When You Turn Your Head To The Left

In the last 8 years I have come to have this fondness for Public Television. One of my favorite programs is the Antiques Road Show. I watch through all of the stuff that I would normally consider junk if I saw it in a yard sale, flea market, or second hand store and I learn some things and what to look for which could be absolute treasure. My family and I have actually cringed at the things we have seen and knew we had at one time or another and have thrown it away calling ourselves keeping free from hoarding (pack rat-itis).

I still think about the time where I drove for about 45 minutes to this out of the way second hand store just to see what they had. It is one of the reasons why I don't like window shopping to this day. I had a shopping cart, I think just in case I saw something and the clerk could possibly hold the item for me so I could go ask a family member for the money to purchase it (another thing I don't like to do). As I looked around, I didn't see anything I particularly liked and was about to leave as I made my way through the rows and rows of discarded framed art. I saw these two men with a painting, they were discussing if it was real or not and if they should purchase it. Having some education in the field I tried not to look so conspicuous in seeing who signed the piece. It was a Picasso! Holding back a shriek because the signature looked authentic to me, I walked away believing if it is mine to have, God was going to make a way. I had to take a deep breathe and believe to receive as I prayed looking at the picture frames not too far from where the two men were. They left and also left the painting behind. I quickly went to the art and picked up the painting. It wasn't a print. I could feel the brush strokes of the oil painting and the frame looked as if it were crudely made. The front of it looked like some French Provencal design while the back looked as if pieced together with pine board and tacked with entirely too many nails. Even the canvas wasn't stretched very tight across the frame, but I was almost positive the signature was real. I looked at the price of the piece. It was $10.00. I don't recall if I had that amount, I do recall needing gas to make it back home and having both was out of the question. I kept looking at it and right when I was about to put it back, those two men saw me with the painting and started mumbling to themselves. I kept the painting in my cart and walked around the store not knowing what I was going to do. After 30 minutes, I talked myself in believing that Pablo Picasso wouldn't have such a frame as this for his artwork. I put the painting back and forced myself to stop thinking about the matter.

Well, of course I saw on the Antiques Road Show later how the paintings of back then looked one way in the front and as if a third grader put it together in the back. I just couldn't settle on that I had to do my own research. In all of my education, I just couldn't recall Picasso ever painting any scenery. I was at the ready about to look up all of the painting recorded of Picasso...and I stopped. I just couldn't. What if I find it? It took about a year before I could actually do it. Pages and pages, website after website and still  no scenery painting from him. Just when I was about to move on, there it was. Looking back at me in a wall of cubism and abstracts. It was a small thumbnail (tiny display), so there was just a slight glimmer that it might not be an actual...authentic... yeah, right! Don't ask of my demeanor then and for days after. Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhhhh [eye twitch]!

Recently, I was looking at the very same show and saw a woman going to the professional curator to tell her of her treasure and the approximation of what it was worth. Her husband was socking money away for their anniversary. According to her, it was the plan for them to celebrate those years in Italy. While they were shopping and just before leaving for their trip, they came upon this rather horrendous table clock. It was cherry wood with gold painted scroll work around the edges of it. Their son was with them and convinced his mother to use the anniversary money to purchase the clock. He said that if she decided to go on the trip, once it was over - its over but if she purchased the clock, she would have it forever. So she took the $7,000.00 dollars and bought the horrendous clock. As she finished the story, you could tell that she believed she made a sound investment and was waiting for the curator to tell her that the clock was worth so much more then she paid for it. She was literally beaming right up until he told her to get the clock insured for ..... $7,000.00. She tried her best to maintain that smile but she knew as well as anyone watching that she no longer had the Italy trip nor did she have that sound investment she thought she had. If I were her son, I would have packed and left before she got back home!

I asked God, how could the enemy ever get in my camp to take what belongs to me? I have the whole armor on (Ephesians 6:11 KJV). I have the garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3 KJV). I have the blood of the lamb (1 Peter 1:18-20 KJV). I am anointed. I am the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. I sought Kingdom Living (Matthew 6:33 KJV). How then, how did he get permission to take anything from me and without me knowing it (Ephesians 4:27 KJV)? It is one of the most frustrating aspects of Christian Life to me.

