To Beeeeeeee

It turns out that it was a wise decision for me to take a blogger break, for May was a very happenin’ month! It started out great with me hosting the women in my family at our home Mother’s Day Weekend. At the end of our weekend gathering, my sister Kim asked me to go to her home in Georgia. I spent the next two weeks trying to catch my breath as I followed her around and ‘helped’. Like me, she is fifty-something but has the schedule and energy of a woman decades younger!

Anyway, weeks earlier Kim had had a vision of me being at her house for her annual garden tea party that she hosted for the women of her church and their guests. At the time, I did not see how it would be possible for me to be there (we have only one vehicle), but Yahweh made a way.

Kim shared with me that the theme of the party was centered around bees. She showed me interesting facts she had collected about bees and compared them to characteristics we as followers of Christ should emulate. As we conversed, The Spirit of the Lord showed us how it was important first TO BE in order TO BEE. By this He meant we must first practice being in the presence of the Almighty before becoming busy as a bee.

A couple of days later while brushing my teeth, The Holy Spirit brought something to my remembrance (has that ever happened to you?). He reminded me of a study I had done years ago on Deborah, a judge of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament, whose name means ‘bee’. When I shared this with Kim, she realized that I was to share about Deborah at the tea party and I was honored to do so.

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. - Judges 4:4-5 KJV

A biblical judge differs from a modern-day judge in that they served as military leaders of their tribe and as Godly counselors knowing Yahweh’s laws and commandments. I like that the Word of God gives a picture of where Deborah lived…under the palm tree of Deborah. Her tent was probably pitched there, but I see her sitting under its shade and perhaps praying—simply BE-ing in God’s presence. Out of this place of being in His presence, she was prepared when a dispute arose and a tribesman sought out her wisdom for ‘the children of Israel came up to her for judgment’.

Deborah is described as the ‘wife of Lapidoth’. This phrase can be translated more literally as ‘woman of torches/lightenings’ or ‘woman of fiery spirit'.

Like a bee that can see ultraviolet rays (which humans cannot), I believe Deborah saw with spiritual eyes leading Israel with confidence and a fiery spirit!

Deborah was a mother to Israel and like a protective mother she flew at the enemies of her people and her sting was fatal! She must have been highly esteemed as a military leader; for in the clash with the Canaanites, her general, Barak, would not go into battle without her (Judges 4:8)!

When I shared all this with the women who gathered in my sister's home, I exhorted them to seek the Lord’s face daily—even if only for several minutes before beginning their day—and to do so throughout the day bringing their thoughts captive to Christ. We should remember Deborah and simply--

Practice bee-ing...

Being Human

All of us who have God’s Spirit born within are designed to pray (I Thessalonians 5:17). It is in our spiritual nature. Along with that, it is in our human nature to hold onto the burdens we should be lifting to the Lord. Being that intercession is a chief part of how I minister and being that I am human, I fall into that category—BIG TIME!

I have a tendency to wear stress like a jacket—not a light spring jacket, but a heavy leaded vest. Lately, the grief of what is happening to people in the world at large and in my own microcosmic world has nearly overwhelmed me. I am realizing that it is truly only by God’s grace that I carry on.

It is driving me to go deeper. I want to see and be a part of what the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is doing in these last days. I want to be a laborer for the Great Harvest—Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly [is] great, but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. - Luke 10:2 KJV

First comes the plowman and the seed before a harvest. I am like the plowman who is praying for the rain to bring forth the fruit.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. - James 5:7 KJV

I wept as I read James 5 this morning and cried out for Him to send the latter rain of His glorious presence upon the earth. And then my spiritual eyes caused me to ‘see’ something—something amazing about being human.

Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias [Elijah] was a man [anthropos—human being] subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. - James 5:16 and 17 KJV

What is amazing is that although we are jars of clay, we have the gift of a spirit that may be regenerated by the power of the Most High. And with that He gives us the ability to manifest that power!

And he [Elijah] prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. - James 5:18 KJV

Elijah was a human being just like you and me, yet look what happened when all he did was PRAY! So let us PRAY! Being human like Elijah, let us cry out for the spiritual latter day rain.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. - Amos 9:13 KJV

This is my deepest desire—to see and be a part of the greatest move of God on the face of the planet!

Are you praying to see this also?