Transformation

I recently attended a course on ‘God’s Heart for Israel’. It was great. I learned so much, mainly about how so much of the Old Testament is a picture of what happens in the New Testament. I mean I knew that but I really hadn’t seen how much of it. For instance, I didn’t know that there are different ways of calculating the dates in the Jewish calendar and they sometimes don’t agree about what calendar date the Passover feast falls on. But, in the year that Jesus died, the calculations gave the same date and that was the day he died. So, in theory, it should have been obvious to everyone that He was the fulfilment of the Promise. That is just one little example, there are so many.

There was also something God showed me through this that was nothing to do with the teaching we had. For many years I have been frustrated that sometimes it seems to take so long for the healing / transforming process to happen. Why can’t we just be transformed in an instant? When I hear people say, ‘well healing is a journey’, I sometimes struggle. After all when Jesus healed people during His earthly life it didn’t take long.

With all this focus on the Old Testament, I was drawn to the story of the Israelites having to wander about in the desert for FORTY years before they were allowed to enter the Promised land. Wow, that is a long time and why? Well, it was to prepare them. They were not ready because of their sin and rebellion, and perhaps it would take that long before they were ready.

Today’s verse is an encouragement to us that Holy Spirit is ‘on the case’  and He is transforming us.