Three Times! (again)

Continuing some search and clean up operations I found this one:

IDOK Devotion for Thursday, April 8, 2010
Psalm 46 (NKJV)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
Did you notice that three times in eleven verses God said He is our refuge?  Do you think He wants us to get it? I am reaching way back this morning, all the way to high school English grammar classes, or was the junior high?  Whatever — bear with me here.  Do you remember learning about superlatives?  Good, better, best. Crabby, crabbier, crabbiest. Cuddly cuddlier cuddliest.  deep deeper deepest.  zippy zippier zippiest.  holy holier holiest.  However, I am told the Hebrew and Greek languages do not have such superlatives, so when ABBA wants to say something to the greatest degree of emphasis, He says it three times: holy, holy, holy.  Get it?  HE IS OUR REFUGE!  Selah. 
You will also note the word Selah is used three times in these eleven verses.  Perhaps we should take note of that too.  I have been told for years that Selah means ‘pause and calmly think about that’.  I have also been told that in poetry it denotes an interlude, a pause.  But I like what I found this morning.  Selah, [celah], is from the primary Hebrew root word [calah] which literally means ‘to hang,’ and by implication to measure (weigh). This is readily understood because in Biblical history, money, food and other valuables were ‘weighed’ by hanging or suspending them on a type of balance (the equivalent of our measuring scale) to determine their value.
So seeing that this Hebrew word [calah] means to ‘measure,’ as in weighing something in the balances, we better understand how the word Selah [celah], which is derived from it, is illustrating that we should measure or value what has been said.  Taken from URL address:
So this is what I think.  To the highest degree of emphasis ABBA has said: ‘I AM your refuge and I want you to weigh this.  I want you to see how heavy I am with this toward you.’  Do we see here that He is serious?  And that we are to NOT take it lightly – HE IS OUR REFUGE.  ACT LIKE IT!  So what would acting like it, look like in you (and me) today? Selah!  

Again, I like this, ABBA.  And I like that it is not yet 8:30 Wednesday morning and Thursday’s devotion has come.  I am so delighted!  Let me not be so delighted that it has come that I do not see what it is that has come! You are my refuge – complete – none higher, none stronger, none wiser, none better.  This is important.  Holy Spirit, apply it, plant it, grow it in us I pray.  And I pray now for our IDOKs; I want them to be protected today; protected from the evil one, the world and particularly their own flesh.  I want them to make right decisions today.  I want me to KNOW that You can be trusted today.  I want them to KNOW they CAN believe You.  They can be victorious today.  They can make right decisions today.  They can overcome their own fleshly desires today.  They don’t have to give in to themselves.  They can give themselves to You to experience Your Strength, Your Brilliance, Your Glory and Goodness.  Me too, ABBA.  Me too.  Protect too our IDOK Troops; keep them safe from stray and intended hostile or friendly fire; surround them.  Cause it to be that they receive You as their complete refuge today.  And their families too.  And all the Body of Christ, not only in America but around the world today.  Tend the ill, the dying, the living, the wayward, the rebellious, the undecided.  Thank You, ABBA, in Jesus Name and for His Sake. Amen and amen.

Kathie

 

Snakes and Birds

This was written April 7, 2010 and to my searching I have not repeated it with you, so I shall today.

IDOK Devotion for Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Snakes and Birds

I am posting a response I received on Monday from a Sister IDOK.  I think you will find it encouraging.   I am meditating on your questions from this morning. I want to encourage you not to give up, or get discouraged, but to press on in prayer and in person. We cannot choose eternal destiny for others, we can only present the Good News and offer the gift of Salvation. The response is up to each person. But we can continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will hover over all of the lost and the Jesus rejecters, revealing the truth to them all!
Jeremiah 32:26-28 (NIV) 26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
I’ve also read the 3rd chapter of Micah in a few translations and I’ve decided we need an army of Micah(s) in America.
(The Message Bible) 8But me—I’m filled with God’s power, filled with God’s Spirit of justice and strength, Ready to confront Jacob’s crime and Israel’s sin.
See what I mean? Whose names would you fill in for Jacob and Israel? And how ready are we to confront?  How politically correct are we trying to be?  And why? Would you agree there’s a fine line to walk?  This Scripture has come to mind this week – do you think it fits?
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
A little google-ing rendered this: serpents are prudent and discreet, cautious and avoid danger if at all possible. (http://bible.cc/matthew/10-16.htm )
            Now, harmless as doves: To be harmless is to lack the capacity to injure or to be free from inflicting physical or mental damage. Other translations use “innocent” or “inoffensive” instead of “harmless” for this verse.  Innocent means to be harmless in effect or intention. Inoffensive means to be giving no provocation.  Doves aren’t referred to as the birds of peace for nothing. Their temperament is calm and their disposition is sweet. Doves do not bite. At most they might slap you with a wing if they are guarding the nest or do not want to be picked up. Doves really are harmless.
          This is what I think — it is not too hard for God to enable us by His Spirit and His Might to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves and when we are we can do some good in this world!  We can even affect Washington.  Do you believe this?

 This is encouraging, ABBA, to be wise as serpents.  You know I’m not crazy about snakes but I do respect them and I agree they are cautious and they don’t go looking for trouble.  And doves, I can see that about them, calm and a sweet disposition.  Oh, my goodness, DADDY, what that would do for us – to be calm and have a sweet disposition.  How wonderful that would be if the Body of Christ was full of calm, sweet tempered, cautious, not looking for trouble but willing to stand and defend when Your Word is violated, people.  That is good.  This needs to be so in us.  And Your Word has already told us You can do it in us and through us.  Forgive us for being so distracted that we have not submitted to You for this transformation. I am presenting myself again for You to do this in me.  To empty me of me and fill me with You and I am praying for a bunch of IDOKs and Readers to do the same.   You are so good to us.  So good to never give up on us, and, ABBA, there’s a young man on my mind, he has done some really stupid, stupid, stupid things and now he is trapped, held captive and You are the ONLY ONE who can free him and at this point to my knowledge he is not going to cooperate with You.  But You said nothing is too hard for You, so I am asking You to get him to the place of cooperating with You.  He has a family that loves him; I don’t want to see him self destruct and I pray he will not.   And there are many, many other requests and You know better than I what they are and what is needed.  So we are trusting You to do what is best for all listed here.   I’m still concerned about American politics, America’s rampant sin practices, including greed and insatiable desires for power – the corruption is so bad that without Your help this Nation will be destroyed.  Please have mercy. Please raise up an army of ‘Micahs’.  I get so frustrated, so often – help me stop doing that and trust You and just simply wait upon You and watch You work in me and in my sisters and brothers.  I’m still asking You to raise up people to pray  churches into Houses of Prayer.  And I want in on it.  You know I could go on talking to You until I fall asleep but for this post let me close and ask You to give our IDOKs, visions, personal visions for each of them as to what You want them to do in regards to churches being Houses of Prayer and us being wise as serpents and harmless as doves in this corrupt land and I am asking because I am confident that this is what Jesus is praying for us too. Amen and amen.

Kathie

 

Ways and Means

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

via Phil 4 KJV;CJB – Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved – Bible Gateway.

 

It’s a Momma’s  job to keep the home relaxed.

That statement my Friends was my first thought this morning even before the opening of my eyes. I am leaning toward this being a word from above. And if that be so I am certain this directive is to be done and can only be done in CHRIST JESUS.

My question to you dear Friends is what are your tried and tested Ways and Means of doing it? 

Yes, I am serious.

Happy Wednesday,
Kathie