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Isn’t it exciting to come across a bit of prophecy in Scripture and suddenly recognize it for what it is? And it’s even better when you realize that it is unfolding right before your very own eyes! I love when that happens.

It doesn’t happen often but when it does it can be stunning. Even more so when we stumble across a Scriptural gem just sitting there plain-as-day that we never “noticed” before and no one has introduced to us previously. That’s when things get really exciting!

Daniel, a personal hero of mine, was a man who was given many prophetic dreams and visions. And yet, I can imagine Daniel had that same stunned and excited feeling when he discovered relevant prophecy in the writings of other prophets.

We know of one such instance:

In the first year of his (Darius) reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2 KJV Unmasked)

Daniel came to his understanding in the first year of Darius. That was also the first year of Cyrus who set the fulfillment of that very prophecy in motion (see Ezra 1:1). So Daniel came to understand the prophecy on the verge of its unfolding. His response holds an interesting lesson which we will consider in a moment. But let’s consider something more basic first.

How did Daniel work out that bit of prophetic understanding? Even though Daniel didn’t tell us I think it’s easy enough to figure out. Let’s look at Jeremiah. Here are the verses that were likely the key that the Spirit used to unlock Daniel’s understanding:

For thus saith YHWH, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith YHWH, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith YHWH: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith YHWH; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. (Jeremiah 29:10-15 KJV Unmasked)

Wow! That was it? Sitting there right out in the open. And yet it apparently took Daniel decades to notice it. It’s impossible to imagine this was the first time he had read those words. He had to have been over eighty years old at that point!

The more believable explanation is that the words never “hit home” for Daniel before then. He had read them on previous occasions but they had never made an impression on him. That’s how Scripture is often times. It’s almost always very plain, open, and easy to understand…at the right time.

The Holy Spirit is involved in presenting the truths of Scripture to us as we need to become aware of them. The trick is for us to be continually (ie. daily) in Scripture to allow the Spirit to reveal His truth to us at the right time.

But besides exposing ourselves to YHWH’s Word regularly, there is another vitally important lesson for us learn by example from Daniel’s “discovery.” Let’s continue where we left off with the Daniel passage:

And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto YHWH my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; (Daniel 9:3-4 KJV Unmasked)

Why did Daniel respond this way to his understanding the relevance of Jeremiah’s prophecy to himself? There is a very subtle lesson here that is easy to miss if we just assume that Daniel’s response was random or generic in nature.

I think Daniel did something more important than simply react to his discovery. Rather, Daniel acted in fulfillment of the prophecy when he realized it’s application to him. Let’s look again at the prophecy in Jeremiah:

For thus saith YHWH, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith YHWH, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith YHWH: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith YHWH; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. (Jeremiah 29:10-15 KJV Unmasked)

See that? YHWH said He would accomplish what He wanted done by Babylon in seventy years. At that point, Judah would turn to Him and seek Him earnestly and diligently. Then He would turn away Judah’s captivity.

Daniel not only understood the prophecy, he understood the response of Judah that would lead them out of captivity. As a man of Judah taken captive, Daniel understood and acted upon the role Judah would play in the fulfillment of the prophecy. He turned to YHWH with prayer and repentance as indicated in Jeremiah.

Compare the Jeremiah and Daniel verses again. Daniel not only understands that captivity time is drawing to a close, but he also understands that the people of Judah will respond to YHWH in a certain way at that point to bring the event about. So Daniel responds appropriately!

When the Holy Spirit reveals prophetic truth to us from Scripture it is for a reason that likely involves some kind of action by which we become a part of the fulfillment. That’s why we are given an understanding.

Even Daniel didn’t understand all the prophecy given him to write for a future generation. That’s because it was for someone else:

And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (Daniel 12:8-9 KJV Unmasked)

Daniel was given understanding of those things he needed to understand. The same goes for us, I believe. When we see for ourselves something from Scripture we can be sure that the Holy Spirit has revealed it to us for a reason. And what is that reason?

Usually it’s to get started preparing, responding, and/or teaching an application to the revelation. It is a call to present action in light of advance understanding of what is coming. We become a part of the fulfillment of prophecy when the Spirit shows it to us from Scripture and we respond in accordance to what has been revealed.

And what if you don’t see these things revealed so that you can respond? You will. But you need to be in Scripture regularly, all the while seeking the Spirit’s revelation of what you need to know today. If you don’t have a daily Scripture reading program that would be a great place to start.

Just read something, even only a chapter (5-10 minutes) each day. Before too long, you will be “noticing” verses as if for the first time. They will be ripe with meaning just for you.

Relax, be patient, and read. When the “gem” sparkles at you, grab it! Consider why the Spirit should have brought it especially to your attention. Then seek an understanding from the Holy Spirit as to how you might apply what He has shown you. Then you must apply it. He won’t keep showing you new things if you refuse to follow through on what He has already shown you.

Eventually, He will show you prophecy that applies to you. But at first it is more likely that your revelations will be moral or relational (with Him) in nature. Those are far more common. But they are just as exciting when they appear. You know they are hand picked by the Spirit just for you!

So let’s keep in Scriptures daily and respond with action. And when the Holy Spirit reveals something prophetic to us we will be prepared to respond. And responding to revealed prophecy can be very fulfilling indeed!