I was reminded of one of those times after prayer where I sit quietly in His presence (Psalm 16:11 AMP). As I sat on my bed, the morning sun shone through the curtains and one of the beams landed on the floor where it just sparkled and caught my attention. The sparkle continued to dance until I got up to see what it was. I picked it up and thought it was a rhinestone at first but the cut was too specific and a rhinestone usually has a glued metal backing. I then did what most of us would do and bite it. I have no idea what that would prove. If my tooth chipped it has to be real? I took a mirror and used that test. Yes, it cut the glass. Ecstatic to have been given such a jewel, I made my way to a jeweler to see if it were truly authentic. The jeweler looked at the stone and I did not take my eyes off of him, thinking he might do some slight of hand trick or drop and pick up a cut piece of plastic. He picked up some electrical device and put the stone in it. The device made a ping noise. He then said, "oh well. That sound tells me its not real. Sorry, but hey, if you are still interested, I could put it in a setting for you." I thought that was an odd thing for a jeweler to say if the stone was a fake. Why would I want a fake in a setting? I thanked him for his time, wrapped up my stone and left the store. Still pleased with what the Lord gave me, I waited for sound instruction (Hosea 4:6 AMP).

Once we have established that we are anointed in Christ Jesus and we have a calling on our lives, we maintain this focus until the goal has been complete. We don't find that what we are talented in and not seek Wisdom on the matter (James 1:5 AMP). This would be foolish; however, also having the wisdom and education and still not relying on the voice of the Lord, is still just as foolish. It is much like a pastor, speaker, evangelist, and or prophet, gaining so much from the Lord with the praise of the listeners from one speaking engagement to the next and then he/she decides that with the next engagement, instead of praying and studying like he/she has done in the past and successfully so, he/she decides to "wing it" or speak from what is already known. The outcome might be taken in well enough but it will never be as powerful as those times when God was acknowledged first (Proverbs 3:6 KJV). When we think we can manage the task at hand on our own, it is giving the enemy permission to have place for him to do his job (John 10:10 KJV). It takes sometime to realize when the talent is being pilfered away; though the listeners are noticing a difference. Don't ever take the chance to think that the success you have been experiencing is because of you. Remember it is the diligent that reap the reward (Hebrews 11:6 KJV).

The woman who spent her anniversary money on a clock that wasn't worth what she spent took the advice of her son who nothing more about antiques then she did (Proverbs 15:22 KJV). she didn't ask the clerk to hold the piece for her until she did some research or brought anyone else to see what she was considering to purchase. Worse yet, she didn't mention at all of saying a word to her husband. He was the one saving the money to go somewhere that they both had dreamed about. She turned her head to the left and what she thought she saw was fool's gold (Proverbs 4:26-27 KJV).

I, on the other hand, decided I wanted to go to that store. I recalled passing by one day but I was not the one driving. The driver didn't want to stop so I was going to make it back there one way or another.  I didn't acknowledge God in my decision to do so, I just felt like going. I knew what I had in my pocket and what the gas tank looked like. There was no reason for me to go to that store but to do something that I don't like doing anyway - browse (Proverbs 10:22 KJV). When I asked God why did He allow me to see something like that and not be able to buy it, I didn't get an answer right away. Why would He answer me now when I didn't ask Him about going there and making that way plain for me? You see how I turned my head to the left and  found a treasure I couldn't take out of the store...at least not without establishing a criminal record (Joshua 1:7 KJV). Lesson learned.

A Hard Drive for Christians

I saw a woman in the library trying to use her flash drive. She had no cover for the head of it and when placed in the hard drive of the computer she found all of the information stored was gone. She pulled the travel disk (as it has been called) out to blow on the head and placed it back in the hard drive. To no avail, all of the information she painstakingly put into it had been lost. She went to seek assistance from the library attendant who came to where she was sitting. She gave him her flash drive and he asked, "where is the cover?" To wit, she replied, "oh, I lost that awhile ago, but anyway, can you help me get my resume from it? When I try to use it nothing comes up." He looked at her thoughtfully knowing what's going to happen but he went through the steps anyway for her to understand. Afterwards, having no success, he said, "you must keep this covered or dust will get into the head of it and then it will be ruined." He gave the piece back to her and left. She sat looking at the blank screen and the instrument that was no longer any good to her.

This is an analogy of how information has been received to live a life that is holy and acceptable unto God. We receive the information from ministries, our parents, counselors, and other influential people but instead of taking heed with what we have learned, we go about in our own way of doing things; as if we know better. As I tell my children, I am not out for their hurt but looking out for them only desiring the best for them. If I tell you something is going to burn you, I would think with that warning they wouldn't do it. But children don't always listen and at the end of all they have learned, there they sit enduring the pain of the punishment and trying to recover from the sting of it or recall the information they chose to neglect.

How could any of us look at the children of Israel going around that mountain and think we would never be in that situation - ever? We have done it and so did this woman in the analogy. Why would the manufacturer design the travel disk with a cover if it weren't necessary to use? Why would God send Jesus to shed His blood on the cross if it weren't necessary for us to use?

