Remember the Wish Bone?

Voice of Prayer

When our daughter was small, we had our family over for the holiday meal. They were new to the area and while eating, the conversation had turned over to the topic of the day: The Turkey!
Yes, we laughed about some momentous moments of getting that "bird" cooked and served just like you see on T.V. or in a magazine.
But I recalled this one time, when I was about ten years old, that when the meal for our family who had gathered at Thanksgiving, comprised a total of eighteen people. Of that number ten were children and the oldest of the group pushed out her chair and ran for the "turkey" that remained from that festive meal. In the process, some things were moved and even pushed out of the way to present the part of the "bird" that at least three people desired to grab hold of and that was the "the wish bone".
Chaos ensued, and much yelling of "who" would take hold.........meaning only two people can hold it between them and break the wish bone, right?  With the battle over, the wish bone broken, I thought of all the hoopla over a...."bone"!
In relating this tale to our daughter, we laughed at the humor and wondered if people still do that sort of thing.
Of more recent days, I remember just seeing a commercial around the holiday season of some younger ones grabbing for that "wish bone" and wonder why or "if" they still do it.

In thinking of our walk with God, we do not need "wish bones". We have His word that will strengthen us. His words comfort us when in hurt and pain. He delights for us to call on Him and delights to hear us give Him praise for all that He has done for us. Was on the way back from a blood draw the other day and praised Him on that trip, both going and coming back to the country. It was a great report. The hemoglobin was around its normal level. Yes, God is good!
I also thought today in hearing a teaching by Joyce Meyer how it is important to have a backbone.

In a prayer meeting about 3 years ago, I remember this young man prophesying about the "church" the body of believer's to have a real backbone. Although I have thought of his given word from the Lord many times in the past three years, I believe it to be so more of the "now word" if you please!

Each of us has to stand. We need the stability and agility to stand and still be flexible....without breaking or falling apart.  In a recent teaching loaded on my "Voice of Prayer" You Tube Channel, it was title The Truthful Witness: Not Based on Lies, False Ideas or Fantasy. We had looked at Luke 4:1-13.......NKJV.

Luke 4:1 -13….NKJV…Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, ”If You are the son of God, command this stone to be become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered, saying “It is written, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” 5 Then the devil, taking Him upon on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “all this authority I will give You, and their glory, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” Hemming in, isolation

8  And Jesus answered & said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan!” “For it is written You shall worship the LORD your God & Him only you shall serve.” 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to HIM, “if You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 for it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you, ‘ 11 “and , in their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answered & said to him, “It has been said, YOU shall not tempt the LORD your God.” 13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

In that teaching you will remember if you saw it and heard it that the Holy Spirit lead Jesus out into the wilderness. Hard time? Most likely! But testing does come, and we must have the backbone to stand, yes with flexibility but also with agility to move when God sends us out to do something for Him. That strength comes when we apply our heart to His instruction and our ears to the words of knowledge. As we lend our ear to understand, we are preserved by His discretion working in us. And it is His loving kindness in the daytime and at night, we see and know, His song is with us......it is the prayer to the God of my life and your life.

For if we would just come and hear Him, come and hear all who fear God..........others should hear what you and I will declare what He has done for our souls. Jesus heard the devil speak and Jesus answered with the written word of God. It was not some quote from some guy who lived a hundred years ago, but by the living Word of God.

Will we stand with backbone in these last days? Will we proclaim God's goodness?

James 3 :9-18 Amplified Bible

9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so. 11 Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter?

 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren bear olives or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water. 13 Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [un-obstrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry) selfish ambition in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth.

 15 This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal, even devilish (demonical). 16 For wherever there is jealousy (envy)  and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition) there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices. 17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled) then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits: it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering and insincerity).

