Christian Living

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Take the Lord with You

Many times we enter into a project or a battle but we go into it alone without the Lord. The Lord despises this form of conduct because He wants to be the only one glorified in the undertaking. If he is not included in your plans they are likely to fail because you left out the Lord in your plans. As Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS” (Mt 7:21-23. These may have had the best of intentions in using the name of the Lord when performing these works but the question always is: “Did they take the Lord with them when they went and did the works”? If it was not His will, no matter how many times you invoked his name, he wouldn't go up with you.


In the Old Testament the presence of the Lord, at least to the Israelites, was the Ark of the Covenant. The ark was a box made from Acacia wood covered with gold. Verse 22 of Exodus gives the theological relevance of the ark and cherubim, indeed, of all our worship of God: “There … I will meet with you.” God is continually present in his tabernacle and walks among his people there (Lev 26:11–12). One of the primary intentions of worship is our meeting with the living God. It was from his throne above the cherubim that he spoke and met with his people (cf. 1 Sam 4:4). The ark had rings inside which were inserted poles for carrying the ark. Therefore the ark could be moved as necessary. Israel never entered a battle unless the ark accompanied them. They never entered an important undertaking without the Lord went with them.


When Joshua took Jericho there was the Ark of the Covenant accompanying them. “So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.” Then he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD.” And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets” (Jos 6:6–9). The ark was the presence of the Lord who was actually orchestrating the entire process. As we know the walls of Jericho supernaturally fell enabling Israel to take the city.


Similarly, at the dedication of the temple, the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. “For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above… And it came about when the priests came from the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD” (1 Ki 8:6–11).


How do we assure the Lord is with us as we go up to perform his will. Moses was adamant. He said, “If you do not go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you are pleased with your people and with me if you do not go with us? Your presence with us will distinguish us from any other people on earth” (Exodus 33:15-16).


How do we act towards the Lord when he is with us? The Israelites were bringing the ark back from captivity by the Philistines. “They came up to the threshing floor, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, and the calf nudged it. But the Lord was angry against Uzzah, and he struck him there on account of his hand reaching to the ark, and he died there before God” (1 Ch 13:9–10). David was angry about this but the Lord said that His ark needed no steadying and if it did He would do it. Uzzah disobeyed the Lord by touching the Ark and so to do we want to be careful not to offend the Lord as we take Him up with us.


The same principle is true in our prayers to the Lord. We should pray as the Lord suggests “Thy will be done” instead of giving the Lord a laundry list of things we want. The Lord knows what we need before we ask. “…for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him” (Mt 6:8).


So we take the Lord with us in whatever we do and wherever we go. That way we ensure victory because the Lord loves his people and fights their battles for them.

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