During the Feast of Sukkot, the Jewish people took part in a water drawing ceremony on the last day of the feast. They would go down to the Pool of Siloam, draw water and bring it to the Temple Mount. Then they would pour out the water and recite Isaiah 12, “and with joy you shall draw water out of the wells (springs) of salvation.” In Hebrew, the word salvation and Yeshua (Jesus, in Hebrew), are the same.
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In the Greek olympic games of old, a unique race was run. The winner was not the runner who finished first — it was the runner who finished with his torch still lit!
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As hundreds of rockets were launched from Gaza this past Saturday night, Jews worldwide observed Tisha B’Av. Many ominous events mark this particular day in Jewish history. On this day, the first and the second Temple were destroyed. Jews were expelled out of England, France, and Spain in different years on this very day. But this day of infamy was initially marked when 10 of the 12 spies came back and gave a bad report of the land. When the twelve spies returned from spying out the promised land, only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report, saying the land was full of milk and honey. They believed the promise of God so emphatically that they tore their clothes and implored the children of Israel, saying, “the Lord is with us, do not fear them!” Israel’s reaction was unbelievably severe. They were ready to STONE the faithful spies!
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As Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land it seemed that God had given them an impossible assignment — to conquer a foreign and hostile land with fortified cities and armies greater than their own. They had to go forth only on the basis of God’s promise. They had to walk by faith and not by sight!
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This scripture makes an astounding promise — God ALWAYS leads us to triumph or victory! But can we ALWAYS count on this amazing word to be true?
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A reader asked a pointed question, “How do we claim the promises of God?” Sometimes the most difficult questions are best answered by men of faith, in this case, by a man who made a lifestyle of claiming the promises of God. I learned the answer to this question early in my walk when I read the autobiography of George Mueller.
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Living by faith financially can be a wonderful thing. Back in Jesus’ day, people didn’t have savings and money market accounts, mutual funds, and IRA’s. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that those things are bad to have. What I’m saying is that those of us who live without them have an opportunity — an opportunity to see God provide in miraculous ways!
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