Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
The Lord gave me a word recently; He said, “Now.” He also gave me some insight on how to receive and apply this word.
Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” 14 He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” 15 The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15
If you look at the life of Joshua you will discover he was very familiar with the manifest presence of the Lord. He actually heard the Lord speak to Moses as a friend and would soak in the tent of meeting under the tangible and visible presence of the Lord after everyone else went home (Exodus 33:11). However, the Lord was now revealing Himself in a new way to Joshua, not as a friend of Moses or under the glory cloud, but now as the captain of the Lord’s army.
I have been a follower of Christ for almost 35 years and I know the Lord reveals Himself in different ways at different times. The way He comes to us is the way He desires for us to know Him. We are in a time where the Lord is beginning to reveal Himself in a new way. Like Joshua, our response must be a bowing to Him and when we do, the Lord will reveal His strategies and wisdom for now(Joshua 6).
I believe now also speaks of a time of fulfillment. Now is a very prominent word in the New Testament, it is used almost 500 times. The gospels and the book of Acts are especially now books. We all know that you cannot live in the past or future, but only in the now. I am afraid many times we are longing for the good old days of the past or looking so much for what God will do that we miss what He isnow doing. “Now is ’The day of salvation‘” 2 Cor. 6:2
Although our current circumstances may look completely opposite, I believe we are now living in a time where God intends to fulfill prophetic promises and destinies if we will simply bow to Him and what He is now doing. As God is shaking and testing our lives, business and ministries we dare not reach out our hands and try to steady them. Under the Old Covenant this could get you killed (2 Sam. 6-7). In the New Covenant it may cause much more loss and heartache than the Lord intended. It is time to surrender it all to Him and we will know what He returns to us is truly what He intends for our lives.
Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; Acts 10:17
Right now, many of us are like Peter, greatly perplexed in our minds because what we have believed about the Lord and our lives are being greatly challenged and in some cases being significantly changed. Our thinking is more critical than at any time in our lives; true surrender begins in your thinking. We have to surrender our thoughts and mindsets unto Him to receive His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Like Peter if we will simply obey and cooperate with the Lord we too will begin to experience the understanding and wisdom of God for our lives and circumstances now.
Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, Acts 10:34
Many Blessings, BW