Intimate Communion

 

 

The word communion denotes a union, intimacy, fellowship, harmony, compatible communication, etc. God wants to share His sweet communion with flawed humanity. Yet, so many people reject His offer.

In fact, while we were still sinners, God died for all helpless humanity who are lost in a garden full of the thorns and thistles of sin (Romans 5:7-8).

Yet, the world hates being told that they are wrong and accountable for their choices and behavior. They want the happiness, success, riches and provision of the kingdoms of this world.

Very few hunger for forgiveness, peace and walking on the road of life that leads to heaven. The discipline it takes to learn sensitivity to the leading of God's Spirit is daunting to them.

Christianity also involves discernment in order to walk the straight and narrow path through a life with a smorgasbord of options. However, the Spirit of God takes the guesswork out of all of this.

If we seek God each moment of the day, He leads and we follow. We end up in divine appointments, which will blow our mind and provide godly results that further God's Kingdom in the earth.

All God asks of us is that we spend time in intimate communion with Him: worshipping the beauty of His holiness, sitting at His feet in humility and prayer, and waiting patiently until He leads us so that we can follow.

Prayer:

Father God, sensitivity to Your Spirit is the issue which makes us or breaks us as Your fulfilled child. You fill us with Your enthusiasm and You help us to walk in Your ways with Your truth. Teach us to walk in all the light You give us each day and to humbly serve You with our life.

You are always faithful to lead us by Your perfect peace and to keep us in the center of Your will as we spend time in intimate communion with You. We flourish in divine appointments and we see Your Spirit within us impacting the lives of people all around us.

Thought for the Day:

As we allow God's Spirit to lead us, His fruit replace the short-comings in our life and opens the door for the divine life of Christ to control us during each moment of the day.

Trials are not Punitive

 

Some people think that if someone is going through a prolonged illness, time out of work, heart-wrenching grief or a trial of some sort, that God is trying to teach them something; and that once they learn it, they will be freed from the trial. Those in the trial beat themselves up by thinking they need to pray more, read their Bible more or make some attempt to appease God's wrath.

This causes people to doubt their connection to the Lord and gives them hours of unrest and soul searching. Trials are not only times of correction and repentance, but also of renewal and sweet fellowship with our Father God. God is jealous and enjoys having us all to Himself. We find our self lost in the presence of God. We surrender all control to Him.

During times of trial, we have an abundance of time to spend with God. When we think back on those days of horrid illness, stress or persecution, we smile; not because we are masochists and love pain, but because our normal schedule is totally interrupted and we have free time. We are isolated from the world and able to spend that sweet time of oneness with the Lord.

Often, the Lord will give us a "holiday" through a trial, during which we can spend focused time worshipping the Beloved of our soul. During trials, do not trust in your own efforts or expect generosity from family, church and friends. Instead, wait with your whole soul – your mind, will and emotions – and put complete hope in the Lord and His Word.

Prayer:

Father God, You hear our voice in the morning, as we lay our requests before you and wait expectantly on You (Psalm 5:3). You love to spend all of Your time with each one of us. The next time we are without work, isolated by sickness or find our self alone through the death of a loved one or the devastation of divorce, we will take this time to spend entirely with You. When we do, we always find our self irrevocably changed in spirit, soul and body.

Thought for the Day:

We walk in the ways of the Lord and wait for Him, because His name and fame are the desires of our heart. - Isaiah 26:8

You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes!

Read: Psalm 95:6-7

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4

What is the difference between the rod and staff, which was used by a shepherd and is also referred to in the Bible as used by Jesus, our shepherd? A shepherd’s rod expresses the idea of power, discipline, protection and authority. It is a defense against danger. On the other hand, his staff conveys the concept of kindness, support and patience. It is the instrument of nurture and care.

The Rod

Shepherd boys, from their youngest age, take immense pride in being allowed to choose their own rod and staff. To make the rod, they select a young, hardwood sapling and dig it up from the ground. With great excitement they whittle the thin tree to fit their own unique size and strength. The thick part of the sapling, where the trunk joins the roots, is carved into a smooth rounded head that can bludgeon a predator to its death.

