COVENANTAL COVERING

So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place. 1 Chron 29:28 NKJV

If anyone should have died prematurely it should have been David. First, he fought and killed a lion and a bear, two very different fighting animals. One relies on his stealth, stalking ability and fierce teeth and claws, the other on his immense strength and bull rushing speed. Then, there was Goliath! After that, David went to war. David should not have lived to be twenty years old, let alone old and full of days. The laws of probability steeped higher and higher against him with each incident. Yet David knew that the Lord had a provision for protection every day, and every moment of his life.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Luke 10:19 NKJV

This subject alone deserves a book. We have barely scratched the surface of the immense practicality of the walk in Christ!

Our God is so real, so alive, so personal, so present. You don’t want to sin because you don’t want to embarrass Him. Perhaps some of my dear readers remember my old story of walking through the Amsterdam airport, and my eyes being drawn to a rack of pornographic magazines, and the Lord speaking in my spirit, saying, “Don’t embarrass me, son.” He is personally present, giving His full attention to you, in love, every moment of every day!

Somewhere out there at the other end of this digital connection there is a reader who says, “When it is your day to die, that is when you die.” That, dear reader, is the philosophy called fatalism. We Christianize the philosophy of fatalism and say that whatever happens, it is the Lord’s will. No. Sorry. That’s wrong! The Bible does not teach fatalism.

For us, time is linear. But God, who created time, and exists outside of time and space, has a slightly different perspective. He knows the end from the beginning.

Was it God’s will for Adam to eat the apple, if indeed it was an apple that he ate? Don’t think so. Now, does God know everything that will happen, and does He have it covered in His overarching plan? Yes. But is everything that happens His will? No. You and I have the responsibility, the authority and thus the freedom to choose for our lives, our families, nations and world.

Read this section carefully.

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. Phil 1:21-25 NKJV

Paul is saying that he could choose to die and immediately be with Christ, but his love for the believers compelled him to live on and serve them. His choice! That’s freedom, authority and responsibility!

…and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Luke 4:29 NKJV

Jesus was never, ever hurt physically, although there were numerous attempts to take His life. He remained a spotless Lamb, until He as the High Priest offered Himself as the Passover Lamb for all men and all time. The same authority that was in Him is in you as a member of His body, with Christ in you. Rise up and accept that authority! With the authority comes the responsibility to walk with Him in manifest victory.

How do you access that authority and manifest the victory?

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23 NKJV

The morning is the time, each day, to renew the practical aspects of our covenant relationship with Him. A covenant is a contractual agreement for mutual benefit. Any godly agreement must benefit both parties. David was a great sinner like the rest of us. But he had such favor in protection because he never broke his fundamental covenant relationship with the true God, by worshipping other gods. David was a worshipper, and the Lord blessed him for it, and covered a lot of other things. He will do the same for you and I!

…and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13 NKJV

The morning is the time to quietly review all the days plans before the Lord. He can show you what will happen in each circumstance, and how you can change the circumstances if their result is evil and outside of His will. This requires real discipline, but it is tremendously beneficial. This is a great key of victory, of advancement, of favor and blessing. He will remind you of things that are needed, and show you clearly how to do His will. His mercies are new every morning!

What do you do when you foresee something evil? You intercede with authority even for the sinners and unbelievers. The Lord doesn’t want anyone to die especially outside of faith. In crisis, we run to the front because we can stand in the gap as a wall of faith. In the great Santa Rosa fire last year, when a family members home was threatened, the first thing I did when I arrived in Sacramento was to go there and stand in the gap. Though the fire was only a mile away, and hundreds of other homes had been destroyed, the winds changed and the house was spared. This is real. Stand and fight!

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35 NKJV

Get up early enough in the morning so that you have quality personal time with Him. Pray much in tongues. Read the Word, even out loud. Pour out your heart in praise and love. Attentively listen and write down what God says. Ask specific questions, get specific answers. Think about what you are thinking about, and ask, why am I thinking about that? Remember that God speaks in your feelings as well. How do you feel about the day? Bring it before the Lord, so that you don’t rush out and mess everything up. You can walk in victory every day. He loves you, and He is with you. That is His covenantal covering!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…