Abba, Father, thank you for placing your Spirit within us to reveal to us your Word. Help us to expose ourselves to your Word regularly, help us to hear your Spirit in your Word, and help us to respond as your people. We ask this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Life in this world can be unfair. And so, it seems sometimes, can life in the Kingdom. It is not uncommon for those of us committed to following Messiah Yeshua to be called to experience hardship in our lives. And that is especially so in the course of our service to Him. But others are not. Is that fair?

Sure, those difficult times we experience are lovingly designed by our Father to shape our moral character, humility, and dependence upon Him for our provision and protection. But what about those who never seem to be so “blessed?” What about them?

When Peter was informed of his eventual martyrdom in service to the Kingdom he responded as thus:

Peter seeing him (John) saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. (John 21:21-22 KJV)

That is the bottom line for us, too. We follow Him. It is not our concern how others are called to serve. We must focus our attention on Him as we serve Him in the situation to which He has brought us. We must not focus on where He brings others in their walk with Him. Or apparent walk with Him. More on that later.

We must remind ourselves of Yeshua’s words to Peter whenever we are tempted to look around and wonder why some other believer has it easier than us right now. There is an important reason to do so. If we don’t, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy. We put ourselves at risk of falling out, rather than following on.

The Accuser of the Brethren is also the Accuser of YHWH. And so he invites us to place our focus on others who seem to have “a better deal” than we do. In so doing, he leads our focus away from YHWH and onto ourselves–and what YHWH hasn’t done for us.

He wants us to despair at our own treatment, envy the treatment of others, and then get us angry at YHWH because of disparities, real or (usually) imagined.

The Accuser’s strategy is to call into question motives. We’ve observed that in Scripture. He called YHWH’s motives into question with Eve for a prohibition against eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden. He questioned Job’s motives before YHWH and suggested that Job was only faithful so far as he had been blessed. And we’ve experienced that questioning of motives in our own lives, haven’t we?

That’s a signature strategy of his. I can always tell when someone is working for the enemy when I observe them questioning others’ motives constantly. They expose themselves by ever trying to sow doubt and discord among the brethren by attempting to get the gullible into questioning motives when there is no reason to do so.

Usually there is a lie, or at least a half-truth, involved. Satan’s servants are masters of this tactic. This is why, more likely than not, you have experienced defeated congregations in your past. They gave in to the Accuser’s siren call. The Accuser’s servants sowed discord and in response most took their eyes of the Leader and focused on everybody else, including themselves.

So let’s not get “suckered” into that one. It’s easy to stay safe–just keep in step with the Spirit. But many don’t. Don’t get caught up with them.

The enemy wants us discouraged. He wants us be be ineffective. He wants us infected with anger and envy in order to further spread the disease of discord and disharmony.

And if he can get us to question and doubt the goodness and fairness of YHWH on top of all that, then all the better in his wicked book. He’s tricky. You’ll be fine if you keep in step with the Spirit, who leads us clear of all involvement in such destructive behavior. If we listen.

And I must include here a special variation of his game that is a standard in his playbook. Getting us to doubt YHWH’s goodness by tempting us to compare ourselves to impostors he himself has rewarded. Keep in mind these verses:

If you endure discipline, Elohim (God) is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become sharers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. (Hebrews 12:7-8 The Scriptures 1998+)

It might just be that some around us don’t go through the shaping process because they are not really being conformed to the image of the Son.

Don’t think the Accuser doesn’t take special pleasure in holding up one of his impostors, an illegitimate son, in order to use that person to accuse YHWH even more falsely in our eyes.

The strategy of the enemy of our faith is to attempt to get us to shift our focus from serving YHWH in our trials to doubting the goodness and justice of YHWH because of those trials. Though the circumstances were a bit different, the words of Yeshua to Peter apply here: “What is that to you? You follow me.”

It is helpful to put everything in perspective as we repeat His words to ourselves. Biblical perspective. One such verse that is helpful it:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:28-31 KJV)

You know other verses that might be helpful in clarifying the truth of the matter to yourself. But all those verses point to this: He has big plans for us. That’s why He is leading us into the places, events, circumstances and trials in which we find ourselves. They are grooming us for a glorious future. But we must fully follow Him where He leads us as individuals within a broader Kingdom. We must not let ourselves be tricked into a falling out before we arrive!

Abba, Father, thank you for your many great and precious promises to us whereby we may lay hold of life and godliness. We recognize that involves hardship as measured by the world’s standards. During those times, we ask that you would help us to continue to focus on your faithfulness and goodness in completing the work you have begun in us. Help us to recognize when your enemy attempts to lead us astray from you and help us keep in step with your Spirit so that we may stay on course with what you have called us to do and become in your Kingdom. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Don’t miss a Minute Message! Get it delivered daily to your e-mail. Simple and free sign-up with this form!

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

We didn’t choose Messiah because of our great wisdom or because of our great moral clarity. It was by His choice we saw the truth of His Word and the truth of our moral condition and acted upon those truths. And it is also by His choice that we bear fruit:

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16 KJV)

We have been chosen as Messiah’s people for a reason: to bear fruit. What variety? The best kind. The kind that endures! In other words, the kind of fruit that has lasting value. And we have been promised whatever resources we need to bear that fruit. We merely have to ask for what we need. So why doesn’t it feel that way so often?

