APRIL 14
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me…” (Psalm 43:3).
Behind the breastplate containing the twelve precious stones were the Urim and Thummim (Exo. 28:30).
With the help of these two stones the high priest could find the will of God for any person in relation to any matter at any time (Num. 27:21). It has always been a mystery how these stones functioned. Apart from the high priest they could not be seen by anyone. They were the most important part of the garments of the high priest. During Old Testament times, they were the only means of finding God’s will. That is why we find David constantly asking the high priest, Abiathar, to bring the ephod to find out God’s will through the Urim and Thummim (1 Sam. 23:2,4,9,11).
When David was hiding in the cave of Adullam all who were in trouble and difficulties came to stay with him in that cave and it was there David found God by experience.
While he was there David wrote Psalms 34,57, 107 and 108. There he learned the secret of finding God’s plan. Even in small things David began to know the mind of God through the high priest who had the ephod with the two stones (1 Sam. 23:1-5,12).
That privilege was available to all but only a few used to go to the high priest to find God’s will. Often that is our condition. It is only when we make many mistakes and fail may times that we say, “O Lord, help me today to find Thy will.” We ought to learn this lesson at the beginning.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our living High Priest. Now all of us can find God’s will through Him. We have just to kneel down and pray with faith asking God to show us His will. If we remain very close to God’s heart, we can easily find God’s will even in small things. For instance, when we go for shopping we need not waste our time, and in the end be cheated by the shop-keepers as usually happens. If we would only pray, “Lord, I want to buy such and such things. Please take me to the right shop and do not allow me to waste my time, money and energy”, He will undertake everything for us. There will be no need for us to waste time in bargaining and then to feel sorry for the loss we have incurred.
New Christian Prayer Church.
God’s glory | April 14
April 14
“And the house when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
Solomon illustrates the fourth divine principle to ensure God’s glory. When you follow God’s plan in your individual, family, and church life, you will find unity, co-operation, openness, fellowship, and spiritual joy in living together. Otherwise there is strife. When we have God’s plan, and we know our ministries, there will not be any jealousy. Much work has suffered because of jealousy.
Even as God’s servants, we can be jealous of each other, and it brings loss. There is no doubt about it; we may have to pray together for a whole night or longer to make sure of God’s mind. And then we find oneness. “Lord, make me like Samuel, thy true mouthpiece, that I may know Thy message and have Thy authority and boldness to give that message”. “Lord, make me like Hannah, that knowing thy need, I can learn how to pray, and have the privilege of meeting that need, as Hannah did, when she offered her son to the Lord”.
“Lord, give us men like David; men after Thine own heart, who will be completely free from
worldly wisdom; and who can receive Thy pattern”. “Lord make me like Solomon, a man of
peace, building God’s temple by living stone fitly joined together by unity and openness. It is only by such oneness that we can finally see God’s glory coming down.