O Lord Pass through our Land

 

There is serous desire and plea by everyone particularly the righteous for divine intervention in the land. Knowing assuredly that if God passes through our land, affliction of the righteous will end. Indeed, God is having controversy with many nations and He will plead the case of all flesh (Jeremiah 25:31). The wicked are long due for judgment for the evil which they have committed against the righteous in the land (Jeremiah 9:24, Proverbs 21:10), although some of them have been experiencing pockets of God's wrath. God is God and not a man for when He passes through a land, all the perfected shrewd schemes of the evil people will be aborted (Psalm 33:8-10) and they will be justly rewarded for their evil deeds. Then the righteous will experience relief, they will be released and be remembered for good by the LORD (Psalm 34:15-17). For He is penitent and will surely hear the cry of the godly (Psalm 94:3). He will arise for them against the evil doers. For God still pleads the cause of His people, He is just and He is faithful in judgement.

And Just as it happened when Jesus passed through the land of Samaria and Israel, there were healings, miracles and deliverances from affliction and oppression of the enemy. So the people of God must sincerely raise their hearts to God and cry to Him to pass through the land. The darkness is getting thickened, evil abounding and multiplying at a greater measure, and there is no relief anywhere. Even the government and leaders that supposed to provide succor for the people are adding and complicating the plight of the innocent poor. In the land where the poor are getting poorer, and the rich getting richer, and the leader are fortifying themselves and enriching themselves at the expense of the people they are supposed to cater for. Rather they are happy that people are suffering as they promote laws that will add to hardship of the people, and the welfare, wellbeing and comfort of the people is no longer their concern, so God must pass through our land ( Psalm 82: 8, Proverbs 28:15, Habakkuk 1:4).

Will God continue to look and see the helpless ravished by the wicked, however, nothing will happen until we raise an holy uproar for His intervention. His wrath is already expressed because the evil and wickedness in the land is too much. Many have entered the field of the fatherless, spoil and waste them, not knowing that their redeemer is mighty (Proverbs 23:11). When there is violence, unrest, chaotic and incessant disaster, God must need to pass through the land. When the righteous are ripped and denied of their lawful benefits, God must pass through our land. When the wicked are thriving, using diabolical power to subdue, suppress and manipulate others, God must need pass through the land. The wicked enforcing their will on the poor, helpless and vulnerable and when men by their evil acts daily call for God's wrath, make the voiceless to groan and cry, undoubtedly, God must pass through the land.

The wicked are rising o Lord and the godly are going into hiding (Proverbs 28:12, 28). Woes, heartaches and diseases now characterizes our world. There is selfishness, self-will, satanic wiles and craftiness to lure, cheat and spoil everywhere. The so called powerful are taking the right of the poor from them. The people in the land are mourning, aching, bearing pains unexpressed. Many are heavily burdened to the extent that they are no more talking but just sighing deeply with great sorrow. Human beings and animals are starving to death because of hunger, poverty, bad governance and insurgencies. God has created the wicked for the day of judgement, so we look up to God to pass through our land.  

Ask for the Old Path

 

God deals with man based on His knowledge of him. As He delights to guide and guard, the untamed nature of man always crave to be let loose, experiment and gamble with life (Hosea 8:12). God's instruction that can make man comfortable and peaceful are clearly outlined in the scriptures. And just like the children of Israel who lived in self-will, rebellion and disobedience to God's law and command. They firmly hold dear to idolatry which God forbids and detest. So God raised up Prophet Jeremiah and others to warn them of their erring ways, so that they can retrace their way back and avert His wrath. Unfortunately, they refused to yield and there was nothing else God could do dissuade them from their evil passion for strange gods. God eventually consumed them yet they refused to amend their ways (Jeremiah 5:3). Jeremiah had frankly told them there is no salvation  in any hill or mountain but only in the Lord (Jeremiah 3:23-24), and despite his repeated warnings, they were bent on their ways. They trust in lying and soothing words that will praise and pamper them in their evil ways. They love to be deceived, because they were already deceived and living in self-deceit. Adamant and disobedient, God allowed them to have their way but they bore the consequence of their choice.

