God magnifies His children before the world. He lets the world know their worth, power and courage. Because He strengthens them with His power, they carry with them the tag of victory. As long as they believe in God they keep winning; they keep procuring; they keep rejoicing. They neither turn backward nor sideways, but their way is the way of the Lord. They pass through the valleys and over the mountains, even by the shadows that haunt them, and yet they do not know defeat. The sheer strength of God in them overcomes their fear of defeat. Even the darkness fears them.
People always wonder how God does it. Yet, His believers wonder when He does it. No true believer worries about God performing works. For if one is worried he or she would not see the result, which brings unending joy. First of all, the key to a believer’s belief in God is in being able to know Him. This knowledge provides to them everything that comes from God. How well you have known God is directly proportional to the things you receive from Him. And, the things you receive from Him vindicate your knowing Him. Each one receives by the measure of God and each measure received gives Him glory. Not all are captains of hundreds. Some are captains of thousands, others of tens. Yet, when all come together for the glory of God, the world trembles; darkness is terrified and the enemy’s defeat becomes inevitable. This is the manner in which God glorifies and desires to glory Himself. God unifies the small and the great with His power that His kingdom should triumph. “Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites” (Num. 22:2).
It is for this reason that Balak called for Balaam that Israel is cursed. If the power of men annihilated the Amorites, Balak would have been more than happy to face Israel and trounce them. He had the kingdom, resources and strength. But he had to fear them, because of the power of God that displayed its work in the sons of God. This is the power that weakens the one who is not of God by strengthening the one who is of Him. Even Balaam could not fulfill the wish of Balak, since God declared Israel as the blessed. Here is the advantage of believing in God – if He blessed you, none can prevail by working on the contrary. In His blessing that is on you is His entire will for you. He will ensure that nothing harms you until you fulfill His purpose. So, it is imperative that a believer in God must first hasten to seek His blessing. He who hastens to God will see the result that gives undying joy. There is no power or people that can coerce you to defeat.
Israel was once a nation that hastened to God. It primarily became such a nation not because of its people, but by the men whom God called to lead them. For not all people of Israel was truly Israel, though circumcised after the covenant given to Abraham. Those that were not were from time to time eliminated by God. But, what made God fill them with His power is the presence of men whom God appointed. These men related to Israel all the things of God. People always need a direction or someone who is able to direct or lead them. And, God who is wiser than men knew their shortcoming and appointed men to lead them into His promise. On such men He imprinted Himself powerfully. Through them He brought forth others that would relate to His people His words. When this became the usual people resolved to listen to their leaders and God was happy to fill the leaders with His will. What essentially came from this pattern was belief in God. It strengthened Israel with God’s power to win every battle.
And, what if there were men like Balak in front of them when the power of God knows no defeat? Yet, for His power to be victorious at all times there ought to be men that constantly lead people to serve God. Remember that there were also times when God did not desire to win through His people because of their disobedience. Though they claimed to be of God, He did not hear them. He did not provide for them and did not protect them. Their disobedience led them to commit all forms of sin. This first began from the leaders, who were the priests, prophets and kings. Had there always been men that led Israel to constantly serve God, they would have never known defeat. “But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants” (Neh. 11:21). God’s children today are His church. This church is the servants that must serve God according to the measure they receive from Him. For them to receive a measure there ought to be present men that lead and oversee them. Lack of such men is quite evident in the present days. This shortcoming is visible from the manner the church conducts herself toward God and toward men. To this day she is at a stage where she wonders how God could perform works rather than wonder when He performs them.
There wondering regarding God’s ability is a sign of unbelief. Unbelief denotes rejection, which is quite popular in the churches. In order to eliminate such rejection concerning Him God began calling men through Christ that He could appoint them as apostles, prophets, teachers and workers of His works and for various administrations. Without these leaders people that claim to believe in God and His Son Jesus are incomplete. “But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?” (Jer. 23:18). Listen carefully to what the Lord desires. To stand in the council of the Lord means to be in His plans or in His consultation. It is the only way to see and hear His word. Yet, how can one be in His plan unless he goes to Him? The question the Lord asked through the prophet is once again needed to be asked, because of the current state of the church. What the Lord desired in the former times is the same He desires from us, which unfortunately many leaders are unwilling to do. Unless you, the minister of the Lord, stand in His council you will not receive His glory. His glory is in His word.
What more can he who approaches God see and hear from His word than he already has? It is His council. This council the many current churches certainly lack. They lack, because they ignore it; much worse, they do not even know it exists. But, it is the guidance that makes a minister of God give heed to His word and listen. O, what life giving fountain is His council! It separates the living from the dead. It creates to a believer ways for life and helps him evade death. It is the power of God! If this power resides in you, your victories are endless. You have known that you hear His word and that by hearing it belief appeared in you. But, have you known that you could see it? It is the power of God in you that can alone enable you to see it. This is what the sons of Israel saw i.e. the power of God that terrified Balak. At the same time, know that if you reject this His council, you will undoubtedly see His power, but as one who is terrified. “‘Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Mal. 2:4). At that time you will wish you listened. For when God continues His covenant with the leaders that stand in His council He relentlessly works in them.
One thing is acutely certain with the word of God – if you hear it, you shall also see it. For the council of God is not so weak that it would not bring a result. When He directs your way, He also strengthens you to walk in it. You will overpower any man with disobedience and sin, which amounts to darkness. God’s covenant will continue with you just as it continued with Levi. “And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Do not assume that what Paul had done was apart from God’s council. His plans were always in Paul. Without them he would not have gained so many of His countrymen. In as much as even the priests and predominant people turned to God. Others that did not believe saw it. God has prepared Paul and gave him a measure in such a way that he first enter the synagogue of every city he entered to reveal Christ. If God’s council was not in Paul, he would not have known when to go to the gentiles. He would have labored with his countrymen endlessly in vain. Therefore, approach God, give heed to His word and listen “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself”(Col. 2:2).
Make every effort to first obtain Christ, the mystery God. Do not let Him be a mystery to you by not standing in the council of God. For without Him you cup is empty. As the Spirit elsewhere said, He is the One who fills all in all. If you are in any way serving the church of the living God, your duty toward Him is immense. It is only when you fulfill your duty toward God that you can accurately fulfill your duty toward His church. In fact, it is for this reason that God has called you that you carry Christ for Him, the One that bore your sin. To first look upward for His council and then look forward to lead His people fulfills your immense duty toward Him. You shall become the cup that overflows to those who hear you. “FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL” (1 Pet. 3:12).