Israeli Pencil on Aussie Beach
Recently, I sat at a beach ready to read a profound book: “David Perceived he was King” by Dale Mast. I cannot read a good book without a pen for note-taking and marking important passages. Ready to read, I realised I had no pen!
I had hardly uttered the words when Laurie looked down and there was a pencil in the sand! Wow a provision. Thankyou Lord. I got stuck into the book.
Two days later, I realised there was words engraved on the pencil: “Dan Hotels Israel”. Woah, what was the Lord saying? Israel was bombing Iran and was days before the USA B2’s dropped their loads. Having previously stayed in several ‘Dan hotels’ in Israel I knew this was a further call to prayer. Staying at a Dan hotel in Haifa, the late David Davis told us Hezbollah had thousands of their missiles aimed at this hotel as it was on a high strategic place. However, as I read the book, I had a growing awareness, even confirmation, of something the Holy Spirit was highlighting, and the reason I had grabbed the book. Israel has a destiny the Dragon seeks to devour. Iran has a destiny the prince of Persia seeks to destroy. The church has a destiny the gates of hell resists. How does Israel, Iran, and the church come into the fullness of the Lord’s destiny if we are not secure in who we are? When the enemy resists our call, mocks and intimidates us, we must know “who” we are and “whose” we are. In the book, “David Perceived he was King”, there are lessons from the life of David. It highlights the difference between faith in God and knowing our identity so we can fulfil the mission God has assigned us—individually and corporately. “Faith believes what God can do. Identity believes God can do through me.” David used faith to take out Goliath. But his identity had to be secured to take up the anointing as King. What if conflicts in the Middle East and facing the church are greater because of our identity insecurities? Ishmael was outcast from father’s house. What if there is a generational root of rejection and jealousy? Isaac descendants have a history of rejection and severe persecution. During and after the holocaust, many Jews, even here in Australia, changed their names to hide their identity. Has Israel’s greatest struggle to take possession of her land really been rooted in insecurity of their identity? Out of 603,550 who came out of Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb made it into the promised land! (Numbers 2:32) In my book “Grumble Fast”, I spoke of Israel grumbling while transitioning from Egypt to the Promised Land. Israel’s grumbling sabotaged their attempt to enter the Promised Land! Paul warns the church to learn from that example, because it also causes us to damage our destiny! God did not see Israel as slaves or “grasshoppers” before the giants. But that is how Israel saw themselves. The consequences were devastating. Grumbling is a default of human nature. The grumbles of Israel revealed they did not know who they were: they saw themselves as slaves rather than a chosen people with an amazing destiny. They doubted God, who had placed His name and covenant upon them. What about the church? When the Church struggles to legislate as His ekklesia, is it because we too are insecure and not really in agreement with how God sees us? When the gates of hell mock and intimidate us, how often do we oscillate between fear, denial the devil exists, or prideful presumption of victory even if we are in rebellion to the will of God. How often do our wrong responses come from us questioning ourselves deep down? Are we slaves or are we really children of Almighty God? In public it’s easy to be full of bluster and victory. But who are we behind closed doors, and what about our self-talk? David defeated Goliath by faith in the Lord of Hosts. But it took 3 anointing for him to be able to overcome the world, flesh and devil, to sit on the Lord’s throne in Jerusalem. The very throne, Jesus will return to sit upon. Since October 7, Israel has faced many external missiles. But there are also internal missiles to overcome. The internal wars are projectiles from the enemy: pain, questions, slander. Who do you think you are Israel? Outside of the Middle East, we may not face physical missiles, but we do have the internal wars. The devil comes to rob, kill and destroy—especially destiny. Do we agree with the enemy? Or do we, like David, in the time of trouble, hide in the tabernacle of the Lord, and strengthen our inner man in His Presence?
Ruth Webb
Tabernacle of David, Bendigo
Author: "Grumble Fast: Gratitude Feast"