Achan (troubler)

A Christian lady confesses openly in front of a group of ladies that I am with at a house meeting that she and her Christian husband are hiding a large sum of money in their house.  It is money that belongs to a relative who is on benefits but does not want to declare it because some of the benefit will be stopped because of it.  I think to myself, as the person is speaking, 'This situation reminds me of someone in the Old Testament who hides something in his tent', but I can not think of the character's name.  Suddenly, the name of a person from the Old Testament comes on the screen of a television that is showing a Christian video in the room, it is the name 'Achan', but I can not think who he is, and because the lady has been relating what she has been doing with this money, we have not been concentrating on the video.  The person who confesses to hiding the sum of money leaves and my friend and I  start to discuss whether we should have spoken to the person about the fact that in the Lord's eyes it could be wrong, but the lady who organized the group remarks that we should not accuse one another.  I replied that I did not feel like it was accusation because the lady herself had admitted to all in the room what she and her husband were doing.

I wake up in the early hours of the next morning and suddenly realize that the name that came on the screen, 'Achan', is the name of the character in the Old Testament that I was reminded of when the lady was telling us about hiding the money.  I go downstairs and look in the Bible and see that Achan was hiding things devoted for destruction.  I think to myself that with a believer the things 'devoted for destruction' are our old ways and wonder if the Lord is trying to reveal something through this situation.

 

I go to church on the following Sunday and am walking down the steps where two children ask my friend and myself if we have seen their friend, Arian.  They say they are playing a game of hiding.  'What! you are hiding out here in full view of everyone?' I ask.  'No, Arian is hiding from us' the children say.  'There she is' they say, as she appears at the side of the church.  I feel that the conversation is reminding me of something.  My friend says 'Arian is the Welsh word for money', and I see a strange connection with the children's game, the story of Achan, and the Christian lady's open confession to hiding money in order to help someone cheat the benefit system.   Yet again I wonder if the Lord is trying to reveal something, and is it that we can not hide what we do from Him?  Also, if what we do is knowingly wrong to us, is there a penalty paid?  Because Achan had put things devoted to destruction amongst his own things, he too had become a thing devoted for destruction.

We are told in Hebrews ch. 10 vs. 24 - 27  ^'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,  but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.'  Where then is our responsibility when someone professing to be Christian confesses openly to other Christians to doing something that is wrong, without being accused by anyone?  What is the implication and responsibility of a person experiencing what I experienced over several days?  Should I have spoken up about the way I felt as the series of events were happening, or gone back to the person involved privately later on?  Is it for me, as part of the body of Christ, to share that experience at an appropriate time, and can that experience be counted as prophesy?  Ezekiel ch. 33 v. 8 warns that it is a responsibility to warn one another from wicked ways when it is revealed, or we will have that person's blood on our hands.

Proverbs ch.29 v. 18 says that where there is no prophesy the people cast off restraint.  If we do not share what we believe the Lord is revealing to us in order to build one another up in the faith, then are we guilty of quenching the Holy Spirit's work amongst us, and having that person's blood on our hands, according to that rule of prophesy in Ezekiel ch. 33?  Was it coincidence on the Sunday morning, when the sin of Achan was again brought to my mind through the hiding game of the children, that the pastor was speaking on Ephesians ch. 4 and ch. 6, which speak of the unity of the Spirit and exhortations to righteous living?  Ephesians ch.4 vs.17-19 says  ' So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.'

Shortly after this incident my husband related to me a story he had heard on the radio of Nazadene, a Muller turned smuggler, who repeatedly took a donkey laden with hay across the border and a border guard who could not detect what Nazradene was smuggling, which turned out to be donkeys.  Sin, just like those donkeys, can become acceptable to us as the norm, thereby becoming unrecognisable to us in our daily lives.  Likewise, sin can become unrecognisable to us, thereby becoming acceptable to us as the norm.

Achan's sin also caused the whole of Israel to be unable to stand against their enemies.  If we do not encourage one another to do what is right, for we can all be tempted to do what is wrong as was implied by Paul when he wrote to the church of the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians ch.3 v.5 saying  'For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labour would be in vain', (and all scripture can be profitable for encouragement and correction. 2 Timothy ch.3 v.16 ), will not the church be allowed to become contaminated by the things of the world?

