.

April 17, 2021 /
Stephanie Montilla

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” – Joshua 1:9.

Now that New England’s weather is slowly becoming warmer, my car rides have become more enjoyable. I can finally open my sunroof and feel the pressing warmth of the sun on my face. It feels great to extend my arm out of the car window and feel the force of the wind blowing against it. And I’m so enjoying being able to soak up more sunlight throughout the day now. The warmer weather brings with it an added boost of happiness as well. Yet none of these things compare to the joy my car ride conversations with Jesus bring me.

Besides being at home, I spend most of my time in my car. It’s where I do my pondering, my questioning, confessing, and my praying. And I am convinced that my car transforms into my own private sanctuary in those precious moments. The other day, while driving, I talked with God about many of my worries and stresses. See, I have always been a planner. I’m always looking towards the future. And as great as being prone to thinking and planning for the future may sound, this mindset is also riddled with its own fears and anxieties—Its endless loop of questions. Questions like: “What if this doesn’t work out?”, “What if I run short of money?”, “How long do I have to wait, God?” And the more questions I ask, the more it feels like I’m doing little more than enabling my anxiety. Then suddenly, somewhere on that same drive, the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Now I’ve heard and read this verse numerous times, but this time, it felt personal. Being reminded that the Lord is with me brought me comfort and peace. My remembering not to be discouraged; uplifted me. Knowing I need not be afraid; strengthened me. And that’s when it hit me: the same God that had spoken those exact words to Joshua; just brought them back to my remembrance! And knowing this prompted me to go and dig into Joshua’s story yet again. Allow me to pivot here and share some of what I discovered about courage and faith, and strength as a result.

The bible tells us, Joshua, son of Nun, became Israel’s leader after Moses’s death.

Moses had appointed him his successor before his death. And shortly after Moses died, the Lord said this to Joshua concerning his new ministry: “Moses, my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan river into the land I am about to give them – to the Israelites” –Joshua 1:2. God called Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and take possession of the land promised to their forefather Abraham –Joshua 1:1-5; Genesis 17:8. Yet before Joshua ever issued his first command to the people, God had already commanded Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. –Joshua 1:5, 7, 9. God’s repeated command over Joshua stood out to me because the Lord’s command for Joshua to be ‘strong and courageous’ was vital for Joshua’s future, his preparedness. Joshua would need to drink deep of this command before he could lead these people—before he would be able to execute God’s plan for them all. The Lord, who is both Sovereign and Omniscient, knows what lies ahead of us—and within us. He knows what we’ll need to be prepared to lead those He has entrusted to us, just as He did both with Moses and Joshua.

Leadership is no easy task. So, God makes things clear for Joshua and, through Him, for us. He outlines for Joshua what he must do to be prosperous and successful. First, and above all, love God and be obedient to Him. Keep God’s Word close to his heart—on his lips, and to not rely upon his own strength but, in all things, to trust God. “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go” –Joshua 1:7. Secondly, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” –Joshua 1:8. And lastly, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” –Joshua 1:9.

The Lord’s repetitive command to Joshua to be strong and courageous is meant to draw Joshua into a greater understanding that the strength he’ll need moving forward will not be his own, but the Lords. Joshua would never be able to do all that the Lord had for him to do in his own strength. Neither can you and me. Think about it. How many times have you felt afraid before executing a task? How many times have you lost your nerve? God knows we get anxious; Scripture assures us that “He knows our anxious thoughts” –Psalm 139:23. He knows that discouragement will come our way. Yet, if we’ll but only remember that God is with us wherever we go, we can, in His strength, become empowered to be bold and walk confidently in the will of God—despite how weak and incapable we may feel.

It’s not true that God does not give us more than we can handle—He does. He allows it so that we’ll learn to rely and depend on Him even more!

After Joshua instructs the Israelites to cross the Jordan River, he then sent two spies ahead of the people into the next town to scout out its fighting force. Once these spies entered enemy territory, it wasn’t long before they needed to be hidden, and they were with the help of a prostitute named Rahab. But why would Joshua’s spies enter the home of a prostitute in the first place? Simple. No one would have thought it strange for these strangers, these men, to enter and leave the house of a prostitute at all hours of the day and night. But Jericho’s King found out about them and questioned Rahab as to their whereabouts. And as per her agreement with them, she lied to the King. “But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. Go after them quickly” –Joshua 2:4-5.

