Experiencing Faith - The Beginning to Moving Forward

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I was speaking to my congregation the past few weeks about a couple things, and I want to break down real quick what those things were: G-d is awesome!

He gave us individuality

He gave us community

He gives us substance

Throughout the ages we have faced socialistic governments that have tried to take the power of the many individual minds all throughout the world. An individual mind is vital for the growth and stabilization of society as it allows for G-d’s unique purpose for an individual to be expressed. When we think for ourselves, we accomplish what it means to be a child of G-d, whereas following the steps of society and its social norms causes us to be children of the world.

Experiencing Faith is a very important part of our lives, and it is our decisions in these Faith experiences that determine our outcome. To me a decision made in accordance to a faith determines an outcome, but the big thing that people really need to know is if the outcome of that faith will be the reality.

Many events take place to which we are capable of discerning what is good for ourselves - that which is from G-d! However, the world tells us that the masses, the experienced, and the successful should dictate our decisions. It is not wrong to pull information from them, but we shouldn’t always go by what they say, rather we should “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1 TLV).

“Now we pray to God that you do no wrong—not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but in order that you may do what is right even if we may seem to have failed. “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. “For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this—your perfecting. “For this reason I write these things while I am absent, so that when I am present I need not proceed harshly, according to the authority which the Lord gave me—for building up and not for tearing down.” - (Rabbi Shaul, 2 Corinthians 13:7–10)

for the past couple of years the L-rd has been putting in my heart the focus for “Re-information” vs Reformation. The reason for this is because what G-d has established remains, and the reminder of what He has done needs to be given to this generation. Re-information is about reminding people of the Good News of Messiah, and this Good news of Messiah means He has created a way in which we can be reconciled to the Boreh Olam (Creator) as we once were in the Gan Eden (Garden of Eden). However, in order for this to take place, there had to be an offering of a life for a life.

Following the events of the Garden (of Eden), the world had a different dynamic. Instead of G-d ruling and keeping things in perfect harmony through man, man brought distortion through their disobedience and lust for power. Instead of respecting individual minds to fulfill God’s purpose, each man sought to bring about reform to that what G-d had already established.

There is a reason that the angels that were sent to save Lot and his family blinded the community from reaching their door, just as every man’s language at Babel was changed so that no one could understand each other. Today, different forms of blindness are rising up, and they are coming through plagues and oppression. Plagues and oppression are supposed to show us that socialism doesn’t work, and that G-d has a unique calling for every person and people. Yet, those who don’t realize their unique G-d given call will only keep on recycling the idea that we, without G-d, are able to create a united and equal world of peace, love, and harmony which only leads to destruction. “…The implementation of a socialist order is not so much dependent upon a plausible model of a socialist economy, but rather is an exercise that depends upon convincing people that somewhere over the rainbow we can make the whole thing work, despite the failures of the past. (Anderson, 2020)”.

On another note, this is also why we must be careful with replacement & dispensation theology, and two-house movements and Hebrew Roots movements, because G-d has given the Jewish people a unique calling and he has given the nations a unique calling and the separate callings come together to create the body of Messiah!

So now we go into the fun stuff!!

As a direct result of Israel’s disobedience, G-d had caused a blindness to come over them so that the operation of their own works would be under the direct influence of what G-d said He would do. If Israel wanted a ruler that was not of G-d or if their ruler turned from G-d and caused the community to turn from G-d, they would be given into the hands of their enemies. The children of Israel then had a reason to complain, because they were given into the hands of their enemies; they would complain until the oppression was too much to bear. As a result, they would turn to G-d’s Word for Salvation. So we see Israel’s great minds scatter all around the world and it is not until the Messiah of Israel that we see the heart to return to G-d and receive divine inspiration to bring about harmony between G-d and every individual in the community. In so we see someone like Matthew humbled in the reality of who G-d is and in full submission to the service of bringing the Good News of Messiah to His people. True freedom is when a person is able to distinguish and choose for themselves. If Matthew followed the masses, then he would not have come to the realization of God’s providence and the truth to what he learned of the Messiah. If Moses was not raised in both a Hebrew and Egyptian home, he would not have been able to take in both accounts of history to distinguish the truth of the captivity of the minds of the people. Both Egypt in its greatness and Israel in their stubbornness were completely debased by the desire for an unattainable kingdom to which there would be perfect harmony under the rule of a man. This is why Moses, Joseph and Yeshua are so important.

