- Published on
A Story With A Difference
We were checking our emails, catching up on correspondence and attention was drawn to a newsletter for May from favourite author Alexander McCall Smith. It contained a story called “The Flying Psychotherapist” [click on the title here to read the complete story].
Like all of McCall Smith’s writing it is beautifully done and flows easily, holding the attention and with purpose, often philosophical or moral to be made. This tale is no exception. It begins,
“This is a story with a difference – the difference being that it is true. It happened in the Australian Outback, that vast swathe of territory that covers the area of several large countries, and that, for all its unforgiving aridity, is a place of great character and fascination. The Outback may be empty in one sense, but in another it is full of life. Not only do the most hardy and adaptable animals live there, but so too do hardy and adaptable people. And these people, with few exceptions, are remarkable characters.”
The author visits a hostelry for lunch in a small outpost near Alice Springs, where he notices that it is busier than he would have expected. The reason is that ‘Doc George’ is flying in for consultations, and the author decides to meet him. If you would prefer to read the complete story, then stop here ... or read on for the concluding part of the story that got our attention:
“I walked down the corridor. The door at the end was ajar, and I knocked and entered. The psychotherapist was sitting behind a table, and in front of him was a chair for the patient. He looked up and smiled.
“A new face.”
I introduced myself. “Look, I’m just passing through. The woman in the bar told me about you and, well, I couldn’t contain my curiosity. I just didn’t believe that there’s a flying psychotherapist.”
He did not seem at all put out by my curiosity. “Not many people know about this service,” he said. “I wish it were more widely publicised. There are a lot of people in these remote communities who would benefit from it. It’s a great pity it’s so little known.”
“So you fly in to deal with people’s …”
He completed the sentence. “With their psychological problems. Yes. I deal with all of that. Phobias. Neuroses. Confidence issues. You name it.”
“But I thought the Flying Doctor was all about saving lives – that sort of thing.”
“It is,” he said. “And my medical colleagues do a great job. They handle that side of things; I handle this.”
I wanted to explore the implications. “So if you’re on a remote cattle station and you suddenly have … have a confidence issue, you fly in?”
He nodded. “Yes. That’s more or less it.” He looked at me. “What’s the trouble, then?”
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to say, ‘The trouble is that I simply can’t believe this’. But I did not say that. Instead, I said, “I suppose I need to move on.” It was a ridiculous, clichéd thing to say; but it just came out.
He nodded. “We all need to move on. You’d be surprised at how often that issue lies underneath the problems that I have to deal with.” He looked at me and I saw his eyes. They were shrewd, understanding eyes – the eyes of one who had seen a great deal of the world’s troubles.
“Here’s my advice to you,” he said. “Don’t forget forgiveness. You have to forgive others, and you have to forgive yourself. The two go hand in hand.”
“Forgiveness?”
“Yes,” he said. “Forgiveness is healing. We forget that, especially these days, when we’re so keen to blame others for our misfortunes. We forget the imperative to forgive. Forgiveness allows us to start again. Forgiveness makes it possible for us to look forward rather than backward.”
There was silence. I had come to see this man in a spirit of incredulity; now I felt quite different. Outside, a wind had arisen – a dry, wind from the north, with heat in its breath; the gum trees moved, the sound of the wind in their leaves seeming like the sound of the sea.
“Do you understand what I’ve just told you?’” he asked.
I nodded.
“And is there anybody you haven’t forgiven?”
There was.
“There’s always somebody in our past – a parent, a friend, someone we work with; there’s always somebody we need to forgive.” He paused. “Or who may need to forgive you.”
I listened in silence.
“So,” he went on, “go and think about it. And while you’re about it …”
“Yes?”
“At this time of year, especially, think about something else. Think about the power of love. It’s remarkable, isn’t it?”
I nodded. He looked at his watch. “All right,” he said. “That’s it. I’ve got one more person to see and then I have to take off.”
“Of course.”
