People Of Issachar

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9...."God asks us, 'Will you allow me to dramatically alter your way so that I may teach you My own?" Beth Moore

There are many Scriptures that either make us uncomfortable, or that we ignore, and that which is above is surely one of them. We don't like to think in terms of His way of thinking, moving, being, acting, as completely different than ours. We like to believe that He thinks like us, wants what we want, and will operate in every situation just as we would. When the reality of Isaiah 55 collides with our hoped for reality, we get angry, accusing, sulk, or begin to question His goodness. In all of it, He has a question for us, and it is so well put in Moore's above quote; will we yield to His totally dismantling our ways? Our ways of thinking, choosing, even believing? He has always been doing that, but I think in light of today's events, never more so than now, at least in our lifetimes.

It was said in the 9-11 attacks that the terrorists were striking at what they saw as the foundation of our nation; its economic foundation as represented by the World Trade Center, and its military might in targeting the Pentagon. Now, a different terror is upon us, and it strikes at all the visible foundations we have humanly laid. We have seen and are seeing how unreliable they are. The question for us is, how well has the enemy, working through this virus, succeeded in striking at the spiritual foundation of the people of God, of the followers of Christ? Many who profess faith in Him have to this point, placed far more confidence in the world's foundation than a foundation built upon the Rock of Christ. That is being severely tested now. Indeed, all here in the west who name Him as Lord are undergoing it as well. In the midst of the test, He confronts us with Moore's question. Will we allow Him to Him to transform not just our foundation, but our very way of seeing, hearing, understanding, and believing? Are we willing to release our ways, all of them, so that we might know and live in His?

It can only happen through our total surrender to our way, and a choice to learn and know His. When the time came for King David to come into his kingdom, people began to come to him from all over Israel. One such group were the men of Issachar. Of these it was said that they "understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take." They lived and walked in spiritual discernment, which has been a great lack in the church of the west. To know His ways and live them out, we must have it. Along with His wisdom and understanding. We cannot, without letting go of our ways in order to take hold of His. The time for that is now. Are we willing to live in that "now" with Him?

People of Issachar. This is the need of the day, for His church, our homes and families, and for our nation and nations. We can be such.....if we're willing. Are we willing? Are you?

Blessings,
Pastor O