“…all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40)
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of divine order. When Paul is admonishing the church in Corinth, he tells them, “…all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). When he talks to the church in Ephesus, he tells them the order of a home: “For the husband is the head of the wife…” (Ephesians 5:23). In the kingdom of God, order and patterns play a very important role. Pattern was important in the Old Testament, too; we see this very explicitly in Numbers 2 and 10 in the way the Lord positioned the tribes of Israel around the tabernacle – there was order in the way they were positioned and there is a lesson for us in this order. When the camp of Israel was at rest or when the camp was progressing, there were three tribes that were positioned at the front.
First came Judah. Judah means praise. Our Lord Jesus was from the tribe of Judah: “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah” (Hebrews 7:14). Praise and worship with our Lord Jesus as the object of our praise and adoration should always be first in our life. Nothing secures our day more than starting it offering praise and worship to Christ.
Second came Issachar. The tribe of Issachar played a key role in Israel’s progress in that they had the divine ability to discern times and seasons: “Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). The ability to discern times and seasons is a grace that the Lord expects every believer to possess. In Luke 12:56, we see our Lord Jesus chiding the people who could not discern the time: “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” In our own lives we need to be able discern times and seasons because He is a God who “made every thing beautiful in his time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Third came Zebulun. The blessing of the tribe of Zebulun was this: “Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships” (Genesis 49:13). Ships and seas represent trade; the tribe of Zebulun was one that possessed business acumen. Any good businessman not only grows the enterprise but also stewards what he already has. Stewardship in the kingdom of God plays a very important role: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
This month and all the days of our life, keeping these three priorities: praise and worship, our ability to discern times and seasons, and stewarding everything God has placed in our hands, we will progress in the purpose God has placed over our lives.
Declaration: As I make it my priority to praise and worship, grow in my ability to discern times and seasons, and steward well everything God has placed in my hands, I will be an overcomer and my progress in Christ will not be hindered.
Scripture: …See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain… (Hebrews 8:5)