Tucked Safely in the Father's Love

                                 Tucked Safely in the Father's Love

                     Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today. Let’s open in prayer. Did you know that every last detail of the Tabernacle spoke of the Father’s great undying love for His creation and the coming Messiah Jesus Christ. It speaks of our relationship to the LORD. It speaks of His relationship to us. 1 John 4:7-10   

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

                  Let’s look at Psalm 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

                      I guess the Lord wants us to look at Psalm 91. This is such a powerful passage. Verses 1 and 2 put our focus primarily on the Lord Adonai. When we come to enter into His glorious, righteous presence; we are to come with reverential fear. Proverbs 9:10-11

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

                      The Lord does not want us to be afraid of Him. Like every loving parent, He wants our respect. Our awe. Our hearts. Wether we are perfect or not, we want our children to listen and obey in order that we can see them overcome their obstacles. Well, our Father wants us to succeed. He wants His children to overcome their obstacles.  But we have to have our focus on Him and not His hand. The rest of the Psalm tells us of the many ways that He watches over us and defends us. 

                   So,how does all of this work? All over the bible, the Lord tells us how this all works. The battlefield is for the mind. What is our thoughtlife on? What is our main focus? Do we seek His face and not His hand, or do we seek His hand and not His face. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

                  So, how do we seek his face and not His hand? We read the whole bible. Take your time to learn what He wants to reveal to us of who He is and how to see the world and others through His eyes. To walk as imitators of the one who created each and every one of us. The old testament is our relationship to God. The new testament is our relationship towards others. Did you notice something? I call it a two - fold witness. Looks like the ten commandments. Remember, Jesus said that He did not come to do away with the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. 

               We pray and hold a conversation with Him. Don’t just tell the Lord of all your wants and desires. Pray for others, especially those who misuse and abuse you. Those who do you harm. Ask the Father to put a wall of fire around your conversation with Him. That He bans the enemy from listening in to use your words against others and you. Then, have a real conversation with the Lord. Then, be patient as you pray. Keep an ear peeled for the voice of the Lord. Listen for His instruction on how to pray. Pray by His instruction. Wait for His voice to have a conversation with you. It will always be His Word. His Word will never return to Him void. Look at the Father’s one and only Son. The Word. The Word returned to be seated at the right hand of the Father. How powerful is this?

                  We also get our focus completely upon the Lord God Almighty! As we get our focus completely upon Him, we offer up a sacrifice of praise as we worship Him for who He is. We offer up thanksgiving to Him for all that He has accomplished in our lives. I think that as we enter His gates with thanksgiving, it centers our focus on Him. Then, we enter His courts with praise. Praise allows our focus to be on who He is. Courts or for honor of His righteousness and glory. He is a just judge and head over all that happens in our lives. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

                 Are we called according to His purpose? We are all called. But, the decision is up to each and everyone of us to choose to answer and surrender to His call. Matthew 22:1-14   22 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

                 You see we are all invited to accept His invitation to prepare for the marriage supper, or passover (seder) meal with the Lamb of God. We choose whether or not to accept the invitation. Then, we prepare to walk out the road map concerning His wonderful invitation. His invitation with all of His wonderful promises. And in so doing, we are tucked safely in the Father’s Love. Isn’t this awesome? Let’s look at the Tabernacle and furniture.

                         

                First, we come to the Lord’s outer court, the brazen altar, where we are introduced to the Savior of all mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 4:7-10   7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

                       After we accept the Lord’s invitation to accept His wonderful gift of salvation from the bondages of sin, we then enter the inner court, the laver. This was a bowl of water with a mirror in it. Why? So, when we wash our hands and feet, we are to look in the mirror and see ourselves for who we truly are. Sinners in desperate need of a Savior. We are to repent of those sins that we see and ask the Lord for forgiveness of those sins. 

                 Then, we come to His holy place. First, we come to the altar of incense. Why? And did you notice where it is located? Over His heart. Intercession and prayer is where we hear His heartbeat. This is His heart. Matthew 11:28-29   28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. We are to make intercessions for ourselves as we repent of those sends revealed in the mirror of the laver. We are also to make intercession for others. Especially those who have misused and abused us. This is where we find freedom as we allow Him who forgave us to tuck us safely in His great love.

                       To the right hand in the holy place is the candlestick. The Light of His torah truths. Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

John 1:1-14   1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

                         That’s right, Jesus became the candlestick of the Torah truths. You shall know the truth (Jesus Christ) and the truth shall make you free! I hope this is a great encouragement for you to search Him out in His Holy Word. Then, we go back to the altar of incense to talk to Him. So that His sweet Holy Spirit can give you more understanding of what you learned and how it pertains to you.

                   Then, we go to His left hand where we come to the table of shewbread. There are 12 loaves of bread anointed with oil and frankincense. 12 represented the 12 tribes of Israel. It also represented the 12 elders in His kingdom. It stands for government. Which to me is interesting. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

                      The bread represented the bread of life. John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Psalm 78:23-25

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

                           From there we go back to the altar of incense to pray and thank Him for our spiritual food and his care and keeping of both our spiritual man and our natural man. 

                     Then, we with the reverential fear of the Lord enter His holy of holiest place. This is where the ark of His covenant can be found. Our spiritual hearts are now where His ark of His covenant can be found. In the Ark were the law of love (10 commandments) and the testimonies of the Lord’s great love towards the children of Israel. This is where He covers us with His feathers. Wraps us up real tight in His love as we realize we did not choose Him, but He chose us. 

                      It is here He wants to write His laws on the tablets of our hearts. It is here we remember the wonderful testimonies He has shown to us to share with others. Because just like the priests were to visit each station going in. They had to visit each station going out. And when they came out, they were to see others through the eyes of the Lord. We are to do the same. Mark 16:15-16   15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

                This is how we are to be tucked safely in the Father’s love. By going out and sharing how He is affecting our lives. So that the invitation to the marriage supper of the lamb goes out and invites others. So that He can affect others and they can affect others.

                 So, now I want to extend an invitation to you who are listening. An invitation to a radical change in your lives. Let me introduce to you the one who radically changed and is still changing my life. The Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Please accept this invitation.  It is really simple. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior according to the mirror of the law of the Lord. Ask Him for His forgiveness for all of your sins and call them out to Him. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Then, forgive those who have sinned or transgressed against you. Then, repent. Repent means to change your mind concerning sinful habits. Change your choice making decisions. Let Him influence your choice making decisions as you get in His Holy Word. Ask Him to be Lord over your life. I want to pray this prayer with you. But, this is just an outline. The real work begins after I pray with you because it is a very personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

                    Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

                               If you have made the decision to give your life to Jesus, let me be one of the first to welcome you to the body of Christ. All of heaven is greatly rejoicing over your decision today. Please let me know of your decision today. I want to pray for you. If this message has brought up any questions or spoke to you in some way, or if you have any prayer requests; please let me know by commenting below, private messaging me, or you can email me at my1littleafmp@aol.com. I would greatly love to hear from you. 

          If you have made the decision to answer the call of Christ for your lives today, or maybe you have recommitted. Please let me know so that I can pray for you and also welcome you to the family of God. Remember I love you with the Love of the Lord but Jesus will always love you more.

(close in prayer)