You have a unique ability to internalize the insights which have come to you from the Spirit of God. This personal interaction creates a bond of admiration and affection between you and your Creator.
Your imagination is the canvass on which God paints a self-portrait, allowing you to see Him more clearly. In this sacred space, your love for Him grows deeper.
You recognize Him in places where no one else would think to look. You feel His supernatural strength propel you on your journey. You sense His compassion toward the hurting world around you. You recognize God’s goodness in your life and in the lives of those you love.
You know God is with you, even when you feel surrounded by darkness. You are confident that His light will always shine through, to guide and protect your path.
You identify God as a loyal and devoted ally who has your back and guards your future. You remember how He has appeared to you in some of your darkest hours. Therefore, you have no doubt He will always be there beside you, even when your perception of Him might be obscured by conflict, anxiety, or confusion.
God has always been your safe companion. From early childhood, you have sensed a supernatural bond between yourself and the Divine.
There have been times in your life when it seemed as if the skies opened, and you caught a glimpse of His majestic presence. In those momentary flashes of clarity, you realized that God truly knows all about you, and His desire is for you to know all about Him too.
The animals came to Noah in groups of two; every creature that had the breath of life.
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You enjoy a close bond with nature and find peace in the Great Creation. You have discovered the elusive tranquility that many others seek, by walking in harmony with the earth and all of its inhabitants.
You care deeply about animals and you understand their significance in the ecosystem of this planet. You sometimes prefer the company of animals to humans, because you appreciate their authenticity and non-judgmental acceptance.
You realize that the human connection to animals is a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship. You are grateful for the medical breakthroughs and scientific discoveries which have been made through the study of unique animal attributes.
You are amazed at the scope of human innovation which has been developed by observing the behaviors of animals. From the beginning of ancient civilizations in Noah’s day, to the modern era of technology, humans have relied upon the wisdom of the animal kingdom. It is a good person who values and protects the wildness of their world.
But wisdom is better than money because it can save a person’s life.
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Your life is much too valuable to waste time worrying about money. God has promised to take care of your needs as you take care of His.
The value of your life is very precious. God designed you in a unique way so as to provide you with the proper skills and wisdom you need in order to accomplish the assignments He selected just for you.
Wisdom comes to you in many forms. Sometimes it comes to you through dreams, songs, support groups, and bible studies. Sometimes you gain it through conversations with family and friends.
You see the true value of life from a spiritual perspective. You see treasures of the Divine sprinkled over the earth’s canvas in colorful wildflowers, spectacular sunsets, and twinkling night skies.
You enjoy the simple things of life. The basic necessities of food and drink are never taken for granted nor their preparation treated as drudgery. You do not worry for these basic needs, but rather, you celebrate them as gifts from God.
You believe the bountiful blessings God has given are meant to be shared with others. You have a warm and generous heart.
You know that life is more important than mere possessions. The true value of life far exceeds the things which can only be measured by human currency.
Your presence on this planet is being developed into a remarkable blend of generosity, wisdom, and integrity.
As God carefully molds you into the image of His Son, you are being transformed into a wise and wonderful human being.
Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water and I will test them for you there. If I say, ‘This man will go with you,’ he will go. But if I say, ‘That one will not go with you,’ he will not go.”
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As you fulfill your mission and follow the call of God on your life, you sometimes encounter the loss of support upon which you had previously relied.
As you seek to fulfill the objectives God has set before you, a curious pattern seems to emerge. Many, who join you with passionate enthusiasm in the beginning, drop out before the project is completed.
While the world tells you that there is strength in numbers, your experience tells you otherwise. Time and time again, you have watched as friends and colleagues are called by God to other pursuits, while you are left to wonder how you will ever fulfill your mission without them.
You, like Gideon, are sometimes overwhelmed with the size of the battle in relation to the number of warriors in your company. However, you trust that God is the Commander of Angel Armies, so whatever you lack in human support, you receive in abundance from the spirit realm.
You understand that your journey is unique to your destiny and design. You realize that God has choreographed your life experiences to mesh with the talents and gifts you possess in order to fulfill the mission for which you were created.
While there are many who admire you, and hundreds who applaud you, only a few will actually go with you.
Little by little, God has removed your support system of humans so that your reliance remains on Him. When the battle is over and victory is won, you will not be tempted to give credit to other humans or take credit for yourself.
As you watch the number of workers decrease, you must fight against anxious thoughts which breed fear and worry.
