Go… Jonah was told to go. He went…eventually.
God told Noah to go. (Gen.6:14 &7:1) Good thing for us he followed the directions!
Abram was told to go. “Leave your country, your people, your father’s household..”(Gen. 12:1) Later, God told him to “go to the region of Moriah…” (Gen.22:2) That ‘go’ was tough…both of them. Leaving everything familiar, and handing over your precious child.
There is story after story telling us how God directed the lives of people, how they disobeyed, the consequences they and others suffered from the disobedience. We learn how God is always faithful, ‘we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Even in our disobedience, when we turn again to Him, He takes those awful consequences and brings some benefit to us…growing our faith. Reading and pondering prayerfully over these stories builds our own faith. We see how God has worked in ages past. He is still the same God. He still can be trusted. And still, we often stubbornly refuse to obey Him.
I have a ‘go’. “Jesus said …. ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’ ”(Mark 16:15) I don’t preach in Kenya or China or any other foreign land. But I am present by being a financial part of a ministry in other parts of the world, and I invest my prayers for the work there.
I ‘go’ every morning when I crank up my vehicle. I go into my own personal world, and my commission from the Lord is to RE-present Him to all creation. It took a long time for me to come to understand just what that means. To present Christ is the goal of every day…in some small or big way, to present Him to someone He misses from the safety of His fold.
I've learned how much He loves me. And I’ve learned how much He loves every other person on this orb we call Earth. And unlike us…His love for you does not diminish His love and care for me.
Go……it’s a journey. Not a sit still and wait kind of thing.…We must get up….walk it out…it requires action on our part.
Go !! And have a glorious Lord’s Day, praise His Name, and worship at the feet of The One Who gave you life
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
But...
But… It’s the perfect word at the beginning of every excuse. “And the word of the Lord came to Jonah… ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’ ” (Jonah 1:1,2)
BUT… ‘Jonah ran away from the Lord ..’ (vs.3) It’s a short story, 4 chapters. I encourage you to read it for yourself today.
Israel was the original exclusivist, the nation was commissioned to be the light of the world. Since Abraham, the first father of the nation, their purpose was to ‘bless all nations on earth’ …‘BECAUSE you have obeyed Me.’ (Gen. 22:18) They were to be a ‘light for the Gentiles, …to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ (Isa. 49:6) I notice that the blessing of all nations comes thru Israel not because of who they are…but simply out of the of their obedient life.
Often, however, they were NOT obedient. Often they were just proud of their status, the simple fact that God had chosen to work thru them instead of any other people Often they chose not to make any efforts to bring others to the knowledge of God. And I think Jonah was an exclusivist.
Jonah had judged Nineveh, he knew about them. This was the capital city of Assyria, the rising world power, cruel in their methods. They were known for their violence and the multitude of their warriors. Jonah thought it was a good idea to get rid of the whole lot of them, rid the world of the looming threat.
Jonah had already condemned them. He didn’t WANT them to repent, he had no desire to see God working on their minds and heart. So he used their sinfulness as a reason to excuse himself from cooperating with God in ministering His love to them, bringing them to repentance. He used their disobedience to justify his own.
I find the circumstances for Jonah’s rebellion interesting. We’d often call things like this a ‘sign’ or a ‘confirmation’. Everything just fell into place for Jonah to do what he wanted instead of doing what God had assigned. He went down to the docks of Joppa, a port city of Judea, and there he found a boat headed just where he wanted to go….away from where he was…absolute opposite direction in fact. They had a ticket available, he had the money…so off he went. I can just hear the conversation he was having with himself on the way. Maybe he was talking to himself, making bargains…‘if they don’t have a ticket..then I guess I am not supposed to go’. ‘If God really wants me to do that Nineveh thing, He’ll close this door’ This must be okay to do…or else it wouldn’t have worked out….right?
Like Jonah, I often realize I’m headed in the opposite direction from where God has in mind. He is ‘patient…not wanting anyone to perish….wanting everyone to come to repentance.’(2Peter 3:9) I don’t always make the effort to tell others about the love of God. I don’t always take the time to encourage them to seek God, repenting and turning away form the lifestyle that will eventually consume and destroy them. I don’t always look beyond the moment, looking into the difference the future might hold if only one person chooses God…changing the course of events for future generations.