Perhaps it’s because we are trying to bear fruit as an act of the will or by manipulation rather than by letting it just be a natural occurrence based upon who we are. Perhaps we should focus our attention on cultivating the “tree” and allowing the “fruit” to occur as a natural by-product of a healthy fruit-bearing tree.

When we plant a fruit tree, fruit is not produced as an act of our will. Rather, fruit-bearing is the natural outcome. We can only work on giving the tree the best growing conditions and proper care possible whereby it can proceed to producing fruit naturally. The same is true in our faith.

We definitely have been equipped to bear fruit in our lives. In fact, that is our purpose. We have been ordained to bear fruit. But we can’t produce fruit as an act of the will. What we must do is seek the best conditions for our faith to bear “fruit” naturally.

We can find some great clues as to how to do that by reconsidering the parable of the Sower. You can find that in Mark 4:3-20. That parable should more appropriately be called the parable of the “soil” because that was the determining factor in success of the seed sown.

Though the parable of the soil addresses the fate of sown seeds of faith, it also holds clues useful to us. Our faith grows and is established so much better, and is thus able to naturally bear more fruit, when we give our attention to the “soil” in which our faith lives and grows.

To keep our “soil” good we do well to paying attention to the rocks, weeds, and predators that enter even after our faith has taken root and is established. We have been uniquely equipped to do this by the Holy Spirit. He is our “master gardener,” so to speak, and we do well to attend to those things He tells us in order to keep our faith healthy.

In due season, a healthy faith will produce good fruit. Bushels of it! So let’s consider some lessons learned from the parable of the soil to which we may look to the Spirit for direction in care of our already established faith.

We gain depth in our faith when our heart is kept “soft” to His word. We must allow the Spirit to carry out all work necessary to break up and remove the “rocks” in our lives which prevent our faith from becoming deeply rooted.

Sin is the rock in our hearts which block out the roots of faith. Some rocks are removed easily, others require some digging. But once removed, roots grow happily and eagerly. So too with our faith.

By being freed up to become deeply rooted more easily, our faith has more energy to devote to fruit production. Most importantly, thus deeply rooted, our faith is able to withstand the inevitable “droughts” that we will all experience.

We must also be sure to attend to “weeds” the Spirit points out to us as soon as we are made aware of them. We can’t let them take root or they will spread until they have overgrown everything.

In the parable we are considering anew today, the weeds are the cares and lusts of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. And those will definitely keep an established faith from full fruit production. They usually end all production.

I have seen countless believers’ previously established faith choked out completely by cares and lusts of the world, and also the deceitfulness of riches. You likely have too. There is no fruit born in their lives today because all energy of their faith is choked out. There may never be fruit again. We can only pray the Spirit will revive what has been severely neglected.

We further protect our faith when we heed the Spirit’s warnings and instructions about predators. Seeds get eaten by birds. But there are all kinds of other predators that will destroy a seed after it has begun to grow, and indeed throughout every stage of its life.

So too, Satan the bird in the parable becomes Satan the rabbit gnawing at the base of our tender growth in the faith. He becomes Satan the deer who eats the leaves off our branches and starves our roots. He becomes Satan the worm, that bores into our established roots, or Satan the worm that infests what little fruit we see come forth. There are all kinds of ways predators, all motivated by the anti-messiah, tries to destroy our faith and our ability to bear fruit in Messiah’s Kingdom.

But remember too what happened with the seed sown in the good soil. It produces fruit! But also remember this: The plant doesn’t go from seed to fruit overnight. Especially the lasting, or valuable, kind. There is a period of growth before its fruit bearing stage begins. To get to that stage as healthy as possible, and thus in a condition to be able to bear as much as possible, fruit tree keepers work hard.

But they work hard on other things than on producing the fruit. They work hard at making and maintaining the best conditions possible for the tree to grow in a healthy and unhindered way. And that results in the desired outcome: abundant fruit!

We should do the same with out faith. We can’t force fruit, but we can cultivate the conditions for our faith in which fruit production may best become healthy and abundant. With real fruit we care for the fruit tree. With the fruit of our faith, we care for our faith. We do that by paying heed and following the directions of the the Master Gardener of our faith: the Spirit!

Abba, Father, we ask that you would reveal to us new things by your parable of the soil. By your Spirit, help us see the condition of the soil our faith grows in today and help us heed His instruction so we may have improved soil in which our faith may grow and produce much fruit for your Kingdom. We ask these things with much love and thanksgiving in the Name of Yeshua our Messiah, Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Don’t miss a Minute Message! Get it delivered daily to your e-mail. Simple and free sign-up with this form!

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Here’s an excerpt from a great prayer:

Endow us and all Thy people Israel with peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy. Oh our Father, do Thou cause Thy divine light to shine upon every one of us….

Awesome request: YHWH’s goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy…lay it on us! Let’s continue with the prayer:

…for by Thy divine light, O Lord our God, hast thou revealed to us the Torah, which sustains life, which teaches the love of kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life, and peace.

From The Prayer Book, Translated and arranged by Ben Zion Bokser.

Whoa! Hold up there a minute! What’s that about Torah? Is this prayer actually implying that the answer to the prayer for “peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy” is to be found by receiving a divinely inspired understanding of Torah? …Torah which teaches those things?!

Yes it does.

I’ll bet you think this is the prayer of a “Messianic” Jew, don’t you? Well, it’s not. This prayer, from the “Amidah,” has been recited for centuries (twice daily for almost an entire lifetime) by the people whose lives revolve around Torah. Well, not Torah alone, but that’s another article.