I watched his plane climb up into the sky forty minutes later, gleaming white, catching the sun on its wing. Then I set off again, down the track in the direction of Alice Springs. I knew what I had to do.“
Like all of McCall Smith’s writing it is beautifully done and flows easily, holding the attention and with purpose, often philosophical or moral to be made. This tale is no exception. It begins,
“This is a story with a difference – the difference being that it is true. It happened in the Australian Outback, that vast swathe of territory that covers the area of several large countries, and that, for all its unforgiving aridity, is a place of great character and fascination. The Outback may be empty in one sense, but in another it is full of life. Not only do the most hardy and adaptable animals live there, but so too do hardy and adaptable people. And these people, with few exceptions, are remarkable characters.”
The author visits a hostelry for lunch in a small outpost near Alice Springs, where he notices that it is busier than he would have expected. The reason is that ‘Doc George’ is flying in for consultations, and the author decides to meet him. If you would prefer to read the complete story, then stop here ... or read on for the concluding part of the story that got our attention:
“I walked down the corridor. The door at the end was ajar, and I knocked and entered. The psychotherapist was sitting behind a table, and in front of him was a chair for the patient. He looked up and smiled.
“A new face.”
I introduced myself. “Look, I’m just passing through. The woman in the bar told me about you and, well, I couldn’t contain my curiosity. I just didn’t believe that there’s a flying psychotherapist.”
He did not seem at all put out by my curiosity. “Not many people know about this service,” he said. “I wish it were more widely publicised. There are a lot of people in these remote communities who would benefit from it. It’s a great pity it’s so little known.”
“So you fly in to deal with people’s …”
He completed the sentence. “With their psychological problems. Yes. I deal with all of that. Phobias. Neuroses. Confidence issues. You name it.”
“But I thought the Flying Doctor was all about saving lives – that sort of thing.”
“It is,” he said. “And my medical colleagues do a great job. They handle that side of things; I handle this.”
I wanted to explore the implications. “So if you’re on a remote cattle station and you suddenly have … have a confidence issue, you fly in?”
He nodded. “Yes. That’s more or less it.” He looked at me. “What’s the trouble, then?”
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to say, ‘The trouble is that I simply can’t believe this’. But I did not say that. Instead, I said, “I suppose I need to move on.” It was a ridiculous, clichéd thing to say; but it just came out.
He nodded. “We all need to move on. You’d be surprised at how often that issue lies underneath the problems that I have to deal with.” He looked at me and I saw his eyes. They were shrewd, understanding eyes – the eyes of one who had seen a great deal of the world’s troubles.
“Here’s my advice to you,” he said. “Don’t forget forgiveness. You have to forgive others, and you have to forgive yourself. The two go hand in hand.”
“Forgiveness?”
“Yes,” he said. “Forgiveness is healing. We forget that, especially these days, when we’re so keen to blame others for our misfortunes. We forget the imperative to forgive. Forgiveness allows us to start again. Forgiveness makes it possible for us to look forward rather than backward.”
There was silence. I had come to see this man in a spirit of incredulity; now I felt quite different. Outside, a wind had arisen – a dry, wind from the north, with heat in its breath; the gum trees moved, the sound of the wind in their leaves seeming like the sound of the sea.
“Do you understand what I’ve just told you?’” he asked.
I nodded.
“And is there anybody you haven’t forgiven?”
There was.
“There’s always somebody in our past – a parent, a friend, someone we work with; there’s always somebody we need to forgive.” He paused. “Or who may need to forgive you.”
I listened in silence.
“So,” he went on, “go and think about it. And while you’re about it …”
“Yes?”
“At this time of year, especially, think about something else. Think about the power of love. It’s remarkable, isn’t it?”
I nodded. He looked at his watch. “All right,” he said. “That’s it. I’ve got one more person to see and then I have to take off.”
“Of course.”
I watched his plane climb up into the sky forty minutes later, gleaming white, catching the sun on its wing. Then I set off again, down the track in the direction of Alice Springs. I knew what I had to do.“
“The Hurt and The Healer” - Mercy Me
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Monday 25th May 2020
Through the Redemption, God undertakes to deal with a man’s past, and He does it in two ways:
by forgiving him, and by making the past a wonderful culture for the future.
Monday 25th May 2020
Through the Redemption, God undertakes to deal with a man’s past, and He does it in two ways:
by forgiving him, and by making the past a wonderful culture for the future.