This nation of people would be the first agressor upon Israel later in history, carrying them into foreign lands as slaves. If Nineveh had not had this time of repentance, Israel’s future might have been even more dreadful. How much worse would the captivity have been, had Nineveh not had this reprieve from their cruel methods? For a few generations at least, there was a seeking after God and a putting away of the evil that was so prevalent in their society. The captive nation knew the end result of that, even if they didn’t realize it at the time.
How many Ninevites will we meet in heaven one day because of Jonah’s message? Even if it did take an act of God for them to hear it…
BUT… ‘Jonah ran away from the Lord ..’ (vs.3) It’s a short story, 4 chapters. I encourage you to read it for yourself today.
Israel was the original exclusivist, the nation was commissioned to be the light of the world. Since Abraham, the first father of the nation, their purpose was to ‘bless all nations on earth’ …‘BECAUSE you have obeyed Me.’ (Gen. 22:18) They were to be a ‘light for the Gentiles, …to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ (Isa. 49:6) I notice that the blessing of all nations comes thru Israel not because of who they are…but simply out of the of their obedient life.
Often, however, they were NOT obedient. Often they were just proud of their status, the simple fact that God had chosen to work thru them instead of any other people Often they chose not to make any efforts to bring others to the knowledge of God. And I think Jonah was an exclusivist.
Jonah had judged Nineveh, he knew about them. This was the capital city of Assyria, the rising world power, cruel in their methods. They were known for their violence and the multitude of their warriors. Jonah thought it was a good idea to get rid of the whole lot of them, rid the world of the looming threat.
Jonah had already condemned them. He didn’t WANT them to repent, he had no desire to see God working on their minds and heart. So he used their sinfulness as a reason to excuse himself from cooperating with God in ministering His love to them, bringing them to repentance. He used their disobedience to justify his own.
I find the circumstances for Jonah’s rebellion interesting. We’d often call things like this a ‘sign’ or a ‘confirmation’. Everything just fell into place for Jonah to do what he wanted instead of doing what God had assigned. He went down to the docks of Joppa, a port city of Judea, and there he found a boat headed just where he wanted to go….away from where he was…absolute opposite direction in fact. They had a ticket available, he had the money…so off he went. I can just hear the conversation he was having with himself on the way. Maybe he was talking to himself, making bargains…‘if they don’t have a ticket..then I guess I am not supposed to go’. ‘If God really wants me to do that Nineveh thing, He’ll close this door’ This must be okay to do…or else it wouldn’t have worked out….right?
Like Jonah, I often realize I’m headed in the opposite direction from where God has in mind. He is ‘patient…not wanting anyone to perish….wanting everyone to come to repentance.’(2Peter 3:9) I don’t always make the effort to tell others about the love of God. I don’t always take the time to encourage them to seek God, repenting and turning away form the lifestyle that will eventually consume and destroy them. I don’t always look beyond the moment, looking into the difference the future might hold if only one person chooses God…changing the course of events for future generations.
This nation of people would be the first agressor upon Israel later in history, carrying them into foreign lands as slaves. If Nineveh had not had this time of repentance, Israel’s future might have been even more dreadful. How much worse would the captivity have been, had Nineveh not had this reprieve from their cruel methods? For a few generations at least, there was a seeking after God and a putting away of the evil that was so prevalent in their society. The captive nation knew the end result of that, even if they didn’t realize it at the time.
How many Ninevites will we meet in heaven one day because of Jonah’s message? Even if it did take an act of God for them to hear it…
Friday, February 26, 2010
Alone
Alone… Sometimes we feel like we are so alone. Ever feel alone in the midst of a crowded room? People who have lost their mates struggle with the loneliness that follows. Friends can help, but nothing takes the place of a lost spouse. There’s scriptural reasoning for that..
