Set and Bearing Or Application And Provision
In our beautiful Savior is justice based on accurate scales, He IS the perfect and just weight by which all standards of righteousness are based. He, himself, IS the Prince of Shalom, and Shayim, peace and wholeness. He is perfect in all His ways; He didn’t have any “daddy issues”, He loves His father and is complete in Himself.
i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation, at the end of our road is a transition place that takes us from here to where Jesus is. The Lord is waiting for you at the end of your trail, where you can dismount and stride towards the waiting arms of Jesus, imagine it, the closer you get to Him, the more the road worn clothing of this life will be transformed into the gleaming shape of forever and endless life.
Proverbs 22:17, “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge…” This is a series of four programs concerning the subtle elements in the foundations of our heart which create our tilt and bend. First there was a discussion about influence, our impact and significance and how the Lord influences us to live a life free of the world, death, hell, and the grave; second was our impulses, the inclination and motivation from which the sparks in our imagination generate action. In that program the Lord asked me, “what are your inclinations and how did you come by them?”, and so i passed the question on to you. This evening is the third of four topics, which is about our set and bearing, the doctrine of direction as the Holy Spirit leads us on.
In the navigation of a vessel, how often have we heard in movies or in real life, the captain call to the helmsman to, “set a course for” such and such a place and then calls out the bearings? According to the dictionary, one definition of set is the manner in which we conduct ourselves, which even includes our postures and gestures. Our bearing is indicative of the direction we’ve set our hearts in, it is even evident in our demeanor, behavior, and conduct.
1 Kings 20:12, “And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking at the command post, that he said to his servants, “Set yourselves and be ready.”” They set themselves ready for battle and their bearing was one of going forward into the face of the coming attack on the city. To “set yourself” means get ready to change the position of where you are and what you’re doing. If the Lord has given us the command to “set ourselves”, rest assured He is faithful to give us a new bearing. i heard a man say once, “Where the appointment is, therein is the provision.”, meaning, when the Lord assigns us a task, job, or position, He will not, ever leave us without the means to accomplish what He has asked of us.
i fully believe that the Lord never asks any one of us to do something we can accomplish, in and of ourselves.
2 Chronicles 20:17, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”
Another translation, in an expansion on the idea of “position yourselves”, says to “stand firm, hold your ground, and see”. Note the three action verbs….Stand, Hold, and See, and while you’re doing those three, “don’t be afraid,” or be gripped by fear, nor “be dismayed” meaning “don’t fall to pieces in the face of your circumstances and throw yourselves on the ground.” Then the scripture gives the bearing, “tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” “Tomorrow” meaning a time deferred, in a time not yet here. That is “set and bearing”, or what is behind the idea of “position yourselves.”
Here’s a sticky statement: If the Lord has sent you, He will go with you.
The action verbs, Stand, Hold, and See are infinitely important in our accomplishing the Lord’s work, this is our heart posture, the “set” or “how we lean in our heart toward God”.
The idea of “getting your bearings” means to “to find out where you are and keep your eyes and ears peeled for the Lord to reveal what you should do next.” The idea of “lost your bearings” is of course having lost sight of where we’re going and what we’re doing.” Both “get your bearings” and “lost your bearings” are idioms, a phrase who’s meaning isn’t easily discernable just by looking at the words. As a side note, do you realize how much of our communications are idioms? The Bible is absolutely full of them, yet so many don’t think that far. What? Is it too much trouble? Lazy thinkers rarely get far my friends.
Luke 10:26-27, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Among other things God has buried in this extraordinary statement, He said, “…with all your mind”. Every believer should exercise “prudence”, which is one of the Cardinal virtues. Incidentally, the word Cardinal comes from a Latin word meaning “the hinge of a door”. It is called “cardinal” because it is ‘pivotal’, meaning many, many things in life hang on common sense and thinking things through. Prudence being pivotal and an element of those with high moral character, means it is essential, fundamental, and central. Proverbs 8:12, “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.” From all that, i’m sure anyone can see why the Lord would call prudence a pivotal virtue, a prudent person doesn’t strut how much that know, ignores insults, acts with knowledge and looks where their going. They see danger and act appropriately, and are crowned with knowledge. HA! Yea man, that’s good stuff, for sure! Sounds like something we could all use these days, yea?
