What language do we speak? How do we relate in expressing joy, or sorrow in a situation? What do we actually sound like to others when speaking about something specific?
In recent days, our daughter and her family had moved to a more serene country community. Our grand-daughter was out playing in the sprinkler as the weekend proved to be a "hot one"! She donned her swimsuit and got the water turned on, the sprinkler placed in just the right spot and the fun was on. One thing I noted, as I told our daughter, was that our grand-daughter could squeal loudly and I believed someone would be out to check if the child was in pain. Sure enough, not five minutes passed from the first sprinkler run through and squeal, and someone came out to check. I told her that the neighbors, being new around our grand-daughter would not know her laughter, and would not know that by that squeal she could make, was just her way of expressing her fun time through the sprinkler. The neighbors learned that day what her language was when having fun in the sprinkler. Yes, it is a very loud squawk of joy and not one of pain.
In learning how to speak a different language like what I and others took in school, we were prompted to listen and to speak or repeat what the instructor had just spoken. I think how important that is when we want to go from point A to point B, specifically in the things of God! We should be reminded to listen and then speak or repeat the same thing!
Too many times, we choose to relate what the " greatest sport entertainer" is speaking or that "singer". Too many times, we choose to do and say those things the world relates as good things, but in the end, brings either pain, or loss or both!
In viewing a couple of commercials that sell burgers, one would believe that you require wearing a two piece swimsuit to chow down on one of those enormous burgers!
It is one thing to be a Doctor and go to Medical School to learn all the procedures for say surgery, and to repeat the good procedure and not to err in anyway. But to go to Medical School and not repeat what they were taught is detrimental to all the doctor's new patients, would it not?
John 2:13-17.....13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." NKJV
Malachai 3:1-5.....3:1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.
5 "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. NIV
Proverbs 17:3......The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the LORD tests the hearts. NKJV
How does the Lord test our hearts? By His Word! His Word sets the standard, and the more Word we put in, the hotter the Light of His Word gets to purify and remove any dross out of our lives. And by praying in the Holy Spirit, He purges away fear, torment,rejection, and temptations that might try to rise up as a stronghold. God's Word sets up a wall that is established around us, a wall of protection. The praying part flushes out all that is not of God and helps us to take charge over our spirit man.
What do we choose to "repeat"? From the Dr.'s report to the dental report or the news on earthquakes, drought conditions or worse, yet we should be resilient and ready to apply what God speaks. As we grow in the Word of God, we choose to speak as He speaks and do as He does! Do we feel the need to copy, to imitate those commercials, so as to "look like world"? If we do that, then we will be those that will put on that two-piece suit and order that enormous burger.
Our heart is the deciding factor. If our heart is soft and pliable to the teachings of the Lord, then we can recover from difficult conditions. We become the strong, the tough and the hardy ones! Whatever the "storm" or the "ordeal", or "verdict" of one doctor, one dentist or even the world, one holds the answer to it all! God is to get the last Word in and we are to abide in that Word!Well, Shelley, the word is not working in my life! My response to you would be, "How much do you speak it" ? How often do you repeat it over and over? If none, then I would say, "yes, that Word is not working in your life!"
If our hearts are hardened, then we need to find out why they are in such a condition. Meditation on those miracles we have seen keep us mindful that God is good. But if we are concerned with the cares of this world, wearing some special outfit, wearing some kind of hair-do to looking like that "singer" or that special "actor" from a movie, or even driving a certain "brand new" vehicle can bring us to another place. The heart can become calloused and hard! It may be more about what "I want" or "I need", yes, that thing which will make "me" happy!
GOD DOES NOT MIND US HAVING THINGS, BUT HE DOES MIND IF THINGS HAVE US! Those things are suppose to be that which helps us get the "message" out that Jesus is returning for His Bride, the church! And not bring bondage and slavery to us! (like working 80 hours a week to make a house payment you cannot afford to make)
If you have ever worked in a garden, you know the time it takes to keep those weeds down so you can recognize those carrot seedlings, those squash seedlings or even those onions...........oh, no, they look like weeds to me! All that pulling of the weeds, all that cleaning up with the hoe sure takes a toll on the hands. It is felt in the soreness of muscles you forgot you had and discover those newly formed callouses in places on your hands that you recognize as "painful". All that gardening involves much work in bending and stooping, the kneeling down on the dirt, and finding a small pebble nesting into the skin of the knee joint, we try to meditate that the garden is good! We speak on the good that we will enjoy adding those delicious vegetables to our meals. We remind ourselves that we planted good food to eat soon, and we try to push out the pain that tries to capture our thoughts and take us away from those green onions, and great tasting yellow squash. Yes, our thoughts are to be kept on that which should be about the Lord and His plan.