To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, Ephesians ch.6 v.11 tells us to put on the whole armour of God.  We are told in Ephesians ch. 4 vs.22-24  ' You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.'  There are two beautiful verses of scripture in Psalm 81 vs.13 and 14 to encourage us in this area, where God is saying 'O that my people would listen to me , that Israel would walk in my ways!  I would soon turn my hand against their foes.'

The Lord is the living word of God by which we are judged, and just like any other judge, that word has the authority to examine and, if necessary, pass sentence. 1 Corinthians ch.11 vs.29-32 states   'For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.  Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.'  We must allow that word to be an active cleanser in our lives to be able to change us gradually.  We have a loving, longsuffering, forgiving God who understands our weakness in the flesh, but He is also a consuming fire.  He has sent the Holy Spirit as our teacher to lead us into all truth, and should we not do our best to act on that truth?  In 2 Chronicles, ch.2 vs.13 and 14, the Lord is telling Solomon that when there are troubles come upon His people, if His people will humble themselves and pray and seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, then He will gear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  There is a repentance in these instructions, a turning from our wicked ways, which is also a requirement for believers insomuch as we are asked to 'repent', and to be 'doers of the word and not just hearers'.

One day my husband connected the battery to his motorbike to try to get it to start, but there was no spark.  Without a spark, the engine would not start and the bike was lifeless.  Without the Holy Spirit actively being allowed to change us through our obedience to its teaching, we as individuals and as a church will be spiritually lifeless because we shall be still carnal, thereby being dead in our sins.

I believe the whole of what I experienced on this occasion was not to point out what was going on in one person's life at all, for we are all prone to temptation, and sometimes we are not even sure what is right or wrong in God's eyes, but I believe it is a message to all of us to be alert to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, and to allow Him to work through all the members of the body in order to change us collectively into the image of God's Son.  God is building His church, and unless the Lord build the house, those who build it labour in vain.  (Psalm 127 v.1)   Colossians ch.2 v.8 tells us to 'beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ.'  We must allow God to  build according to the format that He has laid out in the scriptures, and not attempt to alter it.

 

On my bedside cabinet there is a small wooden giraffe.  I accidentally knocked it over one day and its head fell off.  My husband repaired it.  I can not tell you how many repair jobs my husband has done on ornaments around the house, and this is exactly what salvation is

 - a repair job.

 

 

 

 

 

While all of this was happening, it was the time of the fortieth anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, when 116 children were killed while in their school by a man built mountain of coal slurry.  God forbid that His spiritual children should be 'killed' by a man-made mountain of worldly doctrine and church tradition that could be making the word of God void in the church.

I end this post with a short poem of encouragement

The Path
Follow the path of righteousness
the road to the Father's heart
Follow His Son as He leads you on
from His ways do not depart
Follow the path that leads to life
the way that we all must take
Yes, follow the ways of Jesus
the Saviour who died for our sake

  

Reflections on a puzzle

One Sunday, as I was walking home from church, I came across a lot of jigsaw pieces scattered on the pavement.  It had been raining and they were wet.  The pastor at the church had been speaking about disunity amongst God's people, and while I was walking through the town I was reflecting on this and wondering why it was so.  These jigsaw pieces, separated one from another and scattered all over the ground, seemed to be echoing what the pastor had been saying, and I felt the Lord was trying to tell me something.  I gathered all the pieces up and placed them in my bag. 

 

When I arrived home I proceeded to piece them together to see what the picture might be, but each piece began to separate into two parts because the rain had neutralized the glue that was sticking the picture to the backing card.  I started to have understanding of what the Lord was trying to reveal to me.

If I pieced the backing card together I
would have no picture

If I pieced some of the backing card together
with some of the picture pieces they would
join together because they were the same
shapes but I would only have part of the
picture. 

If, on the other hand, I pieced all the upper
pieces together, I would have the whole
picture.

                         
















I could see a parallel in these jigsaw pieces with God's people.  The blank backing card represented the old creation of the flesh which was dead in sins, while the top layer with the picture on represented the new creation in Christ, all the pieces together forming the body of Christ on Earth.  Old and new mixed together could only bring disunity, a partial picture of the whole body.

