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Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : Jesus and His smooth stones.

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 Jesus and His smooth stones.

One Sunday morning the Lord gave me a vision . I was plunged beneath the waters of a fast flowing river. It took my breath away and fear gripped me.
I was flat on my back at the bottom of this river, looking up as the waters flowed over me. Right away the Lord gave me this Scripture ...ISA 43:1-4 "Fear not , for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you: and through the rivers, they shall not overcome you." I settled down and realized that I could survive and exist in this totally foreign place.

Moses encountered God in the form of a burning bush after spending 40 years in the desert. This desert was a place of preparation for Moses. Moses learned to forget his own dreams and visions and view of himself in the desert. In fact, he went too far, from thinking he was somebody to believing he was nobody. The vision was not his problem, he had to learn that only through God can the vision be fulfilled.


There is no doubt that the Lord prepares his vessels that He will use. He takes them into the desert places, and there, they are tried and tested. It is only those who endure, who are found to be faithful and thankful, that will survive the experience. Only then will a Christian enter into His rest and cease from his own works. The children of Israel failed the test miserably.


They grumbled and were extremely unthankful for all of the Lords provision and miracle of deliverance from Egypt. Romans 1:21 "Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened."

The moment their spiritual leader departed from them, the children of Israel lost faith and, thinking he would not return, abandoned God and made their own God, one of the very gods they had left behind in Egypt.


Before our Lord stepped into His public ministry, he too was drawn into the desert, not by the enemy it must be noted, but by the Holy Spirit. Jesus endured the hardships of the desert and fasting for 40 days. He would reenact the 40 years of Moses, the forty years of the children on Israel and He would not be found wanting.


We all know the temptations that He was tempted with. I was always struck by the temptation where Satan tempted Him to turn a stone into a piece of bread. I realize that this was after 40 days of fasting and that hunger undoubtedly was a factor. Yet, where was the sin for the Lord to indeed turn this stone into bread? First of all, we have to realize, that any direction or suggestion of the enemy is always for our destruction, Jesus knew this. Jesus of course replied with the Scripture that "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proccedeth from the mouth of God." What was Jesus saying? No matter what our needs are, no matter how basic, these needs can and will be met by our Father in heaven. We then see that the angels came and ministered to the Lord soon after.


It is so vital for the Christian, in the desert, to wait upon the Lord. The temptation to meet your own needs will be overwhelming, but, since the desert is the precursor to the battle, we must remember that this place is the testing grounds where we will learn trust, obedience and discipline.


This is where true powerful faith is born into men and only those who pass the desert test will enter the promised land where they will engage and destroy the Giants that currently possess that which is not theirs. This is where we will cease from our own works and experience the walk of milk and honey. When a Christian enters this land, he will walk with power and peace and contentment. This is sweeter than milk and honey.


The world and the "church," will look at this Christian and perhaps feel sorry for him because of his many "trials and tribulations," never really guessing that this Christian has passed over the Jordan and is taking hold of his inheritance. Just as the Israelites had been promised the lands of Cannan and beyond, and it was theirs to possess, so the Christian has been promised the lands of peace and joy and abundant life and the knowledge that he can dwell in the Kingdom now. The Kingdom was and is and always has been. For some the Kingdom was, for they fall in the desert, for some the Kingdom is, for they have passed over the Jordan and are now possessing the land, and for some the Kingdom will be as they make their way through and out of the desert.



Those who dwell in the kingdom will dwell in a place that they will not be able to describe. Their hearts will be saddened when they hear other Christians talk about health and wealth and the significance they attach to these so called "blessings." The Christian who has passed through the desert and into the promised land will join with brother Job and say "Even if you kill me Lord, yet will I bless you."

Even if this Christian is impoverished and dwells in the gutter he will say "Glory to the Lord of my salvation." When he loses a loved one he will shout "Even so, it is well with my soul." When his body is racked with disease, he will cry "Glory to the name of Jesus who has redeemed me, body and soul, from the grave." "Even if I die, yet shall I live forever," will be his cry.


When the children of Israel passed over the Jordan into the Promised land, the Lord commanded Joshua to take twelve smooth stones from the river bed He had dried up. Each one representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These stones would be formed into a circle (Gilgal) a monument to the miraculous. In every age the Lord is looking for monuments to His miracle working power.


When people look at us, do they see monuments to the miraculous? These stones were smoothed by the River of Life, they could not be mistaken for other rocks and stones. Anyone seeing these stones would know that they came from the riverbed.


Have you allowed yourself to be smoothed by the River of life that flows from the Throne of God? Have you passed through the desert, over the river and into the promised land? Perhaps you are dancing in the desert, having fallen down to the idols of health and wealth?
"Choose you this day," the Lord says, may we all become recognizable monuments to the Living, miraculous God.In the beauty of Holiness......Frank

 2006/1/22 13:20





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