- The Prophet Isaiah
What are curds? Is honey really that appetising? Well unless you're Pooh bear or someone with a sweet tooth, these references may not sound that amazing.
Now we all know about the land of milk and honey. That place of paradise where the richness of natural goodness fills our tastebuds. That sweet Beulah land. Ahhhh. All these references to the promised land makes me think of Mahalia Jackson singing one of them old negro spirituals......but back to the topic at hand. What does all this talk about the promised land mean to a person still in or just coming out of their wilderness experience?
Why I refer to the wilderness is because this is where I feel I've been for
the best part of 2 years. It's a humbling experience. You lose everything
you've ever relied on as 'security' and learn to really believe that God is
'all in all' and he knows what he's doing. You learn to rely on his truth and
hold to it in the face of adversity, doubts (inside yourself and from outside
sources) and deception (also inside and out). All in all your heart and your
faith is tested, and if you're a 'dud', God well and truly will find you out.
As I said it's been a humbling experience.
I remember a time in university when God seemed silent. My observation was 'it seems like I used to just say 'Holy Spirit come', and he would come and 'do this' and he would do it. Now it's like he seems so far away (though I hadn't changed a thing)'. I was young in my faith and was used to everything happening straight away, God showing signs to encourage my faith which made me have a sense God was at my beck and call, rather than me being at his. Then suddenly I would seek him and no answer. Things seemed hard, my evangelism seemed hard, everything in the spirit seemed to have stopped flowing as it used to.
I was encouraged by a sister in the faith to chase after God, as he had moved forward and was desiring I come after him. I didn't seem to heed the call immediately. God gave me grace.
The other day God spoke saying it's a time of making decisions. A time I would leave the comfort of having every choice made for me, and a time when I would be expected to make strong decisions myself. In other words, he was teaching me to move in discernment, to work out that which is good from that which is not, and make good, controlled, wilful decisions.
As I think of this, I remember this word I heard a long time back.
'For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil' a
Now milk is liquid. Curds are solid (just a thought).....
When God takes us out of our comfort zone, he really takes us out. To that place where we are susceptible to making mistakes. Yet he says he will help us. He will not leave us alone. He will guide us through........from the sidelines. Close, but not too close. Until we know how to discern that which is evil from that which is good.
Why, you may ask. Why, I actually did ask.....
Guess it's time to allow the training wheels to be taken off...
__________________________________________________________________
a- Hebrews 5:13-14
I remember a time in university when God seemed silent. My observation was 'it seems like I used to just say 'Holy Spirit come', and he would come and 'do this' and he would do it. Now it's like he seems so far away (though I hadn't changed a thing)'. I was young in my faith and was used to everything happening straight away, God showing signs to encourage my faith which made me have a sense God was at my beck and call, rather than me being at his. Then suddenly I would seek him and no answer. Things seemed hard, my evangelism seemed hard, everything in the spirit seemed to have stopped flowing as it used to.
I was encouraged by a sister in the faith to chase after God, as he had moved forward and was desiring I come after him. I didn't seem to heed the call immediately. God gave me grace.
The other day God spoke saying it's a time of making decisions. A time I would leave the comfort of having every choice made for me, and a time when I would be expected to make strong decisions myself. In other words, he was teaching me to move in discernment, to work out that which is good from that which is not, and make good, controlled, wilful decisions.
As I think of this, I remember this word I heard a long time back.
'For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil' a
Now milk is liquid. Curds are solid (just a thought).....
When God takes us out of our comfort zone, he really takes us out. To that place where we are susceptible to making mistakes. Yet he says he will help us. He will not leave us alone. He will guide us through........from the sidelines. Close, but not too close. Until we know how to discern that which is evil from that which is good.
Why, you may ask. Why, I actually did ask.....
__________________________________________________________________
a- Hebrews 5:13-14
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