We can be carnal or we can be spiritual.  Those who live according to the  carnal mind can never have unity with those who walk according to the Spirit because  'the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' Romans ch. 8 v.7, and the things of God are foolishness to it, having to be discerned spiritually.

The element that had separated the two parts of the jigsaw pieces was water, and only the spiritual water that comes down from Heaven, the word of God, can separate the old man from the new creation which God is forming in us through Christ Jesus, as confirmed in Ephesians ch. 5 vs. 25b - 27, ' just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her   to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. '  As each of us allows the Holy Spirit to work in us we will grow up into the united body of Christ.  The first book of Corinthians ch. 15 v.22 says that 'as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.' 

God had shown me through the pastor's words that there was disunity in the church, but it was only through the jigsaw pieces and the revelation to me through them could I have understanding of why there was disunity.  This incident taught me how vital it is to be alert to the ways in which God is able to reveal something to us, and how it is for our benefit that we act on that revelation so that we might be changed into our Saviour's image to be able to soar with Him in the Spirit. 

The enemy has many ways of trying to tempt us to forsake the Lord's ways and return to our old carnal ways, but we must resist Him and carry on down the road to eternal life with our Saviour, even if we suffer rejection and taunting from others.

The following is a poem that I have put in an earlier post, which I wrote at the time of this revelation to me.

New man for old

Lord when I’m being taunted and mocked for loving You
Cause me to remember that You were taunted too
When I’m being laughed at for calling on Your name
Let me see You standing there and taking all that shame
And if I’m being tempted to draw back into sin
Tell me ‘Turn away child, don’t let the devil win’

Lord sometimes it’s difficult to die to sinful man
When the Spirit says ‘You can’t’ and the flesh says ‘Yes you can’
I’m so afraid I’ll fail You, the old man can be strong
Sometimes it’s hard to tell Lord what’s right and what is wrong
The old man says ‘Retaliate!’ To every harsh word said
The new says ‘You’ve been born again, the old man is now dead’

So Lord teach me to listen, when I hear You speak
Create in me a spirit that is lowly and meek
Take away the old man of anger, greed and lust
Form a new creation inside this outer crust
Help me to forgive them , when the world abuses me
Teach me how to show Your love, that I know can set them free

Lord help me go all the way to that rugged cross
Show me that to lose this life is gain and not a loss
And then just like the chrysalis that hangs upon it’s thread
I’ll become a butterfly - and You’ll have raised the dead 

Second nature

The tree had appeared to be dying and was almost completely brown on one side.  It was a conifer, originally bright green in colour, which I had planted in front of the window not long after we had moved into our last house and I liked it very much.    'Cut it down' my husband had said when it first began to turn brown late in Summer 2004, but I had not wanted to and had left it alone over the Winter months. 

Now it was February 2005 and I noticed tiny green shoots sprouting from both trunk and dry brown branches and I was overjoyed, not only because the tree was not going to die, but because I was being taught something by the Lord through the tree just when I desperately needed it.

Sometimes it can be extremely hard to focus on the Spiritual when the carnal mind will constantly focus on the flesh, and many times we will look negatively on ourselves and one another because of this, dwelling more on the old sinful nature instead of the new creation which is forming within us.

Eagerness to learn comes as 'second nature' to me but God has a principle when teaching us and it is 'line upon line, precept on precept'.  'It would be like throwing the whole of the Oxford dictionary at you at once' said my digital imaging course tutor when I had wanted to know something that I was not ready to learn.

There had been many areas in my life, and still are, where I felt I had failed in my Christian walk and most of the self condemnation had grown out of dwelling on what needed to be changed instead of what the Lord had already done in me.  I had not actually realized this until the incident with the tree brought it to my attention.

I was being reminded not to fix my gaze on the old me and my human capabilities, but to look at the new spiritual creature that God was creating through Jesus and all the benefits that came with being a child of God.  As far as God was concerned, that old creature was dead.  Verse 16 of 2 Corinthians ch.5 tells us not to regard anyone from a human point of view, and verse 13 of Colossians ch.2 tells us that though we were once dead in trespasses, we have been made alive with Christ.  Human mind and eyes will limit what is possible both in personal salvation and prayer by focusing on the old creation instead of the new.  

