There is Good News! No image is too faded or jaded that it cannot be restored. We are in the beautiful month of June and we are fixing our eyes not on man, our humanness, our sinfulness but on God and His magnificent, restoring, transforming power as He works in us, remolding and crafting that beautiful image, so fearfully and wonderfully made. But before we can move on, we must recognize that it is sin that has corrupted our nature and before God can do anything to help us we need to repent, to acknowledge our sinfulness and turn to Him. Without Repentance there can be no transformation. It is why we bow our heads before the Lord and ask Him to forgive us and why we look to Christ as our Lord and Saviour, for it is in Christ that we are born again, a new creation. It is why we daily turn to our Father to help us, to speak to us and show us the way.
The prophetic voice is heard as the gentle voice of God. He permeates man’s thoughts and aligns them with His own, and then those who hear Him write and speak about what He has said. While writing as we have done these past few months on numbers 1 to 6, I have been so aware of the voice of the Lord as He has spoken through our ponderings and drawn us closer to Him. I have written for years, mostly for myself as I have journaled in prayer, sharing my heart with God and listening for His answers. I have written, drawn pictures and, over the years, seen the way the Lord has stirred my heart to know and love Him more. We don’t have to write for somebody or something; just writing can bring such revelation and wonder at the way the Lord speaks to us, leads us, opens truths and takes us into a deep and real place - face to face with Him.
As I have thought about the number 6, man, our humanness - who we are has become clearer. We are the people God created, as He took mud from the earth and filled it with His Spirit, forming that perfect image that looked like Jesus. Jesus, the Man, Who was always wise and gracious, Who never fought to make others accept His ways. And it took my thoughts to that silly, childish ditty “Five six pick up sticks.” Yes, the same childish ditty that prompted Jesus knocking at the door. It may have started with a childish ditty, but it has led to a deeper desire for the transformational work of God in my life, knowing that God promises to complete what He has started. It is the work of the Holy Spirit producing fruit, polishing the tarnished image of God and restoring it to perfection.
The beauty of God is not in the outward appearance but rather the inner radiance that manifests outwards. And it is a specific work, ro0ting out old attitudes and replacing them with new, Godly ones. Journey with me as I look back to not so long ago, when we celebrated Easter and focused on Christ on the Cross, hanging from two massive wooden beams. Hardly sticks, I know, but it was where my thoughts began. Our Lord went to His death carrying the huge wooden cross with the help of Simon from Cyrene. He had been mocked, beaten and humiliated but He never hit back. He never fought back. Remember His compassion, when He healed the centurion who had lost an ear after Peter had sliced it off, He forgave His torturers and murderers and went like a lamb to the slaughter. In our eyes perhaps, but certainly in the eyes of the Jews in Jerusalem, it looked as if all was over. The anticipated King was helpless, He was brutally scourged and had gone to His death meekly, submitting to the Roman authorities. No show of power, just meekness, forgiveness and totally yielded to his fate. What was it all about and how could He not fight back? Of course, we know! We can look back and see the whole story of Jesus fulfilling all that had been prophesied about Him. That scarlet thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation, speaking about the atoning blood. But it was Jesus’ obedience that defeated the powers of darkness and sin, setting the captives free to live a life surrendered to Him, a life of abundance with a King of a New Kingdom. A Kingdom that is now and not yet. A Kingdom to be preached so that all who are willing may come in. A glorious Kingdom in which every tear is wiped away, no more death, crying or pain for a time has come and is coming when the old order of things has passed away. (Revelations 21:4)
So what has this to do with picking up sticks, or transformation? As mentioned, 6 is all about man, humankind, and our transformation process. It is our part in the narrative of creation, our fallenness and imperfection in contrast to the holiness, completeness, and perfection of God. We in all our brokenness, are made whole and perfect in Him. And it is in Him that we are transformed to reveal His nature. The nature of a man who humbled Himself, revealed gentleness, kindness, obedience and yet carried such power and authority. He achieved all He set out to achieve, there was no picking up sticks, no fighting to preserve His rights, no demanding His own way, instead, He submitted willingly to His Father. Today God is transforming our nature by the power of the Holy Spirit in us; teaching us to obey, to submit and to imitate Christ as we receive His word directing us. It is scripture that washes us and renews our way of thinking, giving us the mind of Christ. This is a key to God’s transforming power. I love Psalm 119, it is alive! Listen to this. "The entrance of thy word gives light and understanding to the simple." It allows the voice of the Holy Spirit to speak life and wisdom into our hearts as we seek God. You may not agree with me here, but I sense that we waste so much time and energy and effort trying to change ourselves. We try to be nice, kind and gentle but so often we pick up sticks and fight. We fight with words; we even fight in our prayer life and we often try to push things the way we think they should go. I want to learn to yield and trust God to do any fighting that needs to be done.
The great apostle Paul who knew what it was to face opposition, persecution and abandonment wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:4, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (worldly, physical) but mighty through God to pulling down of strongholds." Yes! They are not physical but spiritual, all about God’s power and Jesus demonstrated their use in the most glorious and extraordinary way when He went to the cross. He was obedient to His Father even unto death. He did not lift a hand in anger. He did not speak a word in rebuke but obeyed His Father, even unto death. The result - He was resurrected in divine power having overcome the powers of darkness. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) He came to destroy the works of Satan and the secret in this battle was His obedience to the Father. We do not battle differently from our Lord; we die to self, submit to our Father and imitate the Son. We submit to the Lord and resist the devil and he will flee. (James 4:7)
When we bring God’s word, and His love, into every situation, we see how the Holy Spirit effects change. Spiritual warfare today has, at times, appropriated some strange concepts, almost becoming a militant action that takes down or over by force. No sticks are needed – our God is Sovereign – He rules the universe and is subject to no other power. It is done!! The powers of darkness are defeated and God is establishing His Kingdom. In obedience to our heavenly Father let us submit to His will, His way in all that we do.
Psalm 119:9
How can a young woman keep her way pure? By living according to your word.
Psalm 119 is full of encouragement and direction and the writer says, “Your promises have been thoroughly tested and your servant loves them.” (Verse 140) Let’s get into the scriptures, they will change our way of thinking and help us to know who we are in Christ so that we can be confident in the hope that we have in Him. Not only confident for ourselves but for others who may need a word of strengthening. We will know the truth, especially in this world, that has so muddled fact with fiction. God is preparing and strengthening us to be His mouthpiece, His ambassador. Layer upon layer of truth makes us strong in Him, precept upon precept (a rule intended to regulate behaviour or thought) builds a solid foundation. A foundation built on rock and not on sand. The process of transformation that makes all things new. “I will never forget your precepts for by them you have preserved my life.” (Verse 93)
Let's pray this together:
Father it is your will that we represent your only begotten Son Jesus Christ on earth, that we reveal His love, kindness and compassion to a people that do not know Him, that they too may want the life of abundance that You have given us. Will you fill us with your Holy Spirit that He may work in us and make us like Jesus? Teach us to be obedient to Your every command so that our lives may be a testimony to Your greatness, Your mercy and Your transforming power. Amen.