Our thoughts should not be captured by the game of the Final Four! (and spending how much time and finances on one set thing) Even heard of a Dr.'s assistant getting tickets for free to the Final Four. She went and glad she went, but she knew nothing about them and went back to not caring about any basketball games. She enjoyed the part of watching those spectators and their thrill, but it escaped her thinking how some could get so wrapped up in "sports".
I remember a day when basketball started just after football was done in November if there were championship games being played. Basketball was done in March with major play-offs at the end of that month of March. Today, it seems games are played year around for big bucks, and by choice, they choose to play nearly all year. I even saw a football game being advertised during the news break last week. What, football in June?
In coming to this area awhile back, our family went to church together as a rule for about two years. Our grand-daughter was small and required some napping time before church. So her parents went to the church and took care of those things that needed tending to be ready for a service and we watched our grand-daughter. We would arrive about 45 minutes ahead of service, as she wanted to hear the band play. She would clap her hands and sing with them. She grew accustomed to raising her hands in worship and enjoying the Presence of God! She would sing no matter if no one else sang during this practice time. She would want to dance and do those things small children do to have fun!
In our family, as we abide as a family, by spending time together, we grow aware of each other's personalities and how they differ. We know our grand-daughter's zest for life, and her acute or intense way of expressing her joy in it! So too, as we abide in God, we grow accustom to His ways and doings. We know when He speaks and when He is silent. We know when correction comes, and when we have moved to another level in God. We know His voice and know we are truly welcomed in His presence! Our language is to be just like His!
Today, our grand-child gets upset if she has to miss a service. She delights to sing and clap and raise holy hands to the Lord. She thoroughly misses that time with others who worship God.
Ephesians 5:1-2........5:1 Follow God's example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. 2 Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ's love for you was like sweet perfume to him. TLB
A much loved child imitates his father. I like this example. Although my dad was generally out of town on business, I sure liked the idea of wearing those cowboy boots and jeans and dressing like he did whether he was home or gone for a few days. My mother was more of the dress-up type and wore the lipstick and blush. She always looked like a model to me in that she was of a small stature and weighed around a hundred pounds. My friends and school mates always commented how beautiful she was when entering our class room when she was hosting as the "homeroom mom" for a special holiday. But in my younger years, my paternal grandmother always stood out to me in that she always seemed to be interested in those around her.(my maternal grandparents lived in another state and many miles away from us) She loved conversation and loved hamburgers as her many grand-children did. She was to me, a person who loved life and loved others. And I think of this scripture verse as Jesus gave Himself, the sacrifice, to take away sins. And God was so pleased with Christ's love for me, that it was like sweet perfume to Him. Wow! Now that is awesome. The giving of ourselves for others, that seems like an easy thing, but I know that it is not.
At the end of the day, my grandmother still had another meal to prepare, another call on the lady next door who lived alone, and a garden to tend. Her days were filled with many things, but she always had time for those who had no family close by. And she had time for us, her grand-children. She worked to fit everyone in who needed a smile, a hug, a good laugh, a good meal, and some times just to let someone know that they were not alone! In looking back at that time, I believe it was her "gift of gab" that was the vehicle that took her to all those places and accomplish all that she did. God created her to do all that!
John 1:6-14...................6 God sent John the Baptist as a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the true Light. 8 John himself was not the Light; he was only a witness to identify it.
9 Later on, the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world.
10 But although he made the world, the world didn't recognize him when he came. 11 Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them.
13 All those who believe this are reborn!-not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan-but from the will of God.
14 And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory-the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father! TLB
The world did not recognize the One Who created it when He came to this world. Jesus was accepted by few who received Him and welcomed Him in.