So God abandoned them (Psalm 81:11-12), it was disastrous for them because their expectations were not met rather they received wrath and judgment (Proverbs 28:9, 4:15, 19). Solomon in his wise counsel has also admonished in the book of Proverbs 4:4, 22:5, 19:27, 29. But they were full of whoredom and idolatry (Hosea 4:12). They were people given to change who cannot consistently and wholeheartedly follow after God. God was never in their thought but they walked in the imagination of their heart (Jeremiah 9:14). They forsook their devotion, affection and love for God but cling tightly to idols. They bluntly refused God and His instructions given to them through His servant (Jeremiah 44:15). Evil people though in affliction as a result of their sin refused to turn back to God but persist in their evil, revolting and refusing to obey Him (Jeremiah 44:4-5). Who will dissuade them from their evil passion that is constantly bringing untold hardship and judgment from God (Proverbs 29:19). And as they refused to hear nor obey God to walk in His ways (Psalm 78:8, 81:11-12), consequently, His peace and blessings eluded them. Also, their prayers were unanswered (Proverbs 28:9). Yet, God's admonition to them is to follow righteousness (Proverbs 21:21) because the outcome of following is wickedness is clearly spelt out (Proverbs 22:5, 29:1, 1:24-31).

However, God stance remains unchanged. Solomon, the king, in the book of proverbs reiterated the essence of walking in the right path. For there  is a keeping (with understanding and preservation) and discretion for those who walk in the path of righteousness (Proverbs 2:11-13, 20), because only the righteous will dwell safely in the land. Indeed, sound wisdom and discretion are divine gifts that produces life for the soul and adorns with grace (Proverbs 3:21-23, 4:12-13). Besides, it keeps someone on a straight path so that he does not stumble. Though Jeremiah and other prophets raised and instructed by God to warn the children of Israel were forbidden from prophesying and ministering to them (Micah 2:6-7), the word of God and His commands  counted strange to them (Hosea 8:12) but they persisted in obeying God.

And now it is evident that even many preachers, prophets and pastors too need to ask for the old path that the true men of God who had genuine encounter with God trod. They performed raw, visible miracles. Men like Elisha who fed 100 people with 20 loaves of barley who followed the path of Jesus who fed multitude. They were not exploiters but providers meeting the needs of the poor and the helpless (2 Kings 2:4). At another time, Elisha the prophet issued a command to the widow "shut the door behind you and pour the oil into the container"  she did and the oil multiplied. The widow was not put to shame, her needs was met and her sons were not taken. But nowadays, widows are being exploited through fake visions and revelations that often trouble them to the extent they give all that is left with them (money and possession) to the so called prophets of God. A demand is placed on people for God's blessing. Certain amount must be given as an offering or gift to a man God in order to get a particular blessing. This is heresy!

Though the generous woman received a son after Elisha asked her need. However, her generosity was not with the intension to get anything from Him. Remember that her husband was old, she must have lost hope of having any child again. She even told the man of God '' don't deceive me.''  Where then did the child came from? She received a son from the God of Elisha who knows no impossibility. It is God who give people as He pleases, no one can bribe God with gifts. The book of 2 Kings is loaded and it is a good recipe for our modern day flamboyant preachers who need to ask for the old path that commands the true power of God and brings down His glory. 

The savor and spiritual candor is lost because of showmanship and greediness of our modern day ministers who are getting the leprosy of Naaman in the place of service and they can no longer stand in the presence of God. God detests them and He cannot trust them with His true power and glory. Elisha asked Gehazi, Is it time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men servants and maid servants? The church is sick and weak because many leaders have drifted from the old path. Restoring the righteousness and true glory of God necessitate that we retrace our steps back to the old path.

Our Enraged World

 

Living in an enraged world can be really problematic and troubling. Many are furious, sad and daily living in rage against everything and anything that comes along their path. And it is so unfortunate that they do not realize that devil is behind all the chaos going on in the world. Nowhere seem to be truly peaceful and calm. Though some may experience relative peace for a while, but indeed it is not a perpetual one. The issues of insecurity is now trending even in the developed countries, though to some extent they have curtailed this unpleasant activities, yet, they do have issues occasionally with enraged people who go about in shooting spray for no just cause killing innocent people. A lot is going on, many are enraged against the government, economy, their environment even against themselves. The enemy has seriously dealt with our world, and virtually no nation is exempted. Stories of woes everywhere, horrible and terrific incidences, shocking and saddening news flung the newspapers and media, wars, killings, insubordination, violence, rioting and so on are the order of the day.