“ The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”(Gen.2:18) Companionship between man and woman was ordained by God. Few there are who, like Paul, are called to remain unmarried. (1 Cor. 7:7-9)
Sometimes, what I feel is not really ‘alone’, but what the KJV Bible calls ‘peculiar’. ( I can almost hear you chuckling…quit it ! )
“Our Savior Jesus Christ…gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:13-14)
There you have it…I am peculiar. Sometimes I feel like old Elijah.. ‘I have been working my heart out for the God of the Angel Armies…and the people…have abandoned your covenant…I’m the only one left…’ (quoted from The Message) Elijah was not alone…he whined a little, God listened, and showed him how wrong he was. Read the 19th chapter of 1 Kings for yourself. It will do your heart good.
We are all alone in this way. We alone are responsible for our side of our relationship with God. We do not inherit the faith of our parents like we inherit their blonde hair. We don’t inherit our place in the kingdom of God like we inherit their house when they leave this life. Our relationship with God is up to us. He invites us, woos us, gives us so much help in knowing Him thru scripture…yet it’s ultimately our choice.
His choice is ‘yes’! And He even offers to enable us, getting under our burdens with us, helping us to carry them…even carrying them FOR us,…. teaching us, forgiving us time and time again…cleansing us, re-creating us in His image….perfecting us, showing us His intended purpose for our life, and loving us! He LOVES us. He LOVES you!! Even with all your yuck, He loves you so much.
But..sometimes we choose a definite ‘no thanks’. Then…we are indeed alone.
‘..the Father will give you ..the Comforter..to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth..’ (John 14:16-17)
I will never be alone. I may be lonely, bored, feel out of place, or even outnumbered…but I will never ever be alone…for He is with me.
“ The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”(Gen.2:18) Companionship between man and woman was ordained by God. Few there are who, like Paul, are called to remain unmarried. (1 Cor. 7:7-9)
Sometimes, what I feel is not really ‘alone’, but what the KJV Bible calls ‘peculiar’. ( I can almost hear you chuckling…quit it ! )
“Our Savior Jesus Christ…gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:13-14)
There you have it…I am peculiar. Sometimes I feel like old Elijah.. ‘I have been working my heart out for the God of the Angel Armies…and the people…have abandoned your covenant…I’m the only one left…’ (quoted from The Message) Elijah was not alone…he whined a little, God listened, and showed him how wrong he was. Read the 19th chapter of 1 Kings for yourself. It will do your heart good.
We are all alone in this way. We alone are responsible for our side of our relationship with God. We do not inherit the faith of our parents like we inherit their blonde hair. We don’t inherit our place in the kingdom of God like we inherit their house when they leave this life. Our relationship with God is up to us. He invites us, woos us, gives us so much help in knowing Him thru scripture…yet it’s ultimately our choice.
His choice is ‘yes’! And He even offers to enable us, getting under our burdens with us, helping us to carry them…even carrying them FOR us,…. teaching us, forgiving us time and time again…cleansing us, re-creating us in His image….perfecting us, showing us His intended purpose for our life, and loving us! He LOVES us. He LOVES you!! Even with all your yuck, He loves you so much.
But..sometimes we choose a definite ‘no thanks’. Then…we are indeed alone.
‘..the Father will give you ..the Comforter..to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth..’ (John 14:16-17)
I will never be alone. I may be lonely, bored, feel out of place, or even outnumbered…but I will never ever be alone…for He is with me.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Proud
Proud… Lots of scripture address the issue of pride….and do so in a negative light. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) So are we to have no pride??
I wonder that we don’t use the words pride and proud loosely. We equate them with our sense of satisfaction over personal accomplishments, or those of our loved ones. We think of our government, our country, and the armed forces who guard our freedoms…and we sing that we are ‘proud to be an American…’
We think of self-esteem, taking pains to look our best...personal ‘pride’. We consider our advancement in any arena, personal or public, to be something to be ‘proud’ of.
Perhaps the words ‘thankful for’ should often be replaced for our use of the words ‘proud of’. ?? We forget that it is God Who has created everything within the realm of our reality. He gives us the capacity to do any good we do….we do not accomplish one good thing that does bear His Fingerprints.