What and whom do we welcome into our lives? What do we readily receive as the best for us and our family?
Who do we identify with? Is our identity in the world........the world's heroes.......with the ungodly, the atheists, or with God? Isaiah 32:5-8.......5 In those days the ungodly, the atheists, will not be heroes! Wealthy cheaters will not be spoken of as generous, outstanding men! 6 Everyone will recognized an evil man when he sees him, and hypocrites will fool no one at all. Their lies about God and their cheating the hungry will be plain for all to see. 7 The smooth tricks of evil men will be exposed, as will all the lies they use to oppress the poor in the courts. 8 But good men will be generous to others and will be blessed of God for all they do. TLB
In this scripture passage of Isaiah 32, the teaching is about the new King Hezekiah, but some have referred to it as a type of Christ in prophecy. In these verses of 5-8, it is God alone who takes care of those who have become the heroes in their own deceit.
Have we not seen this in recent months, those who sought to keep their preeminence and pay out large sums of money to keep others quiet. Have we not seen those who were declared heroes make a downward spiral fall from that high post of preeminence?
The prophet here in Isaiah was describing what was going to occur in the future. Although King Hezekiah did not fulfill his role in being the king, the prophecy surely points to Jesus as well.
In the passage below, we see those who call evil good, and good evil. They are those who put darkness for light and light for darkness. Do we not see that today as well?
Isaiah 5:18-23...........18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity,
And sin as if with a cart rope;
19 That say, "Let Him make speed and hasten His work,
That we may see it;
And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come,
That we may know it."
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!
NKJV
If we view the above scripture from Isaiah 32, as that of a prophecy, it is as the final world battle! It is the two things: good versus evil that will come to an end forever. King Jesus will return soon to take His rightful place and will rule forever. His righteousness will deliver to the world, the place with life where souls will be satisfied.
Psalm 36:8-9..............8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light. NKJV
It is God's standard that will set the plumb line so to speak. Men will not be deceived by the enemy any longer. Men will see and recognize the truth for all time. Today, we have the Holy Spirit to show us those who are of the devil. We recognize those who are fire for God and those who just use words to flatter and deceive others by directing some innocents into their webs of deceit and nonsense!
We hold the course, by adhering to the Word of God and speaking the same He speaks.
People need the Holy Spirit to show those who are for you and for those who are against you. We need the Holy Spirit to direct our walk in this world where everything appears to be upside down as we see in Isaiah 5.
Our individuality is ours alone, but our identity should be in God alone! He created us to be individuals with choices to live for Him and be a part of His family. Should we not want to look like the sons of God and be imitators of that which is good and not that which is of evil intent?
As we search the scriptures, we find our identity. Our worth is found in Him. It is through His eyes and by His standards we begin to see and know those unique qualities He has placed in each of us.
We need to quiet the voices that would tell us otherwise and turn off that T.V. set!
May we choose to be directed by His Holy Spirit and see with out a doubt that God has good things for us as His children! May we speak as He speaks and see the greatness of Who He is today and everyday for an eternity! Listen and Repeat!
Father, it is in Jesus' holy name we pray. Today we seek to know the Cornerstone of our lives. We expect to spend time and help us to see His example everyday, knowing that He Who committed no sin nor was deceit found in His mouth, did not revile nor did He threaten, but He judged righteously according to the word of God. Help us to understand that He bore in His own body the sins of the world on a tree for the world to see.
Help us to see that He reigns and is seated with the Father of Righteousness, the Father of Glory.
Help us to see that we have become that Royal Priesthood and to pray accurately what the Lord is speaking to each of us for He does speak and there is much peace in His Word. We pray that we would not continue to turn to chaos in our thinking, not turn aside to the whims of man, or those of seducing spirits of this world. We desire to follow closely after Jesus and stay out of the mud and the mire of this world that is drowning people in empty promises of deceit that bring death and destruction. May we be found, bound to the Author and the Finisher of our faith. May we be bound to truth, and not to legalism of man's wisdom. Father, we thank You that we have come to the Holiness Highway (Isaiah 35:8) and that You have heard from heaven. We receive Your answers of truth to our prayer of which we have asked in Jesus' holy name. Amen.
You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV
No comments:
Post a Comment