Quote from Forum Archives on August 11, 2009, 10:34 am

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 850 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

08.11.09

Dry Lands and Green Pastures

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green
pastures.. - Psalm 23:1-2a.

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My
flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. -
Psalm 63:1

The thrill seekers riding the Invertigo rollercoaster in Santa Clara,
California found their thrill lasting a little longer than the planned 70
seconds yesterday. There reportedly was a problem with a lift chain which
brought everything to a sudden halt leaving 24 riders just hanging out with
their feet dangling. No one was upside down during the wait, but they were
either leaning over backward or leaning forward at a severe angle, and it
was a very warm day with the temperature in the nineties. Firefighters
rescued the riders using a cherry picker one at a time. It took only an hour
to rescue the first rider and close to five hours before they were all on
the ground. None of the riders indicated that they would want to repeat the
rollercoaster ride of their lives any time soon.

Living life as children of God can sometime be like a rollercoaster ride
that comes to a sudden stop. However, it may take years before it starts to
move again. Some of the greatest servants of God experienced it. King David
experienced life stopping in a good place as in "green pastures" and also in
"a dry and thirsty land." You may have experienced life in both places too.
David's experiences were both literal and spiritual. As with David, in
whatever place you may find yourself, God will use it to mold and shape you
so that you will be more and more conformed to the image of Christ.

The disciples of Jesus spent about three years with Him before His
crucifixion and resurrection. It is said of Paul that he had his three years
with Jesus too. From the time, he was forced to leave Jerusalem and go to
the isolation of Tarsus until Barnabus came to find him again must have
seemed like an eternity. In the quietness of isolation the apostle Paul
received the finishing touches upon his character that he would need to
faithfully carry out the missionary journeys and persevere through the
persecution he would face. In the quietness of the isolation, the Lord's
still, small voice must have been amplified many times over.

I have only once thought that I heard the Lord speak to me audibly. It was
years ago, before I was a pastor, and I was working in the oilfield. I was
seeking God's will for my life, praying for Him to bring about His will. I
believed then and know now that He had called me to preach His Word but why
was I not being allowed to do so? It was a dry, hot summer, and I was on a
deserted oilfield location putting the finishing touches on an inspection
job while the rest of the crew was at another location. There was no one
else there. I was thinking and praying all of these things on that day which
seemed to stretch out forever, like every other day that summer. That was
when I heard someone call my name. One word, just my name. I stopped and
turned in a circle looking for who it was - but there was no one there. One
word, but it was enough to sustain me through those times and into the
ministry.

In these days that I am living in now the Lord has made me to lay down in
"green pastures." It is not a perfect place; however, it is a good place
that my life is in now. I believe that God may possibly have something more
for me, and if so, in His timing it will be revealed when I have been
properly prepared for it.

Whether you are in a "dry and thirsty land" or the Lord has made you to lay
"down in green pastures" it is not a wasted time. He is molding and shaping
you for greater service as you come to be more and more like Jesus. Listen
for His Voice.

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys
with cancer. Malachi is very ill and in much pain. He is paralyzed on one
side because of a tumor pressing on his brain. Many prayer needs are posted
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your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush
Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

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