The devil is going to come to do his job - steal, kill, and destroy. If you don't stay covered under that blood (the anointing), you get what you get. In the analogy, she lost all of her information. Will you have to get to that point before hearing God? From a Christian perspective, the analogy speaks volumes.

Pearls

The Word says he who asks for Wisdom God gives to him liberally and upbraideth it not (James 1:5 KJV). Wisdom is far more precious than rubies (Proverbs 3:15 AMP). It is the principle thing we have with our faith by fearing God. With the way God sees things and Wisdom being what it is, what do we do with her once she has been found?We have seen and spoken to people that don't use the good sense God gave them. Should we take the time to give the Wisdom that God gave to us when we asked? And if we decide to do so, is God pleased?

An elderly man who is fascinated by the artwork that I do, comes to the office to where I am drawing and to ask to see the latest piece. He then shows me of the artwork he did years ago using acrylic paint and a solid piece of clear acrylic. He is talented. We began discussing various artworks of famous painters. I showed him somethings on the internet and how he could make money selling his pieces. When it meant for him to put forth some effort with his own talent, he stopped talking. He stopped asking to see pieces of my work. He would only peer over my shoulder and smile. I asked why wouldn't he do something so simple to use and having computer knowledge already? He explained how he retired from being so busy. He went through his mundane itinerary that we all do over the course of the day. I stopped trying to make him see what he refused to do. It was pointless. His excuses for not doing anything didn't seem worth while for me to make him change his mind.

God gives Wisdom to those who ask. We use it to further advance our lives in the abundance Jesus came to give. God is pleased with our prosperity (Psalm 35:27 AMP). When you can see where someone could be, is it hard for you to not say anything? With the love of God, I can't see how I could keep myself from not saying anything. Yet there does come a point where no matter what you say, the listener refuses to hear. He/she has their mind made up. You cannot force it down their throats.

Could this be relevant when witnessing to others? Of course, we would like to win souls for Christ. We wouldn't have anyone be lost. This is the wish God has as well (1 Timothy 2:4 AMP); however, wouldn't it be more beneficial all the way around that you be a good listener to His voice before forcing someone to listen to you? He orders the steps of a good man (Psalms 37:23 AMP). He can change the heart of a king (Proverbs 21:1 AMP). Your abilities are only limited through Christ. When you force your faith on someone else and they clearly aren't interested, you changed that love walk into your walk and that's evil no matter how good your intentions are.

Personally, with Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, when someone beckons me for the purpose of saving my soul, my immediate response is to roll my eyes. When the one speaking doesn't change his/her mind after seeing this, I know they are not listening to God. Why would God tell you to come to me and I already live, breath, and do for Him? When the outcome is annoyance, why persist? How is that a love relationship depicting God? Anyone could see that as stalking and it is not good; therefore, it is not God.

Do you see any value in pearls? Would you lay a string of pearls in a pig pen? A pig would attempt to eat the pearls but once finding them inedible, the pearls become a part of the dung-filled mud that makes his environment. Once covered in dung and mud, do the pigs care (Matthew 7:6 AMP)? Did they ever?

Would this be the same when going to church? If you know the pastor hears from God and the message he is called to preach is reminiscent of a message you heard not just a few months ago. God is telling you something. If Jesus prepared a table for you and what you received was a plate of strained baby food, would you ask why or continue to eat the baby food? Would baby food sustain you? How long would it be before you get hungry again? Infants are fed milk every 2 hours. Would milk sustain you? Would Wisdom be speaking for you to move on? Wouldn't it be to your benefit to seek His face to be placed in a church where the harvest is plentiful?

On the other hand, pastors cannot be afraid of the congregation growing to be sons and moving on to what God has called him/her to do. Pastor should know by now that God will fill the empty seats? It took faith to get the pastors where they are. Why use anything else when the ministry is in full operation?

The Word tells us to seek Wisdom early while we can. Would this mean that there will come a time where Wisdom will not be heard? Pearls have no value to someone who worries. If a problem is exacerbated with worry then the God who knew you before you were formed in the womb has been minimized if thought of at all. Worry is a euphemism for fear. When one instills fear, Wisdom cannot be found. For this reason, when witnessing,  the fire and brimstone message isn't good. God woes us with love. We use that same love with people. Wisdom cannot be found when a pastor worries that the collection plate is lighter than usual. He is the same God that paid the mortgage, why would He leave you in your time of need? The same God that fed you well in the ministry where you were saved. God will continue to lead, feed, and provide in the place He is sending you.

Keep the pearls God has given liberally. Know when to give those precious words and when not to. Recognize His voice and know when those precious words are given to you unless your preference is the mire of dung and mud.