GENTLE GIANT

Time with Jesus - Wed. 05 December 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is all about our Gentle Giant. Years ago we used to criticise the old children’s hymn, “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild”. I remember being told He is the Lion of Judah and not a little cuddly toy to play with. That certainly put things into a better perspective. Yet the one who created the universe and all that is in it spoke gently to Mary Magdalene in the Garden. He also told His disciple to “suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not.” How was it possible for infinite power to allow Himself to be crucified? It would only have taken one word from Him and all the angels in creation would have come to His assistance. The One who could easily support and carry the Niagara Falls holds you and me in His arms and we are not destroyed! How is that possible? It scares me spit-less!

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 05 December 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	GENTLE GIANT
At the age of ±10, I started to read the Beano and the Dandy. It may be a strange thing for a septuagenarian to confess, but I loved those comics. They came out weekly and I would follow them with great interest. Corky the cat, Big Ego, Desperate Dan and other fictional characters amused me greatly. Desperate Dan was my favourite. He would eat “cow pie”, a whole cow, in one sitting. His strength was legendary. He could pick up just about anything. His habits were vaguely 21st century. Like many men today, he always needed a shave! Dan was a bit like the famous lover in “Wait a Minim”. He would “Never shave the whiskers, from off of his horny hide. / He just knocked them in with a hammer and bit them off inside”. Despite Dan’s enormous strength, he was able to handle a twenty ton weight with the same dexterity as a flower. From the same era came a comic strip advertising a body building course. The first picture showed a bully chasing a skinny man away from a pretty girl and throwing sand in his face. The thin man then took a Charles Atlas Body Building course. The final picture was of this “new” man chasing away the bully. What wasn’t stated, was how long it would take for this transformation. It wouldn’t be overnight, in spite of the fact that it appeared to be the same pretty girl of the same age in the advert. As Christians, we need to remember that we are not alone. In fact Scripture tells us that we are never alone. 20 Teach them (Disciples) to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end." Matthew 28:20 NIrV It’s an amazing fact that He is with us whether we see Him or not. Furthermore, He is much stronger than “Clive”. Everything was made by Him and for Him. So He is more than a match for a million “Clives”. It’s very comforting to know that when we get to the end of ourselves, we have arrived at the beginning of Him! At the same time we need to be aware that He is with you as much as He is with me! He also has the extraordinary ability of always supporting righteousness. So we can only expect His assistance when we are pursuing righteousness. If we stray into sin, He is still there, but he is more reticent to help until the sin is sorted out. He is always the defender of the weak. So Christian husbands, be warned. Jesus is on your side and on your wife’s side. If you get out of line with her, she will call on Him to help. Under such circumstances, He will side with the one who is right. In some instances, I’ve found that He sides with Phyllida, not me. That’s a big problem. I don’t like being confronted by a million “Clives” at the same time. The odds are stacked up very much against me. So ladies, if you have a problem with your husband, don’t shout at him. Talk to the Lord. Let Him settle it! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			9 He guards the paths of those who are faithful to him. But evil people will lie silent in their dark graves. "People don't win just because they are strong. 1 Samuel 2:9 NIrV 45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45 ESV 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 1 Samuel 17:49-50 ESV 16 No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. 17 Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone. 18 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. Psalms 33:16-18 MSG 12 Riches and glory come from you, you're ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. 1 Chronicles 29:12 MSG 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT	When I was still a schoolboy, I had a distant “friend” He really was a “pipsqueak”, but sometimes he’d pretend, He was “Charlie Atlas” the strongest man alive. Few people ever challenged him. His brother’s name was “Clive” Now Clive was something different. A tower of a man, With great big bulging biceps; a bit like Desperate Dan. He had a reputation for tearing men to shreds. Anyone who challenged him was dispatched to his bed. They were the strangest couple. Clive had all the brawn. My friend was very “brainy” and he would speak with scorn, About all his opponents. If they got out of line, He simply told his brother, who’d say to him, “He’s mine!” It was a neat arrangement and people stayed well clear, Of any altercation. They knew that Clive was near. They both grew into manhood. My friend became a sage. His brother was a wrestler with a leaning for the stage! I’m not sure how it ended. In fact I do not care. But there’s an application to what happened way back there. I’ve got an elder brother. I’ve learned to know Him well. If anybody picks on me, they could end up in Hell. Because this Man is jealous. I’m His and He is mine. Better known to others, as Jesus Christ Divine. If I’m intimidated, I only have to call. And Jesus Christ will settle it. I’m not afraid at all. And yet, I have a problem and don’t know what to do. The woman I have married, she knows Christ Jesus too! And since He is a gentleman, it I get out of line, She takes the situation to Jesus Christ Divine. Now I am quite ecstatic when He is on my side. But let me tell you frankly, that He supports my bride. When things for her get difficult; she simply turns to prayer. It isn’t very long before I wish He wasn’t there. And yet the situation is satisfactory. Because when I need discipline He comes and “fixes” me. So she has the advantage. But truly I don’t mind. A husband’s duty to his wife is, “do not be unkind”. We know I lead the family. This fact is very plain. But if I am tyrannical. He’ll “fix” me once again. Jim Strickland  Written 5th December 2012