Divine Movement
Focus: When God is moving, he is shifting us to build our lives on the only thing that will last forever - Christ and his Kingdom.
Protection
Promises
Providence
Protection
When God is moving it can feel unsettling, but ultimately his movements are to protect his people with his eternal purposes in mind.
Matthew 2:19-23 ESV
“But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.”
God’s movements can be seasonal.
Your displacement does not have to be permanent or pointless - it can be purposeful if you lean on God and his instructions.
What is it that he is both protecting you from and preparing you for within that season?
We must choose to obey God’s commands even in the midst of confusing circumstances to find our way to the salvation he is providing in Jesus.
If you listen to God, you will see that your unexpected detours in life are part of God’s divine movement to protect the revelation of Jesus in and through your life.
Promises
When God is moving, we want to keep our eyes fixed on his promises to keep in step with his timing, not ours.
Luke 2:22-35 ESV
“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
Simeon had to wait a long time before he would experience and fulfill that which he knew God had promised him he would.
We have no mention of his job or vocation.
But Simeon was a righteous and devout man.
This posture was altogether different than just being religious.
***Simeon would build his life around the person and promises of God - because Simeon knew that ultimately the Messiah and his Kingdom would be the only things that lasts.
*God had not promised, nor was Simeon waiting for, a form of therapeutic deism for the consolation of Israel - God had promised and Simeon was waiting for the person of Jesus, which makes all of the difference.
“I am not asking whether you know things about Him but do you know God, are you enjoying God, is God the centre of your life, the soul of your being, the source of your greatest joy? He is meant to be.”
-Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones
He Simeon had to remain faithful, ever watching and ever waiting, until God fulfilled his promise.
*Simeon was not looking for a new promise, he was waiting for the one God had already given about his Messiah and the consolation the Messiah would bring.
This type of living can seem foreign to us.
The ditch into which this generation falls is always looking for what we don’t have - the better life, the better job, the better relationship, the better calling - rather than cultivating the ones that we do have.
In doing so, we miss the positioning of God for his ultimate purpose and promise.
This would be a detriment to those who would miss Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Luke 7:18-35 ESV
“The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.) "To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by all her children."”
*Whether it be your marriage, your children, your job, your friendships or present ministry opportunities, cultivate that which God has plainly made available to you rather than always holding out for what you think things should be or what you wish you had.
(This is that about which Jesus spoke in the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) and the Minas (Luke 19).)
Again this generation misses God because of incessant FOMO focusing on the thing over the horizon vs. what is right in front of them.
In the instance above, the Pharisees were missing the Messiah in front of them for the Messiah they thought he should be.
Hundreds of years prior, the author of Proverbs gave us this wisdom:
Proverbs 12:11 ESV
“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”
Proverbs 28:19 ESV
“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”
Dreams are powerful when they are rooted in the promises of God.
How can I tell the difference?
It’s a matter of holiness.
*Fantasies are detrimental because they lack God’s endorsement and grace.
They are rooted in the fruit of the flesh, primarily selfish ambition - it reeks of covetousness, envy and at times, pride and greed.
*God will speak when the time is right.
Simeon was not allowed to miss Jesus coming.
*As long as you are on the lookout for God’s promise, you don’t need to fear missing it.
God told me a long time ago, "I am much more able to make myself heard than you are able to hear me.”
And when he speaks, we act and are a voice to prophesy God’s greatness and Jesus’ salvation to the world.
If you live like Simeon, you can then settle in and not allow the enemy to steal your joy, peace, relationships and present opportunities to work with Jesus because you think something better is going to come along.
On the other hand, we can have a holy posture working the land God has given us while waiting on his divine direction and promises with a foundation in Christ’s gospel and eternal Kingdom.
*When Jesus is revealed, it always comes with a line drawn to cause the rising and falling of many, piercing the soul of even the faithful because Jesus reveals the motives and intentions of our hearts.
“Any person who only sticks with Christianity as long as things are going his or her way is a stranger to the cross.”
-Timothy Keller
Why do you do what you do?
Who is it for?
Will he beIs Jesus truly Lord of our lives and is our love for his glory alone or for ours?
Proverbs 16:2 ESV
“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.”
Proverbs 16:2 NIV
“All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
Proverbs 17:3 ESV
“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.”
John 5:41-44 ESV
“I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
Providence
Because God is moving, we want to trust that his providence will lead us to the opportunities that will glorify him and will prepare the way for Jesus to be revealed in our corner of the world.
Luke 2:36-38 ESV
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
With roots in Latin meaning “to see before”, providence is defined as divine guidance and care where God with protective oversight prudently manages and directs world affairs.
“No doctrine in the whole Word of God has more excited the hatred of mankind than the truth of the absolute sovereignty of God.”
-Charles Spurgeon
At the same time, Spurgeon also said in comfort to believers:
“When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.”
-Charles Spurgeon
"No doctrine in the whole Word of God has more excited the hatred of mankind than the truth of the absolute sovereignty of God".
-Charles Spurgeon
At the same time, he also said in comfort to believers,
"When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head".
-Charles Spurgeon
Anna experienced unexpected loss early and had a choice to make regarding how that loss would shape her.
Anna could get bitter or allow her circumstances to fuel her consecration to the Lord, finding her identity, purpose and joy in the purposes of God that were greater than her personal pain.
My pastor would often say that “scarcity brings clarity” in life where we are given the opportunity to see what is most important.
When Anna’s immediate temporal joy was removed through her husband’s death, through a life of fasting and prayer, she was given a picture of what was eternally significant.
Anna persevered in faithfulness.
Because she found her home amongst the people of God at the temple, Anna was positioned in God’s providence to meet Christ and have a significant part in announcing his redemptive work to the world.
Yet Anna came to this privileged place through suffering.
God’s providence is in the midst of our suffering.
We must learn to look to God, as Anna did.
You can imagine her reciting this Psalm over and over again to shape her mind and steady her heart during her decades of consecration at the temple.
Psalm 84:9-12 ESV
“Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
And every time should Anna would reflect on itthese words, itthey would be true.
“Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.”
-Timothy Keller
Corrie Ten Boom and learning to thank God in all circumstances:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/datL_HxIEEg
Though not a Christian, we can see the influence of the Bible’s teachings on Rudyard Kipling when he wrote If:
If by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
So in this new year, how can you better interpret your detours in the light of God’s protection?
How can you build your life in such a way to know and rely on God’s Biblical and Holy Spirit spoken promises?
How can you learn to trust God’s providence, planting yourself in the house of God and thanking him in all circumstances because you know he is looking to root you in the only thing that will last forever - Christ and his Kingdom?
Luke 2:39-40 ESV
“And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.”
Jesus would grow while living sinlessly, following the Father’s directives and timing to the very end.
He would die sacrificially on the cross for our sins, putting his confidence in the Father’s promise to bring him back from death through the resurrection.
And with a supreme trust in the providence of God, after having paid the price for our sins through his suffering, Jesus would receive eternally the reward of all of those who would repent of their sin and put their faith in him.
May we follow his ultimate example and allow God to walk us, with divine comfort and joy, through all of his divine movements.
May you, like Christ, grow and become strong, being filled with his wisdom so that the favor of God might be upon you this year and always.
Benediction:
Romans 8:31-39 ESV
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances.”
-Timothy Keller