In Genesis 4:9-16 we read of Cain and when he killed his brother Abel. With intent in his heart, he killed. Out of a hateful jealousy he killed him. And verse 15-16 of chapter 4 mentions that God put a mark on Cain and Cain left the presence of God.
I think of Cain being marked because of the hatefulness of his heart, and of his ability to murder. Being marked, is that which marks our character. In being the stable and the distinct reveals the quality of lack of it denoting a person's life. And what character or stength of character and where it lies, will determine the person's life in regard to " the difficult" or "even the hard" in life.

Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying that "reputation is the shadow. Character is the tree."

Are we displaying a mere shadow.....or....are we displaying that tree...........for others to see.

Psalm 1:1-6   NKJV   1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But  are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Living life by making wishes on a wish bone is living life in a "fantasy". I am not making any wishes on a dead turkey! Anything outside of God and His ways is considered rebellion, and of rage.........and will not end in success of anything. It will only lead to death. ( remember Cain)

As Jesus, we too, must be led by the Spirit of God and meditate and know to say the word like Jesus did in the conversation with the devil.
Strengthen that backbone. Kiss the Son in submission to His leadership and you will see your life ruled by His peace when all others outside the boundary of God will experience violence and wrath against them.

Lord, You are with us. We shout for joy because You defend us (them). Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You, for You OH LORD will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11-12)
Amen!

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching:

The Truthful Witness: Not Based on Lies, False Ideas or Fantasies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yapgc3QC344



You can also visit my You Tube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

PICKING AND CHOOSING

ARE we picky about what we want to participate in and are we choosing only those things that stroke our fur? Well, Shelley, I have no fur............really?
"Well, the pastor will not be there, so I am not going either!" "Well, they really are not saying or teaching anything I want to hear, so I am not going to go this Bible Study!" "Well, I think I can do better than they can, so I will not attend this one thing." "Well, I want time away from "them", even though I know I should attend, but..............!!!"
EXCUSES AND MORE EXCUSES..........and it all has to do with the "me, myself, and I"..........and that always stinks, does it not?
I was finding time to go over the regular duty of clearing old emails out...........and I always try to read over them before deleting them forever. But one remained that I thought interesting. It was written awhile ago and it mentions a person's intention of not attending this function at church because of issues with something.........yet, the next thing in their writing, they changed it and made it "their thing" the very next night. Well that issue had to do with the body, a sickness coming on, but in less than 24 hours they were all better and let their "buds" know to be out for their "thing" on the following evening.
What is wrong with being honest? Why can't someone just say, " I did not want to attend because.........." and fill in why they do not want to attend!
Are we dealing with pride, or with a reluctance to be truthful about anything? "Well, I do not want to hurt their feelings." "Well, I.............!" "Well, I.....".

DISCERNMENT!
Discernment comes by spending time in the Word of God. Believer's gain understanding and truth through that Word. In that, we find judging the right course to stay with God, and not follow man!


I always think of this scripture...................

Ezekiel 33:30-33................30 "As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

33 "When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been among them."   NIV


Ever been around someone who tells you that ....."this word was certainly given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit".....but yet....you see them........leave and................go about finding that which brings them only gain?
Now, come on.............be honest with yourself!
In some of the early churches I attended in my youth, no one had a Bible study. I had not heard of one till the 90's. Seriously! I kid you not!
And then, my thought process was one that I could study at home and usually did for I love to read and search things out from scripture. But I found that when I attended, I could have this light of revelation come on some verse we were looking at together. And in spending time with others over the Word of God, I found that study time was a time that culminated into what would be this beautiful tapestry being built together that would glorify God!
So many times, I would volunteer to have a study in our home. Then it became a prayer meeting time. But the study continued, and I was always ready to invite people to come!
In those cases, I would find the two or three gather from maybe the original five............well, the other two had other things to do!
I remember this one time of having a study in April 2007. It was to be a teaching on Deborah, the Prophetess. Snow began to fall, and two came. We still had a party over the Word of God. We had great fellowship and enjoyed some great finger sandwiches. Yes, those two left some two or three hours later in a snowstorm, but God got them home safe and sound!
Yes, there are those who desire to hear the Word............to seek God and then there are those who find one excuse after another of why they should not attend.
Then you will hear of those that will say they will come to a study but later you find them choosing something else because of ...........EXCUSE..........! 
To me, it seems more appropriate to say they are too busy and do not have time for the Word!