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient” –Hebrews 11:31. Talk about courage! Rahab shares with these Israelite spies her belief that it was indeed Yahweh who had given Israel this land. “I know the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you” –Joshua 2:8-9. I found it remarkable that this harlot from Jericho, a woman from Jesus’ lineage, was used by God to play a significant role in Israel’s story. As with Rahab and the Samaritan woman, God still demonstrates that He will use the unlikeliest of people to protect and support His children. And He’ll use the most improbable people to carry out His will. Let this be a reminder to us all that God goes before us to prepare the way, that He is preparing hearts to receive us, even now.

We can learn many valuable lessons from the first six chapters of the book of Joshua. The first is that even when we do not feel courageous or strong, we must trust God’s strength at work in us. The second is that the Lord is faithful to prepare the way, and He can use an unlikely person in a strange set of circumstances to aid and protect you just as the Lord used with Rahab with the spies. The third is that sometimes God’s instructions both sound and appear foolish; it’s in these moments we must hold tight to His Truth. Even when our minds desire to question God’s will or the instructions He gives us, faith in God means that we obey Him because He alone is faithful to do what He says He will. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:8-9. And finally, if we desire to see a supernatural move of God, we must be willing to exercise an unwavering, dare I say, crazy faith and obedience to His Word. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” –Hebrews 10:23.

Friends, our obedience to God is evidence of our faith in Him. Like Joshua, the more we unflinchingly follow his commands, we, too, will conquer and be victorious in our walk with the Lord—in His strength. The God of the Bible keeps His promises. So, I encourage you to stir up your faith in this miracle-working God. I encourage you to be strong and courageous no matter what you are facing today. And I pray that, like Joshua, you become unflinching in your obedience to God—come what may. And, if you desire to know more of this God, that you’ll invite Him into your heart. I pray that He reveals Himself to you. And that you’ll trust Him to show you His wonder-working power and faithfulness. “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might” –Ephesians 6:10.

Head of The Table…

November 28, 2020 /
MaryEllen Montville

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]—From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” –Psalm 121:1-2.

This wasn’t the message I had intended to post today, yet it is God’s message for you; not that what I had written originally wasn’t intended for you, it was. My timing in sharing it was off, however. And timing matters greatly to God. Hence, this post in place of that one. I had planned to share a different message entirely. To point you in faith’s direction. Towards Father Abraham, and a gentile harlot named Rahab—but that will have to wait for some future date. This is God’s Word—humbly, I’ve been allowed to convey what it is He wants saying. So, for today, we’ll be talking about our Father. Let’s focus our attention then, on the head of the table—towards the seat of honor and authority—the host’s seat. The place where Dad sits. Where the first portion of every good thing brought to the table is served up.

It’s Saturday. The turkey is little more than a carcass by now—if there’s any leftover at all. The bowls of delicious sides are probably gone too. The pies and guests vanished. The platters, dishes, and pots, long washed and put away. The good china tucked safely away in the sideboard until next time. The host’s chair at the head of the table pushed back under it now, along with the rest of the chairs. Thanksgiving is over. That red number day on our wall calendars a memory now, stored away until another layer of memories is added to it next year. Should the Lord tarry.

But for you, dear Christian, though the red numbered day on your wall calendar is over, and all your favorite goodies are gone now. I pray your heart of thanksgiving burns as brightly today, tomorrow, next month, with thanks and praise to our God, as it did this past Thursday? As I stated earlier, the Lord caused me to momentarily look away from Abraham and Rahab—redirecting us instead to the Book of Psalms. Towards those 150 songs packed full—well, most of them at least, with praise and thanksgiving to Him—extolling His attributes. In psalm after psalm, we are directed, or redirected somehow, towards God—towards giving Him thanks and praise. No doubt why He has directed us here today. Yet far too often, sadly, we need reminding of just how magnificent He is. And so, throughout the Book of Psalms then, we are reminded of just who our God is. How Wonder-full. Reminded of His goodness and mercy and kindness. His faithfulness and long-suffering. Of the unfathomable depths of God’s unplumbed love for us.