Suffice it to say for our purposes here that all their focus is on Torah, though their approach to Torah is based on tradition. But the bottom line: It comes from a people whose faith is not shaped by the New Covenant or the New Testament.

It is significant that they seem to not view Torah as oppressive but rather as the path to the love of such virtues as peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy.

That anyone should find the love of those qualities through Torah might be surprising to some. That’s because most of us were introduced to Torah from a western Gentile mindset. From that viewpoint it is hard to see how anyone, let alone an entire people who has sought to live under Torah for millennia, view it in such a…well… positive light.

The reason for the disparity in viewpoint lies in the fact that, by and large, Torah has been taught to us from a skewed and biased perspective. In other words, we have not been taught Torah in truth. Torah has usually been presented to us as the oppressive and unreasonable demands of a cantankerous and mean god of the “Old Testament.”

But that is a picture of a god that comes from the Greek mindset. Think back to your high-school days of Greek mythology. That’s how they acted. But the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was not a Greek myth. And He certainly wasn’t of the same character. Thankfully.

If we really want to gain a biblically-based, and therefore true, understanding of the nature of YHWH we have to develop our understanding of Him based on His revelation of Himself in the Bible. And in both the Tanakh (Jewish name for what many call the “Old” Testament) and the New Testament (which many mistakenly think is the “New Covenant” — yet another article) we find the same Spirit.

We find the same Spirit, that is, if we are not biased against finding Him in Torah by our preconceived notions. And that is vitally important to us in pursuing a godly character because it is in the Tanakh where He largely reveals His character to His people. All of His people. That means those of us under His New Covenant.

And further, Yeshua calls us by His Spirit to live lives of “peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy” as His New Covenant people. He has equipped us for the call as well.

Under our New Covenant relationship with Him, the Spirit produces in our lives “peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy” as we keep in step with Him. (Check out the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22.)

Do you desire to find more peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy in your life? How about a love for those things? I encourage all to re-read Torah from an unbiased mindset. On your re-read, try to discover where the viewpoint could have developed that a love of peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy is to be found through Torah.

Who knows? The Spirit, the same One who inspired the written Torah, and now places the living Torah in your heart under the New Covenant, might just show you some new ways of walking with Him that really aren’t so new after all.

Abba Father, teach us to know you in all the ways you have revealed yourself to all your people for all ages. We ask that the understanding by your Spirit would lead to peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy in our lives. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Some sorrow is good for the soul. It’s not often something we seek, but sorrow can work something in us that is highly desirable. But we must experience the right kind of sorrow to reap a benefit. The wrong kind can destroy us.

Paul had written a particularly pointed and hard letter to the Corinthian believers regarding some particularly grievious sins. They took heed to what he said and it brought about good results. In his next letter Paul wrote:

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (2 Corinthians 7:9-10 KJV)

Godly sorrow brings about results we would not want to change even though the process to get there was unpleasant. But there is another kind of sorrow: the sorrow of the world.

The sorrow of the world seeks to condemn and destroy. The sorrow of YHWH seeks to point us in the direction of His open door to forgiveness. And that is in order to build us up in His righteousness. The world’s sorrow seeks our destruction and defeat, godly sorrow seeks our deliverance and victory.

When we feel godly sorrow our discomfort is in knowing that we are out of step with the Spirit and He is calling us to return. The door has been left wide open for us to do so whenever we are willing:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 KJV)

That is a promise. He doesn’t maybe forgive us and sweep away a bit of unrighteousness. The text says He is “faithful” and “just” to forgive us. It goes on to say He cleanses us from “all” unrighteousness. The promise if based on the character of YHWH. You can bank on it. But we must confess our sins. And how are we led to the point of repentance and confession? Godly sorrow works wonders in that area!

Worldly sorrow, on the other hand, leaves no room for hope. Only despair and depression. At best, worldly sorrow offers only a shadowy glimpse of imagined forgiveness at the end of self-flaggelation (beating) and complicated acts of atonement. But at the end of that road is more sorrow and still guilt remains.

Are you experiencing guilt about something in your past or present? Turn it into godly sorrow by allowing it to move you to repentance. “Repentance” means to change your thinking, which results in a change in action. Sorrow is not repentance. It just leads us there.

Godly sorrow (a feeling) leads to repentance (an action) and brings about results we would not want to change (peace with YHWH and being placed back in step with the Spirit).

Having repented (making the decision to turn away from the sin), we confess our sin to YHWH. He has already promised we will be forgiven. We now put aside sorrow with the knowledge, by faith, that we have been forgiven and cleansed from our sin.

We are then usually led by the Spirit to make restitution of some sort, physical or verbal. We follow through on that, not as a means of attaining forgiveness, but as a way of following the Spirit in acts of righteousness to work the will of YHWH in the world.

There is no sorrow left at all after responding appropriately to godly sorrow. Only grace, mercy, righteousness, peace, and rejoicing. And that is a result, as Paul wrote, not to be repented of!

Father, we thank you for the sorrow that comes rightly from you as we know that it is meant for our good and to produce a harvest of righteousness in our lives. We ask that you would search our hearts and reveal to us those areas and activities that we should repent from and seek forgiveness from you. Grant us the sorrow over those issues that will lead to repentance and rejoicing in righteousness. Protect us from worldy sorrow as we know it is a tool of the enemy to imprison and make ineffective your servants. We thank you for your continued and boundless mercies and grace in our lives. We ask that your Name and your Kingdom would be glorified in us. And we ask that in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Don’t miss a Minute Message! Get it delivered daily to your e-mail. Simple and free sign-up with this form!