We can, however, manage on our own to do a lot of damage…. we all suffer from the same eternally fatal disease. Sin. “..all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23)
The word translated ‘proud’ in James 4:6 is ‘huperephanos’. It means to place above, to regard superior. Arrogance comes to my mind. And I’ve had holy reminders before about what I term ‘spiritual arrogance’. God has every right to wear glory feathers in His cap. I do not. It is only by His grace and merciful love that I do not suffer eternal death from this disease of sin we all suffer from, and only then thru Jesus Christ….not from personal accomplishments or defeating it in and of myself. My symptoms may manifest themselves differently than yours…but we all have the same disease….and we all need saving from it. We need a Savior.
Scripture does not teach us to have no care or regard about all these things we say we take ‘pride’ in…but it does teach us to remember that ‘every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ (James 1:17)
There are lots of ways to say it…this wrong thing of ‘pride’…arrogance and self-conceit, conceit about our own excellence…. any thing that contributes to our own importance and exalts our opinion of self or exalts us in the eyes of others.
None of this negates the striving for excellence for the glory of God. But let us always be sure it’s for His glory….and not our own.
I wonder that we don’t use the words pride and proud loosely. We equate them with our sense of satisfaction over personal accomplishments, or those of our loved ones. We think of our government, our country, and the armed forces who guard our freedoms…and we sing that we are ‘proud to be an American…’
We think of self-esteem, taking pains to look our best...personal ‘pride’. We consider our advancement in any arena, personal or public, to be something to be ‘proud’ of.
Perhaps the words ‘thankful for’ should often be replaced for our use of the words ‘proud of’. ?? We forget that it is God Who has created everything within the realm of our reality. He gives us the capacity to do any good we do….we do not accomplish one good thing that does bear His Fingerprints.
We can, however, manage on our own to do a lot of damage…. we all suffer from the same eternally fatal disease. Sin. “..all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23)
The word translated ‘proud’ in James 4:6 is ‘huperephanos’. It means to place above, to regard superior. Arrogance comes to my mind. And I’ve had holy reminders before about what I term ‘spiritual arrogance’. God has every right to wear glory feathers in His cap. I do not. It is only by His grace and merciful love that I do not suffer eternal death from this disease of sin we all suffer from, and only then thru Jesus Christ….not from personal accomplishments or defeating it in and of myself. My symptoms may manifest themselves differently than yours…but we all have the same disease….and we all need saving from it. We need a Savior.
Scripture does not teach us to have no care or regard about all these things we say we take ‘pride’ in…but it does teach us to remember that ‘every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ (James 1:17)
There are lots of ways to say it…this wrong thing of ‘pride’…arrogance and self-conceit, conceit about our own excellence…. any thing that contributes to our own importance and exalts our opinion of self or exalts us in the eyes of others.
None of this negates the striving for excellence for the glory of God. But let us always be sure it’s for His glory….and not our own.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Abomination
Abomination.. I’ve recently heard a play on this word, exchanging an O for the A when someone was making known their political views. We don’t use the word ‘abomination’ much today in ordinary conversation. Those of us who are prone to speak ‘Christianese’ may throw it around a little….
The original word of scripture is ‘toebah’ For any grammar geeks out there, it’s the feminine active participle of ‘taab’ which means to loath, detest, abhor. So basically, abomination is disgusting.
There are a lot of things in scripture that we are told God finds disgusting. Some of them, we quickly agree with Him. “Do not have sexual relations with an animal, it is an abomination” (Lev. 18:22) God said that burning children in the fire to the false god Molech was an abomination to Him. (Deu. 12:31)
Our culture seems to be more and more disagreeing with God about this one… “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman. That is detestable” (Lev. 18:22) Perhaps we are seeing Romans 1:25-27 coming to pass. “…they changed the truth of God into a lie….for this cause God gave them up to vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature, and likewise, the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly…’
Don’t call me homophobic…God made the rules, not me.
I even found a list.. “…..there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.’ (Pro. 6:16-19)
I felt pretty good about myself until I found this… “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord..” (Pro. 16:5) POW !! How’s that for knocking you off your little pedestal Connie ?!! (My pride is a constant battleground…..I know I’m probably the only one…..right?)
But as always, God is good. He disciplines me, chastises me, takes me down a notch when He needs to…and He always encourages me as well. “By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged… and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.” (Pro.16:6)
I can’t know how He needs to change me until I recognize it in myself. What He says..IS. Period. What He says is absolute truth whether I agree or not. And He is merciful in revealing that truth to me rather than watching me sink deeper into whatever thing it is that needs to be purged.
