Skip to main content

Ponderings today 16 Dec

Whilst we may not agree with everything that is preached from the pulpit, there is always something that we can learn either about the Lord or about ourselves and our responses to it. Lets not be a people to whom are easily offended and move on without learning what it is that the Lord would have us learn in the different situations. 

I read a wonderful scripture this morning that really encouraged me as one who often feels arrows in the back in the spirit from peoples judgements towards me, which God really spoke to me about and hope that it would encourage you too if you feel this way. As it is not us who receive the arrows from people but the Lord (v4)
But also reminds me not to be a person that speaks about others behind their back as words are powerful and the tongue either brings life or death. And it is so easily done without often thinking about it. And as easily as I feel arrows, others would feel arrows from me. 
Lord forgive us our sin as we forgive others theirs.
God's wonderful grace forgives me and reminds me of my own judgements towards others taking away any rights of justification/restitution for my hurt.

Psalm 64
Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows - bitter words,
That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
they say, "Who will see them?"
They devise iniquities;
We have perfect a shrewd scheme.
Both the inward though and the heart of man are deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.
All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory."

And Matt 5:11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Lets be a people that recognise our own judgements towards people and turn from them and do away with the pointing of finger and malicious talk (Isaiah 58) then v10&11 "Then your light shall dawn in the darkness and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought. and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail....

Popular posts from this blog

Do you have time for breakfast?

I had this dream last night where I saw my sister busy working in her restaurant.  She had advertised in the paper and she was so busy she had no time for her family.  I was sitting eating breakfast with my other sister feeling almost lazy in comparison with the first sister, but knowing that I was not lazy, but busy too in a different way.  I had no idea when she would have time for her family.  She was doing what she loved, she was bringing people into her restaurant and it was going really well, but her family life was suffering. In pondering on this, it speaks for itself really.  But added to that is that we can often compare with one another or judge one another in the way things are being done.  I think regularly of Nehemiah these days and how we are all called to rebuild the wall, but we all have different parts of the wall we are called to build and look after and each part is important to the whole wall.  So lets please as a body of Christ, ...

Latest Prayer Update

Since writing last – We continue to pray about the tent meeting but the Lord seems to continue to have that on hold as I believe he has another way of doing the same thing but in a new way where the whole body will be used and so we wait until all the pieces come together.   Please be patient with us in this. Africa – We continue to have words given to us about Africa and so the Lord is definitely talking about Africa but he seems to be widening the vision with it all, not just Malawi.   It seems more like at this stage visiting a number of African Countries wherever the Lord leads, empowering people – a bit like the last China trip but for longer and more countries and so too we wait for all the pieces to fit together. He has said to have our bags packed ready to go at a moments notice and so we have done that by faith, there are just a few other things that need to come together to make this possible.    Picton – We were blessed to be part of a team that we...

Moving on from Bulawayo to Mozambique

Dear friends, It has been an interesting time here and the last few days the helper in the house has brought us her relatives and friends to pray for, so plenty of opportunity to impart what the Lord is saying to people and pray for them in their situations.  Walking into town this morning we came across a girl who had been having seizures  what we believe for several hours and needing medical attention lying on the path.  She was not conscious and it was quite scarey at one point, but  as we began praying for her saw life come back into her eyes and see her respond so that was encouraging. We believe it is now time for us to move on from here and so we have booked a bus heading to Harare the captial of Zimbabwe and then onto Mutare which is the boarder town of Mozambique and then onto Chimoio where we will stay with some friends that we met in South Africa who are working in Mozambique.  So we catch a bus on Thursday morning and hopefully will be in Chimoio...

Will you play the piano - will you spit and touch a man's toungue?

We had our worship group the other night and to begin with I saw someone playing the playing so I asked if anyone could and would play the piano because that is what I saw happening in the spirit.  I may have been wrong in the what I saw but I stepped out in faith but alas no one stepped forward to play the piano so Jim played it and I believe in this the Lord was teaching us some valuable lessons.  Jim cannot play the piano at all but he was willing to be used. This morning I was reading in Mark 7:32-35  "There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man...    Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears.  Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.  He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!).  At this the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. I was reminded of the other night ...

My grace is sufficient.

Yesterday I had three pictures; One, people came bringing bad news. The second, others had been offended and shut me out. And the third, I was on a airport runway and another plane tried to take me off the runway before I could lift off and go where I was going, but I was able to get away from it. As I prayed about these pictures the Lord had given me I believed he said to me; “Be careful who you listen to and go with.  Things are going to try and bring discouragement and shut you out and they will try to take you off track but keep focused.  Build my church”. So discouragement and obstacles are trying to get in the way of the purposes of God being fulfilled in my life and those around me and hence why I share what the Lord showed me because I believe for many in this season of change right now, hold onto what you believe God has said over you and don’t allow the enemy to abort the promises in your life. Something over the last several weeks that keeps c...

Assuming motives can be dangerous.

Reading 2 Sam 10 this morning and what struck me was how something so simple that was supposed to bless and encourage someone, can be totally taken the wrong way and in that, cause major damage. In this story King David is wanting to express kindness to Hanun whose father had died.   But Hanna’s nobles, those close around him, spoke to him and suggested that in fact he wasn’t wanting to express sympathy at the death of his father, but rather exploring and spying out the city in order to overthrow it.   Because of this, they attack those who are sent on behalf of King David and shame them and in return, David retaliates. Ki ng David’s heart was to bless and to honour another King, but after that King Hanun listened to those around him, who planted thoughts other than those of David’s, and in the process caused a war. How often do we not take things as face value but try to work something out according to the way we see it, rather than perhaps the way i...