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Luke 20 41-47 Christ, the Son of David 06 Luke 20 42-43 Growing in faith
📖 Luke 20:41-47
14Apr2021 - *Growing in faith* - _Luke 20:41-47_ - CHRIST, THE SON OF DAVID (6) – Bible reading: _I Peter 1:6-9_
God is calling us to live a victorious life. A life that truly makes us be of the lineage of David, ruling as co-rulers with Christ, being both priests and kings.
We have begun considering who are the enemies of God, whom the Lord will make His footstool or He will punish these enemies. Those who are not aligned to the ways of God will become His enemies.
We tend to think that the enemies are someone else but we are allowing the searchlight of God to fall upon our own hearts. The issue of becoming an enemy of God can spring up from within us. We saw yesterday that we can become an enemy of God when we live our lives out of our own will and not God’s will.
We said the question to be asked is not, “What can I do for God?” but, “Lord, would You have me to do?”
*Luke 20:42-43 Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, " SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, (43) TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL."*
Let us consider another reason how we can become enemies of God.
_Numbers 14:36-38 Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, (37) those very men who brought the evil report about the land, *died by the plague before the LORD*. (38)
But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land._
We see here, out of the 12 men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, God killed ten of them but saved two. Why did God destroy ten of the spies?
They became enemies of God because they complained and they made others also complain. Let us take a look at the circumstances that caused this incident of God’s anger against these ten men, who became enemies of God.
_Numbers 13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, "*We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we*." (32) And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom *we saw* in it are men of great stature. (33) There *we saw* the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and *we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight*."_
How did Joshua and Caleb respond to the same situation and what did they tell the people?
_Numbers 14:6-9 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; (7) and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. (8) *If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us*, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' (9) Only do not rebel against the LORD, *nor fear the people of the land*, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and *the LORD is with us. Do not fear them*."_
The response of Joshua and Caleb was opposite to that of the remaining ten spies. These two kept their eyes on the Lord and not on the circumstances. They were able to see the Lord, triumphing over the circumstances.
Is it not true that often our eyes are on our circumstances and not on the Lord? We look at our circumstances and we complain instead of keeping our eyes on the Lord and rejoicing in the midst of our circumstances.
Friend, are you a person who tends to complain over circumstances? Are the circumstances around you becoming like a mountain before you? Please be aware that your complaining affects you but it also affects those around you and they too become discouraged and disappointed.
If this the kind of person you are, would you repent? *For those who complain become enemies of God*. I’m sure none of us would want to be an enemy of God because of a complaining attitude.
It is when we keep our eyes on the Lord and rejoice, even in the midst of our circumstances that we grow in our faith.
_I Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, (7) that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (8) whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (9) receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls._
It is only when we stop looking at our circumstances and keep our eyes on the Lord that we will grow in faith. Our faith is an expression of our salvation.
*Thought to ponder*
```We are learning to look at circumstances through the eyes of Jesus.```