As a new creation in Christ Jesus all things are possible to him who believes. Mark ch.9 v.23  Just as it says in Genesis chapter 25 v.5 'Abraham left everything he owned to his son Isaac', in Jesus I inherit all things given to Him by God.  My part is to put on my new nature by allowing God to renew my mind in His Son Jesus so that I have the mind of Christ.

Colossians ch. 3 describes both natures as follows:-

Old nature

Fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry, anger, wrath, malice, slander and foul talk.   

New nature

Compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience, forbearing one another and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.  And above all these put on love.  

We are encouraged in Ephesians ch.4 v.22 - 24 to 'Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the Spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.'

Just as with my tree the new green shoots were gradually replacing the old dead wood, so too am I gradually being conformed to the image of my creator.

The following is a poem that I wrote at that time, reflecting my self condemnation and the Lord's encouragement to me to concentrate on my 'second nature' rather than my first.  

Look and see

All that look - that look on me
see only here a dying tree
In brittle branch and withered wood
they find no beauty - see no good
perceiving just what would have been
if You had not come on my scene

But shoots of green they do not see
new budding leaves that struggle free
from lifeless form that once was me
For carnal mind and human eyes
both dwell and gaze on all that dies
and in this chrysalis of tree
will fail to see eternity

Oh all that look - look again at me
look now through eyes of faith and see
the hand of Jesus Christ - God's Son
gaze on the work that's being done
See miracle of power to save
a soul once destined for the grave

This Saviour whom my heart does love
has come from God on wings of dove
to change my destiny of strife
and bring to me eternal life
So look again upon this tree
see everywhere new greenery
Don't look upon the dying wood
See my Saviour's beauty - see my Saviour's good

'Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.'  2 Corinthians ch.4 v.16'

Lukewarm

A few days ago I was looking through some papers of mine and I came across an article I had written of an experience I had quite a few years back.  It was entitled 'Lukewarm'.  Many of my writings were written on an older computer with some packages that will not work on the Windows I have on my new computer, and I could not find this testimony in my files.  I noticed that there were lots of other writings and testimonies that were missing also so I investigated a little and found  many of them on a memory stick that could be used on my new computer.  I thought maybe I would share some of them on my blog. Today I thought I would put 'Lukewarm' on. 

Lukewarm

(Written in November 2004 - an edited version)
On Tuesday, when I was looking on some old floppy disks for photographs I came across a file entitled 'Judgement begins with the house of God', something I had written some time back, so I printed it out and read it.

Wednesday evening on my digital imaging course I was given some homework by my tutor.  It was to take photographs on the theme 'Shadow and substance'.

Just before I made the bed on Thursday morning I noticed the shadows falling across the crumpled sheets and pillow cases. 

The saying  'You make your bed and lie on it' came into my mind and I thought 'What a perfect title and photograph for a project, either as a fact or a suggestion, I could do something with this'.  The sheets were covered in roses and I thought 'We can either make life a bed of roses or something else'. So I took two photographs, one with the sheets crumpled and one with the bed made.(not very well I have to admit)

                                                                 

Then I remembered that within the piece 'Judgement begins with the house of God' there was a poem I had written, called 'Lukewarm' ,which contained a line or two referring to a bed. 

 I thought maybe this was not coincidence, that the Lord may be showing me something here.

Lukewarmness is spoken of in one of the seven churches in the book of Revelations, in the Laodicean church. All the churches except one were tolerating something that is ungodly within its bounds, the difference with the Philadelphian church being shown in Ch. 3 v.8 'For you have a little strength and have kept my Word and have not denied my name'. 'Philadelphia' means 'brotherly love'.  The Laodiceans were a group of people who claimed to be followers of Christ but who relied on their wealth and worldly goods rather than Jesus Christ's teachings, and people's principles rather than God's.  'Laodicea' means 'people's opinions'.  

Just as in Isaiah's day the Lord's judgement had come upon His people because of their unfaithfulness, 'for Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying His glorious presence.' Isaiah ch. 3 v. 8 so too it acts as a warning to us today.  Isaiah ch. 4 v.1 says 'In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say 'We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name, take away our reproach.'   As His word is the same yesterday, today and forever, is this a spiritual message to God's Spiritual Israel (His church) today not to bear the name of Jesus Christ and at the same time eat their own food (a doctrine other than that of the doctrine of Christ),and wear their own clothes, the clothes of a spiritual prostitute, Isaiah ch. 3 vs. 18-23  instead of their robes of righteousness.  

