Walk In My Ways, Perform My Service, And Realize You Have Free Access

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“The angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘if you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among those who are standing here’”

Zechariah 3:7

God showed Zechariah a vision concerning “Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1). “Joshua was clothed with filthy garments” in this vison and God said, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” He then further stated, “See, I have taken your iniquity away and will clothe you with festal robes” (3:2-4). “Let them put a clean turban on his head” was the next statement.

This opening of Zechariah, chapter three, represents a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ our Savior and His gift of salvation to all people.

Yes, before we were saved it was we who were clothed in filthy garments of sin and death. It was us being accused by Satan.

It was we who came in repentance to God, Who then removed the filthy garments from us, taking our iniquity away, and He then clothed us in festal robes, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

God has placed a “clean turban” on our heads too, “the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17), “giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting” (Isaiah 61:3)!

Hallelujah!

So, in this vision, it came immediately after this scene that “The angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘if you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among those who are standing here’”

Beloved priest of God, as we have seen time and time again, God once more affirmed His primary will to His true covenant people, that they/we would “walk in My ways” (obey His covenant) and “perform My service” (minister as a priest in the presence of God).

In both the Old Testament and in the New testament, this is God’s clearly stated and repeated desire for His people. More than that, this is God’s measuring rod of true obedience in His people, to “walk in My ways” and “perform My service.”

We have just been seeing these past three days in Zechariah that God has drawn all of the prophecies and admonitions throughout the entire Old testament, concerning His priesthood and covenant will for His people, into a state of fulfillment in which His “Branch...will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices” (Zechariah 6:12-13).

I believe, simply speaking, plainly speaking, that the true sign of faith and belief in Jesus Christ, right now in this moment, is in our full recognition of Christ as both “Lord,” King over His New Covenant, and “Priest forever,” High Priest over His New Covenant priesthood, and in our obedient submission to these two truths, directing plugging ourselves into this reality, to “walk in My ways and... perform My service.”

The tremendous promise given to Joshua, and to us, is that, if we truly will walk in His covenant ways and perform our priesthood office, then He says we have “free access” in His very presence!

The reasonable truth of this is that it’s in our very practice of His covenant and priesthood that we approach Him regularly. So it’s reasonable to say we learn about our free access through practice because... every single time we show up in His presence, here He is!

The practice of His presence indeed is our “free access.”

It seems that it is only those who do regard the covenant and the priesthood as supremely important to our Lord God who actually do care enough about the daily reality of His presence to practice it, and so, to us, “free access” is a big thing.

And free access is only a big thing to us because we do regard walking in His ways and performing His service as our supremely important act of obedience in our faith in Who Jesus Christ truly is.

Beloved of God, walk in His ways today and perform His service, showing your Abba Father that you do recognize Jesus Christ as your “Lord” and “priest forever” (Psalm 110:1,4). And while you are in His presence today, make sure to thank Him for this “free access” that He has given you, to be with Him - anytime, every time, all the time.

Hallelujah!