C.S. Lewis commented in Mere Christianity, “Prudence means practical common sense, taking the trouble to think out what you are doing and what is the likely outcome. Nowadays most people hardly think of prudence as one of the Cardinal virtues. In fact, because Jesus said we could only get into His world by being like children, many Christians have the idea that, provided you are “good”, it doesn’t matter being a fool. But that is a misunderstanding. In the first place, most children show plenty of prudence about doing the things they are really interested in, and they think them out quite sensibly. In the second place, as Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: quite the contrary. He wants a child’s heart but a grown-up’s head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert to its job, and in first-class fighting trim. He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone one to use what sense they have.”
At the near end of every broadcast, i say, “Think about it.” That isn’t just some handy, clever thing to say at the conclusion of the program. Every time, it is a totally serious prompt to do more than just “get saved and do right”.
Let’s talk about the idea of “position yourself” or “set yourself” before we get into bearings. Our response to difficult times, challenging circumstances, and seemingly impossible situations is critical to being positioned to seeing God’s provision! I believe many times we miss opportunities because we are not positioned properly. How often do you miss the Lord because your head isn’t in the game? Maybe you’ve never done that but i certainly have.
It’s important that we initially respond to God, of course, but equally crucial is how we respond. Let me point out though, let’s not misconstrue that by thinking we need to hold our mouth just right in order to hear from the Lord, that’s just silly and it doesn’t work that way. But truly, there are a lot of people who seem to think if they don’t magically get everything right, then the Lord isn’t going to heal them, speak to them, or solve their problems. that somehow, if they’re obedient enough, often enough, then the Lord will bless or prosper them. You know, do good get good, do bad get bad, but that isn’t the nature of grace but is more in the context of “giving to get”, which is considered twisted thinking. It’s retributive theology, which doesn’t work nor does it hold any water against sound doctrine and scripture. It’s a positioning of ourselves alright, just in the wrong direction.
Psalm 23:6, says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” There is no sneaky, added requirement tagged at the end saying, “providing you are perfect and get all your legalities right.” i met a man who was ill and struggling. As we talked i asked him what he thought about the idea of God healing him. He laughed a little, then actually backed up a step away from me and stammered, “Oh, ummm. i don’t know about that, i’d have to get my faith w-a-y up to speed and take a long run at that hill before i’d even be willing to go there.” What he was saying was he was in no position, because he was not set, to receive anything as fantastic as the idea that God would heal him. He was positioned alright, just in the wrong direction. He had no expectation the Lord would provide him with new bearings even if he was positioned towards the Lord in faith. Later on i found out he regularly prayed for people to get well, but he didn’t believe God actually healed people anymore…i wondered “then why do you do it?”; he regularly searched to know the heart of the Lord, but he didn’t believe God spoke to people anymore….i wondered “then why are you listening and searching?” He lived a life of oxymorons, a very sad life, and he saw himself as a small man with a small God who was no better than himself. Gosh, what a way to live, and what a life filled with disappointment at every turn. i mean, if that’s what your faith looks like, is it really faith at all?
To “set yourself”, to stand, hold, and see, starts with prayer, as with everything else, and not just every once in a while. Maybe you feel, or truly just don’t believe God wants to talk to you. Then friend, you are dead wrong. His heart is toward you and God is on your side, He wants your fellowship and relationship, His heart is to be involved with you in all of your life, all your heart, in all your thinking and all your feeling. “Set yourself”, or “being positioned” happens while in pursuit of the Lord. If you look for Him, He will find you.
Besides prayer, how about fasting? There are some people who can’t actually fast food, but there are other things we can fast from, and no, we don’t have to wait for Lent. How about taking time out from your phone or TV to hear the Lord? The point is to hear the Lord, to have a ready heart. Waiting until once per year to pursue the Lord in fasting isn’t nearly enough. How interested are you in connecting with God? Determine in yourself that you’re going to turn the distractions OFF for an hour per day, or half an hour per day or whatever time you dedicate to chasing after Jesus, just be consistent and repeatable. How about pursuing the Lord by reading your Bible, not a book about the Bible, but the very written source itself? Write down scriptures which are resonant with you, post them on the wall so you can see and read them often.
The goal is to connect with the Lord. Take the time to “set yourself” before the Lord and your eyes will be opened to see the greater purpose.
As to getting your bearing, your direction, or heading. Arriving at our bearing requires we have a reference point of some sort. How do you get a reference point so you can draw out your bearings? Everyone has ideas, but are they good ideas? It would be easy to quote some scripture, which, don’t get me wrong, that’s a good thing, but if it’s not really owned and practiced it’s not much of an answer. It’s more of a reply that sounds good, and makes us look like we know something, but really underneath the layers of acceptable Christian-eze, we’re often still pretty clueless. We want to own our stuff, i mean take real ownership of our situation, and not blind ownership either, which means we just agree without knowing what we’re agreeing to, or we agree just to get someone off our back. Blind ownership is really no ownership at all, so we’ve got to be more surgical about getting down to the truth of exactly what it is we are owning about the Lord along with understanding our “set and bearing” in Him.
Having your bearing means we must, simply must have a good reference point. We say Jesus is our reference point above all reference points, but our attitudes and actions often point to a very different story. We don’t need “A” bearing, we need “true bearing”.
“Position yourselves”, as spoken of in 1Chronicles 20:17 is a key phrase as it relates to our “set and bearing”, set equaling the phrase “position yourselves”, or how we Stand, Hold, and See, and, bearing speaks of our consequent heading with respect to our reference point, THE reference point of all reference points, Jesus our “true north”.
In 1Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat is in a real spot, it was bad. The people of Moab and Ammon, along with other armies, even from beyond the sea, came to battle against him. Scripture doesn’t say what their problem was, but they obviously were all in agreement as to who they thought needed killing. i bet the King rallied the army to a defensive position, but according to scripture, Jehoshaphat’s first response was to go before the Lord. Verse 3, reads, “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” He positioned himself to hear and obtain the favor of God. At the end of his public prayer, in vs 12, his words are recorded as, “… For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Did you get that? He said, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” He knew where to get his set and bearings when he had lost them. Although it doesn’t necessarily say this outright, but by evidence of his answer, it’s safe to say he believed God would direct their path. He believed God would hear and answer. As it turns out, the Lord did. In vs 17, God said, “stand, hold, and see”, and then gave them their bearings for the next day.
And what was the first thing they did? They bowed down before the Lord giving thanks and prepared to go out the next day. They knew where they were going to be tomorrow, so they understood how to be where they were today. And what was their great plan for tomorrow? Jehoshaphat put the worship team in the front of the army in all their holy attire, told them to sing, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever”, and had them march and worship in front of the army, singing, blowing the trumpets, and banging the drums and cymbals unto the Lord.
As it turns out, that was exactly the right thing to do. The Lord went before them, delivering Judah from great harm. Now, i think that’s about one of the most incredible stories i’ve ever heard.
That is an example of having lost your set and bearing, finding it, then taking action! All i can think is, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Friends, let us understand that once we receive our set and bearing from God, the timing is also very important.
What if King Jehoshaphat had not set himself and Judah in the presence of the Lord? Or if they had not listened to the word of the Lord which came from (yakh-az-ee-ale’) in 2 Chronicles 20:14-17, but instead went out to battle against the multitude in their own strength?It is an extremely high probability they would have been slaughtered.
What if Rahab the harlot of Joshua, chapt 2, had not positioned herself at the right place and time? Scripture doesn’t exactly say it, but i believe she had thought about her situation and seriously considered her options. She was practicing prudence. Evidently, Rehab had already set herself, and according to vs9 and 10, God had already given her her bearings. When the Israeli spies were suddenly at her door, she knew what to do, she had her bearings. If she hadn’t positioned herself before the Lord to stand, hold, and see, she would have lost the opportunity for the salvation of her family and herself.
