The Lost Donkeys

I was having tea with a friend the other day and we were talking about a question I had on my mind. I was wondering out loud, why is it that when I am asking an answer from God, He does answer.. but very often it is not the answer I am looking for. Jesus seemed to do the same thing when He walked the earth. He spoke in Parables and sometimes they seemed to be confusing. Almost like a riddle. Where there is an answer inside the answer, where sometimes the answer seems to put one on a different path and a different outcome than what we were expecting.

God always answers the question on our hearts.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

My friend pointed out the story of Saul who went looking for his father’s lost donkeys (Read 1 Samuel Chapter 9). Saul and a servant went searching everywhere and eventually their search brought them to the town where the Prophet Samuel lived. They decided to seek the prophet’s help in locating the donkeys. But God had a different idea. Samuel tells Saul not to worry about the donkeys because they had been found. All Saul could think about was the lost donkeys. But God had a different purpose in mind: God had gone ahead of Saul and told Samuel the Prophet to anoint Saul as King.

Sometimes the thing at the top of our minds is something very lowly when we compare it to what God has in mind for our lives. Stand back from your life. Ask God to show you His thoughts over the situation. The answer to the small things will be there anyway. What we think is a major problem is a very small thing for God to resolve if we focus on what is important to Him.

Miracles and wonders

Wikipedia says "A miracle is an event attributed to divine intervention." Well, I have had a series of "miracles" in the past 24 hours that caused the impossible to be possible in more than one area of my life - business, financial, social, and practical. If one of these had happened it might have been said by some to have been a coincidence. But for the combination of events and circumstances to unfold the way they did, this could not have been done by any person. God was most definitely involved and I am grateful. And glad. Especially as one of these miracles means I can take up a holiday which I won earlier this year at an Exclusive Game Lodge bordering the Kruger National Park.

I am happy that once again, God proves to be Who He says he is. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Psalm 105:2

50 Good Years

Today I am thinking of my parents, Robert and Yvonne Pole who have been married 50 years today. A remarkable milestone in the era in which we live. Few people make it for one or another reason. Very often because they just cannot get along. My parents are still each other's best friends and such a wonderful example of what a great marriage should be. Always speaking good about and to each other. Always prayerful. Always hopeful. Never criticising. One piece of advice from my Dad I will always remember is "Never criticise, condemn or complain". He said he got this from a Dale Carnegie Course he once did. My mother's advice to me: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". Wow.

My father still spends hours in his home gym (he has always loved to exercise). He says that is when he talks to God. My mother spends hours tending her garden. And they both love to watch the birds, dozens of them come to feed at the bird feeder in their garden daily, and quite often I get a text message from Mom to tell me the woolly headed herons are once again in their garden. Sweet.

I know that Mom bombards heaven with her prayers every morning for a couple of hours. She once showed me a creased and torn prayer list which she'd prayed over for the previous 10 years. She pointed out 57 names on there that she was praying for, for financial release.She said that of those names, only 5 were still waiting for answers. There were other names there for other needs. Many of those prayers have been answered yet she continues to remember their names before heaven. Some of these people will never know that my Mom prayed for them, daily, for decades They are friends of friends of mine who live in other countries.

What a heritage I have. I feel so moved today just thinking about it. Joy and happiness to you, Mom and Dad! May the Goodness of God continue to be your portion. And many more years of happiness here and in heaven one day.

Planning for Success

Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know – do not distinguish and recognise, have knowledge of and understand. Jeremiah 33:3

I have not spoken in secret, in a corner of the land of darkness; I did not call [you] to a fruitless service saying, Seek Me for nothing but promised a just reward. I the Lord speak righteousness-the truth [trustworthy, straight forward correspondence between deeds and words], I declare the things that are right.

God will always give us the exact right answer and plan of action if we seek Him. God’s plans for our lives are already blessed.

Roll your works upon the Lord-commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will and so shall your plans be established and succeed. Proverb 16:4

Heavenly Language

The greatest gift I have in my life is the ability to pray in tongues. It is the most incredible and wonderful thing that we have Help when we have no idea how to pray or even (sometimes) what to pray. Apostle Paul boasted that he spoke in tongues more than anyone (1 Corinthians 14:18).

