IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009
I read it yesterday and I am reading it again today. And it is SO GOOD! Joel 2:
12 Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].
13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met].
The first thing I noticed was the LORD saying Turn. That is His call to humans. To the lost ones, He says TURN and believe and I will save you. To those of us who have already believed, He says KEEP ON COMING TO ME. And to those who have believed but who have practices that do not honor Him (which, by the way, is ALL of us), HE is saying TURN AND KEEP ON COMING TO ME. And in that turn and in the coming to Him we are to come with all our hearts, with fasting, with weeping, with mourning until every hindrance is removed. OH I LOVE THAT! It’s not the necessity of turning that I love BUT that it is offered and moreover by His GRACE we can accept! We can have those hindrances that impede our faith walk removed. We can be restored to fellowship. And it has occurred to me that ‘with fasting’ could be more than we generally think of fasting. Generally we term fasting as foregoing food and the like for a period of time in order to give ourselves more to prayer. And that is certainly appropriate and must be done when we are so led by the Holy Spirit; however, I see something else here. I think we need to fast everyday. Fast from, that is put away and keep putting away, those things from which we turned away from to turn to Jesus. I think we need ‘fasting hearts’ that have turned and keep on going and going to Jesus about everything. And doing so will remove the hindrances to walking in faith and will keep the fellowship with our LORD sweet and fresh.
And weeping and mourning? Well, America needs to do some weeping and mourning over Her sins. I don’t think She will though until you and I do some weeping and mourning over our sins.
And then there is the phrase ‘rend your hearts and not your garments’. The first tearing of clothes I found was in Genesis. As you most likely know the tearing or rending of one’s garment (clothes) was a demonstration of grief as in Genesis 37 when Reuben returned to the pit that he and his brothers had thrown Joseph into and Joseph was not there. And a few verses thereafter Jacob tore his clothes and put on the sackcloth of mourning because he thought Joseph was dead. And there are other instances of ‘rending’ in the Old and New Testament. The Pharisees in Matthew and Mark tore their priestly garb to show their offense and rejection of Jesus. Remember they called Him a blasphemer? Oh what a ‘show’ they put on that day! They tore their garments to evidence to ‘the world’ that they were ‘righteous’ and were appalled on Yahweh’s behalf over the SIN of this blasphemer. Obviously, only their garments were torn. Certainly, not their hearts. Obviously, their hearts were anything but repentant toward Jehovah. They torn their clothes away but they were keeping their sins ever so close in their hearts – their hearts of stone that they would not ‘rend’. This is what I believe the LORD is admonishing us against today. Tear away anything and everything from ourselves that is sin and tear it away in truth. Tear it from our hearts. Do not be like the Pharisee. This world does not need one more ‘showy’ Christian. This world needs ‘naked-hearted’ Christians! Naked hearted before our God. Nothing in our hearts separating us from Him! And it is possible and it is commanded in Joel 2 that we do it. Will we? We can. We can TURN and KEEP on Turning to Him and day by day HE WILL GET US THERE! Amen and amen. Cause it be so, LORD.
A prayer request: My friend Gina needs prayer again. She returned to doctor today with another pain. She has appendicitis and a blood clot in her leg. Don’t know at this time, when surgery will be. Thanks, Linda P.
Father, thank You. Again, I think this is much needed. A naked heart before You, what a priceless gift. We know from Your Word that You know all our hearts and nothing is hid from You but I understand that it is we who hid things from ourselves, don’t let us do that anymore. And don’t let us be showy. Don’t let us do anything for show. If we are not real in it, don’t let us get by with doing it. Help us turn to You and keep on coming to You. Thank You for giving us this insight into Your Word. We are glad to have it and now we want to be doers of it and not just hearers of it. And now we pray for Gina. Appendicitis and a blood clot, to our thinking both of these are serious, just having one of them but she has both. Her family must be worried. They love her and are concerned. You can heal her LORD and we pray You will. Thank You that Kay E is doing better. We are grateful and we desire a complete recovery for her. Thank You for good news for Steve yesterday and You know our continued prayers for him. Do the balancing LORD that will give him relief. Continue to minister Your grace to Bernie and Linda. Our desire for his healing has not changed and as best we know how we are waiting upon You.
Thank You that Dot is doing well. Thank You for all these good reports. Thank You that Callie’s report is encouraging too. And LORD for all these listed here who are still waiting for good news we pray for strength to believe and wait upon You. You have told us we will reap if we do not faint and we pray for strength to faint not.