- Published on
Fill Me With Your Fire
Come Holy Spirit fall afresh on me
Fill me with Your fire,
Satisfy my need
Only you can satisfy
Only You can make me whole
Come Holy Spirit fall afresh on me
[A variation on lines from a popular Gospel song]
Fill me with Your fire,
Satisfy my need
Only you can satisfy
Only You can make me whole
Come Holy Spirit fall afresh on me
[A variation on lines from a popular Gospel song]
Lord, as we wait to gather again in fellowship to sing Your praises and worship You, we discover a sense of wonder and joy in our relationship with You.
You have granted us a time for reflection and meditation; a time to accept Your strength by acknowledging our own weakness, and a time to feel Your power flowing in the knowledge of Your covering and protection amid the fear and anxiety to which we can so readily fall prey.
These fears are not easily dismissed when the threat is so real. The enemy is using these days to sow seeds of distraction and doubt; to pour uncertainty in our paths and fog in our minds. Lord, help us to fully know your presence and commit ourselves to trust in You as never before.
You have granted us a time for reflection and meditation; a time to accept Your strength by acknowledging our own weakness, and a time to feel Your power flowing in the knowledge of Your covering and protection amid the fear and anxiety to which we can so readily fall prey.
These fears are not easily dismissed when the threat is so real. The enemy is using these days to sow seeds of distraction and doubt; to pour uncertainty in our paths and fog in our minds. Lord, help us to fully know your presence and commit ourselves to trust in You as never before.
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
[Psalm 9:9-11 NKJV]
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
[Psalm 9:9-11 NKJV]
This morning on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday morning programme, a scientist and Christian, who works with Dr Anthony Fauci, the US chief medical advisor, said this, “There is one thing more infectious than a virus, and that is hope.” Our hope is in The Lord.
“Come Holy Spirit, Fall Afresh On Me” - Hillsong Worship
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Sunday 24th May 2020
Anywhere the man who is devoted to Jesus Christ goes, Jesus Christ is there with him.
Sunday 24th May 2020
Anywhere the man who is devoted to Jesus Christ goes, Jesus Christ is there with him.
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Jesus Breaks The Yoke
By the anointing Jesus breaks the yoke,
By the Holy Ghost in power, just as the prophet spoke.
This is the day of the latter rain,
God is moving in power again.
By the anointing He breaks the yoke
Lines from a popular Gospel song
By the Holy Ghost in power, just as the prophet spoke.
This is the day of the latter rain,
God is moving in power again.
By the anointing He breaks the yoke
Lines from a popular Gospel song
The lines from this Christian song have been going through my head a lot lately, and of course having sung this many times over the years, I know where it comes from, don’t I? Well, I realised straight away that I had no idea about it, and decided to search it out, using the clue that it was ‘just as the prophet spoke’. Fortunately, it seems only one prophet mentions the anointing - at least in my Bible - and that was Isaiah, in this passage in chapter 10 ...
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt.
For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction." And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.
It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
[Isaiah 10:24-27 NKJV]
This is a beautiful promise. In that day, which since Jesus came is now this day, the Lord will remove the burden from our shoulders, take the yoke upon Himself because of the anointing oil - the Holy Spirit. Chist is ‘The Anointed One’ and on His shoulders is the government [Isaiah 9:6] and He has said ”For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt.
For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction." And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.
It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
[Isaiah 10:24-27 NKJV]
This is a beautiful promise. In that day, which since Jesus came is now this day, the Lord will remove the burden from our shoulders, take the yoke upon Himself because of the anointing oil - the Holy Spirit. Chist is ‘The Anointed One’ and on His shoulders is the government [Isaiah 9:6] and He has said ”For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
“By The Anointing Jesus Breaks The Yoke” - Old Time Gospel
(sound quality not too good on this recording)
(sound quality not too good on this recording)
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Saturday 23rd May 2020
“Why does God bring thunderclouds and disasters, when we want green pastures and still waters?”
Bit by bit we find, behind the clouds, the Father’s feet; behind the lightning, an abiding day that has no night; behind the thunder, “a still small voice” that comforts with a comfort that is unspeakable.