The Word teaches us that one day in the courts (house) of the Lord is better than a thousand anywhere else!


Psalm 84:10-12.........10 Better is one day in your courts 
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 
than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold 
from those whose walk is blameless. 

12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.   NIV

In that one day God can save us years of work and more work. He can show us ways to get that new job, how to gain favor at work (and not through the flesh thing), He can show us how to know that He seeks our good and will bring to us honor and favor that we never dreamed we could have in our lifetimes. In His presence, we find answers to things that may have plagued us for years. In that time of receiving a teaching on a passage from the Word of God, we can move quickly through something without even pausing for a breath of air! God can show us where to go for the best prices in town when shopping for our children's back to school items. He can show us the best place to purchase a home and which neighborhood to live or He can show us the best place to rent and live far out in the country and enjoy the beauty of what He has created. He is God and He is great and His thoughts for us are wonderful!
But many times, people choose "to skip" it today because we are really "busy". Today I cannot get to church or that study because............."EXCUSE". WHAT MAKES IT SAD, IS THAT GOD, HIMSELF, COULD BE WANTING TO GIVE YOU A GOD-IDEA FOR A NEW INVENTION SO YOU MAKE ALL THE MONEY YOU NEED AND STILL FULFILL HIS PLAN FOR YOU IN MINISTRY!!!! HE COULD BE SHOWING YOU HOW TO STILL MAKE A LIVING BUT WORK LESS HOURS A DAY! HE COULD BE TRYING TO GET INTO THAT HEAD AND HEART OF OURS, THAT HIS PLAN IS A PLACE OF EASE, WITHOUT STRESS AND WE COULD SEE GREAT BENEFITS FROM FOLLOWING WHAT HE DESIRES FOR OUR GOOD.

Characteristics of discerning people are this:
Proverbs 1:5-6.....
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-- 
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.    NIV

People become the wise to listen and add to their learning.........gaining discernment in being guided into the affairs of life...........making decisions that must be made!

Proverbs 15:14-15..............14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.       NIV

Discerning heart is the one seeking knowledge about God, His truth, and His way of doing. Again, He can certainly save us time and energy when we seek His plan. AND all our days are to have the look of the continual feast with a happy heart. We are to have a feast always on the word of God and having the happy heart knowing He is with us today!

Proverbs 17:24..........24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.    NIV

A Discerning man will keep wisdom in view. THAT look is one that is steadfast, and not wandering. One who is wandering is "unsettled" and is restless! People sometimes think that by connecting with some family member is keeping the communication lines open, but in reality, the part being played out is the one thinking that by reaching for "that family member" is trying to bring to the present something the two had together in the past.....(the said family member may not even keep in contact now, not by phone, email or otherwise)............AND THAT DOES NOT WORK OUT FOR THE GOOD FOR ANYONE! Some people are resistant to change. They like things the way they are and desire for no change to take place. But if you are fifty and are still acting like a 5 year old, wow, something needs to change.
IF both hearts are on the same page, let's say like serving the Lord, having gladness in their heart, they certainly can and will connect. But if one tries in their own effort to reach one who is far from God, and wandering, the saved one may now be connecting with the wandering one and his wandering eyes and not with the "family member" but only what they remember from the past.

Again, if we say, this person (man or woman) is trying to connect with "family member" who is far from God and who lives a lifestyle that is on the pretty wild and crazy....side of life.........the saved one may continue to try reaching and many times it is like trying to drive forward but looking back in your rear view mirror all the time.  That person without wisdom of God is fluttering around from place to place all the while restless ...........ALWAYS WANDERING.........SEARCHING.......LOOKING BUT NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE. They cannot keep their mind on the "one important" thing in life. That is God!
It is good for butterflies to flutter from place to place, from flower to flower, but when a man or woman wanders it's because of a restless attitude.
You have seen them. They are the anxious, the agitated, and ill-at-ease around you. That driving forward while continually looking back, will "wreck" you.

