HOMESCHOOLED
In the Classroom with God
August 23rd, 2023
See, I’ve been in the classroom lately. With God. And while the lessons have been extremely difficult, excruciatingly painful, exhaustingly real, they also are the purpose of a patient Teacher’s Lesson Plan—extravagantly designed for my good and ultimately His use. And He is (home)schooling me so I may know that He has my best interests strategically in sync with the beat of His heart.
TODAY’S LESSON: Same God
Genesis 35:11, ‘”I am God, and I am more than enough.”’ (TPT)
Last week we began unpacking what it means to have been given a promise that is not possessed, or rather, receiving a gift we never open. That’s really what the Israelite children did many centuries ago: God gave them an exceedingly marvelous gift, and instead of receiving, opening, and enjoying that gift, they meandered for an entire generation, just carrying it, wandering around as if it had been hidden from them, as if they were on a scavenger hunt, attempting to find it. It wasn’t until this generation had passed away that the next generation would enter the land promised to their parents when the gift would eventually be ‘opened’.
God was so very patient with His people. Last week, we learned, the journey that should have taken only eleven days, to get from where they had been living—in misery and under malicious rule, subjected to slavery and poor treatment—to enter into the land God prepared for them to possess—the one flowing with milk and honey—incidentally took the Israelites forty years! An entire generation would die away while they wandered, ignoring directions and provision, spinning tall tales of giants living in the land which they feared and wanted to avoid. In fact, it was so much more important to avoid everything they feared than to trust the promise God made. They saw themselves as small and insignificant and insufficient, and everything around them as insurmountable, as gargantuan, unattainable and out-of-reach. Even the God Who had shielded and rescued them, delivered and saved and fed them…even then His past faithfulness didn’t assure future faithfulness.
God was so gracious, He led them. Imagine being in bondage to something or someone, which most of us have been held captive at one time or another in our lives, whether by a person, a habit, or an assumption. When we are enslaved to or by something, that something isn’t long-suffering and patient. It is demanding and willful, often nasty, easily angered and forceful. This people group had been in lifetime captivity, under Egyptian control, and suddenly, their compassionate God was gently leading them out of this bondage to set them free, promising them a land they would possess, that would belong to them, where they would own something precious, a land to dwell in, a place of safety and freedom. Even though they grumbled and complained, He led them with a pillar of cloud for guidance and shelter during the day. By night, He provided a pillar of fire for light and direction.
God was so faithful, He continually delivered them. He brought them through the desert with their captors nipping at their heels. He guided them across shorelines right to the water’s edge, sands of time dripping through their hands, fear palpable in the desert heat. As their unbelief snarled outward at the leader God gave them to usher them forward, and their doubt spun webs of division inward, the swirling waters stood at attention, climbing invisible walls. In no time, a dry pathway lay before. With walls of water on either side, the promise of Almighty God before them drowning out the sounds of their enemy imprisoners behind them, they forged bravely ahead, never once looking back until reaching the far side. Tossing incredulity riskily over their shoulders, just at the very moment they looked back, the tunnel formed of water swept together, their enemies swallowed by the waves.
God was so kind, He hand-fed them, daily provision, hand-to-mouth nourishment, bread dropped down from heaven. Could you imagine that?! To have your tummy grumble and DoorDash rings the doorbell without ever being summoned. You know, the thought that pops into your head, an idea processing in your mind, envisioning something mouth-watering and delicious, and suddenly, biscuits rain down from the sky, buttered, steaming, fresh, dripping with (hot) honey!
Today that same God is every bit as tolerant of His children’s choices and actions as He was in the days of the Egyptian slavery, He rescued His children from. If not more so. His love for mankind is so enduring and He is so forgiving, He sent His only Son to take the penalty of our sins upon His shoulders so we could have an everlasting relationship with the Father, the Son and the Spirit, so we could dwell forever in His Promised Land together. He turned His back on His own Son because He couldn’t look upon His Son and see our sin standing between us and Him.
Daily, He hears our cries and has more than enough grace to meet our needs. He gives us strength to lead us through the totality of our days and lends us His presence as guidance through long dark nights. When enemy captors chase after us, attempting to deluge God’s purpose for me and for you, the same God pursues our hearts, creating a safe passage to cross over to refuge, wrapping us in waves of grace, and drowning the enemy beneath reminders of who we are and who he isn’t. When we fall in layers, He is there to pick us up and dust us off and help us on this journey. Even when we stumble about for much longer than it should ever take us to reach the promise and destination, He has pre-set for each of His children, He remains patient and kind, gracious and long-suffering, tolerant and gentle. He will never give more than any one of us can handle, but when we are burdened and weighed down, the God of the Old Testament is the same God of today, Who carries our loads, Who fights our battles, Who feeds us and provides for our needs, leads and guides us safely to Eternity, on the Way Everlasting.
Joshua 1:8, ‘His lovingkindness leads us to repentance.’ (ESV)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
What might God be leading you out of? ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
What might God be leading you into? _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
‘I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing you and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with My eyes as your guide. So, don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make Me tug you and pull you along. Just come with Me!”’ (Psalm 32:8-9, TPT)