Saturday 23rd May 2020
“Why does God bring thunderclouds and disasters, when we want green pastures and still waters?”
Bit by bit we find, behind the clouds, the Father’s feet; behind the lightning, an abiding day that has no night; behind the thunder, “a still small voice” that comforts with a comfort that is unspeakable.
- Published on
Jacob’s Twelve Sons and God’s Master Plan
Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun;
the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin;
the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali;
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, were Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram
[Genesis 35:23-26 NKJV]
the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin;
the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali;
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, were Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram
[Genesis 35:23-26 NKJV]
God has now set out His vision, and His visions always come to pass. Now that we have been given the blueprint, we can see where we came from, and more importantly, where we are headed.
Jacob’s family can be seen as God’s template for our walk of faith. This, as has been mentioned seems to fall into three phases, which can be described in terms of the three great feasts, although it can also be seen in other patterns.
PASSOVER (Accepted in His Family)
Reuben - Behold, a son - A place in God’s family.
Simeon - Hearing - The privilege of prayer.
Levi - Joined - Our ministry unto God.
Judah - Praising - Having a heart to praise The Lord
PENTECOST (Joined to The Holy Spirit)
Dan - Judgement - The gift of Spiritual Discernment.
Naphtali - Wrestling - Forming perseverance.
Gad - To assemble, Overcoming - Forming a many-membered son, possessing the land.
Asher - Happy, Blessed - Seeing that we are blessed in Him.
TABERNACLES (Growing into a full relationship)
Issachar - There is a reward - Working (travailling in the Holy Spirit) for creation.
Zebulun - Dwelling, God’s habitation - To be single-minded and in God’s habitation.
Joseph - Let God add - God’s promise.
Benjamin - Son of the Right Hand - Our destiny, to be eternally with Jesus at the right hand of the Father.
What a glorious path He has set out for us. And the beauty of His way is that it is undergirded by His lovingkindness and mercy. Hallelujah!
A question that arises from the birth of Benjamin is why Rachel died at this particular moment? All the indications from Scripture before and after the event leave a strong impression that the arrival of Benjamin was a time of conclusion, in the sense of a bringing everything together.
We see this in the journey to Bethel, the house of God; Ephrath, the place of fruitfulness; Jacob building a watchtower called The Tower of the Sheep, (or the Shepherd’s Tower), where the shepherd of the sheep would watch over the flock; the list of the sons and the mention of Padan Aram, meaning the field; and finally the death of Isaac, with Jacob by his side at Mamre, the place of fulness. All these suggest an ending, a line drawn under a special work of God ... ready for the next revelation, a new beginning to come forth.
The time had come for God to take Rachel to live with Him in His eternal house. She had reached the end of her journey (Rachel = a ewe, from ‘to journey’), and had remained faithful, fulfilling the part God had for her.
Jacob’s family can be seen as God’s template for our walk of faith. This, as has been mentioned seems to fall into three phases, which can be described in terms of the three great feasts, although it can also be seen in other patterns.
PASSOVER (Accepted in His Family)
Reuben - Behold, a son - A place in God’s family.
Simeon - Hearing - The privilege of prayer.
Levi - Joined - Our ministry unto God.
Judah - Praising - Having a heart to praise The Lord
PENTECOST (Joined to The Holy Spirit)
Dan - Judgement - The gift of Spiritual Discernment.
Naphtali - Wrestling - Forming perseverance.
Gad - To assemble, Overcoming - Forming a many-membered son, possessing the land.
Asher - Happy, Blessed - Seeing that we are blessed in Him.
TABERNACLES (Growing into a full relationship)
Issachar - There is a reward - Working (travailling in the Holy Spirit) for creation.
Zebulun - Dwelling, God’s habitation - To be single-minded and in God’s habitation.
Joseph - Let God add - God’s promise.
Benjamin - Son of the Right Hand - Our destiny, to be eternally with Jesus at the right hand of the Father.
What a glorious path He has set out for us. And the beauty of His way is that it is undergirded by His lovingkindness and mercy. Hallelujah!
