What Will Your Answer Be?

I was having a conversation with my husband about the fact that everyone is called by God. The most important part of that calling is my relationship with Him. He wants my company, not only to talk to Him, but to be still and listen as He shares with me. That intimacy with God will bear fruit. Fruit takes time.

The definition of "Intimacy" (according to the 1828 Noah Webster dictionary) is: "close familiarity or fellowship; nearness in friendship." Then if you look at the newer Webster dictionary it adds, "familiarity; something of a personal or private nature."

Intimacy... this word often brings up images of  the closeness of a husband and wife. I know I have used it that way, and thought of it that way, but that is not all that word includes. In saying that I am intimate with my  childhood best friend, would be correct; as well as saying that a husband and wife are intimate. 

When I have a best friend, how does the relationship get so strong? We both share everything with each other. The good, the bad, and the ugly- right? I had a few really close friends through most of school. What helped us to be so close? 

We'd hang out at school as much as we could. We would spend the night at each other's homes, we invited to each other to birthday parties, we would talk about just about everything... every tiny little detail. 

BUT it isn't just talk to them, it is listening to them, too. Spending the time with each other means that I may decide to miss other events, or happenings along the way. There were sometimes, when I was young and still at home, my parents may have said I had to miss being with my friend to be with the family, and I am sure there was some pouting involved there; but that would be part of what we'd talk about the next time we were together. 

Isn't this what God wants? 

    God wants me to spend time with Him. 

    God wants me to tell Him about everything, and be willing to listen to His heart- because He loves to share with me, too. But, it may mean that I miss watching my favorite show on TV, or something else a bit more trivial. I have to decide which I value more. 

BUT- God can go with me everywhere I go! I don't have to do things without Him! 

In building this intimate relationship with the Lord, as He shares with me, and it will have fruit. 

What was it like when...

     Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening. 

     Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 

     Abraham was called to leave the land of his father to find a city that God would show him, and is later promised that his seed would be as the stars in the sky. He is promised this, even though his wife is "barren". 

    Joseph was sold by his brothers, to a land far from home and family. 

    David fellowshipped with the Lord, worshipped Him while tending the sheep. 

    Samson was betrayed by his own countrymen to be given over to the enemy.

    Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, and not harmed. 

    Mary was visited by Gabriel and told she was highly favored and would carry and birth the Savior.

Throughout the history of mankind, every single person has been asked this question, "Will you pay the price?" 

This doesn't always mean a dollar amount, per se. 

This can look more like Daniel facing the lion's den, because others were jealous, 

It can look like David being chased by King Saul. 

It can look like Noah while he was building the ark, facing criticism. 

It can look like Samson, when his own people tie him up to give him to the Philistines. 

It can look like Mary, a young Jewish girl that accepts the mission to give birth to Jesus. 

It can look like Paul escaping over a city wall in a basket... but look at the fruit from each of these that decided time with the Lord and following Him was worth it! 

Daniel came through the lion's den and the king made a new proclamation declaring God's goodness. 

Noah saved humanity and animals in the ark.

Samson killed 1,000 Philistines after allowing his own people to tie him up to surrender him to the enemy.

Paul's journey and taught many about the Lord, but also wrote letters giving us much of the New Testament.

Mary surrendered her reputation, knowing she could literally die, and she gave birth to Jesus- the Savior!

There have been many others through the years that have given their "Yes", some have become well known and others have simply lived their life under the radar, making waves in the world that were the result of their decision.

The question is still being asked of me, and of you.

Will you pay the price? 

Will you spend time with the Father, to get to know Him, and gather the seeds that you are meant to sow for the harvest?

Will you surrender your reputation? 

Will you lay down your personal plans, knowing that He only has good for you and for your life?

Will you work with Him to bring forth the fruit  of the seed(s) He planted in the womb of your spirit? OR will you quit and abort what He wants to do with you? 

The fruit that comes from time with Him is not just for me and you. It impacts everyone around us. 

Will I see that fruit? 

Well, I can't give a definite answer to those questions. 

Seeds take time to germinate, and grow. You plant them in the soil where the sun will warm it. You add water, and you wait. 

When I say, "Yes" to the Father, and I spend time with Him, to get to know Him and hear what He would share with me. I am gathering those seeds to share as I walk through each day. (Seeds are meant to be planted, not kept.) Some seeds will germinate and sprout more quickly than others, but the seeds He gives will ALL bring forth.

Remember the peony plant? You plant it and it takes 3 years to flower. Fruit trees grow, but take between 3 and 6 years to bear, depending on the fruit. Just be faithful to share what is given to you, and He will take care of the rest.

Lord, I hear you asking me... Will you pay the price? Will you make time to spend it getting to know me? Will you surrender to MY beautiful destiny for you? Help me to lay down my plans that I may walk in all of what You have called me to. Help me to take the time each day to be with You, to hear Your voice as you share Your heart with me. Help me to be a laid down lover of You; knowing it is all for Your glory! 

Testimonies That Impact Generations

Today, I read the story of Ehud. It's been a while since I have read his story. I heard a podcast recently about him, and decided to read it again, to go over the pieces I remembered from what I had heard, too. His story isn't really long, nor does it have a lot of details, but what I heard stirred up something.

You'll find Ehud's story in Judges 3:12-30. As I read it I am reminded that I have always smiled when I have read it, because it points out that Ehud was left-handed. I am also a lefty, so that somehow makes me like him, even though we've never met. In reading the story, Israel has done evil, again; and they are being ruled by Eglon, king of the Moabites. This causes them to cry out to the Lord and He raises up a Benjamite- Ehud, son of Gera.

