How to live in an increasingly chaotic and uncertain world?

The Lord says: 

"Major shifts and major changes are coming this year! Even to the core and to the very foundation of things. This will happen more and more in the coming months. Whatever that can be shaken will be shaken. A sifting is taking place. A purifying is taking place. Even to the churches. Not just in the nations. But as for you, look to Me. Do not be afraid and do not be shaken, for I am with you, if you look to Me. Stay aligned with Me and My Word. Flow with My Spirit. Be led by My Spirit. There is safety in My presence. For where I am, there you shall be." 

The Lord says further: 

"Guard against any discouragement. Guard against any distraction. Guard against any immorality, sin, or temptation in life. Guard against any kind of pitfall set up by the enemy. I will expose the trickeries of the enemy, and I will show you My wisdom to rise above all these." 

Regarding God's plans for you: 

"Guard your calling in life. Guard what has been entrusted to you in this time and season. Continue to be faithful in what I have prepared and called you to be and to do in this season of your life. I will know how to order and establish your steps." 

Psalm 37:23 (NKJV) says, 'The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.'

The word 'ordered' here is 'kuwn' in Hebrew. It can mean 'properly erected, properly established, properly set up, properly prepared'. The Lord is doing exactly this for you this year! Yes, for you who submit to the Lord! He knows how to take it from here. He knows how to guide you step by step. He knows how to order or 'kuwn' your steps. 

Looking at the world nowadays, you can see there are a lot of uncertainties. The world has become increasingly chaotic. Many people are uncertain about their future. Many people live in anxiety and worry about what's to come. Many people are struggling. 

But as for you, beloved of God, the Lord has spoken. As long as you stay aligned with Him, you need not be afraid or need not be anxious. Take this into your heart that the Lord is ordering your steps. Step by step, every step of the way. Now, and the future. Amen! 

What's your part? Your part is to guard your heart! Guard your heart with all diligence. Guard your heart above all else. 

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) says, 'Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.' 

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says, 'Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.' 

The word 'guard' here is interesting. It is 'natsar' in Hebrew. This word can mean 'to protect, to maintain, to preserve (from discouragement, disorientation, condemnation, or evil)'. 

So, beloved of God, 'natsar' your heart. Protect your heart. Maintain your heart. Preserve your heart. Guard your heart at all costs. Bind all those discouragement! Bind all those condemnation sent by the enemy! Bind all those disorientation! 

What does 'guard your heart' actually mean? To answer this, we've got to look at the Hebrew word for 'heart' here first. The word 'heart' here is 'leb' in Hebrew, literally meaning 'the center of everything'. According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, it not only speaks of your spirit, but also your soul. It means your mind, your will, and your emotion. Back to Proverbs 4:23 here, guard your spirit and soul. Guard your mind, will, and emotions.

Everything that happens in and around you depends on what's in your heart. Remember the word 'leb' here in Hebrew. If your heart is right, everything will start to fall into place for you. But when your heart is departed from the Lord, everything will also fall apart. Now, that's what Proverbs 4:23 actually means here.

The Lord says: 

"Do not let the enemy sow seeds of discouragement, disorientation, or condemnation in you. The enemy wants to keep you small. The enemy wants to keep you miserable. The enemy wants to keep you thinking that you are good for nothing. The enemy wants to stop you before your breakthrough comes. But this is when you choose to guard your heart above all else."

As you guard your heart, also be careful who you choose to align with (or associate with). In other words, guard against aligning or associating with the wrong people who may intentionally or unintentionally pull you down. 

Temptation (or the lure of this world) is everywhere, and many have fallen into it. But if you flow with the Holy Spirit, and are led by the Holy Spirit, and you are founded firmly in God's Word, there's nothing all these temptations can do to you. That's why it's so important to stay strong in the Word and in the Spirit. God's Word and God's Spirit! These are the two pillars that you need as you walk in this chaotic world!

Click here to watch the video in TiC YouTube Channel

How to walk in step with God?

The Lord says: "Many of My people are entering a new season in their lives. Do not fear or be anxious, but rejoice in Me! Look not behind you, but look forward to the good that I have prepared for you! New season brings new supply of My grace and favor. New season brings new open doors for you. New season brings new people walking along your path. Walk in this new season." 

The Lord says further: "Keep hearing My voice and My words! Keep your heart right before Me and stay yielded to Me! That's how I will supply you with the wisdom you need in your new season. And you'll know how to go about and what to do in this new season of yours." 

1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV) says, '...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.'  

This name 'Issachar' here is 'Yissakar' in Hebrew, and it literally means 'He will bring a reward'. In the context here, the reward for being discerning and being in tune with the Spirit of the Lord is in knowing what to do and how to go about in each time and season of their lives!

How about the word 'times' here? It's 'paam' in Hebrew, and very interestingly, one meaning of this word is 'footsteps'. In other words, knowing how to follow the footsteps of the Lord and walk in step with the Lord! This is so important. You know why? Because when you follow the footsteps of the Lord and walk in step with the Lord, you will never need to worry about walking in the wrong direction in your life!

By the way, to walk in step with the Lord is to walk in exactly the same timing and pattern of movement as the Lord! Wherever He walks, you walk; and wherever He goes, you go!