Verse 2 of 1 Peter ch. 1 says that it is for obedience to Jesus Christ that we are chosen and destined by God and sanctified by the Spirit.  We are not exempt from God's judgement because we wear the name of Christ.  Judgement begins at the house of God as spoken of in 1 Peter ch.4  v.17, and here 'the house of God' refers to Christians, verse 18 saying that the righteous man is scarcely saved.  

In 2 Peter ch.2 vs.1 and 2  Peter foretells that there will be false teachers in the church just as there were false prophets also among the people of Israel.  'But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.' 

We can see this happening today with strange doctrines popping up in different places that are not in line with God's word.  It has become fashionable to please man rather than to please God.  We have to be very careful who we regard as 'rulers' in the church and test what they teach as doctrine against the word of God, taking heed that they are not preaching another Jesus, for there are many 'knock on' effects.  Proverbs 29 v.12 says  'If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.'  

Lukewarm

Some people say 'Don't speak about your King 
don't speak about this Jesus to me
don't tell me I must follow Him down the road to Calvary'
They say 'We'll just be called by His holy name but leave us to eat our own bread
and we'll wear our own apparel' then they labour to make their own bed
but the covering on it is narrow and the bed itself is too short
both getting smaller and smaller as they're judged by each ungodly thought
They're building mighty castles Lord they don't have Your foundation
building castles for themselves strongholds big and wide
With hewn out stones and polished beams they've built their own creation
and now they put their images inside
Everyone right in their own eyes abiding in vanity
spinning ever faster Lord towards total insanity
Not hearing the voice of the Master but listening to a lie
outside they appear to be living yet inside they slowly die
They're seeking to worldly 'physicians' to bring about their release
looking to man for deliverance yet never finding peace
Not willing to take Your chastening 'Too grievous for me' they say
forgetting that at the end of each night is always the light of day
And all the time Lord You are trying to take away their shame
visiting each one in turn calling out each name
saying 'Return unto me child seek the face of your Lord above
For it is he who keeps my commandments that shall abide in my love.


Back to the present time.
                                                                  

Although my digital imaging course homework all those years ago prompted me to write the article 'Lukewarm', the photograph I took into my class on the subject 'shadow and substance' was one called 'Light revealing all that I do', which also spoke to me spiritually.

Two things happened this morning which made me feel that God wanted me to share this post.  

As I lay in bed I was thinking about the fact that I would put the section on false teachers and those who rule in the post, my husband said (and I noticed he was looking at the red sky through the window)  'Red sky in the morning - shepherds warning.'   I realized straight away that it went together with God warning those who are shepherds over His people who may not be building on His foundation, Jesus Christ.

Later on in the morning my husband pointed up into the sky from the lounge window at a Red Kite bird of prey, and said 'Look at how they ride on the wind.'  It made me think of how the Lord wants His church to be sustained by, and rely upon, the teachings of His Holy Spirit, as were those in the Philadelphia church doing two thousand years ago, not upon their worldly wealth and man's doctrines.

Hold fast that which is good

As I wrote the title of this post 'Hold fast that which is good' the sentence 'Hold fast that which is God' came straight into my mind, for that which is truly 'good' is that which is God.

When our son bought his first cottage with his first wife, who has since fallen asleep in the Lord, there was an old picture on one of the walls in the lounge of that cottage with the words 'Hold fast that which is good'.   I feel that I had been brought to see these words as encouragement to me to put my trust in Gods word, whether it be for guidance or for a promise.

I have been tested in many areas in my life regarding putting my trust in the Lord and I would like to encourage any other person who might be going through a hard trial that, if you believe the Lord has spoken to you, then hold fast to that which has been spoken.  Trials are quite often tests to strengthen us in the Lord, and help us to mature in Him.

I love these verses from 1 Thessalonians ch. 5 vs 15 - 24, which I believe speak of our maturing in the Lord, the last sentence encouraging us to trust in His faithfulness. 'See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.  Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.   Quench not the Spirit.  Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Abstain from all appearance of evil, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He that calls you, who will also do it.'