So, the children of Israel decide they are going to send tribute to the king, and they have asked Ehud to take it to him. Ehud sees his chance to get in close to the king, and knows there may be a chance to do something, so he makes a dagger. Verse 16 says that the dagger was "double-edged and a cubit in length", and he fastened it under his clothes to his right thigh. A cubit is about 18" in length! 

Why was it fastened to his right thigh? Because he was left-handed. 

Why is that important? Maybe because most people are right-handed, so their weapon is attached on the left side, so maybe it made it easier for him to sneak the weapon in, when he was allowed to go in to present the tribute to king Eglon. (It isn't specified- so that is purely conjecture, and not my own, I heard it on the podcast I was listening to.)

Ehud was probably hoping for a moment where he could use the dagger- but if you read in verse 19, it says "he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal..." So, maybe he was intimidated; maybe he didn't get close enough; maybe he was too nervous... it doesn't say why he left without using the dagger. It does specify, thought, that he turned back.

I knew Gilgal sounded familiar, so I looked to see what had happened there... Gilgal is where Joshua commanded the people to take stones from the Jordan river, after they had crossed it to the promised land, and they were to make a pillar with the stones as a memorial of what the Lord had done for them. Then, they were to share the story from generation to generation of what God had done for them. 

I don't know why Ehud left King Eglon, but he sees the memorial stones at Gilgal, and is reminded of just how mighty God is. He is reminded that He serves the Great I Am, who is stronger and more powerful the the king, and turns back with renewed determination. He get audience again with King Eglon and he tells him, "I have a secret message for you, O king." (vs 19b). King Eglon sends everyone away, and Ehud strikes him with his dagger, and leaves through the porch closing and locking the doors behind him.

My thoughts went back to the stones he saw at Gilgal. 

Do I think that those mean that picked the stones from the midst of the Jordan River, that God had parted, and they had just crossed, were that important? 

Do I think that the generations that kept retelling the story of how God, the Great I Am, had parted the waters for them to walk through the dry river bed, to the Promised Land, thought it was more than a wonderful story? 

Do I think if I was telling the story that it would have impacted anyone generations later, with how Great God truly is, and that there is no other like Him? I would hope so- but I don't know.

But... it did!

I am reminded of Revelation 19:10b "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (NKJV) I have heard it said that a good way to explain this is to say that giving a testimony of, or telling what God has done for you, opens the door for Him to do it again. (Or at least this is how I understood what was said, to mean.)

So the challenge for me? 

How many pillars have I built? Maybe not enough...

(Photo from https://junialeigh.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/the-visual-aid-of-gilgal/) 

What testimonies have I shared of the goodness and faithfulness of God?  

Ehud saw the stones, remembered, turned back, went to the king, and got the victory.

Lord, I am grateful that You never change, that You are a Good Father, and that You are always with me. I am grateful for the testimonies that I have heard from others of Your goodness, faithfulness and all that You have done. Help me to remember to tell of Your goodness and all Your acts- to build those memorials for generations yet to come- that they would hear of, and know that if You have done it before, You can do it again, for them. 

Thank You, Lord.

Overflow

It's been a while... life's been crazy...But God is always good!

I am sitting here this morning, and the verse in the devotional that I am reading is John 7:38. It says, "He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, from his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water." (AMPC) 

Then it hit me... Do I continuously flow out the streams of living water? Do I?  

I remember hearing someone speak one time about the Lord speaking to him about how he shopped. He did veer from the way most guys shop, in that he knew what he wanted, where it was in the store, and he'd go in, using the most direct route in the store to get the product, pay and leave. The biggest difference was that He did take a moment to pray before he went in, so that He was conscious of the Lord's presence because he wanted to carry that with him. If I remember correctly, the Lord wanted him to be more intentional of sharing Him with others as he went into places, and leaving His presence there, than to be intentional of getting what he needed and getting out quickly. My take-away from listening to it was to be less of a targeted irrigation, and more of a river. (LOL) I know that seems like a drastic difference, but then as you read the passage above again, it says "from his innermost being shall flow (continuously) springs and rivers". 

But how does it start? It starts by telling who has those streams and rivers. The one who "believes in Me" it further describes that as cleaving, trusting, and relying. 

Here are the definitions...

*Cleave: "To glue, adhere, join, to stick". (Romans 12:9)

*Trust: Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind of the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. (Proverbs 29:25)

*Rely: To rest on something, as the mind when satisfied of the veracity, integrity or ability of persons, or of the certainty of facts or of evidence; to have confidence in, to trust in, to depend; with on. (2 Chronicles 16:8)

As I look at one more version- the Message says it this way, "Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says."

So, as I think of this. Do I trust, rely on, and cleave to, the Lord? Do I, deep down in my spirit? Do I? 

I have never felt like I have been very good at self evaluation. I usually feel that I am sorely lacking, in whatever area I am evaluating. SO, if I ask myself these questions, I know I do... but I would also admit that I have lots of room for growth in these areas.

I love the picture I get in reading the Message translation of it; that the "rivers of living water will brim and spill". It makes me picture myself as a container filled that overflows, instead of a pipe, faucet, or colander; which had been my thoughts on this for some time. However, if you are the colander you don't get the benefits of the water that is poured into you, it only flows through. A container that is filled to overflow is full. 

How is it filled? By being with the Lord, asking Him for the water He gives (John 4:10). After all, the water He gives is the living water. Spending time with Him, holding onto Him, trusting Him and leaning on and relying on Him- these are ways to be filled to overflowing!

Thank You, Lord for the promise of Living Water, and the promise that it can flow from me. Help me to grow in my trust of You, in the depth of my relying on and holding onto You in every season of life. As I grow in my relationship with You, learning who You are and how You are always here for me when I need you, I am filled to the overflow. Help me to slosh and leak everywhere I go, to refresh others with Your love and presence. 

*= definition from the online version of the Noah Webster's dictionary circa 1828

Both pictures from Google