A question that arises from the birth of Benjamin is why Rachel died at this particular moment? All the indications from Scripture before and after the event leave a strong impression that the arrival of Benjamin was a time of conclusion, in the sense of a bringing everything together.
We see this in the journey to Bethel, the house of God; Ephrath, the place of fruitfulness; Jacob building a watchtower called The Tower of the Sheep, (or the Shepherd’s Tower), where the shepherd of the sheep would watch over the flock; the list of the sons and the mention of Padan Aram, meaning the field; and finally the death of Isaac, with Jacob by his side at Mamre, the place of fulness. All these suggest an ending, a line drawn under a special work of God ... ready for the next revelation, a new beginning to come forth.
The time had come for God to take Rachel to live with Him in His eternal house. She had reached the end of her journey (Rachel = a ewe, from ‘to journey’), and had remained faithful, fulfilling the part God had for her.
“Be Thou My Vision” - Nathan and Rebecca Pacheco
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Friday 22nd May 2020
A self indwelt by Jesus becomes like Him.
“Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you”
Jesus has loved me to the end of all my meanness and selfishness and sin; now, He says, show that same live to others.
Friday 22nd May 2020
A self indwelt by Jesus becomes like Him.
“Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you”
Jesus has loved me to the end of all my meanness and selfishness and sin; now, He says, show that same live to others.
- Published on
At The Right Hand of God
Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear; you will have this son also."
And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
[Genesis 35:16-20 NKJV]
And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
[Genesis 35:16-20 NKJV]
Sheep walking on the high ground, Scalpay, Harris, Western Isles
We hear about eleven of Jacob’s twelve sons in Genesis 29 and 30, yet we must wait until we are I nto Chapter 35 to hear about Benjamin. It seems that The Lord has to see a lot happening before He could complete His plan, not the least of which was Jacob’s wrestling with the Angel ...
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. [Genesis 32:24 NKJV]
The Lord’s purpose always takes precedence over the affairs of men, and certain things had to be in place before He revealed Benjamin. And we have to see that Benjamin represents the culmination of what God has for us. Even now, we have yet to realise the amazing extent of the fulfilment of His promises.
Benjamin is the son of the right hand and yet, counter-intuitively, many of the tribe of Benjamin were noted for their left-handedness. However, if you were standing beside Father God at His right hand (i.e. rightly related to Him), what else would you do but to hold His right hand with your left!
We also see that Benjamin had two names. The name his mother gave him, and the new name to which his father changed it. Benjamin could have remained ‘Son of my sorrow’, but instead he was elevated to his father’s right hand.
We too have been given a new name by our Heavenly Father. We have our name in the natural, but Father God sees us as His sons and daughters.
PRAYER: Lord, draw us more and more to Yourself, that we may enter Your kingdom and sit at Your banqueting table and partake of the feast You lay before us. Father, we are in Your hand.
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. [Genesis 32:24 NKJV]
The Lord’s purpose always takes precedence over the affairs of men, and certain things had to be in place before He revealed Benjamin. And we have to see that Benjamin represents the culmination of what God has for us. Even now, we have yet to realise the amazing extent of the fulfilment of His promises.
Benjamin is the son of the right hand and yet, counter-intuitively, many of the tribe of Benjamin were noted for their left-handedness. However, if you were standing beside Father God at His right hand (i.e. rightly related to Him), what else would you do but to hold His right hand with your left!
We also see that Benjamin had two names. The name his mother gave him, and the new name to which his father changed it. Benjamin could have remained ‘Son of my sorrow’, but instead he was elevated to his father’s right hand.
We too have been given a new name by our Heavenly Father. We have our name in the natural, but Father God sees us as His sons and daughters.
PRAYER: Lord, draw us more and more to Yourself, that we may enter Your kingdom and sit at Your banqueting table and partake of the feast You lay before us. Father, we are in Your hand.
“The Lord’s Prayer” - Andre Bocelli
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Thursday 21st May 2020
There are disasters to be faced by the one who is in real fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has never promised to keep us immune from trouble. He says “I will be with him in trouble”, which is a very different thing.
Thursday 21st May 2020
There are disasters to be faced by the one who is in real fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has never promised to keep us immune from trouble. He says “I will be with him in trouble”, which is a very different thing.