Lots of things are disgusting to God. But never so disgusting that He can not cleanse and make new. We are never so disgusting that He turns His back. “Today, please listen. Don’t turn a deaf ear…” (Heb. 3:7,8 The Message)
The original word of scripture is ‘toebah’ For any grammar geeks out there, it’s the feminine active participle of ‘taab’ which means to loath, detest, abhor. So basically, abomination is disgusting.
There are a lot of things in scripture that we are told God finds disgusting. Some of them, we quickly agree with Him. “Do not have sexual relations with an animal, it is an abomination” (Lev. 18:22) God said that burning children in the fire to the false god Molech was an abomination to Him. (Deu. 12:31)
Our culture seems to be more and more disagreeing with God about this one… “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman. That is detestable” (Lev. 18:22) Perhaps we are seeing Romans 1:25-27 coming to pass. “…they changed the truth of God into a lie….for this cause God gave them up to vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature, and likewise, the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly…’
Don’t call me homophobic…God made the rules, not me.
I even found a list.. “…..there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.’ (Pro. 6:16-19)
I felt pretty good about myself until I found this… “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord..” (Pro. 16:5) POW !! How’s that for knocking you off your little pedestal Connie ?!! (My pride is a constant battleground…..I know I’m probably the only one…..right?)
But as always, God is good. He disciplines me, chastises me, takes me down a notch when He needs to…and He always encourages me as well. “By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged… and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.” (Pro.16:6)
I can’t know how He needs to change me until I recognize it in myself. What He says..IS. Period. What He says is absolute truth whether I agree or not. And He is merciful in revealing that truth to me rather than watching me sink deeper into whatever thing it is that needs to be purged.
Lots of things are disgusting to God. But never so disgusting that He can not cleanse and make new. We are never so disgusting that He turns His back. “Today, please listen. Don’t turn a deaf ear…” (Heb. 3:7,8 The Message)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Declare
Declare.. I remember my mother and my grandmother often saying ‘Well, I declare!’. I probably say it too. How do we get started saying those kinds of things? What did it mean, and does it still mean the same thing, or do we just mindlessly say something that has absolutely no meaning at all to us? Empty words…
There are no empty words. Every word we utter declares something, tells something about us. Jesus said “..men will have to give account…for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matt. 12:36) I think maybe I talk too much ! Maybe I should think a lot more before I speak. I can’t take those words back like I can on this word-process….can’t look them over and decide to delete them or rephrase them in more loving terms.
“Eventually there is going to be an inspection. …The inspection will be thorough and rigorous…I won’t get by with a thing.” (1 Cor. 3:13 The Message) Everything I say and do should be channeled thru the Truth of Jesus Christ. Whew….that’s a tall order ! I’m thanking God again for His amazing grace and His patience with me as I grow and learn. I am not “wise by the standards of this age..” but want to be “ a fool so that I may become wise”…the “wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” (1 Cor. 3:18,19)
“I confess my iniquity, I am troubled by my sin.” (Ps. 38:18) I decide afresh that “I will declare Your Name to my brothers, in the congregation I will praise You.”(Ps.22:22)
There’s a lot of declaring goes on…..even the “heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His Hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world…” (Ps. 19:1-4)
What do you declare today? Better decide…because it WILL be something.
There are no empty words. Every word we utter declares something, tells something about us. Jesus said “..men will have to give account…for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matt. 12:36) I think maybe I talk too much ! Maybe I should think a lot more before I speak. I can’t take those words back like I can on this word-process….can’t look them over and decide to delete them or rephrase them in more loving terms.