Our son-in-law did this teaching with the "compass" a few weeks ago for the entire group attending the church service. It was awesome for the youth to see how the direction from the compass would steer them! They read the directions of the compass to get from point A to point B and so on.  I thought of that today, and how many people really need that compass of God's word to steer us in the right direction. He wants to help us avoid overworking something.  When the person is not fixed on the "one thing" but rambling about, only viewing that they need like the paycheck, a need to please mommy dearest, and keep family together, we can certainly come up short in the wise department.

God desires us to aim at that which He has placed before us. He desires us to keep that focus and not look back at "the past". And that applies to our job, our ministry, if you have one, and applies to raising our children. If you were raised without God while growing up, the best thing for your children is to bring them to God and have them hear about Him, day in and day out, week in and week out! But if we are raised in the church, and take on that holier than thou attitude, that stinks to high heaven. We may certainly quote the Word of God and still tell lies, AND what does that make us? 

I remember this lady..........some years ago, she desired to do something and had great ideas, and they would probably work well at that time. She said wanted to clone some certain people who she had known from her past, but the best thing for us today is to embrace those around us now.

Who has God placed around us that we should embrace? Too many times, people really liked their past better than their present. But if one keeps looking back to the past how can they be effective in this day which the Lord has given them?

Too many times, we are trying to make yesterday work for today and that will not work and is not a good thing to do. You can look at some ministries TODAY, many are trying to make today work out of yesterday's or last years ideas!

Next time you attend a church service, a Bible study or even a Prayer Meeting, consider this. From Ezekiel 33......ask yourself..." Am I interested in God and all that He has for me?" " Am I shallow in my thinking less toward.....Sister......"so and so"........in her teaching or her leading in this area that I desire?" Lord, " Am I just being superficial about Sister...."so and so"?

"Is my enthusiasm lacking life to it?"  "Am I loving more earthly things and avoiding those heavenly ones that I should be cherishing?"

"Am I judging pastor........."so and so".......or Sister........"so and so" because of their manner of teaching or delivering a message from God? 
" Am I Lord, seeking my favorite past times and those indulgences that come when I do my "own thing?"
"Is my interest a distraction that needs to stop right now?"

"Or do I just want my say that has no wisdom of God, but certainly carries things from the world?"

Proverbs 17:7.....7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.   NKJV


A common truth: if you have a despicable man and he appears to speak as the educated man,  the elected official, a scholar, or say even an administrator of a hospital and no one pays attention to him because of his character, how much more so will the same thing apply to say the "believer"....who knows the word of God, and still tells lies so blatantly . Will someone heed the hateful (the despicable) man when he tries to appear......as the reputable, the kind and the worthy?
In the verse below, we find the child is known by his actions.............by looking at his conduct!


Proverbs 20:11.............11 Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.   NIV

Is the child behaving as he ought to behave? Is he being disciplined by the Lord?  Because whatever he speaks comes straight from the heart.  How he acts at home, he will act in public! Not sure why some seem so surprised when their child throws a hissy fit at the grocery store or the mall, for they evidently have been brought up that way. (But right now we are looking at why we choose to avoid church and some pastors or teachers. )


Psalm 101:1-8......I will sing of your love and justice;to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life--when will you come to me?
I will walk in my house with blameless heart. 3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;they will not cling to me. 4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;I will have nothing to do with evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,him will I put to silence;whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,him will I not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,that they may dwell with me;he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. 
7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land;I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.   NIV

From the above scripture passage, the blameless life is one that has a blameless heart, that has no vile, and they have their eyes on the faithful in the land. Who is the faithful in the land? Who surrounds them? Are they the faithful? Are they in church, and leading? They are those that are the faithful and who are to minister to you and me!

