Marching Forth!

Reminders are useful because we easily forget.  But even the best reminders have their limitations and do not always serve their intended purpose because we are the weak link.  We can be distracted, fall into habits, and be overtaken with behaviours that impede our ability to do our part to follow through. I was struck recently concerning how many memorials and reminders are in the Bible.  After God delivered His people from a Philistine attack, the prophet Samuel set up a stone he called "Ebenezer" and said in 1 Samuel 7:12 , " Thus far the LORD has helped us. "  God directed the Hebrews attach a fringe of blue on their garments so they would remember to keep God's commands ( Numbers 15:37-39 ).  When the children of Israel crossed the Jordan river on dry ground 12 stones were stacked in the place where the feet of the priests stood.  To stop the people from murmuring against Moses and Aaron, God made Aaron's stick to bud, blossom and yield almonds overnig...

 As a kid who grew up in the church, I was taught Christians were in a "spiritual battle."  The range of views and degrees of emphasis placed upon this battle by different people was a source of confusion for me.  Some people acted like that battle could only be won by the intense efforts of people to "put on the armour of God" and to be "prayer warriors" delving into "spheres of influence."  Others who were also well-grounded in the truth of God's word seemed to give "spiritual warfare" far less publicity.  Some often felt "under attack by the enemy" when difficulties arose, prayed for God to mobilise angels on their behalf and for a "hedge of protection."  Some saw the battle as out there in the world with an unseen enemy, others saw this conflict more as personal and internal; others felt they were on the front lines whilst others said without a care, "The battle is the LORD's." One of the great ...

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6 , "... godliness with contentment is great gain ."  Being content in itself is not necessarily good, for people can be content to remain in sin or feel content without knowing God.  Those who have contentment without godliness will lose all, for their lives and all they posses will be ultimately taken away from them.  The one who is made godly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, sanctified and serving the LORD according to His leading and rejoices in God's provision and faithfulness, in all situations of life this one shall be content and be fruitful for the kingdom of God. Even after being delivered from sin and death by the Gospel we are not God, and we live in an ungodly world.  There is a tendency in all of us to drift towards covetousness and envy, to give room for feelings of discontent to grow.  Instead of taking these thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, like the children of Israel after God brought them out of Egy...

God rewards people who exercise faith in Him, and this was often demonstrated through obedience to God's word.  The God who knows the secret thoughts and motives of the heart commanded the children of Israel in  Numbers 10:9 , " When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies ."  God was fully aware when His people were oppressed, but they were called to acknowledge their dire circumstances and sound an alarm with the silver trumpets kept in the tabernacle.  They did so because they believed God would hear and save them in battle. Upon reading this I was reminded of a situation in the life of King Saul who commanded trumpets (shofars) be blown after a battle in  1 Samuel 13:3-4 :  " And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then...