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Evil had successfully infiltrated the ranks of believers by the time the apostle John wrote what we call his third epistle. Evil had gained such a foothold among certain congregations that the leadership in at least one congregation had taken to rejecting even the apostle John himself! (See 3 John 1:9)

That particular congregation must have been a mess. They apparently lacked the discernment or the will, or both, to stop following a leader that was rebellious to the work of the kingdom. That leader, Diotrephes, apparently had undertaken the task of building his own little kingdom.

Writing in the environment of whole congregations being waylaid from Kingdom work by evil, John wrote to a trusted friend in the Gospel:

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. (3 John 1:11 KJV)

Often, in a culture steeped in wrongdoing, and some congregations are steeped in such a culture, it can become hard to separate ourselves from wrongdoing. But that separation, or “sanctification,” from the world’s value system is exactly what we are called to do as New Covenant believers.

John’s words are clear: those that follow evil do not know YHWH. Those that follow good do. So it behooves us, who do know YHWH, to follow the good and reject the evil. That is who we are under the New Covenant.

Look around your own world today. Anywhere you turn, whether country, community, congregation, or even family, there is probably wrongdoing that might be easy to fall into imitating.

Where can we find refuge from all these bad influences and examples? It is not to be found outside of us, but within. The bastion of defense against evil is not our congregation, our family, our community, or our country. It is our heart and mind. That is where the fight takes place and that is where the defense is to be made.

Country, community, congregation and family can and should be set up to promote a culture of righteousness. But even when successful at doing that, the battle is still to be won or lost at the level of individual hearts and minds.

The battle is up to each one of us, wherever we are, as servants of the King and workers in His Kingdom. And we have been well equipped for that fight. But we must make the decision to follow the good and not the evil, as John wrote to his friend and partner Gaius.

How? Whole books have been written about that. Some great, some terrible. But the most basic starting point is simple. We must daily nourish our faith by feeding our mind with the Word of YHWH.

While doing that, we must let the Word be absorbed into our spirit by the Holy Spirit within us. He enables us to interact with, and receive, the Truth of the Word.

And finally we must exercise our faith in order to turn all of that absorbed nourishment into muscle. We exercise our faith by doing what the Word of YHWH says to do. We do that effectively by keeping in step with the Spirit who shows us how to apply the Word according to YHWH’s will.

Some become spiritual “couch” potatoes by engorging themselves with a little bit of the Word of YHWH, a whole lot of reprocessed and artificial theology, and then sit around as “armchair theologians” calling the plays for everyone else while judging everybody else’s performance and strategy but their own. Let’s not follow that way either!

It is a foundational concept of Scripture that those who follow evil are not of YHWH. We are of YHWH. So it is a given that we are followers of good and not evil. We should be like those famous monkeys: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, and do no evil.

Beloved, John was writing to us even though his intended audience was Gaius. Let’s seek out the good and then follow it for we have indeed seen YHWH!

Abba Father, we thank you for calling us into your Kingdom and making us your people. You are indeed our Elohim and we desire to follow your way. We reject the way of evil. We ask for forgiveness, as you taught us to do, when we get off the track of good you have called us to. We thank you for your many mercies and great and precious promises whereby we might lay hold of life and godliness. Help us to understand and take hold of those gifts to us. We praise you and thank you, and ask these things, in the name of our Messiah, Yeshua. Amen.

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For many, these are times of want and need. Within that want and need lies abundant opportunity to grow in our character. Not just through perseverance and patience, but also in the act of turning to our Heavenly Father and asking Him to fulfill our needs or desires.

A good many folks shy away from asking YHWH/God for anything because they fear they are being selfish. But the act of asking YHWH for a lot, and often, is actually good for building a godly character! This can be seen by taking a look at some of the the scriptural principles of asking YHWH for what we seek. Here are some biblical principles to get started with:

Ask in the First Place
Often times we don’t directly ask YHWH for what we want. Wishing and asking are two different things. Asking recognizes the giver, wishing recognizes the lack and doubts the provider. Ponder this promise:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)

By developing the habit of asking YHWH for our needs and wants, we grow in our awareness that He is our provider of all things necessary and desired. We develop the character trait of trusting YHWH to provide for us rather than trusting in ourselves.

Ask Without Doubt
Faith and doubt are opposites. The more faith one has, the less doubt. The more doubt, the less faith. And doubt is not a basis upon which we can think we will be answered:

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (James 1:6-7 KJV)

But even asking in doubt benefits us. It reveals to us our areas of doubt which are our weaknesses. It also shows us where we need to build up our faith.

Asking is serves as that faith-building exercise. So let’s get in there and pump up those faith muscles! Two factors are involved in building muscle: weight and repetition.

We build up our faith by asking often (repetition), and by making increasingly bigger requests (weight). Not too much faith right now? Start small, and then “increase the weight” little by little by stepping out a little bit further in faith each time. And ask often!