The action of not presenting truth is telling lies, but does not lie fully on that "lie" itself, but on the character of the man or woman and with the harmony of each as that character plays out in their speech.

AM I speaking and doing...........do I have action to what I write? 

In closing: God loves the faithful, and He is ever-present in today. Are we ready to face the day with His Word and to heed those teachers and pastor or pastors He has provided for us to hear?

From what we have seen in scripture, that perfect way, that walk is sincere. It is not being masked either before God or with our fellow believers. If we truly have the Word of God and live by it, then it should rule........and will be........ bringing all the glory to God.............and in that we see the "perfect heart".

Behaving ourselves wisely, is walking without any pretense toward anyone. We are to be those who are as wise as serpents. If you correct a child, you have him look into your eyes while you speak. If you do not do that, he will not hear, but just be active in what he was doing before the discipline started as pertaining to his behavior. I know some ladies who live up north, who attended the same church as we did for many years, and if they desired not to hear.........they would simply lift their hand up to you and say "speak to the hand". Yikes!

From the previous blog, THE FALLEN, we looked at Saul and how Jesus came to change his attitude toward those who lead in the church. In the following is an excerpt from that blog:

If we run from church to church and trying to destroy those called by the Lord for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom of God to others, we too become like a "Saul". Are we complaining of the teaching or preaching from the pulpit? Are we trying to bring shame on one who is called by God to deliver the message of salvation to the world?

If you or I treat others with lies, then what does that speak about us?  Our duty to our neighbor is to be truthful. And in that duty, people will see our character .......and how will they see us?

Father, we pray in Jesus' name, and seek what are we disposed to , what do we have a tendency toward that will bring us to defeat. What do we conceal or keep under pretense in dealing with pastors or teachers You have sent our way?
Father, our desire is to be truthful all the days of our lives. We are examples to our children and their children. We desire to bring edification and life to those we minister life to on a daily basis. Help us to not be the liar, the grumbler, or even the complainer. Help us and remind us daily to use those words we have been disciplined by from YOUR Word of truth.
Your Word says a man who desires a long life must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:12-13). Show us where we may be missing the mark on that word.
 May Your Spirit of Love reign in the words we speak so that we do not  have a miscommunication or wound one another. Help us to show each other respect, speak words that encourage, share our feelings openly; and come to mutual agreements without strife. Help us to be honest!
Show us what we may be indulging in that is bad for us and show us the right place to be in hearing and doing Your Word. And Father, let your face shine on us Your servants, and thank You for Your unfailing love. Let us not be put to shame, for we have cried out to You today. Let lying lips be silenced who may speak arrogantly against the righteous. (Psalm 31:16-18). Amen and Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

An Enduring House

Proverbs 12:17-22.......17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,  But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
21 No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.  NKJV

From my youth, I always remember the importance of speaking truth. I remember my parents being adamant about speaking truth in all things. In reading of the stories from the Old Testament I am in awe of those who would continue to go down a path of the "fool". For the above scripture holds guidance in showing that no grave trouble will overtake the righteous.

I refer you to the passage found in 1 Samuel 25!
Yes, let's take a look a Nabal, the fool!

We find Nabal working with his shearers to shear sheep in the wilderness or desert area. David had sent ten young men to Nabal to ask for whatever had come to the hand of Nabal while the shepherds kept watch over herds as David and his men were close by. David knew they would be having a form of festival eating at the increase coming to Nabal through the shearing of the sheep!
But Nabal shot back a reply to the men, "Who is this David, and who is the son of Jesse?"
Tell David had the men ask for something for his men in peace, not only in the Carmel area, but also peace in Nabal's home and to all that he had or owned! He, Nabal, took the steps of insinuation that David had turned away from his master as some were doing at the time. Nabal was treating David as if he never heard of him. Yet, David was known throughout the land of all that he had done as a service to the king and now to Nabal as those gave word to his wife, Abigail!

One young man found courage to go tell Abigail all that had transpired with David and his men.
 "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. 15 But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him."

David and his men most likely kept the Bedouin Arabs from taking sheep from Nabal's herds!  It most likely to that food and drink were given to the men who gave this service when rendered.
We then see Abigail make haste to gather two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs. And she said to her servants, "Go on before me; see, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. As she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. .....................21 Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light."

When David had spoken, Abigail dismounted from the donkey and fell on her face before David. This woman became prostrate before him on the ground. She said: "On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.

Wow, you certainly want someone to hear you when this kind of chaos is playing out. When insults and lies are being spewed out, you want someone who will hear truth! ........................  25 Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, since the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. 29 Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.

30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, 31 that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant."
32 Then David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For indeed, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hastened and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal." 35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person." 

36 Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light. 37 So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. 38 Then it came about, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
39 So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head." And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, "David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife." 41 Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, "Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." 42 So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. NKJV

I believe Abigail spoke prophetically of David's enduring House! It is the knowing those who fight and stand with the Lord. Abigail spoke, "....but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling."

Had people not seen this when David faced Goliath and yet David had many more years ahead and many more battles to stand and fight with Lord? This bundling was referring to the safety of the righteous. David was at this point ready to fight the fool Nabal, but because of Abigail's advice she appeased David's wrath. It was God's sling that would hold the outcome for Nabal. And David praised the Lord for having sent her to him and to keep him bloodshed.

We can do things for people who may be just like Nabal. Our kindnesses are given to help them, yes, give aid when needed in circumstances.  But we should also consider that in our day to day walk, are those meeting us, filled with wisdom to give us counsel, direction, and maybe even caution as we go forward in all that is before us. We can be surrounded by Nabal's, but God is always present in our circumstance when we ask Him in for help.
When I was but a youth and living in the South, we lived among a lot of older people "senior citizens". Of course to a three year old, I thought they were ancient. My mother would do a lot of things for those older "folks"! She would give them ride to a store for groceries or just pick up an item or two for them. But one lady comes to mind in writing this Blog today. This older woman lived alone. Her husband had died years earlier. And the woman would call for my mother's help in giving her a permanent for her hair. My mother did not mind at the time, and it gave her opportunity to know the neighbors. But this woman was different from those we met in our little neighborhood. I will call her Mrs. L.
For about two years Mrs. L. would walk the block and a half to our house to have her hair permed. My mother would have the area covered around the kitchen cabinet and sink to prepare the perm solution. While hair was rolled and solution applied, Mrs. L. would open up her bag and pull out a "big chocolate candy bar". Yeah, you guessed it. She gave no candy to me or my baby sister. She acted as though my sister and I weren't even there. This would upset my mother and after awhile, she stopped giving the lady the perms. Mrs. L. either did not like children or really like her candy bars. But one thing was certain, she was not giving them to anyone else to enjoy. She seemed to enjoy her hair being done for free, but despised sharing her candy with others.
Now, not all our neighbors were like that. One couple next door had a storm shelter and that certainly kept us safe during some major storms and tornadoes in our area. These people were gracious, and always spoke kind words and seemed to like two young little girls.

God knows what is on our horizon and seeks us to keep our eyes on Him. If we have been helping someone like a Nabal and the effort seems despised, then lets move away from them. Insults and lies will not help anyone. When these people appear, then  find those who really will add to you. They are out there. As David saw, Abigail came with a respect of knowing that God fights his battles. Will we move away from the "Nabal's" of this world to stand with the king of Kings?

Father, in Jesus' name, I thank You for the truth of Your word that leads us out of darkness and into Light! I pray that every one who reads this is one that will always speak truth to be wise for a false witness brings deceit.  I pray for each, that their lips will be truthful and established forever. I pray that we would recognize by Your Holy Spirit those who would devise evil in their hearts. Like David, I pray for each who read this and receive it in their heart, that they would have an enduring house. Lord, You are our safety, our refuge in time of trouble and misfortune. Help us to see those who are truly against You like Nabal the godless man and help us to pray for them. I pray that we would be like Abigail......that there may be found hundred men set out to avenge. an insult maybe by someone close to us.............but having the information she needed, she ran to meet David. Lord, she showed character to be a prayerful woman who prayed for David's forbearance, by arguing Nabal's bad qualities. May we be those who will not despise the chastening of the Lord!

