The Lord God does whatever it takes to make us into complete people. He is the potter and we are the clay. He is a sculptor that skillfully gives a rock a beautiful form. He knows everything we need to become complete. Often we assume that some of the things we go through in life are needless, since we do not know the end of what is to come. But, He knows. He has begun something with us and in us that after a while will become phenomenally effective. Just as a potter uses the clay to shape it into a pot of His desire so does He shapes us into beautiful people. And as a sculptor who sculpts a rock to bring to light an eye-catching form so does He removes all our impurities to makes us complete. He does this by spending time for us. He walks with us teaching us, encouraging, keeping and reproving us. Once He is done working with us, He brings us into His blessings, His deep desires and the rest He chose for us.
“The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain’” (Deut. 1:6). After the nation of Israel had been cleansed of all wickedness, including the removal of the people that rebelled against Him, God spoke to them those words. They entered the land of milk and honey having God’s perspective for them and for the Law. God took time to let a pure Israel enter His Promised Land. He does the same even today with believers. And believers should not be mistaken of His ways for receiving abundant life. The greatest joy to them will be the words similar to “you have stayed long enough at this mountain.” Israel was waiting on Him to say it for a long time. They knew He would deliver the Promised Land into their hands. But, He has to perform the work; they waited for His approval that paves way for it.
It is necessary that we wait on Him as long as it takes in hope and faith to receive that which He promised us. He is a God who keeps His promises; there’s nothing to digress Him from it. It is necessary that we allow Him to cleanse us when He is working with us. He knows us better than we do. We often assume that the time is right to receive the fulfillment of His promises or His blessings, but as humans we do not have the clear sight of all things. But here is the joy of our hope and faith in Him – He will one day say “you have stayed long enough at this mountain.” For this reason, we should steer all our focus on it. It helps us to move forward confidently.
David was a man who fixed his eyes on what God would eventually say to him. He knew God would one day lead him from the ‘mountain’ to glory. Hence, no matter the troubles he faced he kept moving forward. “So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath” (1 Sam. 27:2). King Saul was chasing him to kill him; David was running for his life; and God was watching everything that was happening. In fact, God was preparing David for the work He appointed him. It was not an insignificant one. The greatness of David is that he held on to it. God revealed it to him through the purpose He gave him. It is the same with us. When we have a purpose from him, He leads us through ways and times we’ve never imagined. Yet, the moment of passing from ‘mountain to glory’ has been reserved for us. If we realize it, we know we have a fantastic future set for us.
As we look forward to glory, there will always be troublesome times before reaching it. God does not reveal them to us, but when faced with them will help us overcome them. We begin confidently with His promise knowing we will reach the end. But as we face bad times, we are prone to crumble. Satan heaps negative mindset into us. He tempts us to disbelieve God. At those moments we should exercise our faith, put it into action. “But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God” (Job 5:8). God knows what has been caused to us. By seeking Him He gives strength to endure. Endurance always produces perfect result. God is indeed looking for that result in us. While enduring we fear failure due to stumbling and falling, but we should not; for on the way to perfect endurance our weaknesses, inadequacies, faults are all found out, and afterward we amass God’s blessings. Job too found it out about himself and later was doubly blessed.
The truth we must bear in mind when we are yet to receive glory is in the following words. “The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwelling places of Jacob” (Ps. 87:2). If He had not loved us, He will not journey with us to make us complete. He will not spend His precious time, power and goodness for us. He loves our hearts more than anything we possess. He loves to dwell there securely, i.e. knowing that we do not mock Him. He has not once forsaken us even as we are yet to receive the fruit of His promises.
Now, while we are still at the mountain or a painful circumstance in life, these are the things we should keep in mind that we enter the glory set for us.
- Our duty. God has certain expectations of us. When we reach them, He opens the doors to His blessings. “He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil” (Isa. 33:15). The Israel that did not abide by it remained forever in the wilderness. God’s blessings necessitate righteousness. At first it appears difficult to sustain it, but our desire for it avails His power to keep it. And, we can even fast track our way to glory.
- Jesus forgives. He has known our frailties even before He made us begin the journey to glory. It is He who allows the different paths and times for us to pass through. So, He will certainly forgive us of our sins and weaknesses. We should never crumble and fear losing our relationship with Him, because we have sinned. When He willfully died on the cross for our eternal life, He will not be unforgiving toward us now. And because of it, He keeps doing marvelous works that we eventually receive the glory set for us. “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ‘– then He said to the paralytic,’ ‘Get up, pick up your bed and go home’” (Matt. 9:6).
- Jesus is working. “For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND’’” (Luke 20:42). We may not sense His presence at all times. But, He is working for us. It is for this reason that He is given to sit at the Father’s right hand. Have faith. He is not only watching over us, but also ruling the whole creation with absolute authority having power over everything that comes our way. He will not let anyone destroy us on the way to glory. Our enemies are His enemies. They will eventually be made to fall under His footstool. Let us not be anxious when we don’t feel His presence, but believe He is working with us.