Our giving thanks then, should be as natural as breathing for us. His Holy Spirit in us bringing back to our frail, forgetful flesh, in those moments and hours when we do forget, somehow, that it is this very same God of the Psalms who stood over the blank canvas of a yet created world and, with the power of His Word, filled it with His creations—everything we know and experience today. Just listen to the proofs offered us in the opening verses of Psalm 19: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands. Day after day pours forth speech, And night after night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars]. Their voice is not heard. Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth, Their words to the end of the world. In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun…”

And, because of this—this inescapable evidence of God’s existence, power, His majesty that so plainly surrounds every man, not one of us can use the excuse that we did not know God was real when we stand before Him. We can’t. It’s been removed by God from our endless list of excuses. It’s no longer usable when we’re faced with the proof of His very real realness—both day, and night! “O Lord, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens”–Psalm 8:1.

But why look to the head of the table? And what do the psalms and seating arrangements have to do with each other?

Customarily, it is the host—the head of the household, who sits at the head of the table. They take on the responsibility of ensuring that everyone who has been invited to join in the festivities has everything they need. And, while we’re talking about those who’ve been invited, it’s also the host who does the inviting as well. The host has also tended to the preparations. Planning for and providing everything needed to make each guest feel welcomed and well cared for. It is also the host who usually serves those who have been invited to their table. Any of this sounding familiar to you yet? If not, allow me to give you some clues as to where this is going. In sticking with the Psalms, let’s look at the opening verse of the 23rd Psalm—a clear giveaway. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  Need more still? Then let’s head over to Revelation 19: 6-9 then. “Then I heard again what sounded like the shouting of a huge crowd, or like the waves of a hundred oceans crashing on the shore, or like the mighty rolling of great thunder, “Praise the Lord. For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the cleanest and whitest and finest of linens.” (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.) And the angel dictated this sentence to me: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “God himself has stated this.”

Friends, it is the Lord who has been given this seat of honor at the table of our hearts—and rightly so. He alone gave and continues to freely give, to us. We come owing Him everything—unto our very lives if need be. Everything we have a gift from Him—He owes us not one thing, and yet He gave the world His absolute best—His Son, Jesus. And He continues to invite us, daily, to partner with Him. Sharing with the whole world then, the Good News of this Jesus that He gave, and that we know and love. Love because He first loved us. And we partner with Him solely because He chose us, creating us to do so long before He knit us together in our mother’s womb. This God, our Lord, The King of kings who, when dinner was over, long after the preparing and serving and giving was done, donned a towel and washed the feet of those He had invited to His table. Then, He got up, and, after being brutally tortured, picked up His Cross and went willingly to die in our place. And we should forget to thank Him after the turkey is gone? God forbid! I pray not my brothers and sisters. Let us instead enter His courts daily, hourly, minute by every precious minute we’re afforded, with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts, flowing freely from our lips! “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness and delight; Come before His presence with joyful singing. Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting, His faithfulness [endures] to all generations” –Psalm 100

Friend, I do hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. But know this, God wants your thanksgiving, daily. You were created to praise God. But how can you praise someone you don’t yet know and love? Start by asking Jesus into your heart. He’ll gladly accept your invitation if you’ll sincerely extend it. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened “ –Matthew 7:7-8.

The Rain Is Coming.

November 14, 2020 /
MaryEllen Montville

“They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then God shut the door behind him.” –Genesis 7:16.

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the phrase “the calm before the storm”? I sense in my spirit that this is where we are in this season. I believe we are in that place of seemingly blue skies, still. And yet, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve surely seen the storm clouds looming on the horizon. The Apostle Paul warned us about this season when He spoke to believers about the hope of our resurrection and the dark days to come upon the Church in 1 Thessalonians. He encouraged us not to despair over this coming storm, rather have hope. Though he was speaking specifically about the rapture of the Church in his preceding verses, Paul makes it clear to his reader exactly how the events of this future time will unfold. Keeping in mind that Israel is God’s world clock. “When people say, “Everything is quiet and safe,” then suddenly destruction will hit them! It will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape” –1 Thessalonians 5:3.

When we lay Paul’s account of the last day’s side by side with the biblical account of Noah and the flood, the similarities are striking. In the Genesis account, we’re told that up until the time the Lord sealed Noah and his family safely in the Ark, life outside of the Ark was a day like any other—seemingly blue skies above. People went on about their everyday lives—only Noah and his family obeyed God. Then suddenly God told Noah to put down his bucket of pitch. The time had come for them to get inside the Ark. Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation” –Genesis 7:1.

