Dance with Me in the Fire

 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad…  Matthew 5:12a

Dear Brothers and Sisters in our glorious LORD,

We all have people in our life I refer to as ‘extra-grace-needed’ people. I was scheduled to meet with such a student this week to explain some things to help her get over being offended last Thursday. All week I prayed over this strained situation, knowing I have an inborn ‘need’ to be understood. I expecting God to be my defense and do something amazing!!

Thursday morning God met with me in my quiet time and later as I was in the kitchen, I suddenly felt the need to get on my knees and cover my face. What I did not expect I was to hear Him speak, “Arlene, Today you will share My sufferings.” My response was silence as I struggled to understand. Even as I pondered what I heard, I knew. This was a holy invitation, but it didn’t seem to fit with my morning?

“Wait a minute, Lord, what about this morning and my sweet time with You? You allowed me to feel Your pleasure and the sweetness of Your Spirit! I treasure those moments, Lord.” As I questioned His words, I knew He was inviting me to dance with Him in the fire. “God, I am yours.” I had peace all day, along with the niggling curiosity of what He might allow. Was He asking, “Arlene, are you willing to be misunderstood? Are you willing to dance with me in the fire?”

I went to meet my student as soon as she entered the foundry. I thought, ‘now what Lord?’ But in my knowing I determined to obey God’s promptings, even if it meant being wounded in the process. This was not about who is right or about being exonerated, but obedience! As I approached her, again I heard, “Today you will share my sufferings.” And I had a niggling feeling this did not include her being open to Truth. I knew I was going to be skewered.

We locked eyes and I softly said, “We need to talk.” Her eyes lit up and there was no turning back.

I apologized for shortening her first name and I ask why she did not make clear what she preferred to be called, before this. She said she did. I responded that I had not heard her, but she did not accept this. Then I began to explain about the class demo that offended her last week. It was designed for the whole class, but because she was leaving early, I wanted to quickly cover some class disciplines. As I attempted to explain, she cut in and accusing me of treating her as a child and of being harsh with her and she didn’t understand why I would treat her this way. She even claimed she had ‘witnesses’. I tried one more time to ask if it could just be ‘her perception’. But she was not finished. Then God told me to be silent and I understood she was not about to listen. She continued in a sugar-sweet voice chiding and accusing. Finished, she pronounced me forgiven of my many offenses, quoting scripture at me, as if absolving me from all my sins. “I forgive you.” She proudly announced.

I was unfairly judged by one who could not or would not see my heart attitude. The confrontation railed against my need to be understood and threatened to undermine the peace of His Presence. I stood silent and wounded. I did not expect what happened in the next instant!

 The power of my God, as He drew me near, wrapped me in joy unspeakable!! There are no words to explain! One must experience it for themselves. I danced with my LORD in the fire. And there is no where I would rather be.

Suffering isn’t just something to endure; it’s something we can trust God to use for His purposes RA

  Emmanuel Ndikumana suffered much. He stated that in our suffering, it is disobedience we should fear, not death. We are to die daily, instead most of us live in a half obedience.

As I moved to other students, I thought immediately of King David fleeing Jerusalem and Absalom his son. Shimei, hateful toward David, walked along side the fleeing, dethroned, King and his entourage, throwing stones and curses, and heaping insults on him. David’s man Abishai wanted to cut off his Shimei’s head. Read and receive David’s response:

Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him.

David’s words can only come from the heart of a God-lover, a God-follower, one who is more concerned about obedience than safety. Are you in the fire? We are never alone in the fire. Think of the three Hebrew captives in the fiery furnace!

When we pray directing God to move in a specific way and God answers in His way, we often perceive it as failure. Could it be our definition of success is skewed?

What actually requires more faith? If we get a no or a yes to our prayer? Scripture is about walking by faith, not name it and claim it. Some people are healed from cancer, some are not. Is it their lack of faith or God’s sovereign, loving answer, because He has a higher plan? We must understand scripture as a whole and not take it out of context. I have found Hebrews 11 a wonderful focus. Faith is not Fi God has given us to manipulate or control Him. He is God and we are not.

 David not only trusted in God, he trusted God. It’s not for me to keep safe or to please others or strive to be understood and accepted, it is for me to please an audience of One. The rest falls into it’s proper significance. 

Psalm 65:4 How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You

Father, Thank You for inviting me to dance in the fire with You. You were misunderstood, accused, and You remained silent. You promise suffering and you fulfill that promise. Use our suffering to enlarge our testimony that our life may shout your great goodness and glory! Tune our hearts to live to please an audience of One, you. Thank You too, we are never left alone to suffer or to figure out life; we are not even expected to produce strength to endure it. It is hard to settle for anything less than sensing Your nearness, though I know You are with me always, Thank You for never making a mistake. I pray in Jesus name and for His glory. Amen

…  knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by ^]sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. II Cor 5:7-9

much love, az

 email devotional: http://az-doveseye.blogspot.com/

http://www.gramzkidz.com    Coming soon in Gramz Kidz by Design will be the King of Beasts, the Lion.

The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Gospel (or Good News) message of Jesus Christ is so simple that it almost defies understanding. By evidenceofdesign| 1 video

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