Joseph was a man who’s life was completely taken away from him. Yet, with his relationship to G-d, G-d guided him through in such a way that everything that Joseph did was blessed. In so, Joseph was given such a blessed opportunity to rise from the lowest to the greatest seat a man could get in Egypt - next to pharaoh. It was in this that Pharaoh gave all authority to Joseph in administering the salvation of all people in the world.

So it is with Yeshua, and so it is with us. Yeshua came taking upon himself the punishment of all mankind. Yeshua paid the price through death. He was perfect! In every writing of His day, even in the Quran, Yeshua always followed the Torah and brought forth life though the obedience of God’s Word. Yeshua showed us the holistic approach to which one finds completeness - He learned obedience to G-d from what He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). G-d doesn’t determine the end of your life by your obedience to man and/or search for complete harmony. G-d determines the end of your life by your relationship with Him. The Rabbis will say that Joseph followed a tradition that existed since the beginning of creation, but the reality is that Joseph followed the Word of G-d uniquely given to Him through his parents (as an inheritance) and G-d given dreams. The definition of inheritance is not at all related to the definition of tradition. Inheritance is based on what is received from your relationship to the one who gave it. You cannot always inherit a tradition. If that was so, then any Jew would be able to demand their place with G-d and perfect harmony now! But the reality is that if some were to really receive that demand, the truth is that perfect harmony can only rule when the stubborn are humbled and even be put to an end. In so there is this great divide that none can take away between someone who believes in G-d and someone who does not believe in G-d: (1) In believing in G-d, you have a choice to learn obedience to the perfect will of G-d for your life through your relationship with Him and live forever, or you can choose to follow tradition which makes a relationship with G-d meaningless and life to come to an end. (2) Or, you can disqualify the existence of G-d and follow the words of the world/man which disqualifies you from being in perfect harmony while being in constant pursuit of bringing people down to the grave. This was the fear of Joseph’s brothers in the end of his story. They feared what Joseph might do to them and they spoke in a way in order to save themselves. But Joseph spoke to them to remind them that G-d saved their family by bringing him (Joseph) into such a position. It was G-d who chose the one who chose obedience - it’s relational.

With this, the Rabbis have spoken about the Oral Torah being passed through every generation, and that this is the authority to which we as Jews must live. However, G-d is explicit in what had come directly from Him. This was written down the moment it was shared to Moses. ‘“G-d’s covenant with Israel was based on the written Word and on the written Word alone (Exodus 20:18; 21:1 - 23:33; Exodus 24:3-4)”, “Everything Moses heard was written down, and this alone was the basis of the covenant (Exodus 24:7-8)”, “Moses writes down these words in Exodus (34:27)”, “Kings have to write down everything already written for themselves and nothing else (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)”, “Israel is given the reminder based on what was written (Deuteronomy 27:1-8)”, "Israel must follow everything that is written for the blessing (Deuteronomy 28:58; 29:29; 32:44-46; 30:10)”, "Moses wrote and gave to the priest (Deuteronomy 31:9-13)”, “Moses finished writing in a book from beginning to end and gave the book that he finished writing to the Levites (Deuteronomy 31:24-29)” (Dr. Michael Brown)’. It is incredible to see that the authority of the Rabbis has no precedence to the Word of G-d. They even acknowledge it. Their words on how the Oral Torah came about is only based on hints derived from the Torah and not on what the Torah says itself. This is how society operates in order to bring power to socialistic ideals in order to benefit a secular/profane agenda; that equality brings about harmony. Society would say that abortion is good because they want to have zero consequence for their actions, but the truth is that the consequences that take place in their body and their psyche outweigh the negative consequences of sustaining life. “But we also know that it harms the mother—emotionally and even physically” (Ciancio, 2021). But let’s go to something more stringent on the subject of being Jewish. The Times of Israel released an article in regards to Rabbinic Judaism’s role in Jewish life. Loel Weiss explains that “Most Jews (at that time) accepted that the only legitimate place to perform the sacrificial rituals was in the Temple in Jerusalem… Israeli philosopher and Biblical scholar Yehezkel Kaufman said, ‘with the exile, the religion of Israel comes to an end and Judaism begins.’” (Weiss, 2021). This is vital in regards to showing that what was given to Israel was neglected, and instead of being re-informed about the purpose of G-d’s Word to Israel, a re-formation took place in order to expiate the removal of what made the Jewish people Israel. Essentially, it is as if many Israelites felt that G-d was/is no longer in their midst and without G-d, how can Israel be chosen? In so Rabbinic Judaism took to the Book that was given by G-d, and they spread its understanding in order to maintain an authority on defining what it means to be Jewish without G-d being in their center. The Oral Law was/is the focal point of Rabbinic Judaism. In so they knew that the danger to this was that some might actually remove G-d and His purpose for Israel from the picture. Jewish people like Spinoza would then turn to different ideas of what it means to be Jewish, and eventually, the fear of the Rabbi’s began to take place. The Times of Israel reads, “The Haskalah challenged the notion that how we observe Judaism is based on a revealed tradition”. As said before, inheritance is not the same as tradition, and that one cannot really inherit the same traditional observances. The very thing that the Rabbi’s were doing spread out to its community, and now a wave of new thinkers were drifting from Torah and even Rabbinic Judaism’s “Oral Law". In fact, one can say that each person has their own “Oral Law” derived from what they see via divine revelation. Jewish people all over the world now can understand themselves to be Jewish without living a life that has to do anything with G-d. The only difference Rabbinic Judaism has in comparison to “Modern” Judaism is that Rabbinic Judaism still keeps an eye out in hopes of seeing the purpose of the Torah become a reality; that the Messiah would come! However, the further Israel moved away from the presence and/or existence of G-d, and the realization of the atonement that was made by the Mashiach, the more blinded they became. “No more would Mitzvot be seen as obligations that God demanded of us, as understood through study of revealed texts, rather these religious practices were ‘folkways’ of a civilization, not so different from the American traditions of saluting the flag or playing the national anthem at sporting events; things we do, not necessarily because we believe in them or that they hold intrinsic meaning for us, but rather because that’s what members of the American civilization. So too, keeping Kosher, observing a Saturday day of rest and the celebration of Jewish holidays, were the folkways of the Jewish civilization. Kaplan’s philosophy has been incorporated into Conservative and Reform Rabbinic Judaism to synthesize the rational and logical with traditional ways of observing Judaism”. Meanwhile, Orthodox Jews kept their focus on the Worship and study of the Torah as had been for the last +1900 years. It is inordinately grave to see how a socialistic mindset was able to slither its way into Jewish life, but again, the mind of the world does not befit G-d’s purpose for His chosen people. In all, because one can claim Jewry without having the direct relationship to what it really means to be Jewish, many have made void their purpose. The article ends by saying, “I wonder what the Kohanim (Priests) who survived the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE thought when they saw Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai move the center of Judaism to Yavne and replace animal sacrifice with worship, ritual and study? I wonder if they too felt that Judaism was finished”. To end this paragraph, I am not saying that Israel is a socialistic nation nor am I saying that Judaism is finished, rather, I believe that the claim on Jewish Identity has become a social construct stemming from the behaviors of Rabbinic Judaism administering an identity for Jewish life through man’s divine revelation of their own understanding. In so, Rabbinic Judaism has added to the identity crisis. If you are a follower of Rabbinic Judaism, I am not saying that you are doing something wrong, but my hope is that you would come to the realization of G-d’s desire to bless you and walk with you as He did with your/our Father’s. I would also encourage you to understand that Jewishness is an inheritance. This means that being Jewish belongs to those who are biologically from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Jewish people have the right to the land on earth that G-d distinctly gave to them (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). While being a part of Israel (God’s Inheritance) or Israel’s commonwealth is about being relational and belonging to G-d, you do not have to have rights to the land promised to the Jewish people. But, you are a part of His kingdom called Israel, because you have been given an inheritance through faith. This is what is meant when it is said, “You can be a non-Jew and be a part of Israel”. But do not be discouraged, when the L-rd comes to reign, and establishes His Kingdom once and for all, we will all be gathered to one place making the One New Man a reality.

Removing myself from the topic of what it means to be Jewish, We must refocus ourselves on the freedom to choose. While all that was said above seems to give us a freedom to choose, Jewish society has created a framework to which we must apply ourselves in order to consider ourselves a certain identity. If we submit to the authority of G-d/Yeshua to question anything derived from “Rabbinic Judaism” we are complete outcasts, made as non-Jews, inhumane to society, abnormal, and with lack of respect to the Rabbinic authority. The problem is that there is no evidence in the Five Books of Moses (the Torah) to support the Oral Torah which sums up the authority of Rabbinic Judaism. In so, because their authority is self-made instead of being G-d made, Rabbinic Judaism is more fallible than original Christianity. I say this, because the core of true Christianity is to be a follower of a Jew that pointed only to the G-d of Israel. Therefore, a true christian is not merely a Jew or a gentile, but one who follows Jesus. However, when you add the inheritance promised by G-d, you actually get a pure faith in the Messianic Hope for the Jewish people that is also brought to the nations; this is Messianic Judaism. Messianic Judaism calls one into a deeper relationship with G-d as it calls you to the full experience of faith which is learning obedience to G-d though your sufferings. Messianic Judaism holds its position in One G-d and His Word to the Jewish nation, but Rabbinic Judaism holds its position in One G-d and their interpretation of G-d’s Word. Because Rabbinic Judaism was made on interpretation, of-course, what is accepted by the majority of the Rabbis of the time is what is accepted. Thus you have no inheritance from G-d, rather you get an inheritance from the Rabbis which is keeping many away from coming to the realization of who G-d is. So if you are not a Rabbi and are in Rabbinic Judaism, then you have to be in complete submission to what the Rabbi’s say. You have no choice; you cannot listen to G-d. You cannot freely think, and if given a task at the “word” of the Rabbi’s you gotta do it! But be warned, serious trauma will follow. Those not in, whether never having been or coming from, Rabbinic Judaism, may have claimed Jewish heritage, however, a Jew cannot claim for themselves the same rights as other Jews while having a completely different faith. If they were able to have equal claim to being Jewish, then, Jewry is not based on inheritance. And, if Jewry is not an inheritance, there would be no such thing as a Jew. But, G-d spoke saying that Israel is His “Inheritance” (Isa. 19:25; Deut. 32:9), and it is also written that, “He is our portion” and that “Jacob is the allotment” of that inheritance. In all, an article from Got Questions reads that our inheritance is..., “the sum total of all God has promised us in salvation (GotQuestions.org, 2014)”.

There are many people that have their own great individual relationship with G-d, however, society makes it difficult in enforcing a standard to which all people might be equal. In Rabbinic Judaism, the authority is given to the Rabbi’s so that no person can distinguish for themselves what G-d wants to say to them. Having people think for themselves is very important in society as it allows for the unravelling of G-d’s purpose in the individual. When we think for ourselves, we can come to terms with G-d and what He is doing, whereas following in the steps of society and their social norms causes us to be like the wayward child in Passover. In all, G-d, who spoke all things into existence, is capable of simply giving us no choice in life, but, in His loving kindness, He has given us the ability to choose for ourselves. Rabbinic and Modern Judaism(s), however, keep one from choosing to hear G-d’s voice, because drawing near to G-d is only possible through the Rabbi’s and/or the idea of accomplishing a utopia that in many cases has removed the existence of God and His order. The danger in not being able to enter into a relationship with G-d is that choice becomes invaluable. Without G-d you either have no purpose for choice voiding the idea of having a freedom to choose - because it is pointless - and/or you become enslaved to standard set by the masses so that the only choice that you can make is what the majority thinks is good for you (For example: Islam, Buddhism, . Unfortunately, this means you cannot think for yourself. Jonah was able to make his own choice to run away from G-d and not come back, and Esther had a choice to not save the Jewish nation. However, they are prime examples of what it means to have a relationship with G-d. Though there would be consequences, G-d in His mercy, allowed them to journey through what it means to have a relationship with Him. Jonah prayed and fasted, and Esther prayed and fasted, but they didn't have to. Jonah could’ve remained in the fish, and Esther could have remained in her palace. In the end, the worldly life would have brought them to their end, but their relationship with G-d extended their life. Likewise, Yeshua was in the wilderness, and He even died for His people. He did not have to give His life away, but He did only to show us that a true relationship with G-d with full faith in Him allows us to see that when we believe in Him, we will not perish. In Modern Judaism there is no heaven or hell, but, G-d showed us that we have a choice to believe in Him and see otherwise. In this world, we have no choice, but because of G-d, we have the ability to choose for ourselves and I encourage you to put your faith in Him.

When you put your faith in Him, He gives you substance!

That substance is Salvation, but it isn’t that G-d saves us from failure… rather it is that Yeshua is the only Saving truth!

Lets check out that Scripture from Rabbi Shaul again:

In philosophy, that which exists independently as an objective entity is a substance. What is the objective entity, the substance, of the things you are hoping for?

As a Messianic Believer in Messiah Yeshua, my hope is for the Salvation of my people, and we have been provided with the evidence of the things unseen via the properties of the substance. These properties are the essence of who G-d is. For example the hair on your head is your property, whereas your whole being (body, soul, & spirit) is the substance. G-d is revealed to us as Avinu (Our Father), Yeshua (the Son), V’Ruach (and the Spirit). His attributes and characteristics are a part of who He is.

When we act in Faith in HaShem, we can do no wrong!

Sometimes it will seem that we have failed, but it is okay… If your decision is based upon/according to HaShem Yeshua, who is the only Savior, you cannot wrong Him, because He will make Himself known!

This last Shabbat we went over Jacob who wrestled with the property of HaShem (the Angel of Adonai), and in this wrestling match Jacob prevailed against HaShem! Let me ask you… how did Jacob prevail against HaShem?

You see following the struggle our hopes are either realized or they are unrealized! For Jacob, his hope for shalom becoming a reality was what would lead him to choose wether or not he would follow G-d. Jacob wanted the blessing, but remember, while the blessing was necessary to secure for his physical life and the taking care of his family, deep down Jacob wanted…. Shalom!

Of-course, we go back to remember what Jacob said in Gen. 28:20-21

Genesis 28:20–21 TLV

Then Jacob made a vow saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this way that I am going, and provide me food to eat and clothes to wear, and I return in shalom to my father’s house, then Adonai will be my God.

This is what Jacob really desired… he wanted to live a peaceful life, but instead he faces so many struggles… so many struggles that he even struggles with G-d coming face to face with the Angel of Adonai!

Jacob was holding on to dear life, because while he was afraid of his brother, he had faith in the G-d of his fathers… Did this take away the thought that Esau might still kill him? No, Jacob still had to assume that Esau was after his life, but following the blessing of the Angel of Adonai, Jacob was able to remember that the promise of G-d given to his fathers was his also. Jacob came to the realization that all things belonged to him, because to him was given the promise of a hope and future.

Paul says to the community of Corinth.... 1 Corinthians 3:22-23

1 Corinthians 3:22–23 TLV

whether Paul or Apollos or Kefa, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come. All are yours, and you are Messiah’s, and Messiah is God’s.

For now, we carry this flesh, and the truth is that the flesh carries an identity of this world. We in the flesh belong to the world, but we will like Messiah, in time, put away what is corruptible and put on what is incorruptible!

However, the only ones to be able to do so are those that have put on the mind of Messiah! This only belongs to those that have received Messiah and are struggling with (not against) Him.

In so G-d begins to work with the rest showing the outcome of your faith. After the wrestling match, Jacob now has a different mindset to how he prepares to meet Esau. Answer this with me:

Though Jacob is “prepared” for the worst, he hopes for the _____!

What would be the best things to take place in this situation? it is wise to prepare for the worst, but it is necessary to hope for the (best;shalom;L-rd). Jacob greets Esau as if he saw the L-rd, however, it is not that Esau was the L-rd, rather, Jacob was so fixed on the agreement made with G-d, that the only thing that Jacob could do was walk in the truth/the hope that he would return to his father’s house in shalom! Jacob was under the saving grace of G-d, because for this moment, His faith was in G-d to do what all the other religions and gods couldn’t do!

Can you today look at the enemy and see the promise of G-d? Can you see the essence of who G-d is? Can you see Salvation from the situation? Can you see the Mashiach? Can you see the restoration of Israel? Can you see Ha-Shiva (the Return)?

Jacob knew that he needed to decide for himself to do what it takes to attain the promise of peace, and in fully committing to how G-d was wanting him to live, he might be able to void the bad consequence that is present in this world.

G-d has been taking care of us providing His Salvation, we only have to act in receiving the L-rd and serving Him. Yeshua said it better as he rebuked the devil for the last time saying:

Luke 4:8 TLV

But answering, Yeshua told him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship Adonai your God, and Him only shall you serve.’ ”

Can you face your enemy and worship G-d?

When Jacob was able to establish G-d has His G-d and the G-d of his family present and future, that is when G-d reveals Himself making Jacob’s hope for Shalom a reality. Jacob is brought back to his father along with his brother Esau and they both get to bury their father in Shalom.

It is incredible to see how G-d operates and how everything is cyclical.

Maybe today, you feel like you’ve failed in a lot of things, and perhaps you have failed in basically everything!! Don’t lose faith, because the promise of our King will be made evident in your life! Our hope is nothing that is in this world, rather our faith is the promise of a life with G-d!

“Faith dares to trust God to do the impossible. It sees the unseen. Faith does not look at circumstances; it looks to God. Faith does not listen to people; it trusts God’s Word. Faith is exciting; faith is enjoyable. Faith does not accept defeat; it sees victory. Faith doesn’t look at the past; it looks forward to a glorious future. Faith in God sees the unseen and trusts God for the unknown future.”

Dealing with a lack of faith means not having the substance or the realization of that thing you are hoping for. Therefore it is very important to understand that one must undergo the struggle so that the Hope can be made known again.

Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” So when we have stepped through into a new situations, We have to point out how we are seeing the situation and renew our minds to have out eyes fixed on the promise. Listen, if you believe that all things are possible in Messiah, then you must know what it means to find contentment. If you are not finding contentment and are running into more situations, you need to stop and zoom out to see the bigger picture.

Colossians 1:15–28 TLV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created— in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, whether thrones or angelic powers or rulers or authorities. All was created through Him and for Him. He exists before everything, and in Him all holds together. He is the head of the body, His community. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead— so that He might come to have first place in all things. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross— whether things on earth or things in heaven! Once you were alienated from God and hostile in your attitude by wicked deeds. But now He has reconciled you in Messiah’s physical body through death, in order to present you holy, spotless and blameless in His eyes— if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm, not budging from the hope of the Good News that you have heard. This Good News has been proclaimed throughout all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and in my physical body—for the sake of His body, Messiah’s community—I fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Messiah. I became its servant according to God’s commission, given to me for you, in order to declare His message in full— the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His kedoshim. God chose to make known to them this glorious mystery regarding the Gentiles—which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory! We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Messiah.

A congregant of mind was talking about how Yeshua is G-d and that the reason why we are able to see Him is because He is the ”Image of His substance”. Never in the NT does it say that He is the face of G-d nor does it say that Yeshua was given G-d’s face. Rather he said, Yeshua is the image of His substance, and as it is said in Isaiah, he came in no form that we should desire Him. The image of His substance literally translates to essence of who G-d is. This is quite different to how we were made, because we were made as the shadow or reflection of G-d. Yeshua however is the image of His substance.

Imagine that you are like king David. You have been called by G-d, you are royalty, you are rich, and you are beautiful! Man, nothing can go wrong and you are being treated better than you can ever imagine…. But all of a sudden the place gets really dark and gloomy, and you hear little drops of water echoing in the distance and a rough wind blows and the dust of the DESERT BEGINS TO POUND AGAINST THE WALL, and from the crevices in STONE YOU HEAR THE HOWLING FORCES OF NATURE, and YOUR MIND KEEPS REPEATING… they are after my life, they are after my life! See yourself now as king David laying in the dismal cave deserted by all you love, but you are royalty, but you are highly favored right?!

In this situation, King David says these words:

Psalm 142 TLV

A contemplative poem of David, when he was in the cave, a prayer. I cry aloud with my voice to Adonai. With my voice I seek favor from Adonai. I pour out my complaint before Him, before Him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, You know my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look at my right hand and see, for no one cares about me. I have no refuge— no one cares for my soul. I have cried out to You, Adonai. I said: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Listen to my cry, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring my soul out of prison, so I may praise Your Name. The righteous will triumph through me, for You will reward me.

Where is your hope?

There are many things that you can do! You could keep moving walking away from the very thing you were called to do and wander around in the desert, you can panic and go in circles (many people actually tend to do this), you can go back to where you came from and face death… or you can stop, breath, and zoom out from your situation and place your attention back to the promise and renew your mind with the hope of the promise. The hope of the reality that though it is unseen, it will happen! The hope in Messiah that “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the House of the L-rd Forever.

1 Corinthians 15:55 TLV

“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”

Let us not be discouraged in the experiencing of our faith, but let us embrace the experience which allows us to have a renewed hope to move forward!