God’s Penchant for Excellence

JUDGES 1 on my mind.

(a) When we face issues, it is always a key to excellence to seek God for His Winning strategy. He has one – as well as THE EXACT PERSONELL FOR HIS STRATEGIC PLAN. If we stick to these, in faith, victory is guaranteed. (vv1-2]

(b) When we allow human power to lead us into decadent violation of other people’s rights to live as God created them to be, when we are unnecessarily cruel (hmmm…is cruelty ever necessary?) to those we believe are ‘beneath us’, it comes back to us. There is The Avenger Who never forgets presumptuous and un-repented sins against His Image in creation. (vv 6-7)

(c) This one I learnt from my son Leroy: God in His wisdom knows how to begin and expand families. His ways of doing these are often…supernatural, different from the norm. (vv 12-13)

(d) God is GENEROUS. He is not tightfisted. He does not think it offensive for us to ask Him for more – in Him of cause. He demands excellence so He gives excellence and excellently. (vv 13-14)

(e) Its important that when we ask of God to keep His promises to us, and He gives us instructions on our involvement in making these manifest – if any, that we perform excellently. This theme for me is key to this chapter. Don’t leave something undone, don’t settle for the status quo, just because its too hard…just because ‘its always been done a certain way’, of because ‘others there are too strong’…God knew all these before He made that promise, and sent in His troops – you and I. His Hosts – you and 1 in faith – are ALWAYS MORE than that of the adversary. He is INDOMITABLE, UNDEFEATABLE and WHENEVER we limit HIM to OUR limitations, we live lives that are piteously less than He desires for us to. And there are consequences to this…lapses in our faith in His Ability to see us through – to be Faithful to…even us. Consequences to us, and the generations that flow from us. When we decide to just live with it, or with them…and not DIRECTLY from HIS Counsel to us…people pay… (vv 19, 21, 27, 29-33). God’s Wisdom is Alpha and Omega…The Beginning and The End. He sees beyond our desire for immediate comfort – when an issue has not been perfected before Him…in Him.

Shalom.

vipslit@yahoo.ca

A Ground Broken

I heard Him say softly, with ALL Authority, ‘break up the fallow ground.’ I had become accustomed to the way things were; the tightness, the pain of rejection, the feeling of uselessness, bareness even, of being passed over so I had remained coiled in at His approach – but no other ground around me was fallow, so I knew He was referring to me.

I had seen it before, so I flinched. The workers came in first. Hoes, ‘slashers’ and pitchforks at hand. I flinched again as I watched them march resolutely onto my back, or was it my belly. Their hard boots pounded at at me, then their instruments begun to cut deeply into me. It hurt at first. Probably because I expected it to. But they were unrelenting in their obedience. Each at their post. I then begun to sense a relief, something akin to what they feel, when a boil is laced. Oh the liberty as they turned over my dust, my soil, removing what should not be there, unrelenting still. At the end of they day, they carted these away, and burnt it in a pit not too far off. I was surprised, but then again not, at the rubbish they had found in me, but glad they had it all out now. I rested better that evening.

The next day, the heavy artillery rode over me, cutting, pressing, I was sure I would die from it…they dug deeper and wider. It was faster and they were gone by mid-day. I wasn’t really a large piece of ground, one that was easy to walk over, forget even. Then I sensed His bare Feet walk over me. I knew they were His for there was a hole in both of them. He stepped in gently, scattering seed that fell gently on me. My open pores swallowed hungrily these promises of Resurrection and Life. I couldn’t wait to see what it was He had decided I was good for. But whatever it was, I knew He could only be Kind, Wise; He knew Eternity from Eternity – I was certain that whatever He made of me, would be ultimately pleasing to His Eyes. And wasn’t that the ultimate goal of all creation?

I cannot wait to lay my fruits at His Precious Feet – for this Life I bear, carries His image: I owe it ALL to Him.

Shalom. 

vipslit@yahoo.ca

A Ground Broken

I heard Him say softly, with ALL Authority, ‘break up the fallow ground.’ I had become accustomed to the way things were; the tightness, the pain of rejection, the feeling of uselessness, bareness even, of being passed over so I had remained coiled in at His approach – but no other ground around me was fallow, so I knew He was referring to me.

I had seen it before, so I flinched. The workers came in first. Hoes, ‘slashers’ and pitchforks at hand. I flinched again as I watched them march resolutely onto my back, or was it my belly. Their hard boots pounded at at me, then their instruments begun to cut deeply into me. It hurt at first. Probably because I expected it to. But they were unrelenting in their obedience. Each at their post. I then begun to sense a relief, something akin to what they feel, when a boil is laced. Oh the liberty as they turned over my dust, my soil, removing what should not be there, unrelenting still. At the end of they day, they carted these away, and burnt it in a pit not too far off. I was surprised, but then again not, at the rubbish they had found in me, but glad they had it all out now. I rested better that evening.

The next day, the heavy artillery rode over me, cutting, pressing, I was sure I would die from it…they dug deeper and wider. It was faster and they were gone by mid-day. I wasn’t really a large piece of ground, one that was easy to walk over, forget even. Then I sensed His bare Feet walk over me. I knew they were His for there was a hole in both of them. He stepped in gently, scattering seed that fell gently on me. My open pores swallowed hungrily these promises of Resurrection and Life. I couldn’t wait to see what it was He had decided I was good for. But whatever it was, I knew He could only be Kind, Wise; He knew Eternity from Eternity – I was certain that whatever He made of me, would be ultimately pleasing to His Eyes. And wasn’t that the ultimate goal of all creation?

I cannot wait to lay my fruits at His Precious Feet – for this Life I bear, carries His image: I owe it ALL to Him.

Shalom.

vipslit@yahoo.ca