Keep Asking
How long? Until we receive what we seek or until we hear from YHWH why we don’t need it:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

Remember Paul who sought relief for a physical affliction that hindered his ministry. It turns out he had not understood how that affliction actually perfected his ministry. He might not have found this out if he had not asked in the first place:

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 KJV)

Notice how Paul ended up rejoicing that his prayers had not been answered! If we don’t ask, we might not find these things out. So we must ask until we receive either what we seek, or an understanding of why what we seek is not beneficial to us.

Asking may open the door to new insight in our relationship with YHWH, which will lead us to new levels of action in our faith.

Ask for the Right Reason
Of course, it is possible to ask for the wrong things. This is perhaps one of the greatest reasons people don’t end up getting their prayers answered. Here is one guideline:

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3 KJV)

We’re His people. He has an investment in us. He will not destroy us by giving us the means to destroy ourselves. But be careful. Satan is more than willing to step in and provide the tools of self-destruction. It is always appropriate to study our motives in asking for what we seek.

Asking is an opportunity to enter into self-reflection and turning our ear to listen to the Spirit in order to understand our motives. This will expose our hidden motives that are harmful to our character.

Be Wise
Asking is not an excuse for being lazy. YHWH may give us what we seek, but that does not mean we will not have to work for it. Many proverbs address the folly of laziness. YHWH may be trying to save us from such foolishness by requiring us to put in the effort in order to receive the blessing. Here is one such proverb:

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty). (Proverbs 14:23 KJV)

Sometimes it happens that the right thing to do is to get off our knees and get to work. Definitely ask, but don’t assume that asking will replace doing. He may provide our answer by opening doors, not the heavens.

Be Content
Ultimately He knows what is best for us. And He is also in control. Our current situation is where we need to be today, for whatever reason. There is something to be accomplished, or something to be learned. If we focus on our lack we will miss what “blessing in disguise” our lack provides for us.

It is fine to ask YHWH for what we need and desire. In fact it is an act of faith that is pleasing to YHWH. But it is also an act of faith pleasing to YHWH when we trust Him and accept that He has placed us in our current situation for a reason.

We must learn to be focused on Him today, not on today’s condition of lack or of abundance. Like Paul, we want to be able to say:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11 KJV)

That’s faith in action!

Be Patient
Finally, YHWH is wise in the way He blesses us. He may not be able to bless us immediately for the sake of not “blowing us out of the water” by overwhelming us. Keep in mind His promise to the wandering Israelites in regards to their promised land:

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. (Exodus 23:29-30 KJV)

As we can see from all these principles, the act of asking involves more than receiving or not receiving. It also involves shaping our character as the people of YHWH. So let’s ask, and ask often. In the process, we’ll be building the right character!

Father, teach us to ask you day by day for all the things we need. Help us to learn from our asking those things that will make us more like your Son, Yeshua. Show us what stands in the way of our prayers and help us to turn away from those things and toward you. We ask this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.
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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Yeshua promised us persecution. It is the mark of a true follower of Messiah and He taught us that we are blessed when we experience it. He also taught us that we should be very happy to find ourselves in the same lot as YHWH’s servants who have preceded us:

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12 KJV)

Note the keywords “for righteousness sake” and “falsely.” We are blessed when people revile, persecute and “say all manner of evil against” us falsely. The reason they make up all manner of stories is because they hate our desire to live a righteous life under the New Covenant. And the stories are not true. If we are accused of wrongdoing for wrong we have actually done, that is not persecution.

If we strive to live by the Spirit we can expect (as in “count on it”) those who live by the flesh to become very nasty at times. I feel safe in assuming we all have personal experience to back up the experience of YHWH’s followers in scripture: few can be more vicious to His servants than the religious status quo.

But that is good. It separates the real from the fake. Persecution for our faith is a mark of authenticity. It is a mark that has been shared by Messiah Yeshua and all His servants throughout all the ages.

And we need not be overly concerned about those who undertake to work against YHWH by oppressing His servants. In fact, we need not be concerned about them at all. The matter already concerns YHWH and He is taking note. In fact, He is taking their actions very personally.

How do I know this? Just look between the lines of the parable told by Yeshua as recorded in Matthew 25:32-46.

You’ll recall that in “the end of days” the righteous and the cursed are separated into two groups like goats and sheep. Our Messiah commends the righteous for ministering to Him in the hours of His greatest needs. Astonished, they respond:

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:37-40 KJV)

Obviously Messiah has taken very personally the mercies and ministering extended to the very least among us. Doing good to them was counted as doing good directly to Messiah.

As for the cursed, Messiah orders condemnation to Hell. The goats, like the sheep, are astonished:

Then shall they [the cursed of 25:41] also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25:44-45 KJV)

Every time the needs of even the least among us are ignored Messiah is personally offended. Presumably these cursed “goats” had the ability to do something for the needs they saw but chose not to do so. Ignoring those needs was counted directly as ignoring the needs of Messiah!

So we have those who served Messiah by serving the needy. And we also have those who ignored the Messiah by ignoring the needy. But missing from the parable is another group that is appears in Scripture and in life: those who outright oppress the needy.

There are some who would be doing a great service to the needy just by ignoring them. Instead, they seek to cause harm out of fear, envy, greed, pride, selfishness and a host of other flesh-inspired motivations. What might Messiah say to them in that day of judgement?

