Committed to the Cause

Friends,

Here are some timely thoughts from Jerry Williams concerning the work that needs to take place in the kingdom today.

Blessings, Don

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"All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel." (1 Chronicles 12:38, NKJV)

We are living in an age of ‘throw away’ relationships wherein it is a rare thing indeed to find those who will fully commit themselves first to the Lord. In a moment’s notice people will ‘unfriend’ you for doing or saying anything they don’t ‘feel’ or ‘believe’ is best for them. They give little or no thought how their actions might effect your life, but only consider how your actions have effected them. Consequently, there is little accountability in the ranks of the righteous and precious little territory being taken back from the enemy by those who are united in heart and spirit. This is a true statement: You will never possess with hirelings, what the Lord has assigned for sons. We need a WORD from God – unless the Lord has ordained what we are endeavoring to ‘do’, then it’s nothing more than a man size work. We need the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His WORD – any attempts to accomplish His Work through our power will result in certain failure of the work. Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it. We need men and women who are loyal in heart and able to hold rank.

From the earliest days of my salvation I have prayed (as many of you have) for a heart like David’s, a heart after God’s heart. David was a man with amazing qualities and a heart that hungered for God more than any other man of his generation. However, he also possessed staggering flaws and weaknesses that at times endangered the safety and protection of all Israel. As his flaws manifested many of those who were loyal to him when he first became King did abandoned their loyalty and turned their hearts against the king. Listen to the anguish in his heart in Psalms 55 as he describes who has risen up against him: "It is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng." (vs.12-14) Do you see it was someone who was once a friend who has now turned against him? This was someone who clearly knew his heart for God, yet threw their relationship with David away because of other reasons. It’s easy to ‘hold rank’ when your friend is exercising their best qualities. However, to ‘hold rank’ when their flaws and weaknesses manifest is entirely another matter. (Note: This does not suggest you are to stand with anyone who is in willful sin and unwilling to repent.) Although David was plagued with flaws and weaknesses, his life was one of constant repentance and acknowledgment of his sin, weakness and rebellion. Yet, even that was not enough to keep some of his closest brothers in arms loyal during his reign.

I recently read something the late David Wilkerson wrote which stated, ‘You will never take up the towel of mercy if you are wearing the robe of judgment’. Those who are loyal in heart and able to keep ranks are those who have learned to daily carry the towel of mercy. I pray God would so work in each of our hearts none of us will ever again break ranks with anyone God has placed in our lives as a comrade in arms. Not one of us is without guilt in this matter. We all can testify how judgments we’ve rendered toward others in the past, even though they seemed completely justifiable, in the end were exposed as merciless and unrighteous in the presence of God. May God give us all a loyal heart and teach us how to keep ranks until He comes.