I’ve heard it said, “sometimes faith will make you look stupid until it starts to rain.”

Some theologians say it took between 55 to 75 years for Noah to build the ark—while still others say it was more like 120. The time it took, however, pales in comparison to Noah’s unswerving obedience to God’s command to build this boat despite the fact no one had ever seen the rain. 2 Peter 2:5 acquaints us with the fact that our Noah was far more than just the builder of the Ark of God, however. Noah was God’s herald, he was one who announces the heart of God to the world, listen: “And God did not spare the ancient world–except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.” We may liken Noah to John the Baptist in this respect—each God’s herald. The Bible isn’t specific concerning whether or not Noah was ever a “voice that cried out” to those around him to repent, but we do know the work he did on the Ark itself would have been a sure and certain witness nevertheless. Hebrews 11:7 surely attests to this fact. Just picture it, this mammoth boat a conspicuous herald in itself—a portent. And yet, everyone continued to go on about their business, ignoring somehow, this proverbial “elephant in the room.”

Sound familiar?

So, what of all this? What does Noah’s Ark have to do with anything going on today? And why am I telling you about it? Allow me to answer those questions by pointing you to the Ark’s door. Yes, that’s right—its door. This massive Ark, designed in the mind of God and crafted by Noah and his sons, was able to hold far more than eight people and a glut of animals. That Ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high according to Scripture, or approximately 440×72×43 ft. The Titanic measured 850 x 92 x 64 ft. and at the time it sank had a total of 3,300 human souls on board. The Ark held only eight human souls onboard when God sealed Noah and his family inside—let that sink in for a moment. Additionally, on such a massive-sized vessel as this Ark, Scripture also informs us there was only one entrance, only one door. Only one way to get inside, one way to be saved from the rain that would soon flood the entire world. And God Himself stood as the sentinel at that door. Remember, our Scripture tells us that it was God alone who sealed an obedient Noah and his family safely inside the Ark—no amount of pitch or tar did that, and anyone else that may have was far too busy “living their best life” elsewhere. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” –John 10:9.

Friends, just as Jesus abhorred the rampant sin He witnessed in the days of Noah, the very same holds true of Him today. God, after all, is immutable. “But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to sever their memory from the earth”—Psalm34:16.  Yet just as Jesus had made a way for Noah and his family to enter into the Ark, He offered this same way to anyone else who would have repented of their sin that they may enter in as well. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” –Romans 10:13.

Noah had found favor in the eyes of God because God knew Noah’s heart was for Him—Noah’s good works didn’t bring about his salvation, God’s mercy, and His election of Noah did that. God knew Noah had an obedient and contrite heart—and it was counted unto him as righteousness, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith”—Hebrews 11:7.  We’ll see this same salvation by grace through faith evinced in the life of Father Abraham in Genesis 15:6. And in Ephesians 2:8-9, it’s the Apostle Paul who assures us that it is by God’s grace alone, through faith, and not by works, that we are saved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”’

Now back to this door I spoke of earlier. This Only Way into the Ark, the Only Way that any one of them might have been saved from the rain that would soon flood the entire world...

Just as there was only one door that led into the Ark then, Jesus is that only door through which man can enter into eternal life—be restored to a right relationship with the Father. Listen to how Jesus Himself says this in John 10:8-11. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The rain is coming, friends. If you’ve been paying attention then you’ve seen those storm clouds looming on the horizon. It may not come tomorrow, or next week, or even next year—but as sure as the rain came in the days of Noah—storm clouds are heading our way. But the good news is—there’s more than enough room to enter into safety right now—today! Jesus Christ is the Ark of your salvation, and He will open the door and bid you come in, to anyone who knocks—sincerely seeking after Him. Just as Noah was saved by grace through faith from the destruction of the Flood, we can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus, when we repent and turn to Him. –Paul F. Taylor

Friend, my great hope is that if you didn’t have this personal relationship with Jesus when you started reading today, you’ll sincerely cry out to Him now. I pray you’ll ask Him into your life—your heart, as Lord and Savior. I promise you, that if you’ll earnestly knock, He’ll surely answer. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” –John 10:9-11.

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