Warriors Arise: July 18th, 2020
John 20:24-26 (NKJV) Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
There was no guarantee Jesus is coming back to show Himself to Thomas. Jesus did not promise to meet the disciples in Jerusalem. The angel sent word to the disciples that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. My mind is baffled as to why the disciples are still in Jerusalem. It has been at least 8 days since Jesus was resurrected. Possibly nine. We know Jesus appeared to the disciples the evening of His resurrection but we do not know if they went that night to tell Thomas or if it was the next day. Eight or nine days does not matter, what matters is why are they still in Jerusalem when the angel sent word they were to go to Galilee?
After I learned to recognize the Lord's voice, I received a convicting revelation. We ask God to speak to us, we say:
"Just give the me the direction I am to go and I will go."
"Tell me what I am to do and I will do it."
"Speak to me so I can hear You, because I want to do exactly what You want me do."
"Tell me if I should return to work, if my kids should return to school, if I should wear a mask, if I should visit family or friends during this pandemic..."
Be very careful what you ask for, because when the Lord speaks and you recognize it is Him you are responsible for what He has says to you. Then you cannot claim you do not know what God wants you to do. The convicting revelation that has stuck with me is: from the time God tells me what to do something until the time I actually do it, I am in rebellion.
There are a few exceptions. For instance, the complete instructions may be: "the next time you see them or the next time the situation comes up you are to respond a certain way." In that case, God has set the time for when you are do what He has said or how He has told you to react. If God doesn't set the time then we are in rebellion from the time God tells us to do something until we start to do it. That seems a little harsh.
What is revealed about us when we know God has told us to do something and we choose not to do it. Most of us would not say we tell God, "No". But we tell Him, "No", all of the time. Our mind works so fast, there are times we have told God "No", and it didn't even register in our minds. Then there are times we blatantly tell God "No".
Jonah 1:1-3 (NKJV) Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Ouch! That is a little harsh! Jonah was in the presence of the Lord, having his God-time. God speaks to him a very specific word and Jonah flees in the opposite direction! This is a serious "No"! But God, in His infinite love wouldn't allow Jonah to turn from Him. God pursues us with His love. You may not think a violent storm is love, but it is a way to get one's attention.
Jonah 1:4 (NKJV) But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
God did send the storm. Jonah knew it was God and he knew he had disobeyed God. The men on the ship knew it was a storm from some god they just didn't know it was from the God. They would be lost at sea if someone didn't make things right with their god.
Jonah 1:5-6 (NKJV) Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship and went to sleep. Many times after we have told God no, we try to hide and sometimes we get depressed because we want to sleep to forget what God has told us to do. Or we can be like Thomas and dig our heals in, "I will not believe." "I will not go until Jesus comes to me." Unless God, sends a burning bush I will not do what He has told me to do. The problem with that reasoning, is that if you can say that statement then you already know it is God who spoke to you. So to tell God He has to speak to you through a burning bush means you are being hard-hearted. We already know it was God who spoke to us, but we are being rebellious.
Jonah knows this storm is from God and it is because God knows he is fleeing from his responsibility of the word God gave him. He tells the captain to throw him overboard and the storm will disperse and all will be calm. God has already prepared a fish to swallow Jonah.
Jonah 1:17a (NKJV) Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.
How hardhearted can one be?
Jonah 1:17b - 2:2 (NKJV) And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly.
I still get a chuckle out of this passage. Jonah was so hard-hearted. It took him three days and three nights BEFORE he prayed. And if you read his prayer he is not asking God to get him out of the belling of the fish so he can do what God has told him to do. Jonah is asking for God to let him die.
Is this convicting at all? Who is being harsh? God or Jonah? God has His reasons, it was going to be Jonah and no one else to preach to the people of Nineveh. Too many times God tell us to do something and we think God can send someone else. What if there is no one else? What if you were God's one and only for the task? Is God really being harsh or are we just trying to shirk our responsibility?
In this time, in this season, what has God told you? Have you positioned yourself in the presence of the Lord to hear from Him? So many are willing to expand fear when they are talking about the coronavirus, pandemic, riots, and defunding the police. But what about what God has to say about each one of these? What did God tell you before the storm hit?
There were so many Christians giving prophetic words about this year, 2020. Many declared it the year for our vision to be perfected. I am wondering, are we still looking to God to get our vision perfected? Will all of the hoopla of the media, the attacks of the enemy through disease, pandemic, rioting, defunding of police, city counsels and governors giving their cities and states over to the mobs, and the presidential election in the balance, are we still positioning ourselves to be have our vision made 20/20?
Father, I ask for You to come. The year is more than half over. We need our vision to be corrected. We need to see as You see. I ask for You to be my Shepherd and lead me. I ask to have my vision corrected. I want to see 20/20. I want to see where you are at work and join You. I pray for my heart to be settled, no natter what You tell me to do, I will do it. I will not be rebellious any longer. I will hear Your voice and follow. I will see You and respond to You. I will not run from You. I will run to You. I will run to join You. I want to be one known to You as Your child, one who honors You. I pray for You to begin surgery on our eyes. I pray people all over the world will have their vision corrected. I ask for each one of us to be able to see You and to know what You have for each one to do. I ask for us to keep our eyes on You and to be whole-heartedly devoted to fulfilling what You have shown us in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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