I love my heavenly language. I experience through it exactly what the Bible says about it. I get insight into secret truths and hidden things not obvious to the understanding (1 Cor 14:2) and interpretation of the divine will and purpose over areas in my life. By spending time daily, praying in tongues, I find that God moves the wrong people and situations out of my life and path and instead moves the right people and situations into my life. He also fixes wrong attitudes in my heart. And brings clarity into confusing situations.

An amazing gift. Free and available to everyone. I am astonished when people don’t tap into it and use it. And when people use it sparingly like a quick shower. What a waste of an incredible resource. Do yourself a favour: if you would like to a comprehensive insight into this gift, Dave Roberson wrote an amazing book on the subject. It will transform your life in extraordinary ways. You can download it free in PDF form here: "Walk of the Spirit Walk of Power".

The Thunderings of God

There is something about thundering that brings life. Yesterday I quoted from Psalm 29 where the whole psalm is talking about thunder and the voice of God thundering then, in verse 9 it says “the voice of the Lord makes the hinds to bring forth their young”.

Then in Ezekiel 37:7-10 “thundering” brings life and healing to dead bones..

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a thundering noise, and behold, a shaking and trembling and rattling and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I beheld, and lo, there were sinews upon the bones, and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them over; but there was no breath or spirit in them, Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds O breath and spirit, and breath upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into the bones, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.

Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand? Job 26:14

The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. 2 Samuel 22:14

The Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire. Psalm 18:12-14

The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind, the lightnings illumined the world; the earth trembled and shook. Psalm 77:17-19

You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder. Psalm 81:6

The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. John 12:29

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Revelation 4:5

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. Revelation 6:1

And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. Revelation 14:2

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Revelation 19:6

Geographic Transitions

I believe it is important for us to recognise not only the times and seasons in our lives (and opportunities) but also the places. There is definitely a purpose for us in the sense of being at the right place at the right time geographically.

And He made from one common origin, one source, one blood all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined their allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes), So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:26-27 (TAB)

Abraham followed this principle.

Urged on by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go. Hebrews 11:8 (TAB)

At one time I became aware of a change of location coming up in my life. I was living in Cape Town and the wind blew literally for 6 weeks nonstop. The wind was so strong that some days it felt one had to hold onto a lamp post to prevent being blown away. People who came down for their summer holidays at that time complained bitterly because they could not have "beach days", the sand would just blow into their eyes and made everything most unpleasant. But to me it felt like a "wind of change". At the time I asked a friend to pray for me and I knew God would give him a "Word" for me. When the "Word" came, it was a confirmation of something I already knew in my heart. I knew that I had to move cities, from Cape Town to Johannesburg. So I bought a one way ticket. Within a few weeks of moving, I found myself in a completely new field, and success in that field was instantaneous. Many things changed which confirmed that I was in exactly the right place at the right time.

This is so important because where we live affects so much in our lives. Who we will meet. Opportunities for success in the fulfilment of our destiny. And enjoyment of the present moment.

“You will go out with joy and be led forth with peace” (Isaiah 55:12). I know I am in the right place at the right time when the Peace of God rules like an umpire in my heart.

Waiting

Waiting...

There are some things in my life I feel I have been waiting forever for. And sometimes I think, maybe this will never happen. On days like this I take courage from this passage in Isaiah 30:18-23

But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you.
He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.
God takes the time to do everything right—everything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.

Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road." ...

God will provide rain for the seeds you sow. The grain that grows will be abundant. Your cattle will range far and wide. Oblivious to war and earthquake, the oxen and donkeys you use for hauling and plowing will be fed well near running brooks that flow freely from mountains and hills. Better yet, on the Day God heals his people of the wounds and bruises from the time of punishment, moonlight will flare into sunlight, and sunlight, like a whole week of sunshine at once, will flood the land.

