Daily Reading: (Judges 18:5-6) 5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.”6 The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”
If I could guarantee that by the end of next year- you would be able to look back and proclaim that 2018-2019 was an extremely successful most prosperous year but you had to first experience some really difficult challenges before you reached that point - would like to sign up for that? When we know the outcome is success, living the story becomes quite exhilarating (Judges 18:5-6).
"The priest answered them, “Go in peace" (Shalom): completeness, soundness, welfare, peace with God especially in covenant relationship
They want to know is our journey going to be successful? Wouldn’t you like to know if your journey will be successful. If 2018 and beyond will be a prosperous journey? We all want to know like the Danites- is God in this endeavor, will it be successful?
In your life journey, go in peace (shalom)- completeness soundness, welfare because you know God is in covenant relationship with you.
Here is why:Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ (throughout our journey) know that your journey will be a success, your journey like last week is one of purpose. Remember Philippians 1:6 being confident of this ( being confident of what the journey ahead will be a success) why because He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Because the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf brought an end to the Law’s sacrifices through His own sacrificial death. You see the Danites needed to know will it be a success because the covenant at that time was between them and God- if they did something wrong it would be a failure- but Jesus is our success. He satisfied the demands of the Law and so we got forth in victory. Through the life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9-11), we share in the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with God (Hebrews 9:15).
Deuteronomy 28:1 "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out." So, when you read the qualifications for the blessing (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) and you look to yourself you will realize you are unqualified (in and of yourself for them). They had to “Inquire of God whether their journey will be successful" (Judges 18:5).
This also means based upon them worshiping false gods at the end of Judges 18- blessings are not coming but curses instead. Deuteronomy 28:15: "However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you".
Here is the good news- New Covenant Living-Jesus is your qualification for God’s blessings. Jesus already came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) you just need to cash in on the blessings that are yours in Christ by faith.
Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). If the curse is gone- then what is left? The blessings are left for us.
It is no longer a question of how much or how well you have kept God’s commandments. It is a question of how much you can believe God for His blessings. We like the Danites, received Word -as God send His Son who is the Word became flesh so that we might have peace with God through Christ. So by faith, go in Shalom- completeness, soundness, welfare, peace because we are restored in relationship with God in covenant relationship.
However, just like the Danites, we still need to go forward and battle the forces of darkness believing in the report of the Lord.
The Bible says (Joshua 1:8) that you will make your way prosperous when you hagah God’s Word. So speak forth God's Word (Jesus Christ) who is our victory over the areas which you want to see breakthroughs and you will have good success.
Now, confessing God’s Word does not move God to do things for you. It is not a formula. God had already moved when He gave up Jesus to die for you. However, as you confess His Word, it moves you from a position of doubt to faith. It moves your heart from a position of “Is it true?” to “I believe it!” When that happens, “your way is prosperous and you will have good success”