“He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward.” - Hebrews 11:26 NET
Sometimes it’s easy to think that America is the promised land, but I want to argue that it is closer to an “Egypt” or a “Babylon.”
Whether it’s the slavery that grew up around our feet (Egypt) or the slavery we were driven to (Babylon), both are closer to reality for American than a final, promised land.
Like my mentors are fond of saying, ‘America is a blessed nation, but not a chosen nation.’ And theologically there is a world of difference between the two.
And like my sociology professors used say, ’it’s helpful to understand our social location.‘ If we are going to live and move and properly have our being, then we had better get our bearing.
Put another way, if I wake up in prison or if I wake up in paradise, it’s going to make a massive difference in the way I show up!
It made a difference for Moses! The author of Hebrews suggests that the source of Moses great monument of faith, his “resilience” (one might say), came from his eyes fixed on the ultimate reward, the ultimate promised land…
The story goes that Moses was denied the promised land, but received the ultimate “rest” of heaven… at least. Humanly speaking it doesn’t sound like much of a consolation does it? I mean how’d you like to be 80 when God tells you “no” (to the promised land) and then you proceed to live with God’s “no” for another 40 years?
Most days, we want both; we want the promised land and the final “rest” of heaven… and we want them NOW! We want the land flowing with milk and honey and we want the everlasting peace/hope/joy of heaven.
And you know what?! If that’s your prayer, what you’re actually crying out for then you may be better off than you think…
Its kind of funny you know for all our kicking and screaming for a “promised land,” a “Christian nation” why doesn't it sound more like this:
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” - Matthew 6:9-13 NET
So listen brothers and sisters - fellow American Christians - if your shouting and demanding, sounds like this “ON EARTH, AS IN HEAVEN” then you are in good company!
The staff at church have been reading Jim Cymbala’s great book, “fresh wind, fresh fire” and Part 1 of the book is all about dependency, need, weakness in prayer.
It has become evident to me that God is so very attracted to our weakness.
So we say, go ahead! Cry out to heaven with hunger and genuine need, rend our hearts (Joel 2:13) out to God in weakness and repentance and boy what a stunning response we will receive.
The Lord says, “my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 cor 12:19)… he is just waiting for us to lay down our own power and control so that HIS power may be manifest.
In the wake of election tracking and election results, I thought the best thing that I could give you was what we are studying at Watermark right now. And that is the 7 I AM statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John.
That they might:
1, remind you about the type of king who is ruling and reigning, sitting at the right hand of the father even now and;
2, console you with a rich and deep and varied forms that Jesus describes himself as coming to us in every season…
- I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)
- I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)
- I am the Door (John 10:9)
- I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-14)
- I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)
- I am the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)
- I am the Vine (John 15:1-5)
With these words, my prayer is that your imagination would be alight with hope; That your souls would be awash in peace; your body’s would be covered by his love, protection and grace.
With these words and these prayers, this is our best chance at becoming a potent people in exile (Jon Tyson).
We leave you with this prayer:
In this hour our nation needs a savior Lord, you are that anointed king. Regardless of the election outcome, we will chose to say, ‘blessed is the name of the Lord.’ Regardless of the election outcome we will say, ‘come soon, Jesus come soon’
In this hour we ask Lord that you would be our salvation, our rock, our strong tower. Heal this land, heal your divided church, bring forgiveness and reconciliation in every possible way. Let the peacekeepers and the merciful rule the day. Amen.
With Love & Confident Hope,
Ben & Rylee