Waiting produces great fruit in our lives. Patience. Kindness. Compassion. There is nothing a person can do to speed things up. The best thing we can do is to relinquish every way we would try to force God’s hand to produce the answer, and just rest in Him. He will do it in His time. And Eternity is time enough.

Amazing Provision

I lived in Cape Town for a season. During this time I shared a house with a friend, Belinda. Every week, on a Friday, she would invite people from the local community to a stunning meal which she would prepare with grace and imagination. Belinda is an amazing cook, and she always managed to turn each meal into a festive celebration of life. But this particular week, the money had run out. Literally. I said to her, ok, let’s trust God. I know that when you pray, you need to be very specific in your requests. So we prayed according to Mark 11:23 ..whatever you ask for in prayer, believe – trust and be confident – that it is granted to you, and you will get it. We asked for provision for a stunning roast chicken and vegetables home cooked meal. In faith, we actually invited all the guests and told them to be there at 6pm on Friday for dinner.

It had been raining heavily for at least 3 days, but on the Thursday, I walked out to the postbox at the gate, and found a thick sodden envelope posted to me by my sister in England. Inside the envelope were six soggy R100 notes (about $100 at the time)! Enough to create the most spectacular meal for our Friday night celebration meal. The envelope must have been sitting in the post box for 3 days, it was so wet. My sister had said she didn’t get to change her currency at the airport so posted it to me. Well, frankly, it was a miracle the envelope wasn’t stolen on the way (which happens 99% of the time). But it reminded me of the verse “Before you called, I answered” because the answer to our prayer was already on its way at the time we prayed. This is that verse in the New Living Translation: I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24. 

Amazing.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

I was once in a desperate situation where I needed an answer literally within that day. It was one of the most challenging moments in my life. I said, God I really feel as though I’m between a rock and a hard place. I didn’t know which way to turn, and I didn’t know any person on earth who would be able to resolve the problem.

My devotional reading that morning happened to be Isaiah 43. It is important to keep a Bible reading program going, because God is always speaking to us through his Word, daily. We lose out if we don’t. I was reading that day from the Message version. I was amazed to find a direct answer to my question. In most versions, that passage says “when you pass through deep waters, I will be with you, they will not overtake you, when you walk through the fire, you won't be burned”. However, this time, in The Message, it was as if God was in the room.  

When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God

Within 2 hours there was a knock at my door. The fiancé of a good friend walked in, and made a proposition to me that resolved my serious dilemma in such an amazing way that in the process, I was also the answer to a difficulty she needed resolved in her own life! God fixed two problems in one breath-taking move! That’s my God. He will do the same for you if you just ask.

Snow and Glory

Ladysmith Gazette headlines

We experienced unusual snowfalls in South Africa during August. Two separate snowfalls necessitated the closing of the Van Reenen's Pass which is the main route between the major cities of Johannesburg and Durban. The last time this happened was in September 1981.

Van Reenen's Pass closed due to snow

Cars and trucks were stuck for days

Another thing that has been happening over the past month or so is that we are experiencing and hearing reports of a remarkable manifestation of the Glory of God in church services and prayer meetings throughout the country. I did a bit of research and came across wonderful verses in the Bible about snow and what it symbolises for our lives.
Like the cold of snow [brought from the mountains] in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the life of his masters. (Proverbs 25:13)*

The snow seems to have ushered in a time of spiritual refreshing. Snow also represents the GLORY of Jesus Christ:

Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of Glory may come in. (Psalms 24:7)*
His clothes became glistening, shining, exceedingly white like snow (Mark 9:3)

His head and His hair were white as snow...(Revelation 1:14)*

Snow represents answered prayer. In the Elijahlist, Dr Mahesh Chavda says: When you are in a dry place and praying for breakthrough, far away in the mountains, God's snow is falling. When spring comes, that stored up snow is going to melt and pour down off the mountains, filling rivers to overflowing and touching your life with blessing, deliverance, healing, provision and power. 

For as the sky soars high above earth,

   so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
   and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
   and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
   producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
   not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
   they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

(Isaiah 55:11)

Snow indicates that the answer to your prayers is already upon the ground.

* Amplified Bible (AMP)Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation