From Calvary Chapel of Roswell

Pastor Jim Suttle

Msg #519                           Wednesday, August 13, 2008

To subscribe to these weekly devotions, send an email to: eedify@calvaryroswell.com

For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven (Deu 11:10-11)

The Christian Life and the Worldly Life – are two very different things.

God powerfully pictures this in the way He designed the land of Israel for His people in contrast to the life they knew in Egypt – which is a type of the world.

In the world – it is all about effort.   In Egypt, they had the Nile River.  If you wanted water – you pumped it with a foot pump into your land.   This is a good picture of life in the world.   It is all about effort, striving, pumping from the supply in the world.  

In the Christian life it is not striving by blessing that supplies.  In Israel there was no Nile River to pump from – but by God’s design, the land was supplied continually by rain.  Rain, a picture of God’s active blessing.  Blessing from above.   The supply of the Christian life is to be from God’s active blessing.

In the Christian life it is not a reservoir but a constant supply.  In many ways, this is the main thing on my heart to share today – but I don’t know if I can do it clearly.   Christian, have you discovered that your Christian life is constantly in need of supply?  Have you discovered that you are always needing a touch from God, help from God, blessing from God to make it through the day and week?   If so, maybe you thought something was wrong with that picture, maybe you thought you should have some reservoir of spiritual strength and thought something was wrong with constantly being in need of God’s touch.  Simply, nothing is wrong if you have found it so.   By God’s design, you are mean to live constantly receiving from Him the strength to live – it is how it is supposed to be!

In the Christian life it is not striving but abiding that supplies.  In the world, it is about pumping, striving.  Not so in the Christian life – it is about character. It is about abiding in Christ (Jn 15), about listening and obeying Him.  As we do this – we experience His blessing.   In the world, character is not necessary.  Morality, righteous don’t affect your supply – you can have as much water as your foot can pump.   Yet, the Christian life, abiding is the key. 

‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. (Deut 11:13-14)

Christian, I call you today to living in God’s wonderful and active supply – it is how we are supposed to be living.  

Jim

If you'd like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, e-mail us at eedify@calvaryroswell.com