You must dismiss feelings of rejection or abandonment, and choose rather to be grateful for the time of support you received.
When Gideon was first called, he struggled with a sense of inadequacy and cowardice. God brought many soldier volunteers to his side, to bolster his courage and boost his confidence. That was their only purpose, and once Gideon was on board and ready, God removed those props, one by one, until only a few remained.
Not every soldier was destined to go into battle with Gideon. In the same manner, not every person who joins your journey will be called to go the distance.
Not everyone can go where you are going. Each has their own call to follow. God brings many wonderful people into your life, to bolster your courage and strengthen your resolve.
You are grateful for their support and you remain gracious when the time comes for them to move on.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13
Knowing that evil comes in many forms, you trust the Spirit to guide your intuition.
Maintaining a firm sense of right and wrong, you reject the evil presence of hatred and prejudice. You shun pride and arrogance. You see through deception and prefer to surround yourself with people who are true.
You avoid paths that lead to drama and chaos. Your sense of self is deeply rooted in your desire to do the right thing. You live by a set of standards which are aligned with God’s will and your own personal integrity.
Without judgment, repulsion, or excuse, you simply detach yourself from people who exhibit little concern for the pain they cause, or the negative impact they have on their fellow humans.
You do not join in with others who belittle or diminish another’s worth. You remove yourself from environments which are darkened by oppression, hate, prejudice, and intolerance.
Evil offends you deeply. You don’t understand why people are so brutal to each other. In times of conflict, you seek God’s protection, so you don’t fall prey to this temptation yourself.
In quiet times, as you vent to God in heartfelt prayers, He hears and understands. The evil that grieves you, is the evil that grieves Him too.
They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work, so I continued the work with even greater determination.
You derive a great deal of satisfaction from your work. You are considered extraordinarily reliable to those who count on you and you are given wonderful opportunities due to this attribute.
Your dependability goes beyond exceptional teamwork and collaboration skills demonstrated in your professional path. This character quality is also a vital component of your personal life as well.
You are conscientious and well-organized. You are appreciated for paying close attention to detail.
You dedicate your time and energy to building others up, and in doing so, you are performing the work of God.
God’s work does not always look religious or even spiritual. God’s work, as demonstrated by Jesus, involves tasks which identify spiritual gifts and divine destinies.
While you may not feel you are called to do God’s work on a grand scale, your daily duties are no less meaningful to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Providing encouragement and support to friends and family ushers you into a sacred space. It is there that you function in the highest calling of God’s work.
But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
As we pondered this verse, we came to realize that whether it was our own sins or someone else’s, everything was forgivable, and nothing was a secret to God. All wrongs could be forgiven and thus, all minds could be made whole. Since God promised He would cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness, we were relieved to confess what we knew to be true about ourselves, no matter how distasteful.
We also felt liberated by the fact that we would be cleansed of whatever else was wrong with us. This was our troublesome state of unrighteousness, which in essence, were our damaged psyches. If our minds were to be cleansed of ALL unrighteousness, even the things we had forgotten or buried, we knew we could be completely clean and completely whole. We were safely positioned under the waterfall, jagged edges and all.
Tetelestai Recovery 2: Our New Normal; Chapter Three – Brainwashed
You understand the love of God in ways that are difficult for many people to comprehend. Your trust in His love creates a bond of confidence between you and your Creator.
While there may be times you have difficulty trusting other people or even yourself, there is never a doubt in your mind that God can be trusted to love and protect you, no matter what.
You understand that God’s love is not an emotion, it is a commitment. You see the way His love has supported you during some of the most difficult and wayward times of your life.
You also realize that God’s love is not fickle. He does not withdraw His love to manipulate or punish.
You enjoy living in God’s love and as you continue to walk in it, you experience emotional balance and internal harmony.
Psalm 6:4 Return oh Lord and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love.
While journeying through life, there are times you encounter obstacles which slow your progress and block your view of the future. There may even be times when an entire fortress of emotional walls loom in front of you, standing sure and solid while blocking your ability to move toward the destiny God has promised you.
These are the times when your faith rises up and you advance, one step at a time, confident in the authority of Christ. Knowing that the He is an expert in emotional and spiritual well-being, you trust His plan to crumble those walls, no matter how solid they appear.
Relinquishing any doubts which may try to invade your thoughts, you look to the insights given in this birthday passage:
Joshua 6:3 March around the city walls one time every day. Do this for six days.