Please protect our IDOK Troops, keep them safe in mind, body and spirit. Supply their needs, physical, emotional, spiritual. Thank You for what You have done for them and shall yet do.
We pray for Israel and for America – LORD, they will be done. You have blessed us today. Thank You. And now I commend our IDOKs to you for strength, for conviction and correction where needed, and for encouragement, for a deepening and widening love for You and people. Amen and amen.
Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about. Gina. Francis T. Cathy T. Cathie R and family. Emily. Walt. Kay E. Phillip. Margie and Craig. Sandra. Terry and family. Julia O. Ann C. Stan and Jowanna and Family. Carolyn. Mary. Mabel. Joan. David T’s Family. Kimberly. Shay and Emma’s Kids (orphanage in Zambia) Ministry. Susan D. Jason A and his mother. Wayne B. Melinda H. Trisha. Patti’s Family. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Branson. The O’Brien family. Kim and her Fiancee. Jonathan. Mabel’s Aunt Lou. Heather and Brandon. Bernie. Darlene and Torkel. Edie G. Rachel. W C and family. Maggie and Family. Dylan. Joseph Toomey and Family. DeLois. Terri. Kim T. Kevin and the children. Katelyn (B). Janie B. Vickie. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn and Family. Larry and Claudia and family. Taylor & family. David & Allison. Jeanette and Earl and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Cynthia. Martha F and Bob. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa. Brad, Lindsay, Karah and Haley. Chuck. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Mollie and family. Julia. Bobbie. Erin. Alan. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Lance. Candance and Family. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Andrew and Daughters. Lee. Sharron and family, Linda and family, Bev and Family, Mollie B. Friends at work.
Public and Private School Teachers.
Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild.
Every IDOK Pastor and Family. Every IDOK church.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Drew. Justin G. Kyle N. Michael K. Sgt. Bozicevich. Bay N. T. Palin. John L. Richard M. Adam M. Bobby G. (added 12/16/08) Tommy T.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Brandon B.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Lee. George. Travis N. Hawk. Justin G.
Injured: Lukas S. (11/30/08)
12 Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].
13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met].
The first thing I noticed was the LORD saying Turn. That is His call to humans. To the lost ones, He says TURN and believe and I will save you. To those of us who have already believed, He says KEEP ON COMING TO ME. And to those who have believed but who have practices that do not honor Him (which, by the way, is ALL of us), HE is saying TURN AND KEEP ON COMING TO ME. And in that turn and in the coming to Him we are to come with all our hearts, with fasting, with weeping, with mourning until every hindrance is removed. OH I LOVE THAT! It’s not the necessity of turning that I love BUT that it is offered and moreover by His GRACE we can accept! We can have those hindrances that impede our faith walk removed. We can be restored to fellowship. And it has occurred to me that ‘with fasting’ could be more than we generally think of fasting. Generally we term fasting as foregoing food and the like for a period of time in order to give ourselves more to prayer. And that is certainly appropriate and must be done when we are so led by the Holy Spirit; however, I see something else here. I think we need to fast everyday. Fast from, that is put away and keep putting away, those things from which we turned away from to turn to Jesus. I think we need ‘fasting hearts’ that have turned and keep on going and going to Jesus about everything. And doing so will remove the hindrances to walking in faith and will keep the fellowship with our LORD sweet and fresh.
And weeping and mourning? Well, America needs to do some weeping and mourning over Her sins. I don’t think She will though until you and I do some weeping and mourning over our sins.
And then there is the phrase ‘rend your hearts and not your garments’. The first tearing of clothes I found was in Genesis. As you most likely know the tearing or rending of one’s garment (clothes) was a demonstration of grief as in Genesis 37 when Reuben returned to the pit that he and his brothers had thrown Joseph into and Joseph was not there. And a few verses thereafter Jacob tore his clothes and put on the sackcloth of mourning because he thought Joseph was dead. And there are other instances of ‘rending’ in the Old and New Testament. The Pharisees in Matthew and Mark tore their priestly garb to show their offense and rejection of Jesus. Remember they called Him a blasphemer? Oh what a ‘show’ they put on that day! They tore their garments to evidence to ‘the world’ that they were ‘righteous’ and were appalled on Yahweh’s behalf over the SIN of this blasphemer. Obviously, only their garments were torn. Certainly, not their hearts. Obviously, their hearts were anything but repentant toward Jehovah. They torn their clothes away but they were keeping their sins ever so close in their hearts – their hearts of stone that they would not ‘rend’. This is what I believe the LORD is admonishing us against today. Tear away anything and everything from ourselves that is sin and tear it away in truth. Tear it from our hearts. Do not be like the Pharisee. This world does not need one more ‘showy’ Christian. This world needs ‘naked-hearted’ Christians! Naked hearted before our God. Nothing in our hearts separating us from Him! And it is possible and it is commanded in Joel 2 that we do it. Will we? We can. We can TURN and KEEP on Turning to Him and day by day HE WILL GET US THERE! Amen and amen. Cause it be so, LORD.
