“THE LORD WHO GOES BEFORE YOU!”

 

Deuteronomy 31:7-8                 (ESV)

“[7] Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. [8] It is “THE LORD WHO GOES BEFORE YOU”.  HE will be with you; HE will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Remembering “”before the Brain Hemorrhage” of July 09, 2007, “my thoughts” were that I was “in control” of my life???  But when I awoke that morning I was ANYTHING BUT in control, as I was unable to communicate, walk, hug my family, or perform any other task!  It was as if GOD was displaying to this “giant of a man” that HE IS IN CONTROL, not me!!!!

As I sat in the “waiting room” of the hospital recently while a dear friend was in surgery, it was made clear to me ONCE AGAIN that GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL!!!  Even when “we think” that we are in complete control, GOD IS IN CONTROL!!  Even though my memory from my 2007 hospital stay (52 days!) is quite sketchy and very troubling for my family, in the latter days I DO REMEMBER that I UNDERSTOOD that I was NOT IN CONTROL OF ANYTHING and that GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!  

“We think” that we are “in charge” of whatever things we are doing in life, but we are MOST DEFINITELY NOT!!!  Joseph was NOT IN CONTROL when his brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 17:18-36)!  He WASN’T IN CONTROL when he was placed into prison by Potiphar’s guards (Genesis 39:19-21)!  And still Joseph WASN’T IN CONTROL when he was ELEVATED to second in command, behind only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:37-44) supposedly!!!

Because of the PATH I have been ASSIGNED, my VISION is quite different than what others have the ability to SEE!  I was TOTALLY “out of control” while I was in the drug-induced coma in 2007, but IN REALITY, I was NEVER in control!!!  GOD WAS/IS IN CONTROL!!!

When will my EYES TRULY be OPENED to SEE that GOD IS IN CONTROL???  Regardless of who or what is “on the throne” in the eyes of man, YAHWEH IS IN CONTROL!!!  

“TWP BLIND MEN!”

 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭27‬-‭31‬ ‭                (HCSB‬‬)

“As JESUS went on from there, “TWO BLIND MEN” followed HIM, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David! ” When HE entered the house, the blind men approached HIM, and JESUS said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this? ” “Yes, LORD,” they answered HIM. Then HE touched their eyes, saying, “LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH!” AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED. Then JESUS warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out! ” But they went out and spread the news about HIM throughout that whole area.”

It is really EYE-OPENING to understand how GOD IN THE FLESH worked during HIS BRIEF three year earthly ministry?  JESUS HIMSELF SPOKE to the TWO blind men who “FOLLOWED HIM” without being made whole and begged “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”  HIS response was “Do you believe that I can do this?”  “Yes, LORD”, to which HIS response was to say, “LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH! ” AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED.”

Scripture doesn’t indicate that two men were flawless in their walk before or after their healing, a walk where especially beforehand they couldn’t see where they were going, but they were able to see after their EYES were OPENED by THE ONLY ONE WHO had the ability to HEAL them!  JESUS “warned them sternly” to “Be sure that no one finds out!”, but the news couldn’t be kept quiet by humans, as they had experienced DIVINITY IN ACTION!

“LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH!” were words that were definitely not misunderstood by the “TWO BLIND MEN” in the above Scriptures.  Romans 10:17 (KJV) says “So then FAITH cometh by HEARING, and HEARING by the WORD of GOD.”  “TWO BLIND MEN” were NO LONGER “TWO BLIND MEN”, as JESUS made them whole!!!

“IMPERISHABLE!”

 

1 Peter 1:3-5                 (ESV)

Born Again to a Living Hope

“[3] Blessed be the GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST! According to HIS great mercy, HE has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of JESUS CHT from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is “IMPERISHABLE” , undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by GOD’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be REVEALED IN THE LAST TIME.”

imperishable -

“not subject to decay; INDESTRUCTIBLE; enduring permanently”.

Mere words of mortal beings are incapable of describing the GRANDEUR of that which awaits those of us who are CHOSEN to be with HIM FOREVER AND FOREVER!!!

“HE TESTED THEM!”

 

Psalms 27:14                 (KJV)

“WAIT” on the LORD: be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: “WAIT”, I say, on the LORD.”

It is very seldom that I read from the King James Version of the BIBLE anymore.  My experience is that other translations are more closely translated from the ORIGINAL TEXT, and in my humble opinion my life has to experience the closest to what GOD meant for me to hear!!!

However, the Hebrew word for “WAIT” is “qavah”, and that translates to “to bind together (perhaps by twisting)”.  That tends to SHINE a completely different LIGHT on things, in my humble opinion.  “BIND TOGETHER”, with THE LORD!  be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: “BIND TOGETHER”, I say, with the LORD” gives this servant a VASTLY different message than WAIT!!  

Why the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES would desire to “BIND TOGETHER” with a Brain Damaged Stroke Survivor is almost INCONCEIVABLE, in my opinion?  Yet HE left me here FOR A PURPOSE and I DEFINITELY need to “BIND TOGETHER” with HIM before I attempt to do ANYTHING!!  If I get up and begin driving early in the morning, I always try to go to bed early the night before I am trying to leave.  But HE PROMISES to never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), so I CLING to HIS PROMISE!!!

Discovering a different translation of THE WORD OF GOD is something that I research very closely, because TRUTH is VERY IMPORTANT to me!!  But I do appreciate that “BIND TOGETHER” is what “qavah” translates to and I am grateful for that!!!

Lamentations 3:25

 Lamentations 3:25                 (ESV)

    [25] “The LORD is good to those who wait for HIM,

        to the soul who seeks HIM.”

“TO SERVE!”

 

Mark 10:45                 (ESV)

“[45] For even the SON of MAN came not to be served but “TO SERVE”, and to give HIS LIFE as a ransom for many.””

Sharing a video recently from Dr. David Gibbs, Jr. about his dad SHOWING him about serving is something that brings back memories to this servant of THE MOST HIGH GOD!  1 Corinthians 3:16 days very plainly “Do you not know that YOU ARE GOD’s temple and that GOD’s SPIRIT dwells in you?”   

When we SURRENDER OUR LIVES to JESUS, we give up CONTROL of “calling the shots” as far as the decisions about what we do and where we go.  

Probably when I was around ten years old, I remember riding with my grandfather to his fathers house (my great grandfather) outside of Idabel, OK to pick up a milk cow that needed to go to the “sale barn”.  My grandfather was given a check by his dad for his gas and the “trouble” he went through helping his dad sell his final cow before “great grandpa” died a few years later.  He tore that check up on the way back to where we lived, WITHOUT COMMENT!!  

That act of kindness and generosity shown to my great grandfather by my grandfather came to mind as I saw the video recently.  The Privilege to Serve video exquisitely said what my grandpa WOULD NOT say back then!  It was an honor and privilege “TO SERVE” the one that gave him life, while SERVING THE ONE WHO GIVES ETERNAL LIFE!!!

“THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE!”

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