We don’t know but, following the parable’s formula, it might go something like this:

“I was hungry, and you stole my bread by making it impossible for me to find work or to be even mildly profitable in business. I was thirsty and you poisoned my well and then encouraged my neighbor to withhold water from me. I was a stranger, and not only did you leave me out in the cold, you made sure I was shunned by any who might be inclined to take me in by telling all manner of lies to destroy my reputation and to cause people to fear me without cause. I was naked, and you sought to keep me uncovered and vulnerable. I was sick, and you made sure to try to weaken me unto death. I was imprisoned and you sought to add false accusations against me in order to further lock me away out of spite, fear, envy and jealousy.”

There are some who that fall in this unspoken category. Ironically, coming under the oppression of this group is a great opportunity and is therefore, a blessing.

To take advantage of the opportunity, we must not get suckered into joining their wickedness. Yeshua commanded that we repay evil with good. Their evil is our opportunity to be salt and light for Messiah.

And we must also focus on continuing in YHWH’s service without becoming discouraged. We must not allow our faith to be shipwrecked by evil-doers and evil-deeds committed against us as has happened to so many others.

Finally, we need to bear the “beatings” such persecutions bring as a servant of the Lord. We must rejoice because we find ourselves in the way of our Messiah, His apostles, and all His prophets and servants throughout history. Indeed, we find ourselves walking the same path as all who will live godly in Messiah:

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV)

You may not bear marks upon your body in your own situation, but the marks you bear upon your soul in service to YHWH are not in vain. Our Messiah is taking such actions very personally.

Father, we thank you for your Word that teaches us how to pursue paths of righteousness in a wicked and sin-twisted world. Grant us the grace and mercy to respond to evil with good and to bear up under testing with patience and faith in your protection and deliverance from our oppressors. Have mercy on our oppressors and grant to them the eyes to see their sin and the grace to repent and seek first your Kingdom and righteousness, as you have done for us. We thank you for the promises and hope we have in your Kingdom. We trust you will bring to pass all you have said and wait patiently for your vindication. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

YHWH has given us the very great gift of a New Covenant relationship with Him. Under the New Covenant we are made to be His people. This involves atonement for sin, becoming a new creation, and having our character formed to be like that of Yeshua through life-experience as we seek to keep in step with the Spirit.

Having our character formed to be like that of Yeshua is called “progressive sanctification.” Progressive sanctification is the process of becoming more and more set-apart (separated) from the world as we live life more and more line with the Kingdom of YHWH in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

As we pick up the call of Peter:

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:14-16 KJV)

What we do as believers under the New Covenant does matter. The more we identify with the world and live according to its godless and/or idolatrous practices the more we stand in the way of YHWH’s will for us. It is His will that we, as His people, be set apart from the world and conformed to the character of Yeshua.

While the benefit of progressive sanctification is our right as New Covenant children of YHWH, others benefit by it as well. By seeking first the Kingdom of YHWH and His righteousness, we are made participants in the great work He is doing to bring about His will in the world. This is a great blessing and gift. And a very great responsibility.

We are not forced into progressive sanctification any more than we were forced into the New Covenant. We must choose to seek that course in response to His call to do so. It is our responsibility to make the choices that reflect YHWH’s call on our lives.

On His part, He has provided a new heart in us, His Word, and His Spirit to enable us to pursue and successfully realize progressive sanctification. But we must make the choice to avail ourselves of the many great and precious promises He has given us whereby we might lay hold of a life of godliness.

In the course of daily life, some often don’t recognize when they are presented with a choice to be made between the world and YHWH. That is because sin can become so entrenched in our environment that it seems “normal” to us. We don’t recognize that something is amiss.

One such area that is prevalent among believers today, in my experience, is addressed in the book of Proverbs. In it we are presented with a list of seven things the Lord hates. He hates them so badly that they are called an abomination to Him! An abomination is “something that elicits extreme abhorrence, disgust, repugnance and aversion.” In other words, God really, really hates these seven things.

Lest we miss the regularly presented opportunities to make the right choices in these matters, we would do well to review that list briefly here.

Can you imagine what this list must include in order to be so offensive to the Lord? Surely, we would think, it must contain some vile items in order to be so repulsive to YHWH.

But chances are you will be surprised to find you personally know, and perhaps even consider as “godly,” some fellow believers who abide in more than one of the items on the list of things YHWH hates.

Let’s take a look:

These six things doth YHWH hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV (Unmasked))

If we read through the list casually or quickly we risk missing the impact of realizing that YHWH abhors some practices that are actually very common among some circles of “followers.” Let’s slow down and absorb what is listed in order to gain YHWH’s perspective and thus respond accordingly when we see them in our midst.

• Proud Look: If humility is a key to the kingdom of YHWH then pride will barricade the door. Consider that YHWH gives grace to the humble and resists the proud (James 4:6).

  So why do we sometimes extend our own grace to those who are most arrogant and condescending in our congregations? Is there anyone who speaks up for those who are looked down upon (or even just plain looked over) in our congregation? If not, then why is it not us?

  Better to risk offending a proud but prominent congregation member than risk offending YHWH by turning a blind eye to some situations.

• Lying Tongue: Have you ever been lied to by another believer in order for them to gain some advantage over you? Have you ever been mislead into believing something false by the words of a follower of Yeshua?

  I know some people who automatically grant great trust to others who make any kind of claim at all to prayer, Jesus, the Bible, or if they display any sort of religious items in their environment.

  I’ve seen those same people get burned big time by these religious play-actors, too. Lying is not a godly act, nor is it excusable. In fact, YHWH hates it. And don’t forget who Yeshua said is the father of all lies. “Who’s your daddy?” Might be a good question to ask in the congregation sometimes.

• Hands that Shed Innocent Blood: Aha! Here’s a big one: murder, right? But let’s look at this item again in context of the other items listed. John wrote: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15 KJV).

  What about “character assasination?” Isn’t that trying to destroy somebody by impugning their character, often falsely, out a motive of hatred? There are many I know personally who have “blood on their hands” from destroying the reputations of brothers and sisters in Messiah. I suspect many congregations are full of “murderers” of this variety.

• Heart that Deviseth Wicked Imaginations: Can you imagine a believer actually spending time and effort dreaming up, working out, and planning some scheme to hurt or cheat a fellow believer? Many former followers of Yeshua now despise any form of fellowship because they have been victimized by such as these.

• Feet Swift to Mischief: Know anybody who loves to be in the middle of every controversy? You know the type: gleefully stirring the pot, running here and there to act as talebearer, delighting in discord. Causing strife for anyone else is not entertainment. It is not doing the work of the Kingdom or YHWH. It is not a payback. It is sin. Abominable sin according to YHWH’s measure.

• False Witness Speaking Lies: This would include lying about others or spreading rumors. When a person repeats a rumor, especially when done in a way that suggests they are expressing fact, they act as a witness.

  Even if they are mistaken, they are still a false witness because they are acting like they know something when they haven’t even verified it for themselves. Scripture has much to say about being a gossip. And about being a false witness. Much that is too often ignored among the brethren.

• Sower of Discord Among Brethren: Yeshua said that peacemakers are blessed because they shall be called the children of YHWH. That’s because they are like their Father, who is a peacemaker. Why do some followers of Messiah get so much satisfaction out of fanning the flames of controversy between parties?

  Let’s not be fooled. This behavior is downright ungodly and is contrary to the purposes of YHWH among His people. No wonder it is abominable to Him!

Notice that the whole body (eyes, hand, heart, tongue, feet) is involved. These verses are directed to those who make it a very part of their physical being to do these things. They “abide” in their sin.

These are not sins that are repented of and forgiven (1 John 1:8-9). They are sins that are welcome and comfortable friends in some people’s lives. And they attack the body of Messiah while working contrary to the purposes and will of YHWH. They are an abomination to Him. As His people, with His Spirit in us, they should be an abomination to us as well.

So let’s take every opportunity in daily life to set ourselves apart from these seven things. That alone will take us a long way in our journey of progressive sanctification.

Father in Heaven, thank you for your New Covenant and for providing the way for us to enter into it with you. Grant us the grace and mercy to set ourselves apart from the world, being holy as you are holy. Help us especially to avoid the terrible sins in society, even among your people who remain immersed in society, by making us aware of how much you hate them. We are willing to be set apart from the world, Father. Please make it so in our daily lives. We ask this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Serving the Messiah, building His Kingdom, ministering to the needs of others in His Name. The work is never finished. In fact, it seems to increase the more we move forward.

But reading His Word, meeting Him in Prayer, being still and knowing that He is God… Somehow there never seems to be enough time to do those things too. They get pushed aside “until later” all too often…

Our intentions are good but there is so much to get done. And so little time to do it in. We tend to decide to get the pressing things done today because we feel pressure to act now. But we must stop ourselves!

Let’s catch our breath and remember Mary and Martha:

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42)

The need was NOW for Martha. Martha had received the Messiah into her house. She was the hostess and it was her responsibility to make sure the hospitality was in order.

The amount of work pressing on her caused her to feel burdened, hindered, and “cluttered-up” (that’s what “cumbered” means) from all the running around to serve the guests.

And there was Mary sitting down. True, it was at the Master’s feet to listen to His teaching. But harried Martha had her hands full. With Mary’s help, Martha might be able to sit down and learn that much sooner. Yeshua seemed slow to recognize this so exasperated Martha “nudged” Him a bit.

Yeshua’s words, a picture of grace and mercy in tone, likely caused Martha to sit down right then and there. Let’s listen again and try, once more, to really hear them this time:

Martha, thou art careful (ie. full of care) and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part…

How tempting it is to be “care-full” and troubled about many things as we serve our Messiah, trying to do all that is urgently needed. Ironically, if we take the bait, we end up not doing what was actually needed.

What isn’t needful is to be caught up in the many things we might easily be troubled and filled with care about as we minister to others. Yet all too often that is exactly what we occupy ourselves with. But we must learn to be different.

What is needful is that we be “caught up” in keeping a front-row seat with our Messiah. For me that means Bible reading, reflection, and prayer. These are the “living” things which are so easily put off until later so that we may undertake all the “dead” things that need to be laid to rest now. Poor choice. Messiah Yeshua told us the good choice: Him.

So now picture all of us, along with Mary and Martha, sitting at the Master’s feet listening. Who will be getting up to do a quick tidy-up? By YHWH’s grace, next time it won’t be me! How about you?

Abba, Father, thank you for your patience with us. Forgive us for those times when we are full of care and troubled about many things. Help us to focus on those things that are needful: to keep in close communion with you through daily prayer, Bible reading, and Spirit-led doing of your Word. Grant us the grace to be able to distinguish between the urgent and the important and help us to do those things that are most needful. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah, Yeshua. Amen.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
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