A Wealth of Wisdom
2 days ago my right hand man Simba opened my bible that was lying open on the counter and read the part that spoke to him, as always, it was exactly what I needed to breathe fresh life into me.
The next day, my House Keeper Blessings suggested that we begin each day by sharing the Word of God and the following day, we did exactly that, beginning a daily practice.
At 8am this morning, we had our first session, Simba opened with prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to join us and bring us wisdom and we began with the scripture that was shown to us, the dry bones.
I made notes throughout as there was so much wealth that was brought forth, and decided to begin each day by sharing what we gathered in our morning practice.
This is so relevant to what we and many others are going through and it's important to know the power that we carry within us, so that we can call upon it, to revitalise, reinvigorate and revive.
Dry Bones Coming Together
The hand of the LORD was on Ezekiel, and He brought him out by the Spirit of the LORD and set him in the middle of a valley; it was full of a great many bones on the floor, bones that were very dry.
God asked Ezekiel if the bones could live, to which he replied that only the Sovereign LORD alone knows.
Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and tell them to hear the word of the LORD!
So Ezekiel did as God commanded, addressing the dry bones and telling them that the Sovereign LORD said He will make breath enter them, and they will come to life.
He will attach tendons to them and make flesh come upon them and cover them with skin; and He will put breath in them, and they will come to life. Then they will know that God is the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:1-6)
The Breath of Life
So Ezekiel prophesied as he was commanded, and as he was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
He looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, address it and tell it that the Sovereign LORD said to come from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.
So Ezekiel prophesied as God commanded him, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet - a vast army.
Then God told Ezekiel that these bones are the people of Israel who say that their bones are dried up and their hope is gone, they are cut off. (Ezekiel 37:7-11)
The Spirit of God
God told Ezekiel to prophesy again, addressing God's people and telling them that the Sovereign LORD said He is going to open their graves and bring them up from them; He will bring them back to the land of Israel.
Then, they will know that God is the LORD.
The Sovereign LORD will put His Spirit in them and they will live, and He will settle them in their own land.
Then, the LORD declared, they will know that the LORD has spoken, and He has done it.
It is God's voice who echoes from deep within us when we prophesy over things that are dry, dead and decaying, and God Himself who resurrects. (Ezekiel 37:12-14)
The Power of Prophesy
We have been struggling for a long time, continually resorting to old habits of trying to do things in our own power and might, and failing.
Each time, I know that God is drawing me closer, showing me that without Him, I can do nothing, and I recalibrate, realign and humble myself, asking Him to make a way where there is none.
We must have spiritual eyes, because in the natural, when we feel that we have tried everything and nothing is working, we have to find a different path.
As dear children from God, prophesy is about calling forth the one who is in us, who is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
For God has raised us up for this very purpose, that He might show us His power and that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:16)
God's Power
It is God's power that is within us, not ours. Our energy to move, our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our mind to perceive, our heart to understand, it all comes from God.
But we forget, thinking that we are all mighty and all powerful, that we are brilliant, talented and fabulous, and there are times when we are all of those things, but it's God working through us.
The Sovereign LORD rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in His hand, and no one can withstand Him. (2 Chronicles 20:6)
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26)
God can make a way where this is none, He can open doors that are closed and He can knit dry bones back together and breathe new life into them, filling them with His Spirit.
Faith In God
There is nothing that the Sovereign LORD can't do, nothing is impossible for God, and if we think it is, then our faith is too small as God can do anything, at any time, with no limits.
People make their own gods, but they are not gods, therefore God will teach us - He will teach us His power and might, so then we will know that His name is the LORD. (Jeremiah 16:20-21)
God raised us up for a particular purpose, so that He might display His power in us and that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Romans 9:17)
May the eyes of our heart be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1:18-20)
Anointed By God
In the example of David and Goliath, David was a young shepherd boy, the youngest of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:11), but God chose him to be king over Israel. (1 Samuel 16:1)
God told Samuel to anoint him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. (1 Samuel 16:13)
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
When we are anointed by God, we are chosen for a particular purpose, God is with us and in us and we are anointed for such a time as this, to bring glory to God and glory to His name.
No matter the size of the task ahead, we must go forward with courage and boldness, like a lion, and the lion of Judah Himself will go with us, God will not disappoint.
A Giant Challenge
Goliath was a champion, a Philistine, a giant with full metal armour, with a shield-bearer who went before him.
He waged war against the Israelites and challenged them to a one on one duel with a man of their choice, the loser becoming the subjects of the winner.