Certain of God’s desire to see you move forward and convinced that He maintains total comprehension of all matters concerning mind, body, and spirit, you follow His marching orders precisely.
With deep spiritual perception, you can envision the walls crumbling, even before the slightest crack appears. Using the authority of Christ and the power of faith, you put one foot in front of the other, and wait for the results.
Walls of fear, distrust, resentment, and regret are toppled by an unexplainable force.
As the walls separating you from your destiny begin to quake and crumble, you advance through the rubble and lay claim to your purpose.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing. It must be thrown out for people to walk on.
Matthew 5:13
Jesus compared His followers to an element which never loses its purpose or potency. Could this verse reveal a hidden message of hope and fresh perspective for those who feel they have lost their purpose?
Purpose
Some foods stand the test of time well. Salt is one of them. Can salt go bad? The answer is both yes and no. Natural salts without any additives can never go bad. After all, salts have been around for thousands of years, and they were used for food preservation in ancient times. That means salt can actually prevent bacterial and microbial growth in meat and other foods. Foods spoil only when bacterial, fungal, and microbial growth take place.
That was for the ‘no’ answer. What about the ‘yes’ part?
If salt goes bad, how can salt lose its saltiness? Although natural salts can never spoil, table salts with additives can lose their flavor and texture over time. Refined table salts contain iodine to enhance flavor and health properties and anti-caking agents that protect it from clumping.
What would qualify as an ‘additive’ in the spiritual sense?
This verse in Matthew was first spoken by Jesus, long before the periodic table of elements had been developed. The disciples understood what Jesus said, based on their own experience and knowledge. We, however are able to gain deeper meaning from his words, based on the extra 2000 years of scientific study we have at our disposal.
Thus, because creation and science go hand in hand, we look at Jesus’ words from a scientific perspective. His feet walked the paths of ancient Palestine, but His knowledge of biology and chemistry was far more advanced than any of the most brilliant scientists known to us today. He was present when the minerals were hidden under rocks. He stood at His Father’s side when the salty ocean waters were gathered together; held in place by sandy shores.
Therefore, he understood much more about the chemical make-up of Sodium Chloride than the first century believers, but he used it as an object lesson which would inspire them and mystify future generations.
Salt, the Multi-Purpose Mineral
As a Seasoning
Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (New International Version)
Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person. (Common English Bible)
Beginning with the most common use of salt, we examined the basic facts. As a seasoning, it just makes things taste better. It enhances flavors in different, yet distinctive ways. Salt magnifies the unique essence of food. Adding salt to something bland makes it more interesting and enjoyable. Shaking a little salt on certain fruits, such as watermelon, deepens the flavor, while putting it on sour fruits, such as grapefruit or tart apples, causes them to taste sweet.
Salt is quite versatile when it comes to creating tasteful results. It’s not very good by itself, but when it is blended with other flavors, there is a noticeable improvement.
Jesus has called us the salt of the earth. From a food perspective, this means we are the subtle influence which brings out the best in people, groups, or organizations. We are called to enhance, but never overpower.
To Promote Healing
Salt can aid in the healing process for sinus infections and dental procedures when a small amount is dissolved in water. However, salt is never to be used full strength on an open wound.
The water of the word, warm and clear, infused with a dash of salt disinfects, soothes, and restores balance.
To Promote Buoyancy
Why can people float in Great Salt Lake?
There are around 4.5 billion tons of salt in the lake. This gives the water a density that is approximately ten times more than a normal ocean. This density is higher than the mass of a standard human so you become buoyant.
Based on this information, what are we as believers called to do for those around us?
As a Preservative
How does salt preserve food?
Picture what happens when you sprinkle salt on a sliced cucumber; within a few minutes, the salt is dissolved in a pool of cucumber juice. That’s because water flows through food cell walls towards greater concentrations of dissolved particles, proteins, and pigments. When you rub salt on a vegetable or meat, it dissolves in the food’s exterior moisture, creating a concentrated solution that draws more water from the interior to the surface.
This process illustrates salt’s role in preserving meat for jerky, ham, or hard-cured salami. The salted meat is placed in circulating air, which evaporates emerging water so the meat dries out. Because microorganisms need moisture to survive, drying meat makes it inhospitable to molds and bacteria, thereby lengthening the storage life of some sausages and hams for months.
If we are the Salt of the Earth, what are we called to preserve?
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 