I started on the Joseph story today. It seems fitting because it's really a story of waiting, of endurance, of fighting temptation. And that is the season I am in now.
Joseph had some amazing dreams. God given dreams! But all Joesph could see was his dreams led him into a dark pit, rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery in Egypt, thrown into prison. Years of waiting! Years! All of his youth..
And he was tempted. Potiphar's wife tempted him over and over to sleep with her. But he overcame that temptation and told her it was sinful. And because he did what was right what was his reward? He was falsey accused and thrown in jail! Joseph overcame temptation, he endured, he waited...
I can understand some of what Jospeh went through. Having been falsey accused myself, losing my job, and now just waiting, and waiting. Not knowing what God's plan is in all this. But just having to wait. Having to trust. And wait..and having to overcome the temptations of sliding back into habitual sin. Learning to endure.
God has given me a vision. A dream.
Just like Jospeh, I too must go through a preparation time. When Joseph was serving Potiphar and when he was in jail he was put in charge. He oversaw Potiphar's house. He oversaw the jail. God was preparing him to one day oversee all of Egypt.
Does it seem like your dreams are gone? Does it seem like God has forgotten you?
Well, be of good cheer because your dream is not dead and God is with you. If your dream or vision is from the Lord then He will finish what He started. We can't always understand the plan but know that God is in the midst of it all and He is preparing you.
I know He is preparing me. So, I must endure. I must be patient. I must overcome.
I must wait.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Horn of My Salvation
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalm 18:2
When I was reading Psalm 18 in verse 2 it talks about how God is the horn of my salvation. So, I asked myself...what does that mean? Why did the Psalmist use a reference to a horn?
I do know that horns were used in battle back in the day. Even thinking about scenes from "Lord of the Rings" where when people were in trouble they would sound the horn and everyone would come to their aid. I am sure at the time the old testament was written horns were a symbol of salvation especially when used in a battle.
I was doing some research on it and find one article that really caught my attention. I loved it so much I just have to share!
The Horn of My Salvation
By James Macpherson
If you’ve studied entomology you’d be aware that different groups of creatures have different names. For instance, a group of fish is called a school. Ants are called colonies and bees are called a swarm. Cattle are herds, birds are flocks, and a tribe of lions is a pride. For what it’s worth, a group of buzzards is called a committee!
Did you know a group of rhinos is called a crash?
The amazing thing about Rhinos is how fast they can run. Believe it or not, a rhino can run about thirty miles per hour which is pretty amazing considering how much weight they are carrying! They are actually faster than squirrels which can run about twenty-six miles per hour.
Here’s the bizarre thing. Rhinos have terrible eyesight. They can only see about thirty feet in front of themselves. So they are running thirty miles an hour with no idea what’s at thirty-one feet!
You would think they’d be timid creatures because they can’t see very far in front of themselves. But God, in his amazingly creative foresight, gave rhinos a big horn on the front of their head. The Rhino may not know what's ahead, but he does know the horn will be his salvation.
Sometimes I wonder if we need a 'Crash' of Christians! Yes, the future is uncertain. But we need to charge ahead with new and daring initiatives anyway.
Too many leaders are too afraid to have a go because of all the unknowns. But there is a future to be created and a city to be reached. Instead of worrying about all the things we don't know, it's time to crash through to new levels because of what we do know!
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for He has visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David." - Luke 1v69
The Bible calls Jesus "the horn of salvation", raised up for us! It's time to crash through into the unknown!
When I was reading Psalm 18 in verse 2 it talks about how God is the horn of my salvation. So, I asked myself...what does that mean? Why did the Psalmist use a reference to a horn?
I do know that horns were used in battle back in the day. Even thinking about scenes from "Lord of the Rings" where when people were in trouble they would sound the horn and everyone would come to their aid. I am sure at the time the old testament was written horns were a symbol of salvation especially when used in a battle.
I was doing some research on it and find one article that really caught my attention. I loved it so much I just have to share!
The Horn of My Salvation
By James Macpherson
If you’ve studied entomology you’d be aware that different groups of creatures have different names. For instance, a group of fish is called a school. Ants are called colonies and bees are called a swarm. Cattle are herds, birds are flocks, and a tribe of lions is a pride. For what it’s worth, a group of buzzards is called a committee!
Did you know a group of rhinos is called a crash?
The amazing thing about Rhinos is how fast they can run. Believe it or not, a rhino can run about thirty miles per hour which is pretty amazing considering how much weight they are carrying! They are actually faster than squirrels which can run about twenty-six miles per hour.
Here’s the bizarre thing. Rhinos have terrible eyesight. They can only see about thirty feet in front of themselves. So they are running thirty miles an hour with no idea what’s at thirty-one feet!
You would think they’d be timid creatures because they can’t see very far in front of themselves. But God, in his amazingly creative foresight, gave rhinos a big horn on the front of their head. The Rhino may not know what's ahead, but he does know the horn will be his salvation.
Sometimes I wonder if we need a 'Crash' of Christians! Yes, the future is uncertain. But we need to charge ahead with new and daring initiatives anyway.
Too many leaders are too afraid to have a go because of all the unknowns. But there is a future to be created and a city to be reached. Instead of worrying about all the things we don't know, it's time to crash through to new levels because of what we do know!
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for He has visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David." - Luke 1v69
The Bible calls Jesus "the horn of salvation", raised up for us! It's time to crash through into the unknown!
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