"Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Proverbs 22:17 "Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise,

and apply thine heart unto my knowledge."

As I re-read chapter 22 and was praying for which verse to share on this morning, I remembered something from yesterday. I was in the midst of deep cleaning my desk....15 guests for Christmas Dinner is a great motivator to clean every nook and cranny...and came across a word study that I had gathered together earlier this year on the "EAR" and how important it is... So here are three examples from Scripture that I had found.

In 1 Samuel 3 we see that Samuel has his "EAR" trained. The LORD is speaking to Samuel, but he didn't recognize His voice...verse 7 tells us why: "Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him." But the LORD continues to speak to Samuel:

1 Samuel 3:8-10 " the LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am: you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told

Samuel, "Go and lie down and if he calls you, say, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

And then there's Moses ~ often times our ears are full with the things of Egypt and we need to get away from the noise of the world just like Moses...he had his training in quietness in the Toyr's desert...getting the noise of Egypt out of his ears so he could hear the fire tones of God's voice.

Exodus 3:3-4 "So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up" When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within

the bush, "Moses! Moses" And Moses said, "Here I am."

And my favorite verse to share is found in Isaiah:

"He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears...Isaiah 50:4b, 5a

He awakens Me morning by morning: Here in Isaiah, Our Messiah prophetically speaks of His daily, wonderful, deep fellowship with God the Father. It is in these times that Jesus heard from His Father, that He could say He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.

We see in all these passages of how our Father pursues Samuel, Moses and even Jesus. Seeking to spend time with them. Doing all that is necessary to get their attention, faithfully, persisting with Samuel, dramatic with Moses and with Jesus...He simply wakens the ear of our Messiah.

The response is the same with all three....they gave ear, their full attention to what the LORD was saying. "Speak, for your servant is listening." And He is calling to each of us as well. ..Do you hear Him?"

Blessings on your day,

Sharon

"It's a Battle Field Out There"

Proverbs 21:31 "The horses are prepared for battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD."

The horses are prepared for the battle...the question is, are we?

If we want to learn how to prepare for the "battles of life" we need to take a look at Joshua. He was facing a huge battle in Jericho...but first he had to win the war, the battle that was going on in his own heart.

The first thing Joshua observed was the visible battle that lay before him. The city of Jericho was a walled city that was six to eight stories high and several yards thick. Inside were well-armed and warlike people. What Joshua saw with his eyes was a huge giant.

We all have some kind of visible giant in our life. It may be sickness, attitudes of the heart, difficult people, family issues, financial problems, or many other things. Whatever the giant is, it is real and it stands right there in front of us.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

All Joshua could think to ask was, “are you for us or for our adversaries? (v.13b). We spend way

too much time talking about our problems and not nearly enough time looking to our solution.

Joshua needed to get his mind off his adversaries and onto the Commander of the Army of the

Lord (v.14)....which is Jesus Christ...and so do we.

The greatest need for facing the challenges of life is an awareness of God’s presence in our lives! And that it is He that will fight the battles and win those battles for us.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that [is] with him: for [there be] more with us than with him: He may have a great army, but they are just men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!" These words greatly encouraged the people."

Mount up, be ready to watch the LORD win the day.

Blessings,

Sharon

"Crushed Spirit"

Proverbs 18:14 "The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed?"

What causes a "crushed spirit"....I can't help but think of one of my favorite movie quotes from Anne of Green Gables. When Anne asked if Maurilla had ever been in the depths of despair. Maurilla wisely says: "Child, to despair is to turn your back on God!" The strange thing about turning our backs on God...we often think that it is He that has turned His back on us. But nothing could be further from the truth.

If ever there was a person who could have had a crushed spirit and gone into despair...that would have been Job. He suffered Family loss! Financial loss! Friends that turned on him! Even his wife told him to curse God and die. What a great example Job gives us in chapter 19 on how to deal with the difficulties of life.

As Job is telling his "friends" all his troubles...he suddenly shifts gears and begins to tell of his HOPE.

Job 19:25 "For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth"

Job 19:26 "And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God"

Job 19:27 " Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!"

We must always look at our troubles in light of the reality that our Redeemer Lives....and one day, when this life is done....will be with Him...face to face. This changes our perspective and gives HOPE to our Spirit.

My oldest son, father, brother aren't saved ~ My Redeemer lives

My friend has cancer ~ My Redeemer lives

My family and friends are without work ~ My Redeemer lives

My friends marriage has been shaken ~ My Redeemer lives

Love and blessings,

Sharon

"‘My Redeemer" = Is personal. My redeemer speaks of a personal relationship. "Lives" = It is a present ongoing relationship and task. Job speaks of one who is alive and carrying out the very work of a kinsman-redeemer on his behalf at that very moment and also will do so in the future and even after his death. "Whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold" = How will Job recognize Him, because He has spent time with Him.