- Published on
God Listens and Remembers and Does Not Fail
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach."
So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son."
[Genesis 30: 22-24 NKJV]
So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son."
[Genesis 30: 22-24 NKJV]
God always fulfils His promises, but He does so in His timing not ours. That is why we must have patience and wait on Him. This is something we can see right through this series of meditations. The story is not clearly divided into one step then the next, neatly parcelled for our edification. It is all a process from our viewpoint; and a perfectly orchestrated plan from God’s.
Rachel’s true purpose in all this is now coming to fruition and God’s answer to her prayer, which she thought had been answered when Dan was born, suddenly blossoms into an amazing more-than-she-thought-possible abundant blessing. Rachel could not bear children herself, and now God has changed all that, and Joseph is born.
We know from Joseph’s story that he is a foreshadowing of the life of Jesus, who was born of a virgin. Rachel had not borne any children herself until this moment, so that God could reveal His son, The Messiah, prophetically to His people.
Joseph means to add, exceed or increase, to give moreover, and surely we know that God does not fail us. When He answers our prayers, He gives so much more than we could ever hope for. When we are down, He raises us up and to a higher place than we have known. Pray, trusting in The Lord, and He will answer bounteously ...
Rachel’s true purpose in all this is now coming to fruition and God’s answer to her prayer, which she thought had been answered when Dan was born, suddenly blossoms into an amazing more-than-she-thought-possible abundant blessing. Rachel could not bear children herself, and now God has changed all that, and Joseph is born.
We know from Joseph’s story that he is a foreshadowing of the life of Jesus, who was born of a virgin. Rachel had not borne any children herself until this moment, so that God could reveal His son, The Messiah, prophetically to His people.
Joseph means to add, exceed or increase, to give moreover, and surely we know that God does not fail us. When He answers our prayers, He gives so much more than we could ever hope for. When we are down, He raises us up and to a higher place than we have known. Pray, trusting in The Lord, and He will answer bounteously ...
“You Raise Me Up” - Selah
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Wednesday 20th May 2020
If we have faith at all it must be faith in Almighty God;
when He has said a thing, He will perform it;
we have to remain steadfastly obedient to Him
Wednesday 20th May 2020
If we have faith at all it must be faith in Almighty God;
when He has said a thing, He will perform it;
we have to remain steadfastly obedient to Him
- Published on
Oh How I Love The Habitation of Thy House
Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun.
Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
[Genesis 30:19-21 NKJV]
Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
[Genesis 30:19-21 NKJV]
Kilmartin flock, Argyll
We tend to forget in the Bible stories the part that women played. Some names are very familiar - Esther, Ruth, Mary, Mary Magdalene - but generally the male line is the most noticeable. But consider this ...
These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three. [Genesis 46:15 NKJV]
We are considering the twelve sons of Jacob, progenitors of the twelve tribes, but we now see that Jacob had thirty-three children including his daughters. Yet of these, only Dinah is mentioned. Why, you ask? On the basic premise that all in scripture is there for a reason, we have to look deeper, and starting with her name, linked as it is to the birth of Zebulun, we can expect that God’s purpose is in this connection. Dinah means judgement, (it has the same root as Dan), and Zebulun (as we see from the context) means dwelling or habitation (of God).
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? [1 Peter 4:17 NKJV]
There is a lot to pick out from all this, but essentially, ‘judgement begins at the house of God’, whose house we are, as the people of God; if indeed our aim is to be a people in whom The Lord dwells.
In this final grouping of four sons, we see the outworking of ‘a higher calling’ emerging, where we willingly submit ourselves to His judgement now, so that we may live with Him now. And let us be clear, there is nothing to fear in that submission; it is the acknowledgement that He is Lord of All, and is something greatly to be desired.
Incidentally, is it significant that Jacob’s children numbered thirty-three, the age Jesus was at the time of the crucifixion? Or put another way, Jacob completed his family at thirty-three individuals, and Jesus completed His purpose after thirty years and three more, after which He was the gospel of God, and dwelt in the house of God forever ...