We give thanks for all that You do for us and our families to keep them safe. Lord be praised for David and his ENDURING HOUSE that brought us Jesus Christ, the Messiah our Redeemer! Amen

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

Who is Speaking into Your Life?

Wherever you go today, you can hear so much music and conversation that the mixture is nothing but noise to the ears! Some malls have the sound of music from the time you enter the front entrance and seems to carry from store to store. But at times, there is so much of it, the noise seems to wrap around you making a simple conversation with your husband or friend impossible. When you have to shout to get the person next to you to hear you speak, then it is not worth having the conversation.

Being bombarded with all that noise is not a welcomed thing. If I find I must go to a mall, I always find the shortest distance from an entrance to the store I desire to shop in when looking for a specific item. Today's society seems to shout to get our attention on anything from buying a new car or pickup to a new washer & dryer. But it does not stop there! It goes on in the drive-through window arena, where they shout at you of the new deals they are offering on the early breakfast deal with coffee added.

But sincerely, who do we allow to speak into our lives?  What carries a weight into our listening when someone speaks? Do we have favor with them or do they really dislike us? What if that which they are speaking is not good, but evil and will hurt you or another person? Who is speaking to you?

In church recently, this young man we have known for a short time brought us this word the Lord had spoken for our pastors. That word was "inspire". I continue to hear that word and looked into its meanings in the Bible and in the dictionary.

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence, 

to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.):

to inspire confidence in others

to inspire someone with hope; to breathe in (air); to inhale

I believe when we look into the Word of God that has been given to inspire us, to gather us and strengthen us into God's bosom and His plan, we allow Him to speak and show us the "destiny" if you will and the way to get there.
I emboldened the words above that so remind me of the inspiration of God and His word. That quickening to live again with the life of God will be air in my lungs. That God-breathed word when spoken is life I am inhaling to be renewed and invigorated for His plan. It is His Word that is always producing in us the power to move forward and declare His goodness to others. God gives us hope in our darkest hours. Scripture tells us in Romans 15:13..........13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. NIV
As God fills us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, we are those who overflow with hope by the power of His Holy Spirit. We have a joy unspeakable.
1 Peter 1:8............8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: KJV

Jeremiah 32:40-41...............40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.   NIV

What we allow our ears to hear, invades our hearts! Is what we are hearing, truthful, and helpful? Is it an "inspiring" word that will lift us out of the pit of miry clay or is it a vindictive word of harm and hate?

It was said that Augustine had a sign on his wall that read, " He who speaks evil of an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table."

Spending time with God allows us to hear truth and be moved by truth! If what we are hearing is that of violence, gossip and clamor, then our hearts are overtaken to those things.

I pray that we would be people who would continually seek out the Word that inspires us to "the greatness" God placed in us. I pray that we would become the man and woman who God planned to make a difference for the day and time we live it in. If not us, who, and if not now, when?

John 16:12-15................12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. NIV

If you so allow me to speak into your life today, I pray that the God of glory would dwell in your heart by faith. I pray in Jesus' name that you would be inspired by the written word of God that is God-breathed and brings life to your mortal soul. I pray that you would be strengthened to rise out of mediocrity and soar the heights like an eagle and view the world as God our Father does. I pray that your ears are open to hear Him speak and even more than that...........you would see HIM speak............and know that which is life to you. Lord, thank YOU for revelation knowledge that helps us to see HIM who speaks and declares those things to come. May we ever be moving forward in YOUR plan for our lives, consumed by YOUR love and beauty and compelled to tell others of Your truth! Thank You Lord for this word and for Your precious Holy Spirit who tells us the things we must know. We will know all that YOU speak and receive it deep into our hearts and move in power to see Your kingdom on this earth. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV)