90 Day Bible Reading Plan Devotional Day 16

Numbers 14:11-20

For those of us who rightly divide the word of truth, we have come to know that God has, in this age, purposed His institution (the Church), to reach this lost and dying world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That it is through this institution, and this institution alone, He has ordained and sanctioned to lead men out of darkness into His marvelous light. That we are, as it were, God’s appointed kingly priest's, set apart by Him, to offer up incense upon the altar day and night. And not only for ourselves, but for the sake of the people also, that the wrath of God might be stayed.

In Exodus Chapter 30 God commands Aaron the high-priest to burn “sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps” and also at even when he lighteth the lamps; that it should be “a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.”

And what a beautiful picture this is to us. For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, who walketh about in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks animated by the incense, which is a type of the prayers of His saints (Psa 141:2).

Brethren, if I could only implore upon you one thing, it is that God moves in accordance to the prayers of His saints. "And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:" That our prayers have the power to move mountains, to stay His judgment, and to change the course of history for the glory of God.

One night while reading in Revelation I came to the portion which says, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” —Rev 22:20. As I began to rejoice over the fact that I longed for His return, the thought dawned on me that I was one of the few. That there were multitudes of millions who would suffer eternity in a lake of fire, because I desired to have my own burdens lifted more than having the Lord tarry so these which know not God, might be given another chance to come to a saving knowledge of the truth.

It was at that moment that the tears began to flow. It was at that moment that I realized, for the very first time, God’s purpose for leaving His people in this sin sick world. That God is seeking for watchmen who will keep not silent, and who will give Him no rest; that we should stand in the gap before Him for the land, that He should not destroy it.

That as “the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends. . . 8Therefore. . . go to my servant Job. . . and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly. . .” (Job 42:7-10).

Oh dear friends, what a shame this brought to my own heart that night, and what a brokenness it gave to me for those that know not God. And how the Holy Spirit of God began to flood my soul with verse after verse of how God’s wrath was stayed from the people because someone cared enough to intercede on their behalf.

It was then I truly realized the magnitude and meaning and purpose of my prayers to God. That because of God’s mercy towards me, and not because I more than anyone else deserved His grace, or that by mine own self I somehow merited His favor, but because someone cared enough for me to intercede.

Brethren, let our prayer ever be: "And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 19Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."