“Eventually there is going to be an inspection. …The inspection will be thorough and rigorous…I won’t get by with a thing.” (1 Cor. 3:13 The Message) Everything I say and do should be channeled thru the Truth of Jesus Christ. Whew….that’s a tall order ! I’m thanking God again for His amazing grace and His patience with me as I grow and learn. I am not “wise by the standards of this age..” but want to be “ a fool so that I may become wise”…the “wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” (1 Cor. 3:18,19)
“I confess my iniquity, I am troubled by my sin.” (Ps. 38:18) I decide afresh that “I will declare Your Name to my brothers, in the congregation I will praise You.”(Ps.22:22)
There’s a lot of declaring goes on…..even the “heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His Hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world…” (Ps. 19:1-4)
What do you declare today? Better decide…because it WILL be something.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Rest
Rest …I can’t seem to get it sometimes. Oh, I slept last night, I‘ve had two days off, not working today…but still seem to need rest. Why is it I need rest since I’ve been pretty much inactive for 48 hour? Maybe I’m tired from all the resting I’ve done !
I find myself sighing…over and over. And grunting….(shudder!!) Whine, whine, whine….how I detest whiners, and I’m the Queen of Whine sometimes.
I’ve complained to God about it, and seem to get no sympathy. Instead, He seems to be saying ‘ok, let‘s get past this!’ (‘how long will you lie there?’ Pro. 6:9 ‘I tell you, get up…’ Mark 2:11)
and ‘Remember my promises !’ (‘she who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.’ Ps.91:1)
and ‘ I have rest for you, take it!’ ( ‘ come to Me, all you who are weary…I will give you rest…take My yoke .. ’ Matt. 11:28, 29)
and ‘you are ok, so enough already…!” ( ‘Go in the strength you have…Am I not sending you?…I will be with you…’ (Judges 6:14,16)
and ‘keep on keeping’ on’.. ( ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ Gal. 6:9)
A primary purpose of The Holy Spirit is to help us remember what God has said. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to “.. teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’ (John 14:26) He can only remind us of what we have heard Him say, and He still speaks thru scripture as recorded in the Bible. But we have to on purpose find out what He has said. He doesn’t scream it into our lives, forcing us to hear. We have to have an ear to hear Him…and a desire to listen. (‘He that has ears, let him hear’ Matt.11;15)
Then this. “The Soverign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the Word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” (Isa. 50:4)
So He has spoken…He has brought to my mind many of the things He has said. Perhaps it wasn’t rest I needed after all. Perhaps it was just solitude…and opportunity for Him to speak to some things in my life.
My body is old and tired. It does need rest, God rested (Ge. 2:2) …Jesus rested (John 4:6). But Jesus made sure He had time alone with His Father, ( Matt.14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28) )
I have no excuse for keeping a weary mind…. Not when He ‘will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.’(Jeremiah 31:25
I find myself sighing…over and over. And grunting….(shudder!!) Whine, whine, whine….how I detest whiners, and I’m the Queen of Whine sometimes.
I’ve complained to God about it, and seem to get no sympathy. Instead, He seems to be saying ‘ok, let‘s get past this!’ (‘how long will you lie there?’ Pro. 6:9 ‘I tell you, get up…’ Mark 2:11)
and ‘Remember my promises !’ (‘she who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.’ Ps.91:1)
and ‘ I have rest for you, take it!’ ( ‘ come to Me, all you who are weary…I will give you rest…take My yoke .. ’ Matt. 11:28, 29)
and ‘you are ok, so enough already…!” ( ‘Go in the strength you have…Am I not sending you?…I will be with you…’ (Judges 6:14,16)
and ‘keep on keeping’ on’.. ( ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ Gal. 6:9)
A primary purpose of The Holy Spirit is to help us remember what God has said. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to “.. teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’ (John 14:26) He can only remind us of what we have heard Him say, and He still speaks thru scripture as recorded in the Bible. But we have to on purpose find out what He has said. He doesn’t scream it into our lives, forcing us to hear. We have to have an ear to hear Him…and a desire to listen. (‘He that has ears, let him hear’ Matt.11;15)
Then this. “The Soverign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the Word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” (Isa. 50:4)
So He has spoken…He has brought to my mind many of the things He has said. Perhaps it wasn’t rest I needed after all. Perhaps it was just solitude…and opportunity for Him to speak to some things in my life.
My body is old and tired. It does need rest, God rested (Ge. 2:2) …Jesus rested (John 4:6). But Jesus made sure He had time alone with His Father, ( Matt.14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28) )
I have no excuse for keeping a weary mind…. Not when He ‘will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.’(Jeremiah 31:25
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