“Will any of you listen to my message? Will you think carefully about it in the future? You have seen many things, but you do not understand them. You have opened your ears to listen, but you have not really heard anything. The LORD is pleased for His righteousness sake to magnify His instruction and make it glorious!” (Isaiah 42:23, 20, 21 EASY/HCSB)
The Flames blinding my eyes this morning have taken on the distinct appearance of ears. As the sun gradually shifts and changes position the glow of the burnished lobes drop a bit lower and morph to look a whole lot like feet!
“Here are the words of the true GOD, YAHWEH, the One Who created the starry heavens and stretched them out. He’s the One Who formed the earth and filled it with life. He gives breath to every person and spirit to everyone everywhere.” Isaiah 42:5 TPT
I busies myself doing some yard work yesterday and was surprised to note the occurrence of countless holes and divots throughout our turf. They were too great in size and kept to no uniform pattern, so it wasn’t very likely they were any human attempt to aerate the lawn. I asked the LORD about them as I continued my work. I prayed for protection against any unseen critters as I was thinking snakes!
“This is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in holes and hidden in houses of bondage. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them, with no one saying, “Give it back! Who among you will pay attention to this?” (Isaiah 42:22 HCSB/TPT)
Oh, Holy Trumpets of Unity, raise!
Done, the black scorch!
Now emerge, tender blades!
Sharp sting of remembrance!
Conviction doth sweep!
The cleanse of confession
now bursts forth and sets free!
I reach to lay hold of that
to which I am yet learning,
Eternal Wisdom works
to gather what it wills
inside the Innermost Sanctum!
“While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?”
“But the Lord heard them.”
Numbers 12:1-2 NLT
The closer I draw to GOD the more Coodies come out of the wood work! What begins as a seed of opinion, can quickly change shape to shift into become something wicked, something… else!
“Now the man Moses was very humble (gentle, kind, devoid of self-righteousness), more than any man who was on the face of the earth. Immediately the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.” And the three of them came out. The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tabernacle, and He called Aaron and Miriam, and they came forward. And He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision and I will speak to him in a dream. But it is not so with My servant Moses; He is entrusted and faithful in all My house. With him I speak directly, clearly and openly and not in riddles; and he beholds the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?””
Numbers 12:3-8 AMP
The Word continues the account of how Miriam becomes struck with leprosy. Aaron, understandably distraught, repents. Moses cries out to GOD for Miriam’s healing and after spending seven days exiled from the main camp, she is then cleared to return and everyone continues on with the Journey.
I feel inside a Quiet Hush as I process. The atmosphere resounds with opinions that shout! Worst of all are my own, as I more carefully think about them now. I pause and consider even the ones not spoken aloud. The LORD still hears them all! Quite a churning in the unseen realm, where what amounts to murmuring and complaining seals the deal with irritability, stress and discontent! How might this be affecting me, not only in terms of my own physical body, but THE Body, collectively, and in general! I hate to contemplate!
FATHER GOD, I’m so very, very sorry! Set Your Holy Seal upon my lips! Garrison Yourself about my heart! As Jabez once prayed, “let Your hand be with me! Keep me from evil! Let me not cause any harm!” (1 Chronicles 4:10) In this place where there seems to be so much pushing and shoving, help me overcome the temptation to kick and butt! Shape in me a willing spirit! Help me to walk out Your Own Special Brand of Different! May choosing to honor and please You be my very first thought! Help me to buck my own sinful nature to leap into the free fall of trusting absolutely in YOU to work as You see fit! I’m reckoning right now it all boils down to walking in Pride vs. Humility!
“What is the cause of your conflicts and quarrels? Doesn’t the battle begin inside of you as you fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires?”
James 4:1 TPT
I don’t know about you, dear reader, but honestly speaking, how often I find I have something to say or think about everything! Weird it brings to mind a beer I’ve seen: Pernicious, an American IPA, brewed by a company called Wicked Weed! Now THAT’s a sentence! And, no, I’m not specifically against beer. It’s just the perfect term to apply to this particular condition I find myself in. As per their own website, “Pernicious implies influence that is harmful in a way not easily noticed.”
“Who do you think you are to sit in judgement of someone else’s servant? His own master is the one to evaluate whether he succeeds or fails. And GOD’S servants will succeed, for GOD’S power supports them and enable them to stand.” Romans 14:4 TPT
Sobering words, indeed, that now cause me to ask myself some righteous questions. Not according to my point of view but HIS! Am I operating as a Peculiar Person or do I habitually enter the fray to stand upon the justice of my own personal preferences? Honestly, there’re some mornings I loose my religion trying to get to the 526! (For those of you not living in this area, the 526 is a main highway that often gets choked by heavy, HEAVY traffic. Oftentimes, gridlock!)
“Now, this is the goal: to live in harmony with one another and demonstrate affectionate love, sympathy, and kindness towards others, and most especially towards believers! Let humility describe who you are as you dearly love one another. Never retaliate when someone treats you wrongly, nor insult those who insult you, but instead, respond by speaking a blessing over them — because a blessing is what GOD promised to give you. For the Scriptures tell us: Whoever want to embrace true life and find beauty in each day must stop speaking evil, hurtful words and never deceive in what they say. Always turn from what is wrong and cultivate what is good; eagerly pursue peace in every relationship, making it your prize. For the eyes of the LORD YHWEH rest upon the godly, and His heart responds to their prayers. But He turns His back on those who practice evil.” 1 Peter 3:8-12 TPT
Herein lies the division between what I know…and what I practice. FATHER GOD, You are nothing but compassionate and merciful (as seen in the face of JEUS)! By the power of Holy Spirit light and move upon the face of my weakness! Shape a generous display and more accurate Reflection! I love and make You LORD. Please redirect my direction!
To any of us who might rush right quick to either justify themselves or laugh off what’s become normal…
“As it was in the days of Noah…” Wisdom has spoken…and I want to listen! I’m just spelling it out in case anybody else out there can identify and feels the same.
GOD, if you weren’t there help us to see and understand, hear and do, thru the power of Christ’s life and death and Resurrection…where would we be?! Heal our bodies of any physical manifestation of this awful habit! We confess and repent and turn whole heartedly to Thee! Heal and touch Your church, Your Body, that she be empowered to function as she ought to in these the final days leading up to Your Return! Truly, Truly, Truly, YAHWEH, we want Your Ways to be what comes first!
In Jesus’ precious name we pray!
”At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. And because of the cloud, the priests could not continue their service, for the glorious Presence of the LORD filled the Temple of GOD!” 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 AMP/NLT
GOD’S peace and good health be upon you, dear friend!
Amen.