Once he is satisfied with his handiwork, the shepherd boy spends hours practicing to use this instrument. He can throw it to scare away a predator, or knock the enemy in the head, or he can use it to club the intruder to death. It is also used to beat the brush in order to deter any snakes or small animals from bothering the sheep. He can use the rod to reach out and grab away and then kill any snake ready to bite. He uses the rod as an extension of his arm. It gives him a sense of command and ability in the face of danger.

The shepherd also uses the rod for counting the sheep. The shepherds cause their flock to pass under their rod as they go through the gate of the sheepfold (Ezekiel 20:37 ). They count and examine each sheep as it passes below. The shepherd uses the rod to part the fleece and examine the condition of the skin for cleanliness and health. This is where we get our saying, “You can’t pull the wool over my eyes.” In other words, you are not going to get by with anything while I am in charge.

The Staff

The second piece of equipment in the shepherd’s arsenal is a staff. It is a long, slender stick with a crook or hook on the end. It is also selected with care and smoothed and shaped to the shepherd’s personal height. This tool is not used for herding any other type of animal, only sheep. The staff is truly designed for the comfort of the sheep. The staff also identifies the shepherd in his trade. It provides extra strength and support for his body as he leans on it with each step while he treks the many miles leading his sheep to find suitable water and pastureland.

The hook at the end of the staff is to grab sheep that are going into dangerous places or starting to eat poisonous weeds. The shepherd catches them around the hind leg and drags them to safety. In this way the shepherd exercises authority and protection over the flock. He also uses his staff to herd the sheep together into a cohesive herd. In order to prevent his human smell from offending the ewe, he uses the staff to lift a newborn and steer it towards its mother if they should get separated. On other occasions, the tip of the long, slender staff is laid against the sheep’s side. Then the shepherd applies pressure to guide the sheep until it returns to the right path.

He also uses the staff to catch and draw a sheep toward himself for closer scrutiny and assessment. Very timorous sheep often stray from the flock, and the shepherd uses his staff to steer them back into the safety of the group. If a sheep falls into water, the staff quickly lifts them back up on dry ground. Detangling sheep from briers and thorns is best done with the staff as well. There are an unlimited number of uses for the staff.

***

Similarly, the rod and staff of the Lord keep us safe. As we heedlessly go into dangerous situations devised by satanic predators or if we simply wander off in the wrong direction in life, our Shepherd rescues us and puts us back on the straight and narrow road. Jesus uses these tools equally to bring us comfort and correction. He feeds his flock like a shepherd. He carries His lambs in His arms, holding them close to his heart. He gently leads the ewes and their young (Isaiah 40:11).

Jesus knows His sheep and we know Him and follow after His voice (John 10:14; 27). Thankfully, we are assured that as His people, God will protect us or chasten us, whichever we need and as the occasion calls for it. Our Heavenly Father is our kind and good shepherd. We are his people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 79:13; Psalm 100:3; Micah 7:14).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, shepherd Your people with your staff, and Your flock of Your inheritance, which lives in fertile pasturelands. Although we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we have no need to fear any evil. You are with us and Your rod and Your staff bring us comfort (Psalm 23:4).

Thought for the Day:
“For he is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. - Psalm 95:7



For more information see:

http://wonderofcreation.org/2011/05/27/the-comforting-rod-and-staff-2/

Success in Life

Read: Hebrews 12:5-8

“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”  -Matt 7:13-14 " (RSV)

God does not punish us; He disciplines us. There is a difference! Punishment comes from the desire to hurt the other person in retaliation for him hurting you. Discipline is for the purpose of teaching us self-discipline, a trait paramount for our success in life.

As we embrace God’s chastening, the correction of an employer or the advice of a parent, we grow in wisdom and maturity. When we face a rebuke, we can feel encouraged that the person cares enough about us to speak up and make the correction. God uses discipline to teach us to use self-control. The Bible tells us that the Lord loves those He chastens, and that if He does not correct us, then we are not His sons (Hebrews 12:6). Thank God that He disciplines us for straying from the straight and narrow road.

Although it requires a great deal of effort, we also need to discipline our children. They need to learn that there are consequences for negative behaviors. Nurturing discipline helps prepare children to achieve self-control, self-discipline, proficiency in decision-making, and consideration for others. We do this by affirming their behavior when we see them doing something positive, by providing them with opportunities to make wise choices and to develop ownership and responsibility of their own lives a little at a time, and also by helping them to learn to use their words to express their feelings rather than to use foul language or to strike out physically when they are frustrated or angry. Loving discipline is a positive tool in encouraging all human beings to excel to their utmost for God’s pleasure.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to embrace Your discipline and to learn from it what You want me to know. Thank you for loving us enough to keep us on the straight and narrow road. Help us to discipline our children so that they can grow up as self-disciplined adults who make productive citizens and Godly saints.