A prayer request: My friend Gina needs prayer again. She returned to doctor today with another pain. She has appendicitis and a blood clot in her leg. Don’t know at this time, when surgery will be. Thanks, Linda P.
Father, thank You. Again, I think this is much needed. A naked heart before You, what a priceless gift. We know from Your Word that You know all our hearts and nothing is hid from You but I understand that it is we who hid things from ourselves, don’t let us do that anymore. And don’t let us be showy. Don’t let us do anything for show. If we are not real in it, don’t let us get by with doing it. Help us turn to You and keep on coming to You. Thank You for giving us this insight into Your Word. We are glad to have it and now we want to be doers of it and not just hearers of it. And now we pray for Gina. Appendicitis and a blood clot, to our thinking both of these are serious, just having one of them but she has both. Her family must be worried. They love her and are concerned. You can heal her LORD and we pray You will. Thank You that Kay E is doing better. We are grateful and we desire a complete recovery for her. Thank You for good news for Steve yesterday and You know our continued prayers for him. Do the balancing LORD that will give him relief. Continue to minister Your grace to Bernie and Linda. Our desire for his healing has not changed and as best we know how we are waiting upon You.
Thank You that Dot is doing well. Thank You for all these good reports. Thank You that Callie’s report is encouraging too. And LORD for all these listed here who are still waiting for good news we pray for strength to believe and wait upon You. You have told us we will reap if we do not faint and we pray for strength to faint not.
Please protect our IDOK Troops, keep them safe in mind, body and spirit. Supply their needs, physical, emotional, spiritual. Thank You for what You have done for them and shall yet do.
We pray for Israel and for America – LORD, they will be done. You have blessed us today. Thank You. And now I commend our IDOKs to you for strength, for conviction and correction where needed, and for encouragement, for a deepening and widening love for You and people. Amen and amen.
Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about. Gina. Francis T. Cathy T. Cathie R and family. Emily. Walt. Kay E. Phillip. Margie and Craig. Sandra. Terry and family. Julia O. Ann C. Stan and Jowanna and Family. Carolyn. Mary. Mabel. Joan. David T’s Family. Kimberly. Shay and Emma’s Kids (orphanage in Zambia) Ministry. Susan D. Jason A and his mother. Wayne B. Melinda H. Trisha. Patti’s Family. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Branson. The O’Brien family. Kim and her Fiancee. Jonathan. Mabel’s Aunt Lou. Heather and Brandon. Bernie. Darlene and Torkel. Edie G. Rachel. W C and family. Maggie and Family. Dylan. Joseph Toomey and Family. DeLois. Terri. Kim T. Kevin and the children. Katelyn (B). Janie B. Vickie. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn and Family. Larry and Claudia and family. Taylor & family. David & Allison. Jeanette and Earl and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Cynthia. Martha F and Bob. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa. Brad, Lindsay, Karah and Haley. Chuck. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Mollie and family. Julia. Bobbie. Erin. Alan. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Lance. Candance and Family. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Andrew and Daughters. Lee. Sharron and family, Linda and family, Bev and Family, Mollie B. Friends at work.
Public and Private School Teachers.
Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild.
Every IDOK Pastor and Family. Every IDOK church.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Drew. Justin G. Kyle N. Michael K. Sgt. Bozicevich. Bay N. T. Palin. John L. Richard M. Adam M. Bobby G. (added 12/16/08) Tommy T.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Brandon B.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Lee. George. Travis N. Hawk. Justin G.
Injured: Lukas S. (11/30/08)
Military at home – Tim. Mack. The 226. Troy. Brad. Tommy. Desi. Edward J. Lyndon A. Jason G. Captain Tran
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
As I post this it is 35°F and partly cloudy in Al Asad, IQ & the time there is 7:18 AM AST – on January 15, 2009.
Psalm 145:
17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
Internet Daughters Of the KING
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
As I post this it is 35°F and partly cloudy in Al Asad, IQ & the time there is 7:18 AM AST – on January 15, 2009.
Psalm 145:
17 The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
Internet Daughters Of the KING