Oftentimes, when the spoiled realizes his state and wants to take back his possession and regain his rightful position, trouble ensues, because the enemy and wicked who has stolen will not want to give back what was stolen, seized or confiscated unless God intervenes. And so was the case of Ahab. There was no problem until when Ahab remembered that he needed to take possession of Ramoth Gilead from the King of Syria. There is wickedness everywhere, the vulnerable are being exploited, cheated and disinherited. Even the wicked are audacious, vaunt themselves unashamedly declaring that they want to have what belong to the righteous simply because of their previous success in spoiling the innocent ones. But Ahab was warned by God  through Prophet Micaiah not to engage in war with the king of Syria. But his true sense of judgement was beclouded by his 400 prophets who gave him assurance unknown to him that they were operating under the influence of a lying spirit (1 King 22:6, 20-22). 

However, Jehoshaphat could discern that something was wrong by the virtue of his walk with God (1 King 22:5, 7, 2 Chronicles 18:6). So he persuaded Ahab and requested that Micaiah should be brought. The messenger sent to Micaiah  warned him not to do any silly or awful thing and spoil the show because all the prophesies that have gone forth were good. And he too told them what they wanted to hear, but when they insisted, he told them God's verdict concerning their adventure, and this made the king of Israel to be angry against Micaiah and imprisoned him. It is indeed an enraged world where all you get for telling the truth is imprisonment. King Asa too was enraged because of God's prophecy concerning him, and he imprisoned the seer instead of repenting, so Asa died (2 Chronicles 16:7-12). But King Asa you once trembled at God's word when you were confronted and you brought Judah back to God. Your response was remarkable, and you and all Judah benefited from the right action you took then (2 Chronicles 15:1-19). And why can't you apply wisdom now and amend your ways. Is it because this issues only concerns you and not the entire people of the land, and you feel too big to take correction and repent.

Also, Zechariah, the son of Jehoida the priest, after the death of his father warned the children of Judah of their evil ways. They forsook God and served idols and he told them that they will not prosper. They were enraged including the king who masterminded his death (2 Chronicles 24: 21-26). But he told them the blatant truth. People are always enraged when told the consequences of their evil acts. In fact, they complicated the matter for themselves because God cheaply gave them to their enemies. Yet, these are the days when we need the true prophets of God though they are scare and often marked with scars. Zedekiah angrily smote Jeremiah because he did not follow other prophets to tell lies about Israel's captivity. Jeremiah was also imprisoned, cast into dungeon and fed with the bread of affliction (Jeremiah 37:15-21, 38:2-6).

Though perplexed, troubled, enraged and troubled our world may be, this does not move God because He has made known to man what is expected of him, and failure to comply means that man will continue to have horrible experiences in the world. The government are not helping the matters, rather, their evil decisions and actions is making millions of people to groan and cry how long. There is high level of evil sophistication, evil speed and scheme to make the gullible to fall into incalculable error. Many delight in oppression and looking for every available opportunity to cheat, manipulate and suppress others . Poor oppressing the poor is another mystery in our enraged world.  We are in a critical situation that if God does not help our world calamity is looming. 

It is indeed an enraged world where the righteous are being troubled by the enemy who is not happy because they are at peace with their God and making steady progress. Envious enemies plan to overrun them and alter their course. But God is faithful, He will not allow them to prosper in their evil pursuit. When darkness wants to forcefully rule the light and the evil ones want to manipulate, harm and subdue the righteous. And because God will not allow them to perpetrate their evil schemes against His children, they become troubled and enraged (Nahum 1:13). What an evil world! But who can heal this sick and troubled world. It is Jesus. He is the prince of peace who alone can give peace to a troubled heart though many still abhor and passionately hate Him, yet, He is the solution to this embattled world. Man feels secure when he can manage his affairs but gets frustrated when he cannot proffer needed solutions to his pressing needs. He often manifest transferred aggression for his predicaments and unresolved issues. And anyone who mistakenly crosses his path at that time, on such he would pour his wrath and anger. 

But man will continue to languish in pain and no help will come until the prince of peace is involved. Technology, though good has made the situation worse, and from time to time, it reveals the helplessness of man. Having tried medical sciences, neurology, and other discoveries, all these notwithstanding, solution to man's problems seem far away. Who can heal the evil that plague our world, who can clear away the troubles that embitter our soul, it is Jesus, He is the one. But when man gets to his wits end, he will certainly seek for God. The inward hole, an unfilled vacuum that leaves man in great despair can only be filled by Jesus. If we embrace Him who paid the full price for our redemption, submit to His lordship and control, there will be a great turnaround in our world. God has made perfect solution for us, but it behooves each and everyone to ask this from Him.