Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 05
September 2012
Hi all,
Today’s meditation is in 5 poems. The first three are
different. The final two are in the same style. It’s an attempt to give variety
within the poetry section. It seems to have been acceptable.
Blessings
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 05 September 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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PRICELESS LIVING WATER
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Dad
used to say “A change is as good as a holiday”. So here’s a change for me.
Four different writing styles. Hopefully you will find the content helpful
and perhaps I can have a holiday?
The
Jimmet originated from Jeremiah’s comments by the Lord concerning the things
His people had done. In Jeremiah 2, The Lord was speaking to the prophet
about His people. He was commenting on the fact that His people had abandoned
Him and pursued other gods which were not gods at all. They were images the
people had dreamed up. It seems that this portion of Scripture came from the
period before the Babylonians invaded Judah and Jerusalem and carried off His
people to Babylon. Actually, the Babylonians attacked on three separate
occasions with ±10 years between each invasion. The first time was in ±606BC.
Jeremiah’s ministry began in ±627BC. It follows that these words recorded by
Jeremiah must have been in ±620BC. The Jimmet focuses on the words of God
through Jeremiah. It is a brief summary of those times and reflects something
of God’s attitude to the people’s unfaithfulness in “chasing after” foreign
gods and idols.
This
is followed by an interpolation of Psalm 37 7-9.
This, my “standard” poetry style, contrasts with the Jimmet and focuses on
the goodness of God. Our total dependence on and need for God includes
references to Paul’s words to the Athenians in Acts. 28 For in Him we live
and move and exist. As some of your own
poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' Acts
17:28 NLT In this portion of our meditation I’ve tried to show our
utter dependence on Him.
Jesus’
words to the woman at the well are referred to in the next few lines of
verse. The astonishing dialog between Jesus and this woman! In those days,
Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans. For a Jewish Rabbi to speak to a Samaritan
woman of questionable morals at that time was unthinkable. But this was the
Lord Jesus. This dialog in John 4 must have done more to elevate the status
of women in those days and subsequently, than we will ever appreciate in the
21st century. Jesus showed the men the way in this regard. In His
own unique way Jesus led the way to the liberation of women that few people
realise.
The
final two poems are in a very simple four/four style. The first refers to
words written by Isaiah. They are God’s invitation to the thirsty to come and
drink from His abundant supply. Notice that no cost would be involved. It
sounds like an evangelical 21st century appeal!
The
final short verse is taken from the end of the book of Revelation. It seems
to reflect the words of Isaiah
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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13 "For My people have done two evil things: They
have abandoned Me--the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at
all!
Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
7 How priceless is your unfailing love,
O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give
them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain
of life; in your light we see light.
Psalms 36:7-9 TNIV
13 Therefore thus says the
Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry;
behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my
servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;
Isaiah 65:13 ESV
14 But those who drink the
water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the
water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal
life."
John 4:14 GW
39 (He said this in regard
to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive.
The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
John 7:39 MSG
1 "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if
you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free!
Isaiah 55:1 NLT
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come."
Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the
water of life.
Revelation 22:17 NLT
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My people have just done two evil things.
The first is that they have abandoned Me.
The only One who living water brings;
Dug their cisterns which are water free!
Cracked and empty, they’re dry as bones.
Not a trace of moisture anywhere!
Why is it they leave their God alone,
When I Am the only One who cares?
Sadly this is how it’s always been,
Searching for a god when there is none.
Images to look at and be seen.
But the fact is, I’m the only One!
They prefer the idols of their mind.
And reject the One who’s good and kind.
How priceless Your unfailing love. O Lord in Thee we
hide.
In the shadow of Your wings is where we all abide.
Feast on the abundance, which only You supply.
From delightful rivers, we drink and are not dry.
Lord You have provided this. You are the source of
light.
The fount of living water You give us day and night.
Without You there is nothing. Not one of us could
be.
You are our existence. We live and move in Thee.
You feed us when we’re hungry. Warm us when we’re
cold.
Give us all we’ll ever need. Our silver and our gold,
Is what You provided back when You shaped the land.
So that we could find it as from Your mighty hand.
Water from a reservoir a man must drink to live;
In order that his
thirst, he can contain;
Whoso drinks the water that I, alone, can give,
He will never ever
thirst again!
That which I provide is like a flowing, bubbling spring,
Gushing up and flowing
from inside.
Streams of Living Water will flow from deep within,
And everlasting life
will thus abide!"
It won’t cost you anything.
Not the water which I bring.
Wine and Milk I give for free,
If you’ll come and follow Me!
The Spirit and the Bride say come.
To your thirst, do not succumb.
Anyone who’s parched and dry.
Anyone who’s parched and dry.
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Jim Strickland – Written 5th
September 2012
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