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THE ROD OF GOD

“AND MOSES ANSWERED and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.  And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand?  And he said, A rod .”  (Exodus 4:1,2).   Success in life should not be measured so much by what we achieve compared to others, but what we achieve with the gifts that have been given us by God.   Many fail to obtain this success, though, because they don’t recognize and believe that God can use them regardless of how insignificant or unprepared they may feel.   Too many folks are crippled from being spiritually effective by their own fears, doubts, and feelings of inadequacy.   They look at what they have in comparison to others who they consider “gifted,” and “talented,” and they feel that they themselves have nothing to offer.   They consider themselves weak, and foolish, and feel they are unable to contribute anything significant. ...
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THE SONGS OF ASCENT

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.  Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD." (Psalms 122:1-4).   Psalms 120 - 134 form a group of 15 songs that are designated as Songs of Degrees, or Songs of Ascent (literally, to go up, or steps).  There are a few differing theories as to their purpose, but all agree that they were sung by the Israelites as they made their way toward Jerusalem and the temple of God.  Some suggest that they were used by the Jews as they returned to the holy land from their captivity in Babylon.  Others believe that they may have been sung as the worshippers climbed the 15 steps that led from the court of the women to the court of the men in the temple at Jerusalem.  What I believe is the best explanation...
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INCREASE OUR FAITH

As Christians, we can relate to the apostles' desire to have a greater abundance of faith.   During Jesus' ministry He often reproved them for their lack of faith because they failed to trust Him in the midst of difficult circumstances.   Things haven't changed much in 2000 years.   We still tend to think that we need to know what God intends for us from A to Z before we will accept that what He is doing is in our best interest.   The truth is: even if He would spell things out for us, and let us know His long-term goals for us, we would still too often not understand or submit meekly to His workmanship.     I have had the opportunity to watch various blacksmiths as they applied their crafts to crude bars of iron.   They must first cast the metal into a forge and heat it until it is white hot.   While it is still hot, they place it on their anvil and beat it with a sledgehammer.   Slowly, blow after blow, the blacksmith transforms the met...
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