Blessed Reception
Greetings in the Lord!
Today's word is from Matthew 10:11-14~
"Whatever town or village you enter, serach for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting (blessing). If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone wll not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town."
~Recently the Lord had me walk out this scriptural lesson. When I first moved to Big Rapids in July, the Lord persisted that I bless the house of where I was to be staying, using Psalm 122 as a blessing. The owner of the house was a Christian, but she did not think her house needed to be blessed...she blessed it herself, she said. However, what she couldn't see in the spirit the Lord allowed me to see--her house needed to be cleansed and blessed! So, when she went out of town, I blessed the whole house except her room. When she came back late at night from being out of town, she asked me why her bedroom light was on. I said the light had turned on 4 times by itself since she was gone because an unclean spirit was in her room. I told her she would have to tell it to leave, since she gave it permission to be there by her not wanting to have her house blessed. That initial rejection of the blessing spoke volumes about her true heart condition---unbelief and arrogance. Over time I would see and experience more than I would have cared to, but the Lord would not release me to leave and live somewhere else. Then, last month when the Lord began to prepare me for leaving, He put on my heart to take back my blessing off of the house. I went from room to room and wiped away the oil I had put over her doors and windows. Later that night her bedroom light turned itself on again.
While that was my living situation, my work situation was entirely the opposite. From the moment I met everyone, they received me and were open everyday to conversations ("story time") about God. Oh, yes, in the beginning they were a little surprsied that I would say the name of Jesus at work and they had to get over the unusualness of "God talk" in the workplace, but they never outright rejected me or the things the Lord had me share with them. Instead, it became obvious that each one of them was touched by the Spirit and quite often sought out time to individually to talk to me and ask questions about things that were on their heart---they were seeking the counsel and words of the Lord. In fact, the Lord provided opportunities for me to share His goodness with women from other departments in the building as well. Now, that I am nearing my time to depart, the Lord has given me a word to share with them--a blessing.
"When I (God) shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will always be there."
2 Chronicles 7:13-16 ~The Lord says to these women in the Court House: "I mean what I say and I say what I mean. Do this: your jobs, your lives, your enjoyments, in rememberance of Me. Because you all have received what has been offered, I bless you. You will receive a prophet's reward. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding be upon you."
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Today's word is from Matthew 10:11-14~
"Whatever town or village you enter, serach for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting (blessing). If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone wll not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town."
~Recently the Lord had me walk out this scriptural lesson. When I first moved to Big Rapids in July, the Lord persisted that I bless the house of where I was to be staying, using Psalm 122 as a blessing. The owner of the house was a Christian, but she did not think her house needed to be blessed...she blessed it herself, she said. However, what she couldn't see in the spirit the Lord allowed me to see--her house needed to be cleansed and blessed! So, when she went out of town, I blessed the whole house except her room. When she came back late at night from being out of town, she asked me why her bedroom light was on. I said the light had turned on 4 times by itself since she was gone because an unclean spirit was in her room. I told her she would have to tell it to leave, since she gave it permission to be there by her not wanting to have her house blessed. That initial rejection of the blessing spoke volumes about her true heart condition---unbelief and arrogance. Over time I would see and experience more than I would have cared to, but the Lord would not release me to leave and live somewhere else. Then, last month when the Lord began to prepare me for leaving, He put on my heart to take back my blessing off of the house. I went from room to room and wiped away the oil I had put over her doors and windows. Later that night her bedroom light turned itself on again.
While that was my living situation, my work situation was entirely the opposite. From the moment I met everyone, they received me and were open everyday to conversations ("story time") about God. Oh, yes, in the beginning they were a little surprsied that I would say the name of Jesus at work and they had to get over the unusualness of "God talk" in the workplace, but they never outright rejected me or the things the Lord had me share with them. Instead, it became obvious that each one of them was touched by the Spirit and quite often sought out time to individually to talk to me and ask questions about things that were on their heart---they were seeking the counsel and words of the Lord. In fact, the Lord provided opportunities for me to share His goodness with women from other departments in the building as well. Now, that I am nearing my time to depart, the Lord has given me a word to share with them--a blessing.
"When I (God) shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will always be there."
2 Chronicles 7:13-16 ~The Lord says to these women in the Court House: "I mean what I say and I say what I mean. Do this: your jobs, your lives, your enjoyments, in rememberance of Me. Because you all have received what has been offered, I bless you. You will receive a prophet's reward. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding be upon you."
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Comments