Awareness of the Things of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Chronicles 11:23,32,

"These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said... from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command..."

The numbers of warriors from the various tribes of Israel that joined David at Hebron are provided us in this chapter. They were fighting men who volunteered to serve David in the ranks of the army he was building. At this point not all Israel had moved to support David yet, but these did, those who "understood the times and knew what Israel should do".

Understanding the times and knowing "what Israel should do" is clearly in reference to the unfolding of God's intentions and plans that included Israel. Not all understood the times, not all knew what Israel should do, but these did.

I am reminded there is always a remnant of mankind that is "tuned in", so to speak, to the things of God. In every age God is active and pursues his agenda (the agenda of redemption of mankind to build a people for himself for all eternity). He uses some in one way, some in another, but he is actively afoot accomplishing what it is he desires to achieve and does it within the context of his own timetable.

Those who are unaware of what it is the Lord is doing are without any situational awareness of the grand scheme of things the Lord is busy doing. Such a person is simply existing in this life "in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:11.

Those who are tuned in to what it is the Lord is afoot doing know the the Scriptures because that is where he communicates to us today that we might know what it is he is about. They know God's revelation of himself in the Bible is there for us that we might "understand the times" and know what it is we should be doing.

"As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11.

It is the accomplishment and achievement of God's word we read of in Isaiah 55:10-11 that forms the basis of that spiritual awareness some have in life.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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