Back to the verse just now. To put it simply, the sons of Issachar knew what to do and how to go about in each time and season they were walking in! 

May all of us be like the sons of Issachar! 

Of course the question here is how did they know their time and season? How did they discern and understand the times? What are their secrets? What made them different from the others? And what can we learn from them?

I believe the answer is in being open and yielded to the Spirit of the Lord! As a matter of fact, the more you are surrendered to Him and the more you are yielded to Him, the more you will be in tune with what He says, whether through His Word or through His Spirit! And that's how you will know, understand, and discern the time and season of the Lord in your life!

You see, the answer lies in this word 'footsteps'! Follow His 'footsteps'! Because that's when you will be where He will be, and walk where He walks!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

God can set you up for good things!

Psalm 37:23 (NKJV): The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.

The word 'ordered' here is 'kuwn' in Hebrew, which means 'erected, established, set up, directed, appointed'. See the words 'set up' here? The devil may set up traps/snares for you to fall into (like an innocent animal falling into a trap), but on the other hand, God (who is altogether good) wants to set you up for good things! The Bible says, 'His thoughts for you are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope' (see Jeremiah 29:11).

"But, pastor, I don't think I qualify as a good man (or woman)!"

In Christ, you are! As a believer in the New Covenant, you are good because He is good! As He is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17) In other words, you are made good (made righteous) because the Bible says 'He became sin for you, so that you might become the righteousness of God in Him'! (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)

"Is there any example how God can set a person up for good things?"

Definitely! Let's go to the Book of Ruth now.

Have you ever wondered what is the one quality that made Ruth outstanding among many women in her days? And the fact that though she's a foreigner (from the country of Moab) and a mere ordinary citizen in her own country, but of all women, God made her the great grandmother of King David?

I believe she wasn't just a woman of faithfulness (in a time of national faithlessness), but she's also a woman who had the fear of God (i.e. the willingness to submit to Him and allow Him to take the lead every step of the way, instead of twisting/turning His arms and His words according to one's own creative way). That, my friend, is the key to her steps being 'ordered' (established) by the Lord.

Let me explain.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (human mind). In all your ways acknowledge Him'. Proverbs 3:7-8 then follows, 'Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones'. The Bible also says, 'the fear of the Lord prolongs days' (Proverbs 10:27), and 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom' (Proverbs 9:10).

And very often, the wisdom of God may initially seem foolishness to men.

By the way, the name 'Ruth' ('Ruwth' in Hebrew) means 'friend'. A 'friend' is also someone who can talk (whether with God, or with another person) as it is, instead of twisting/turning according to his/her own whim and fancy (or creativity).

Even though Ruth's step (i.e. decision/direction) of following her mother-in-law, Naomi (who had nothing left for her) seemed to be a disadvantaged step to human mind/understanding (see Ruth 1:8-17), this step eventually opened the way for greater things to come for her!

As a matter of fact, I'm sure there were people questioning Ruth's decision (of following her mother-in-law) at that time. Some might even have said, "Why don't you be like Orpah your sister-in-law?" or "Isn't it a better idea to stay back and re-marry?"

A good idea may not be God's idea, and a creative idea may not be the Creator's idea!

Ruth 1:22 then reads, 'So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem (House of Bread) at the beginning of barley harvest'. Ruth 2:1-3 follows, 'There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech (Naomi's late husband). His name is Boaz (means 'pillar' in Hebrew). So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean (pick up) heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech'.

People of God, nothing happens by accident, and everything happens for a reason. See how God began to order Ruth's steps here? Speaking of being in the right place, at the right time, and with the right person! Some people call it 'an appointed time', or 'a divine appointment'.

And as things happened, Ruth later found favor in Boaz's eyes (Ruth 2:8-10). Ruth 2:15-16 then reads, 'And when Ruth rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."' In other words, that was a set up! 'Boaz' is a typology of 'Jesus, your Redeemer'. Today, just as Boaz was to Ruth those days, Jesus wants to do the same to you too! He wants to set you up for many more good things to come! Are you willing?

Here's another instance of Ruth being 'set up' again. Ruth 3:1-4 says, 'Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, ... is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing (tossing) barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do."' How prophetic! And all these did come to pass just as Naomi had said! (see Ruth 3:8-13)

By the way, the name 'Naomi' means 'pleasant' (from the Hebrew word "no'am", meaning 'delight'). Indeed, Naomi had delight in Ruth (and in her ways). So, if 'Boaz' speaks of 'Jesus', then 'Naomi' represents 'the Holy Spirit'! The Spirit of God is a Spirit of prophecy, and He is definitely a pleasant Spirit as well! The Spirit of God also always leads us (and points us) to Jesus, our Bread!

So, how did Ruth respond to Naomi's words and instructions? Ruth 3:5 says, 'And she (Ruth) said to her (Naomi), "All that you say to me I will do."' And the rest, my friend, was history! You may also wish to read the rest of Ruth's story in the Book of Ruth today.

People of God, as you prepare yourself to be 'ordered' (guided, established, set up) by the Lord in this coming new season of yours, I pray Psalm 37:23 to be with you, wherever He leads you to go, and in every step of the way. In Jesus' name. Amen!