To Gain the Good Land (2)

Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD…”  Numbers 14.20, 21

Getting off on the right foot
A fundamental mistake that many people make when they take up some work for the Lord is beginning their endeavor with the wrong focus. Whether it’s starting a new life in Christ or a new church, whether our concern is beginning some new ministry or a new project within an existing ministry, or if we’re considering better ways of working our own Personal Mission Fields, we cannot expect to know the favor of God on our efforts if we set off on the wrong foot.

But how does that happen? Whenever we begin anything in the life of faith with our primary concern being what we want to accomplish or what we want to see happen, we’re already headed in the wrong direction. We cannot serve the Lord effectively or contribute to the progress of His Kingdom if our first concern is what we need or want. The glory and Kingdom we seek are not our own, but the Lord’s. David made this clear in Psalm 68, as he called the people of Israel to emulate their forebears and live toward the promise of God’s temple, and beyond that, of His great glory.

The proper place to begin any endeavor for Christ is by asking what God is doing and plans to do. As the people of Israel left Egypt under Moses, their focus was to achieve the promised land of Canaan. God had promised to make them His people, to accompany them through the wilderness, and to go before them and drive out the pagan peoples who were occupying the land He had promised to the fathers of His people. There Israel would know the blessings of God, and dwell in peace amid His glory. To realize this objective, the people of Israel looked to the Lord for many things – their daily needs, directions for the journey, help against occasional enemies along the way, and so forth. But the overarching objective, that which captured their imaginations and kept them moving forward, was to realize the promise of God, the promise of dwelling together with Him in glory, in the good land He was preparing for them. This, at least, is how David explained their motive in Psalm 68.1-10. It was what he sought for Israel in his day as well (cf. vv. 32-35).

In their quest for the good Land of Promise, we may discern principles to guide us in seeking the promises, Kingdom, and glory of God.

God’s promise
Any endeavor, undertaken in the name of the Lord, can only expect to know His blessing and realize its full potential to the extent that it focuses continually, not on what we as humans would like to achieve, but on what God, our Creator and Redeemer, has promised to do. And what God has promised to do, as He reminded Israel in the wilderness, is to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory (cf. Hab. 2.14).

All who have been redeemed in Jesus Christ stand by grace in the hope of glory (Rom. 5.1, 2). What we hope for above all else, in everything we do and every day of our lives, is to know God in His glory, to be transformed by that experience into the image of Jesus Christ, and to show the glory of God to the world in everything we do (2 Cor. 3.12-18; 1 Cor. 10.31; Hab. 2.14). The blessings God promises in His covenant are to be found in Him, and realized in His glory. From the experience of glory, we enter the world to manifest His glory in all the everyday details and activities of our lives. As we do, the blessings we know in the Lord flow through us to others in the form of His grace and truth (Jn. 7.37-39). Thus, from glory to glory, we are transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, in Whom all the promises of God are “Yes!” and “Amen!” (2 Cor. 1.20)

In all endeavors – every facet of our Christian lives and all our ministries and activities for the Lord – knowing God in His glory and making His glory known to the world must be our focus. Blessed to be a blessing, we realize the promise of our Kingdom citizenship, and fulfill our callings as Kingdom ambassadors, as we live for the glory of God in every area of our lives (1 Cor. 10.31).

God’s promise fulfilled in Christ
God is active in the world, making His glory known, as David explained in Psalm 19.1-4, and Paul echoed in Romans 1.18-21. Like the good land of Canaan, readied with rains and harvests for Israel to enter and enjoy, the world is shot through with the glory of God, waiting for His people to discern, display, and declare it (Prov. 25.2).

God is determined to be known in His glory, and He has called us as His people so that we might take the lead, in all our endeavors, in realizing this grand objective. God is glorified when His presence is manifest among us, His truth is known, His love touches others, His grace, goodness, mercy, kindness, compassion, wisdom, and faithfulness are abounding in and through our lives and works.

Whatever we intend in our walk with the Lord or our work for Him, we must seek to put God on display. And, since Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s promises and the express image of His likeness (2 Cor. 1.20; Heb. 1.3), everything we do must have Christ as our focus – knowing Him, living for Him, proclaiming Him, leading others to know and serve Him with us. In Him all the promises of God realize their full potential, so that we may know, enjoy, and live for the Lord in everything we do.

God intended to fill the land of Canaan with the knowledge of His glory. David pointed the people of his day to that same end. Just so, God intends to fill the world with the knowledge of His glory in Jesus Christ, beginning in the Personal Mission Fields of each of His people. Our lives and ministries will know the favor and blessing of the Lord to the extent that we focus on what God has promised, what He intends to do, and how we may bring glory to Him in our everyday lives.

For reflection
1.  What is the glory of God? How would you expect to experience God’s glory?

2.  Read 2 Corinthians 3.12-18. How does Paul describe the relationship between God’s glory, God’s Word, God’s Spirit, and our lives?

3. What’s the difference between what we read in Numbers 14.20, 21 and Psalm 19.1-4, compared with Habakkuk 2.14? Is God’s glory present in the world? Do most people know or acknowledge this? What is our mission (1 Cor. 10.31)?

Next steps – Conversation: What does it mean to glorify God? Meditate on 1 Corinthians 10.31-11.1 for an outline of what glorifying God involves. Talk about what you learn here with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

This is part 3 of a 5-part series, Living toward the Promises. You can download this week’s study as a free PDF, suitable for personal or group use, by clicking here. You can learn more about living toward the promises of God by ordering a copy of the book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store (click here).

We invite you to register for the free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview. In this course T. M. Moore provides a sweeping panorama of how life in the Kingdom of God unfolds in an age in flight from God such as ours. Set your own schedule and study at your own pace. Learn more, and register for One in Twelve, by clicking here.

The Lord uses your prayers and gifts to help us in this ministry. Add us to your regular prayer list, and seek the Lord concerning whether He would have you share with us. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the contribute button at the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.