Before i moved, for 4 years, every day, all day, even when i was working, my eyes were cast to Heaven, i set myself before the Lord who is my true north. In doing that i found the strength to stand firm, hold my ground in pursuit of the Lord. Additionally, the Lord gave me eyes to see into the distance of what was to come. By finding my “set” i also acquired the courage to act when the time came. By and by, the Lord gave me my bearings. My direction and heading became clearer and clearer. By the end of 4 years i knew where i was going, how i was going to get there, and all that was left was the doing. One day, among other obvious confirmations, He plainly said to me in a dream, “The wind and tide are with you. Hoist your sails, weigh anchor, drop the tiller, get up and get gone.” So i did. i had already reduced all my property and belongings down to one truck and one RV. So i bowed down, thanked the Lord, and left where i was, driving 2700 miles all the way across the United States to my new home. What if i had just left on my own? What if i just never did anything but whine and moan about things? What if i had not positioned myself before the Lord, determined to wait on God?
i believe the Lord our God wants us to live our lives in a constant state of “being set”, or “being positioned” before Him, always being ready, constantly being “set”, and just waiting on the bearings for the time when He says “Go!”.
In 2Tim4:2, “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season”, which means we are to live in a continual state of “set”, our bearings may change from time to time, but our state of heart is steady and ready.
When we don’t move with God, we usually miss out on great blessings and even prosperity. When opportunities arise we need to, in faith, step out into the flow that God has provided for us and move forward. In this next move of God we all need to position ourselves more in His presence so as to be prepared to move when His glory cloud moves.
Think about it!
In Exodus 8:20, the Lord told Moses to “stand” before Pharaoh. That word “stand” means to plant your feet, to hold firm against something or someone. God gave Moses his bearings, he had the vision of “Let my people go!” Moses didn’t do the work, he had learned a hard lesson about taking matters into his own hands. He knew God would do the work, was the only one who could do the work, and would literally squeeze Pharaoh until he squealed. With all power, Moses set his face to the Lord, and took God’s bearings to accomplish what had been put before him.
The Holy Spirit took Jesus to the wilderness to face the devil down. Jesus was fasting and hungry, but full of the Holy Spirit. Every time the devil attempted to manipulate scripture and the word of the Lord, Jesus had already positioned Himself and knew His bearings. He was ready and had His bearings. The Lord planted His feet and would not be moved, right to the face of the ultimate enemy.
i want to be like Jesus. i want to resemble Him, reflect His character, and continually be positioned before Him. i want us all to live life at the ready, and all we need is our bearings.
i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation, hoping to inspire listeners to step a little deeper with the Lord, stretch your arms a little wider to hold Him closer, and take the reins and think, not allowing ourselves to become lazy thinkers, getting swallowed by the secular drift.
Support is from Cecil at the Skyland Petroleum Co on Spartanburg Rd, my good friend Clifton at the Hasty Tasty, home of the best burgers in town, the Mebane Freedom League, the Skyland Hotel at Oxford 3-4241, give them a call, Betty will be glad to take your reservations, and of course, our beloved Trinity Bakers, where there’s always something good in the oven.
It is highly probable that all our problems in life stem from our failure to apply the gospel. Friends, “position yourselves”, “stand firm, hold your ground, and see the Lord do His work”, and while you’re doing those three, “don’t be afraid,” or be gripped by fear, nor “be dismayed”, don’t fall to pieces in the face of your circumstances and throw yourself on the ground. The Lord is faithful and will answer, incline your heart to always know God hears you and He will answer, maybe not in your time frame, but He will answer. Where the Lord’s appointment is, therein is His provision, guaranteed! If He has sent you, He will go with you. You are not alone in His calling.
Be strong and courageous, take your time and think, consider carefully, research, and read everything righteous you can get your hands on. Go forward this week with all your breathing, all your feeling, and all your thinking, and i’ll talk to you next time. Amen.