Sometimes we think the Lord has not answered our prayers because they do not get answered fast enough but there is a time for everything, even for healing. (Ecclesiastes ch.3 v.3).   If we are told in the previous verses from 1 Thessalonians ch.5 that Faithful is He that calls you, then we must trust also that He will also do what He has promised, not looking at the situation, but looking at the promise of God, just as Abraham did when he went to offer his son Isaac, but knew that God would provide a sacrifice because of the promise of descendants through Isaac. (Genesis ch. 22)  Right at the beginning of this chapter it says that God was testing Abraham and I believe we too can be tested to see if we believe a promise God has made to us, and within these tests we can maintain the peace of God which passes all understanding. 

A few weeks ago I was walking around a car boot sale and I found a brass key hanger with the word 'Shalom', both in English and Hebrew on it.  I love this word and I was so pleased that I could buy this item.  I placed it on a candle holder in which was a rose that I cut from a bush about five years ago and dried.  It still has much of its colour and quite a strong perfume.  I placed it there as a reminder to me of the life that we can have as a new creation in our Lord when we are cut off from that which is earthly( the old man).

'Shalom' has a much deeper meaning in the Hebrew language than the 'peace' that we associate it with in the English translation.  According to Strong's Concordance it 's full meaning is  completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety,soundness, tranquillity, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Jesus says in John ch. 16 v.33 'These things I have spoken to you that IN ME you may have PEACE.  In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'

So all the things listed in Strong's Concordance regarding the meaning of 'shalom'are what we are promised if we are IN THE LORD, and hold fast to the word that He has spoken to us.

The following is a poem that I wrote some years ago which I suppose sum up my feelings on what I have written.

Hold fast that which is good 

I cannot know with yesterday's mind
what tomorrow's heart may feel
and the scenes I get in my head today
in the future may not be real
So I'm taking no thought for tomorrow
and yesterday's already past
but today I am standing on God's precious word
it's the one thing to which I hold fast

'Things not working out according to our plans' are not necessarily 'things going wrong'

We have recently put our house up for sale.  My husband has wanted to return to his home town which is about forty miles away, the town we left nearly four years ago to come here.  I thought he was wanting to return to 'memories' as where we are here in West Wales is much more isolated than where we lived in South Wales.   He thought it would be a good idea if we went to view some houses there within our price range,  so on one day we went to view three houses and on another day we viewed four.   Each time he came away disappointed. 
  

Often we can think that just because things do not go according to our plans or timing that things are going wrong, but I do not believe that is necessarily the case.   In fact things have not gone to plan for my husband and myself the whole week, at least not according to the plans that our carnal minds had laid out, and I believe even this fact has emphasized to me what the Lord is showing me.  If we think that the plans that have been formed in our minds are what should have come to pass, then we will experience only frustration and stress because things have not happened that way.  Whereas if we wait on the Lord for His direction and obey His commands to us then we experience peace, knowing that we are doing His will and being obedient.   In John ch. 14 v.15 Jesus says to His disciples 'If you love me, keep my commands'.


For quite some time now I have believed that the Lord has confirmed to me that He will completely heal me from things that have been in my body for over twenty years, and I still believe it.  Just because it has not happened immediately after I believe I was told, it does not mean it is not going to happen.  In fact one of the scriptures that the Lord gave to me when telling me He was going to heal me was 'I waited patiently for the Lord'.   I believe there is a reason for everything 'and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.' Romans ch.8 v.28.  One of my blogger friends wrote in one of her comments, to encourage me in my trial, the scripture 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.' Isaiah ch. 40 v..31. 

I also believe that sharing testimony of what the Lord is doing can be encouraging to others who might be going through similar situations.  One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is 'long-suffering' and how can that fruit possibly be produced without hard trials?   Psalm 139 v. 16 says that ' Every day of my life was written in His book before even one of them was formed', and so I know that my times are in His hands and if the Lord has called me to do something that appears to be against the norm of this world, then no matter how the worldly wisdom of the carnal mind will fight against it, I should not worry, because 1 Peter ch. 5 v.7 says for me to 'cast all my cares upon Him because He cares for me.'

The Lord encouraged me some years ago, through a song that I wrote called ' On Hallowed Wing', not to worry about what He will call me to do.  He encouraged me to only obey Him and trust in Him.


On Hallowed Wing

When eagles fly on hallowed wing
to far and distant lands
they are not guided by man's voice
nor lifted by man's hands

They let no deluge hamper them

nor fear the driving snow

for all that would but trouble them

are in the clouds below

On hallowed wing the eagle flies 

its destiny to fulfil

and I must go where the Spirit leads

to do my Saviour's will

So when you do your Father's work

if child of God you be

look to the eagle lifted high

by God's grace given free

Then you will also face life's trials

and surely come to know

that strength will come from God above

and fear stay far below

On hallowed wing, on hallowed wing
the eagle's lifted high
He goes where others fear to tread
and likewise so must I

It is said of Jesus in  Hebrews ch. 5 v.8 'though He was without sin He learned obedience through the things He suffered.'  Matthew ch.26 v.. 39 says that Jesus said  'O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will', and though I will never need to suffer the way He suffered, in order to learn obedience I too say ' Lord, not as I will, but as You will.'  The eagle is a bird that flies far above the clouds, in a place where only the sun is shining.  So too, in Jesus, we can rise above the dark clouds that will come into our lives when we keep our eyes fixed upon the true light of this world, the Son of God - our Lord Jesus.

But my eyes are upon You O God the Lord

Sometimes I can hardly believe the way the Lord is able to strengthen me and encourage me to trust in Him in my weakness.  A few days ago I was feeling very weak in being able to hold on to the Lord's promise to me to completely heal me from the sickness I have had for so long.  My symptoms did not seem to be lessening, although He had removed completely extreme pain in the right side of my head and face - symptoms which the enemy was pointing out could be associated with a problem in my throat which I believe came as a result of a fish bone being lodged there at the beginning of this trial over twenty years ago.  

My mind seemed to be concentrating on the wisdom and ability of the world instead of the wisdom and ability of my God,  I realized that the more I thought this way the more the symptoms started to take over.  I prayed to the Lord according to the scriptures He had given me with the promise.  Psalm 119 vs. 49 and 50  'Remember Your word to me in which You have caused me to hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise brings me life',  and Psalm 40 v.1 'I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined unto me.'

Then the next night I was laying in bed and for some reason it came into my mind how several things have come into my life that have been doubled. I mentioned this to my husband and said how strange it was.  I reminded him about when I had painted a picture with coloured inks on two glass vases .  

I had seen the picture in a book and had liked it because it was of swans, and one of  the things I know about swans is that they are mates for life.  My husband had said to me at one time that when we left this earth he wanted us to leave together holding hands, it had made me smile at the time. 

Shortly after painting the glass vases I was visiting a nearby town with my husband, sister and brother in law.  We were walking around a street market and I noticed a pottery vase for sale with the same picture on it.  I was amazed and bought it.

Laying in bed that night I was reminded also of a picture of a young girl and a book ornament with the same girl in a picture on one side of it and a poem to the left of it.  'Do you remember that picture and the book ornament?' I said to my husband, who by now may well have been asleep as he had not made a sound.  ' I can't remember what the poem was about.'  I thought about these two items, one that I had bought in the same town as I had bought the vase.  I was with the same people and my sister and I had gone into a church where there was a table top sale.  There was an old print of a picture of a young girl sitting outside a door blowing bubbles.

I could vaguely make out the word 'Amy' scratched in the wood at the top of the door.  I liked the picture and I knew that the name 'Amy' means 'loved'.  I just felt there was something about it and so I bought it.   

Some time later  I was at a car boot sale in a different town and came across the book ornament which had a picture of the same girl with a poem written beside it. 

As I lay there in bed that night I tried hard to think what the poem was called and what it was about, but it just would not come to me. I resolved to look at it the next morning, which I did.  Immediately I read the poem I knew why it had been taken from my mind and I had been brought to read it.

The Lord had seen my weakness and was reminding me once again that all things are possible with Him and was encouraging me to have faith to know that He will do what He has promised. Even the meaning of the young girl's name was reminding me that we are loved by the Lord.  It was a beautiful time of strengthening me against the spiritual enemy.

Psalm 141 v.8

But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;  In You I take refuge;