The Word This Week – WHEN GOD PUTS YOU IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK, YOU ARE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE

26 May 2014 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar –

Exodus 33:21NIV

….And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by..

AN UNGRATEFUL ATTITUDE

Moses became very disappointed and discouraged with his people’s behavior, who became so rebellious and ungrateful so quickly despite what the people saw, the supernatural and tremendous power and experienced the goodness, and mercy of God’s hand working upon their lives from Egypt into the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. Unfortunately, their hearts became ungrateful so quickly. Can you imagine they wanted to return to Egypt back into bondage once again after all that God had accomplished for them? It’s like a dog returning to its own vomit. That made God really sick! Thus, He disqualified the entire generation from entering the Promised Land. An attitude of ungratefulness is the worst disease in mankind today.

WHERE DOES MY HELP COME FROM?

By the way where do you go when things you trusted and the people you loved are slipping away from you? When everything around you is crumbling down and hopes are disappearing? You feel like hell is breaking loose and you find yourself in a hopeless and helpless situation. I guess you have got no other option but to quickly get to “the place near Him.”The Lord said there is a place near me. I will put my hand and cover you in a cleft of the rock. No demon or enemy can touch you there!

When you are desperate and running out of time there is only one place to go and that is into the real presence of God. Only He can stop the sun and freeze your circumstances! Only He can arm you with new strategies to win your battles.

THERE IS A PLACE NEAR ME

You know what? David was thirsty for that place, he was hungry and he desperately longed to reach this place.

He says in Psalm.42:1-2

As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God“.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?[b]

In other words, David was expressing his intense desire of his heart to get to the place. He believed, that in God and only in Him is total satisfaction, total peace and until then we must find that place: the source of the Living Water which Jesus referred to in (John 4:10-15).

Jesus answered the Samaritan woman at the well:“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you“ living water.”

WATCH OUT FOR THE ENEMY

But you need to understand one thing. The enemy will do everything he can to keep you from reaching “that place.”Because he knows that if you can reach this place, you will breakthrough into a new level of anointing. It is in THIS PLACE that you will be empowered to do great exploits to break every yoke – every mountain, every storm that is surrounding your life. The devil knows very well that it is in THIS PLACE you will find solutions and answers to every problem that you are currently facing. In THIS PLACE you will be lifted to a new level of understanding God’s revelation. In THIS PLACE you will finally become an instrument in the hand of God.

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 63:7

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

Psalm 91 :4

and under his wings you will find refuge;

YOUR SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS LONG FOR GOD

You know what? You can chase after everything in this world, I don’t care how clever you are, how wealthy you are, how smart you are!

Listen, but your heart will only be satisfied, YOUR SPIRIT will only be contented when you can touch the heart beat of God. We must never forget to remember one very important thing in our life and that is we are made in the image of God. We carry the breath of HIS SPIRIT in us. That spirit in us cries out all the time to be reconnected, to be reconciled to the SOURCE OF THE SPIRIT that has given birth to your life.

Just like in the natural a child will always want to be connected to the parents, so is it in the spirit.

David passionately seeked God through prayer, repentance, and obedience. David was just an ordinary man with common flaws and weakness in his life. You and I can learn from his example how to enjoy closeness with our Heavenly Father despite all our short comings! Despite all our weaknesses. Despite all our failures.

Not only you will find breakthroughs, you will also be empowered. After Moses had been there in the presence of God he was literally transformed. His appearance changed, his words became more effective and he was also able to give his people clearer direction. Before he found this place he was no different from any of us.

After Moses endured a process of going through the wilderness in the purposes of God for 40 years he realized one thing; without God’s presence you could achieve nothing. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord’s presence.

Exodus 33:15

Then Moses told the LORD, “If your presence does not go with us, don’t bring us up from here.

Moses learnt to wait upon the Lord for 40 years while God was working out His character in him.

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

John 8:32

Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free

Many of us are struggling with the truth; that’s the reason why we are unable to find the place called there (cleft of the Rock). Once we know the truth, we will break through into that place.

REACHING GOD IN THE OLD COVENANT

A lot of us are trying to reach God from the outer court (our flesh) or the inner court (our soul) but unable to commune with Him in the most holy place (our spirit). Your spirit is the only part of your personality that can be connected to God, not your soul and not your body.

John 4:23-24

Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”

Ex.33:21-22

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and there I will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.

When you reach this place near Him, you can say as David said in Psalm 18:2:

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is also the representative of Faith International Bible School for Malaysia & Singapore. He is the founder and senior pastor of Full Gospel Outreach Ministry KL, a member of ECCM, Spiritual Adviser & overseer of Full Gospel Christian Church KL. Co-founder and adviser of Kingdom Christian Fellowship, Subang Jaya, he is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’