Good morning,
"Take your stand, indolent women! Listen to me! Indulgent, indolent women, listen closely to what I have to say. In just a little over a year from now, you'll be shaken out of your lazy lives. The grape harvest will fail, and there'll be no fruit on the trees. Oh tremble, you indolent women. Get serious, you pampered dolls! Strip down and discard your silk fineries. Put on funeral clothes. Shed honest tears for the lost harvest, the failed vintage. Weep for my people's gardens and farms that grow nothing but thistles and thornbushes. Cry tears, real tears, for the happy homes no longer happy, the merry city no longer merry. The royal palace is deserted, the bustling city quiet as a morgue, The emptied parks and playgrounds taken over by wild animals, delighted with their new home. Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured down on us from above. And the badlands desert grows crops and the fertile fields become forests. Justice will move into the badlands desert. Right will build a home in the fertile field. And where there's Right, there'll be Peace and the progeny of Right: quiet lives and endless trust. My people will live in a peaceful neighborhood— in safe houses, in quiet gardens. The forest of your pride will be clear-cut, the city showing off your power leveled. But you will enjoy a blessed life, planting well-watered fields and gardens, with your farm animals grazing freely." (Isa. 32:9-20) This passage deals with a warning [from God to His people through the prophet Isaiah] of coming tough times, but with a promise of His provision for those who are faithful to Him. Also the message is for God's people to stop being so self-centered, materialistic, and worldly, and to cry out for Holy Spirit to be poured out from above. Today, the Lord was speaking to me about His Church and the entanglement of the love of this world. I was led to read this chapter in Isaiah.
Indolent means lazy. Synonyms are idle, inactive, lackadaisical, listless, slow, lethargic, shiftless, and sluggish. Indulgent means self-pleasing, self-gratifying, catering to one's own moods or whims, extravagance and excess for one's desires. We are going to have a wake up call to get our attention once again focused on the Kingdom and our eternal life and not living only for temporal pleasures. We must get back to loving each other in the house. Every earthly parent will not allow their children to squabble and fight, how much more does God, our heavenly Father want peace in His house? We have been trying to run this race with our minds bogged down, with our stuff on our backs, carrying the cares of this life, and full of all kinds of emotional impediments. "Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! (1 Corin. 9:24) "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.." (Rom. 12:10) “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." (Mtt. 6:31-33)
Our stand, or our position should show how determined we are to do what God has commanded. We are to turn our face to the wall and begin to pray, joining the true watchmen, who never cease to pray and intercede. We must preach the uncompromising Word of God, not popular and appeasing words that tickle men's fancy. We must stand, and having done all, stand therefore having our loins girded about with truth!! (Ephes. 6:12-13) This will help us to be aware of the trickery or the wiles of the devil, but most of all it will keep us in line with the Spirit, Who is leading us in all truth. That is why, no matter what goes on in the world we are promised to be in peaceful neighborhoods, safe houses, and quiet gardens. "God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield. You will have nothing to fear at night and no need to be afraid of enemy arrows during the day. You will have no fear of diseases that come in the dark or terrible suffering that comes at noon. A thousand people may fall dead at your side or ten thousand right beside you, but nothing bad will happen to you! All you will have to do is watch, and you will see that the wicked are punished. You trust in the LORD for protection. You have made God Most High your place of safety. So nothing bad will happen to you. No diseases will come near your home. He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go. Their hands will catch you so that you will not hit your foot on a rock. You will have power to trample on lions and poisonous snakes. The Lord says, “If someone trusts me, I will save them. I will protect my followers who call to me for help. When my followers call to me, I will answer them. I will be with them when they are in trouble." (Ps. 91:3-15; Easy To Read Bible) We are going forward into our victory with power and a single purpose. We will walk in the fullness of our freedom, being delivered, whole, sound, full of faith, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit!
Our stand, or our position should show how determined we are to do what God has commanded. We are to turn our face to the wall and begin to pray, joining the true watchmen, who never cease to pray and intercede. We must preach the uncompromising Word of God, not popular and appeasing words that tickle men's fancy. We must stand, and having done all, stand therefore having our loins girded about with truth!! (Ephes. 6:12-13) This will help us to be aware of the trickery or the wiles of the devil, but most of all it will keep us in line with the Spirit, Who is leading us in all truth. That is why, no matter what goes on in the world we are promised to be in peaceful neighborhoods, safe houses, and quiet gardens. "God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield. You will have nothing to fear at night and no need to be afraid of enemy arrows during the day. You will have no fear of diseases that come in the dark or terrible suffering that comes at noon. A thousand people may fall dead at your side or ten thousand right beside you, but nothing bad will happen to you! All you will have to do is watch, and you will see that the wicked are punished. You trust in the LORD for protection. You have made God Most High your place of safety. So nothing bad will happen to you. No diseases will come near your home. He will command his angels to protect you wherever you go. Their hands will catch you so that you will not hit your foot on a rock. You will have power to trample on lions and poisonous snakes. The Lord says, “If someone trusts me, I will save them. I will protect my followers who call to me for help. When my followers call to me, I will answer them. I will be with them when they are in trouble." (Ps. 91:3-15; Easy To Read Bible) We are going forward into our victory with power and a single purpose. We will walk in the fullness of our freedom, being delivered, whole, sound, full of faith, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit!
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 