These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three. [Genesis 46:15 NKJV]
We are considering the twelve sons of Jacob, progenitors of the twelve tribes, but we now see that Jacob had thirty-three children including his daughters. Yet of these, only Dinah is mentioned. Why, you ask? On the basic premise that all in scripture is there for a reason, we have to look deeper, and starting with her name, linked as it is to the birth of Zebulun, we can expect that God’s purpose is in this connection. Dinah means judgement, (it has the same root as Dan), and Zebulun (as we see from the context) means dwelling or habitation (of God).
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? [1 Peter 4:17 NKJV]
There is a lot to pick out from all this, but essentially, ‘judgement begins at the house of God’, whose house we are, as the people of God; if indeed our aim is to be a people in whom The Lord dwells.
In this final grouping of four sons, we see the outworking of ‘a higher calling’ emerging, where we willingly submit ourselves to His judgement now, so that we may live with Him now. And let us be clear, there is nothing to fear in that submission; it is the acknowledgement that He is Lord of All, and is something greatly to be desired.
Incidentally, is it significant that Jacob’s children numbered thirty-three, the age Jesus was at the time of the crucifixion? Or put another way, Jacob completed his family at thirty-three individuals, and Jesus completed His purpose after thirty years and three more, after which He was the gospel of God, and dwelt in the house of God forever ...
“Lord I Have Loved The Habitation Of Thy House” - Choir of Wakefield Cathedral
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Tuesday 19th May 2020
Don’t shut up any avenue of your nature, let God come into every avenue, every relationship,
And you will find the nightmare curse of ‘secular and sacred’ will go.
Tuesday 19th May 2020
Don’t shut up any avenue of your nature, let God come into every avenue, every relationship,
And you will find the nightmare curse of ‘secular and sacred’ will go.
- Published on
Wait, O Wait For Your Reward
Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?"
And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."
When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.
And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar.
[Genesis 30:14-18 NKJV]
But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?"
And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."
When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.
And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar.
[Genesis 30:14-18 NKJV]
Our story today is one of those that we find throughout the Bible that seem to make little or no sense to our modern ear. The fog begins to clear when we discover that what is described as a mandrake, was also known as ‘the love-apple’, thought to be an aphrodisiac. Reuben finding this treasure brings out the jealousy between Rachel and Leah, with Leah accusing Rachel of stealing her husband. So Leah keeps the mandrakes that her son has found and uses them to have another child by Jacob.
The child is named Issachar because he was seen as Leah’s reward for using Zilpah to give Jacob more children. Issachar is usually translated as ‘an hire’, properly ‘there are wages, a reward’. There is a background sense of meaning ‘lifted up, forgiven, sustained’ from the Hebrew words nasa and sychar, meaning ‘to lift’ and ‘to compensate’ respectively. So far, so complicated; but if we go to 1 Chronicles 12:32 we discover this ...
of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;
We find that the true reward is an understanding of the times; discernment of when we are and what The Lord is doing in this hour. Understanding our God is a real measure of the growing closeness of our relationship with Jesus Christ; an amazing gift. It is worth the wait.
The child is named Issachar because he was seen as Leah’s reward for using Zilpah to give Jacob more children. Issachar is usually translated as ‘an hire’, properly ‘there are wages, a reward’. There is a background sense of meaning ‘lifted up, forgiven, sustained’ from the Hebrew words nasa and sychar, meaning ‘to lift’ and ‘to compensate’ respectively. So far, so complicated; but if we go to 1 Chronicles 12:32 we discover this ...
of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;
We find that the true reward is an understanding of the times; discernment of when we are and what The Lord is doing in this hour. Understanding our God is a real measure of the growing closeness of our relationship with Jesus Christ; an amazing gift. It is worth the wait.
“Reward” - Josh Yeoh
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Monday 18th May 2020
Beware of making God's truth simpler than He Himself has made it.
Monday 18th May 2020
Beware of making God's truth simpler than He Himself has made it.
- Published on
The Hidden Manna
Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven,
Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.
Men ate angels' food; He sent them food to the full.
[Psalm 78:23-25 NKJV]
Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.
Men ate angels' food; He sent them food to the full.