Thought for the Day:

When parents are angry, irritable, depressed, fatigued, and stressed they are more likely to use corporal punishment instead of loving discipline, or to use a permissive parenting style that teaches children nothing.

To Judge or Not To Judge

Read: Job 34:5-11

"Brothers, if someone is overtaken by a fault, you who are spiritual should restore him gently" (Gal 6:1).

A person reprimanded me the other day for daring to say that I thought it was good to point out our blind spots to one another. He inferred that pointing out blind spots requires a judgment, and that we should leave that to the Lord. He implied that it is God’s duty to point out blind spots, because that was the most effective way to bring about change in someone’s life.

If this was true, then we would have no doctors or counselors in this world, and no teachers or overseers in the Body of Christ (Hebrews 13:17). There would be no older women teaching the younger (Titus 2:4). There would be no teaching and admonishing one another (Colossians 3:16). We would leave all the healing and instructing for God to do.

Many people quote the verse, “Judge not, lest you be judged (Matthew 7:1).” If they would continue reading, they would find, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

These verses actually encourage us to correct one another. They tell us to “remove the speck from our brother's eye.” If you ever had a speck in your eye, you know how good it feels and how grateful you are when someone removes it for you. But first, these verses caution us to clean up our own act, before we start giving advice to other people. They also warn us that we will be judged by the same standards by which we judge others. This reminds me of what President Harry S. Truman gave as a warning, “If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!” In this case, if you can't take advice, don’t give it; if you can’t handle correction, don’t provide it.

‎In Job 34:4 Elihu said, "Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good." I love to learn together what is true and right and pleasing to the Lord. I feel so blessed when someone “mothers” me, even when they “smother” me with words of instruction and correction. I usually respond with a sarcastic, “Yes, Mother!” Then, I always encourage them to keep it up, because I know they only speak to me like this because they genuinely care about me.

In Galations 6:1, Paul encourages us to point out our blind spots to one another, "Brothers, if someone is overtaken by a fault, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." That word “gently” is very important. Rather than beating people over the head with the Bible, we can ask them what their motivation is for their behavior, then instruct them using scriptural advice.

Sometimes, people misinterpret our words or actions and they falsely assume we have a faulty motivation for it. I do not mind someone pointing out my faults, but I despise being falsely accused. I already do so many things wrong that to be accused of what I did not do, only discourages me beyond hope! In Job 34:5-11, Job says the same thing. He points out that he is innocent, but he gets no justice. He tells the truth, but he is considered a liar. He informs us that the feeling of contempt for him among his family, friends and neighbors is as plentiful as water. Did you ever feel this way? Eternity will tell the whole truth about our life, unvarnished by what anyone else thinks about us.

In John 8:15-16, Jesus said that human beings judge by human standards. He made it clear that He passes judgment on no one; but if He does judge, His decisions are right, because He stands with the Father who sent Him. That is why it is so important for us to judge with righteous judgment, once our heart is pure and as tender as softened butter. God calls us to discern according to Biblical principles rather than to pass judgment according to our own prejudices or opinions.

Jesus says, “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” He gives us an example here of how we should correct each other, by helping our brothers and sisters to stand in righteousness. Judging with derision and contempt, correcting with condescension and pride, or rejecting someone due to their choices in life is certainly wrong. On the other hand, discerning a fault and correcting, admonishing and encouraging one another is a noble effort. Timothy is another Biblical author that encourages us to correct one another. He simply advises us to use great patience and careful instruction with love when we do so (2 Timothy 4: 2).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Job concludes his speech in Job 34:5-11 by saying that You are our judge. You repay a man for what he has done and You bring upon us what our conduct deserves (Lamentations 3:39). We do not need to be concerned about another person’s opinion of us. You have mercy on whom You will have mercy, and compassion on whom You will have compassion (Exodus 33:19). I am so glad that we can rely on your grace, and that Your love covers a multitude of our sins (1 Peter 4:8).

Thought for the Day:

“Those who mind, don't matter; and those who matter, don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss