Tag: Intercession

God Goes with Even the Obstinate

“3Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” – Exodus 33:3 (ESV)

The LORD led the people to the land He had promised them through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But, here he is telling them to go on ahead and He will hang back, because they are difficult to lead, obstinate.

As I read the words of the LORD, I see myself and the leading of my family. I have a plan to get somewhere and yet they are resistant to my plan and feel as though they know better where we are headed and how to get there and what it will look like along the way. Now, I am not saying that I have all the answers like the LORD, but in these instances, I have planned things out and, as the head of the family, should be trusted to get us there. So, I tell them to go ahead without me and I will meet them there as I am not interested in arguing with them any longer and will allow them to do it for themselves if that is what they want. The result is that they come back to me to “fix” things as they did not quite turn out the way they thought they would.

The LORD had everything planned out for the Israelite people to get to the place where he promised them. The people thought they knew better and took things into their own hands. Then they failed miserably and would come back to the LORD for Him to “fix” it. In this instance, the LORD told them to go ahead and do things their way as He was not interested in arguing with them and would simply meet them there. The LORD was not going to work with the obstinate people at this time.

But, Moses knew that they needed the LORD to go with them and protect them on their journey. So he interceded for them with the LORD. Moses asked the LORD to go with them to show them that they were indeed the chosen people and that they had found the favor of the LORD. And He did.

So, where are we landing here. Well, the LORD does love each of us on our journey to do His will. He wants us to succeed and bring glory to Him in the process. When we are resistant to His will, He will allow us to go it alone and suffer the consequences of our self action. But, as He loves us, when interceded for, He will always turn back to us and go with us. We may not know He is there, but He will go with us.

It is important for each of us to intercede for others. We are to pray to the LORD for ourselves and for others. The journey they may be taking is due to their obstinate approach to the LORD. They may be resistant to Him yet need Him for protection along the way. The LORD will be there at the request of the righteous thanks to His love for all.

“7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7 (ESV)

What is your approach to being lead by the LORD? Are you one of those obstinate folks, or know those that believe you know better and can get it done on your own? What if you relied on the LORD or interceded for the obstinate, the LORD will go with you when asked?

Intercede for Others

There are times when we there is a need for intercession. I am not always able to speak for myself in situations. An example is in the court of law, I am not a lawyer and would need someone to intercede with the court on my behalf.

With the LORD the same is needed in some situations. There are those that may not know that they are in need of help from the LORD. As such, Christians have a responsibility to help them out through intercession. Abraham understood this as the LORD was going to bring destruction to Sodom. The city was corrupt in many ways and God was going to deal with it with total destruction. Abraham began speaking with the LORD on their behalf.

“22So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?’” – Genesis 18:22-24 (ESV)

Now, Abraham was being a bit selfish in his request as Lot, his grandson, was in the city of Sodom. But, even with that fact, Abraham started big asking for the LORD to spare the city if 50 were found to be righteous. And, the LORD agreed. And so Abraham kept with the negotiating and took things down to 10 righteous to save the city from destruction and the LORD agreed to the terms.

Now, the LORD knew that there were not 10 righteous in the city, yet He was willing to negotiate with Abraham because He knew his heart. Abraham knew Lot was there and I believe that although Lot was of the family of Abraham, there was no guarantee that the LORD found him righteous and Abraham was taking a flier to get some relief for them. Lot did not know what was coming and Abraham was interceding on his behalf.

There is another thing that I see here. The LORD listens to our requests and does as we ask, when it comes from our heart. In the complete passage, Genesis 18:22-33, God does not deny the request of Abraham. He listens to his heart and allows for the negotiation to take place. Here we find the dynamic of asking and you shall receive. Abraham asked and the LORD granted. It was the prayer of Abraham in intercession for the people of Sodom and the LORD listened.

I have to remember that my prayer is not just for me. I will need to intercede for others to gain, even when they are not even knowing or aware of their need. I am to come to the LORD with my open heart for others and ask the LORD for reprieve in specific ways.

When you pray, what are your prayers? Are you praying for your own wants and needs? What if you were to take the approach of intercession for others from your heart, knowing that God is listening and will grant your request?