God is looking for someone who is willing to tie a rope around an ankle and say, “If I perish, I perish: but I am going to see the King. I want to do everything. I can to go behind the veil. I’m going to put on the blood. I’m going to repent. I’m going to do everything I can because I’m tired of knowing about Him. I want to know Him. I ‘ve got to see His face”
(The God Chasers, 55)
God is not looking for the faint-hearted. He is looking for men and women of courage – people who rely on His strength not their own. Yet, there is a certain determination of your own you need to bring to the table. That strength is generated in your inner man. That inner man is strengthened by the joy of the Lord.
When challenges come, you need to rise up to the occasion and stand up to the challenge. Whether it be people promoting unbiblical sexual rights, an insurrection of false brethren, or false doctrine peddlers in your church, or the wicked like Haman who wanted Modecai hung on the gallows and all the Jews dead. There are always those around who want you to fail or are in league with satan to bring your ministry or spiritual success down. There are others who are jealous of your blessings and have an evil eye towards you. Esther showed courage to save the Jews from extermination when she vowed to go see the king no matter what sacrifice she has to make herself, saying “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Esther obtained the favour of the king and the Jews did not perish. She prepared herself in a fast and went into his presence with all boldness. The king’s staff of authority saved her.
God wants people as determined as Esther to come to Him. He is a holy God. Nothing unholy can come into His presence or dwell in His sight. We cannot come into His presence unprepared. We will be toying with death. Remember He struck Uzza for His error. Our God is no respecter of persons and is a consuming fire. We cannot take him for granted. Esther did not take the king for granted. She knew there was a Haman who wanted to thwart her effort. The common enemy we have is satan. He has access to God and is the accuser of the brethren (Job chapters 1 and 2; Rev. 12:11), seeking whom to steal from, kill or destroy (John 10:10).
The determination of Esther must be in our service to God. We must have the spirit of a high priest ready to go in and sacrifice, and the courage of a Joshua and Esther in our service to Him. To Joshua, God said: “only be thou strong and very courageous (Joshua 1:7)”. This is not only when we fight against our enemies. When we enter into His Holy Place or Most Holy Place like the high priest did in Israel, it is entering into the presence of one who can strike us down with deadly force, yet one who can attract us with the magnet of his love if we are in right standing with Him. The miscalculation was too strong for the people of Israel to make. Hence they tied a rope to the ankles of the high priest who entered the most holy place – it was a do or die situation, the man had to come out dead or alive. They dragged him out if he was dead. Esther prepared herself with a fast, God heard her prayers, she entered the presence of the king and came out alive to tell her story which was not the usual Law of Persia and Media.
Similarly entering into the presence of the Lord requires great preparation on our part. No man is exempted – the Pastor or Bishop or the Pope or the pageboy or the choir member. When I enter the presence of the Lord, I must prepare my heart to receive the King. Jesus is the King of kings. My familiarity with Him, His name and His presence should not breed contempt. God wants me to carry the aura of His presence anywhere I go. I prepare myself by soaking myself in the blood of Jesus and swimming in the river of the Holy Ghost as well as rubbing the oil of His anointing on my faces. I put on His robe of righteousness, cleanse myself from all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and enter His presence boldly by that new and living way He has granted to me – the name and Person of Jesus (Heb. 10:19-22). Then I am ready to see His face. How bright the image of His face is to me is another question! I want it to be brighter that the noonday Sun. The more prepared I am the more bright is the image of His face is on me. This essentially is a description of the grace we now enjoy before God in Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament it was the Law of sin and death! I yearn to see your face in the brightness of your glory, Lord Jesus. Amen!
Prayers:
- Lord, prepare my heart to come into your presence and be awed always by your holiness in the name of Jesus.
- Lord, I come to you with the little strength I have. Magnify my strength with your Joy and peace in the name of Jesus.
- Lord, I surrender all. I come into your holy and most holy place with the blood of Jesus. I put on the garment of praise.
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