[Psalm 78:23-25 NKJV]
Psalm 78 in referring to the Bread of Heaven is speaking of the Lord’s provision for the Israelites in the wilderness, which was the manna that fell from heaven. That manna is still with us to this day in the form of our Lord Jesus Christ - the Hidden Manna.
A portion of the manna was to be placed in the Ark of the Testimony and thus hidden from view to all except those who can enter the Holy of Holies.
and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant
[Hebrews 9:3-4 NKJV]
We realise that the manna hidden in the ark is Jesus, ‘the true bread of heaven in the Book of John, chapter 6, verses 32-36 ...
Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. [NKJV]
One of the best known hymns is “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”, also known as “Bread of Heaven” ...
A portion of the manna was to be placed in the Ark of the Testimony and thus hidden from view to all except those who can enter the Holy of Holies.
and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant
[Hebrews 9:3-4 NKJV]
We realise that the manna hidden in the ark is Jesus, ‘the true bread of heaven in the Book of John, chapter 6, verses 32-36 ...
Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. [NKJV]
One of the best known hymns is “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”, also known as “Bread of Heaven” ...
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee;
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Bid my anxious fears, bid my anxious fears
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Bid my anxious fears, bid my anxious fears, goodbye
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee;
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Bid my anxious fears, bid my anxious fears
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Bid my anxious fears, bid my anxious fears, goodbye
“Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah” (Cwm Rhondda)
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Sunday 17th May 2020
The very powers of darkness are paralysed by prayer.
No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work ‘till we cannot think to pray
Sunday 17th May 2020
The very powers of darkness are paralysed by prayer.
No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work ‘till we cannot think to pray
- Published on
Let Him Dip His Foot In Oil
Deuteronomy 33:24b KJV
And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.
Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.
[Genesis 30:12-13 NKJV]
Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.
[Genesis 30:12-13 NKJV]
Contented lambs with their mother, near Kilmartin, Argyll
"Happy is the man who makes The Lord his choice" is a line from a favourite song, and with the birth of young Asher, Leah expresses her happiness and follows the pattern of naming the child after her condition. It could be said that Leah and Rachel were hearing from God in their choice of names, but what we can be sure of is that God was in charge of this whole process.
The name Asher is usually considered to mean my happiness and blessed, but in fact it goes deeper than that, taking in the idea of making progress, going straight on and setting right. Following in a line that includes Dan, Naphtali and Gad, it becomes plain that in this quartet of brothers, the Lord is revealing His Holy Spirit as the next leap forward in His heavenly purpose. This is very much confirmed in this verse from Deuteronomy ...
And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favoured by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil." [Deuteronomy 33:24 NKJV]
Let him dip his foot in oil speaks of an anointed walk; the feet representing how we live out our lives in Christ, and the oil representing the anointing oil, which we read of in John’s Gospel ...
Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. [John 12:3 NKJV]
Christ means the anointed one, and the understanding here is that we too need the blessing of an anointed walk through our embracing of the Holy Spirit alive in our hearts and minds.
The name Asher is usually considered to mean my happiness and blessed, but in fact it goes deeper than that, taking in the idea of making progress, going straight on and setting right. Following in a line that includes Dan, Naphtali and Gad, it becomes plain that in this quartet of brothers, the Lord is revealing His Holy Spirit as the next leap forward in His heavenly purpose. This is very much confirmed in this verse from Deuteronomy ...
And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favoured by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil." [Deuteronomy 33:24 NKJV]
Let him dip his foot in oil speaks of an anointed walk; the feet representing how we live out our lives in Christ, and the oil representing the anointing oil, which we read of in John’s Gospel ...
Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. [John 12:3 NKJV]
Christ means the anointed one, and the understanding here is that we too need the blessing of an anointed walk through our embracing of the Holy Spirit alive in our hearts and minds.
"Call Me Blessed" - The Blunkalls at Bethel Baptist Church Simcoe
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Saturday 16th May 2020
Christianity is not service for Jesus Christ, not winning souls;
it is nothing less than the life of Christ being manifested more and more in my mortal flesh.
Saturday 16th May 2020
Christianity is not service for Jesus Christ, not winning souls;
it is nothing less than the life of Christ being manifested more and more in my mortal flesh.