On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified and whenever the Israelites saw him, they all fled in great fear.
Yet David, who had been sent by his father to take supplies and bring back assurance, upon hearing Goliath's defiance against the armies of the living God, said that he would go and fight him.
Despite his inexperience and youth, and being mismatched in size and stature, David did not lose heart.
Wrongful Accusations
When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men about what would be done for the man who killed this Philistine and removed this disgrace from Israel, he burned with anger and accused him of being conceited and having a wicked heart.
When God anoints and appoints someone, the enemy comes hard against them, doing everything he can to stop them from fulfilling God's plans.
The enemy knows the amazing things that God can do when we partner with Him and He comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)
We must not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27), we must not allow the enemy to deceive us and we must know that He who is within us is greater than he who is in the world.
God is the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Lord of LORDS and King of KINGS, and with the Sovereign LORD by our side, no weapon forged against us will prevail, and we will refute every tongue that accuses us! (Isaiah 54:17)
Prepared By God
Saul told David that he was not able to go out against the Philistine and fight him, because he was only a young man, and Goliath had been a warrior from his youth.
But David told Saul that he had been keeping his father's sheep and when a lion or bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, he went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth.
When it turned on him, he seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. He told Saul that he had killed both the lion and the bear and that this uncircumcised Philistine would be like one of them, because he had defied the armies of the living God.
The LORD who rescued him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear would rescue him from the hand of the Philistine.
Saul told David to go, and the LORD be with him.
The LORD Is With Us!
David, wearing his ordinary clothes as he was unused to wearing heavy armour and unable to walk in it, took his staff in his hand.
He chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
With only basic materials, and no armour, David went forward fearlessly, bold as a lion, and Goliath, with his shield-bearer in front of him, kept coming closer.
He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.
Goliath cursed David by his gods, telling him he would give his flesh to the birds and the wild animals, but David wasn't deterred.
Taking Authority
David told the Philistine that he came against him with sword and spear and javelin, but that he comes against Goliath in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom he had defied.
He told Goliath that on that day, the LORD would deliver him into his hands, and he would strike him down and cut off his head.
That very day he would give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world would know that there was a God in Israel.
All those gathered would know that it was not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle was the LORD's, and He would give all of them into their hands.
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
Decisive Action
Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead.
The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. (1 Samuel 17)
The Impossible Becomes Possible
With God, nothing is impossible, even the word itself changes meaning when you add the missing element.
I'm possible.
I'm possible because God is in it.
With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)
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 8:28)
Speaking Things Into Being
Prophesy is an important part of commanding, directing and breathing life into being.
If we go back to Genesis, when God created everything, He spoke things into being, and it was so.
Jesus described his friend Lazarus as having fallen asleep, and that he was going to wake him up, but he was speaking of his death. (John 11:11)
Lazarus was in a cave with a stone laid across the entrance and by this time there was a bad odour, for he had been there for four days.
Jesus reminded Martha that if she believed, she would see the glory of God, so they took away the stone.
Raising Lazarus
Jesus thanked God that He had heard him, for he knew that he always heard him.
In a loud voice, Jesus called "Lazarus, come out!"
And the dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, and the Jews who had followed, to take off his grave clothes and let him go.
In 3 simple words, speaking directly to Lazarus, calling him by his name and telling him to come out, and just like that, Lazarus was roused from sleep and returned to the land of the living.
Putting God First
We must continually ask God to fill us with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9-12)
We must put God first in all that we do, making time, dedicating time, giving Him our first fruits of the day, before we get busy, and seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to us as well. (Matthew 6:33)
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:30-32)
We must lay everything at God's feet and He will guide our steps.
God's Spirit Lives In Our Midst
We must bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there be food in God's house.
And God tells us to test Him in this, and see if He will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)
We must aspire to living God's word all the time, growing in faith and giving Him all the glory.
We are to fear nothing, for the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
For God knitted us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27), breathed into our nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7), we ourselves are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in our midst. (Romans 8:9)
Fresh Oil & New Blessings
Every day brings with it fresh oil (Psalm 92:10) to grease the wheels of life and new blessings.
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
We mustn't allow the things of this world to take our focus and attention away from what God is doing, and we must keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him.
We must nurture and nourish ourselves and offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is our true and proper worship.
A Living Sacrifice
We are not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
Then we will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we must do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
For no word from God will ever fail. (Luke 1:37)
And as we prophesy God's will into existence, the heavens will open, the ocean will part and the way will open us in front of our very eyes, amen.
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