THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

September 22, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

A few weeks ago, Jon and I visited the property in Missouri where my sisters and I grew up. The property is in the country and is quiet and relaxing. The afternoon that we were going to drive back home, we spent some time sitting in lawn chairs on our gazebo, before heading out. The gazebo is surrounded by woods and we were watching the effects that the wind was having on the trees.

It was a hot, sunny day and it didn't really seem as if it were windy; but we could see the wind moving the tree tops. There are some big pine trees and the wind was causing the tops of the trees to sway. We could see the high branches of the oaks and other tree varieties also moving with the wind.

There were trees of all sizes, and most of them are well established and have been there for many years. They are deeply rooted and are strong and healthy. Yet, the wind had enough power to cause those strong branches and the tops of the tree trunks to move. We couldn't hear the wind, but we could see it's power.

Today, as I am writing this, it is a windy day here in Oklahoma. But this time I can hear the wind when I'm outside. I see it moving the flowers and blades of grass, blowing leaves around in the yard, the tree limbs are all swaying and everywhere I look I see the effects of the wind. I can hear it blowing through the trees and at times it is 'howling' or 'rustling'; and even when I'm inside my home, I can still hear the sound of the wind.

We can feel the wind, we can see the effects of it moving trees and leaves and plants, and we can hear it blowing; yet we can't see it. Air is transparent and we can't see the wind with our eyes; but we can feel it and see the effects of its force.

A nice breeze can make a warm sunny day feel comfortable when we are outside. Yet, when it blows too hard it can cause great damage. A forceful wind can bring about horrible destruction.

It's pretty amazing that something we can't visibly see with our eyes can blow down strong trees, blow roofs off from homes, knock out power lines, move vehicles, and bring about much havoc. Wind can be either beneficial or destructive, depending on the situation and the power of its force.

God created wind! And He has used wind for different purposes throughout scripture.

In Genesis we can read the story of Noah and how God caused a flood to cover the entire earth. In chapter 8 verse 1 we read: "Then God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. So God caused a wind to pass over the land and the water subsided."

In Exodus chapter 14, the Israelites had left Egypt and had reached the Red Sea. The Egyptian army were pursuing them and it seemed as if they had no where to go and would die. But then God used the wind that He had created to save the lives of His people.

"Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left."

God used wind to feed the Israelite people. In Numbers 11:31 we read, "Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quails from the sea. He brought them into the camp to about a day's journey in any direction." The following verse says that the people went out all that day and all that night and all the following day and collected quail.

In the story of Jonah, when he was running from God and what God had asked him to do, he had boarded a ship headed a completely different direction. Jonah 1:4 says, "Then the Lord hurled a forceful wind into the sea and there was such a great storm on the sea that the ship was about to shatter." If you read the story, you see the result of that was Jonah requesting to be tossed overboard, being swallowed by a big fish, repenting, and declaring the word that God had told him to speak to Nineveh.

There are so many other examples in scripture. We we see from these few examples that God uses the wind, which He created, to create a place of safety for His people like He did for Noah and also for the Israelites. He can bring provision through the power of the wind, like He did when He brought the quail to feed His children. He can also use the wind to create a storm when we are running away from Him, in order to get our attention and get us headed back in the right direction.

Amos 4:13 says, "For behold! He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, who declares His thoughts to man, who makes dawn out of darkness, who walked above the heights of the earth. His name is The Lord God of hosts."

Jeremiah 10:13 says, "When His voice thunders, waters in heaven roar. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings forth wind from His storehouses."

Something that we need to understand is that although God is the creator of wind, He's not always found in the wind.

In 1 Kings chapter 19, Elijah had just faced Ahab and the false prophets and God had showed up in a big way. Then Jezebel threatened that she was going to have Elijah killed, so he fled. After several days he ended up in a cave on the mountainside. God showed up and asked him what he was doing there. Elijah was feeling discouraged and told Him all that he had done, and that he was all alone and that there were those seeking to take his life.

In verse 11 God said, "Come and stand on the mount before the Lord." Behold, the Lord was passing by -- a great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and shattering cliffs before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft whisper of a voice. As soon as Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." That soft whisper was God!

In John chapter 3, Jesus and Nicodemus are having a conversation. Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader who came to speak with Jesus one evening.

Jesus told him, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus was confused and exclaimed, "What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"

Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind, but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."

Just as we can't see the wind, yet we know without a doubt that it is blowing because we can hear it and see the results of it around us, it is the same with the work of the Spirit. We can't see the Spirit when we are born again, but we can feel and experience the effects of the Spirit's work within us. We can see the effect that the Spirit has on others when they are born again. That is hard for unbelievers to grasp, just as it was for Nicodemus.

I encourage you this week to take some time and look up scriptures about wind in the Bible, and take time to meditate and think about them. There are other verses in different context regarding wind that I've not touched on today. Who knows, I may continue writing about wind again next week! But do your own study and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart.

God creating wind wasn't an accident. Him using wind in so many different ways was planned. There is power in wind! It can be cool and refreshing at times. Other times it can cause havoc. It just amazes me that something unseen can be so powerful.

Next time you feel a breeze on your face, or the wind blowing your hair, or see the trees moving with the force of wind or whatever effects that you may feel or see...... take a minute and think about the power of God and see Him and His creative powers in the wind!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Sometimes, we try to copy God, or to do His job for ourselves. But when we make wind, it never turns out to be a good thing. Sometimes it's down-right deadly.

But seriously...

It's pretty amazing how even a slight wind can make a big tree bow and sway. But that's in the summer. In the winter, when all the leaves are gone, a wind twice as strong will barely make the same tree wiggle. That shows us it is mostly in the leaves.

Just imagine how tiny the effect is on a single leaf. It can't be very strong, or it would pull the leaf loose. But a small breeze pushes on each leaf a tiny bit. But with around 10 leaves on a twig, and 10 twigs on a small branch, and 10 small branches on a big branch, and 10 big branches on a tree, that makes that tiny push 10,000 times as strong. And that's strong enough to make the tree bend and sway. Again, it isn't really about the branches or the twigs, it is about the leaves. And it takes all the leaves blowing the same direction as the wind blows (it wouldn't be effective if every leaf picks its own direction).

We can be like a leaf. When the Spirit moves us, it might seem so tiny that it can't make any difference. If we don't let it push us, or if we break off, it won't make any difference. But if we take it where it leads us, and we are a part of a twig that is part of a branch that is attached to a tree, we can make that tree sway. It isn't really about churches or organizations. It is about the individuals, all moving the way the Spirit guides us.

ON THE MENEWE:

The Best Sloppy Joes

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain well. Return to skillet.

Stir in jalapeno peppers and juice, diced tomatoes, BBQ Sauce, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Texas toast according to package directions (the frozen garlic Texas toast works great).

Serve hot beef mixture over the garlic Texas toast, like an open face sandwich. Sprinkle top with grated cheese.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

I was babysitting my nephew's four kids a few days ago. While there, my four sisters and I did a video call and my 2-year old niece was sitting on my lap watching. One of my sisters on the screen was her grandma. After we hung up she said, "That was my grandma. That was my great big grandma." I kind of laughed and said, "It was?" She said, "Yes, that was my great big grandma!" After her parents got back home I shared with them what she had said. Her mom told me that her grandma (the kids great grandma) had stopped by their house the day before. While she was there, the two little ones kept saying, "Hi great grandma!" I finally figure it out. The kids great grandmother is in her 80's and has shrunk in size and is pretty tiny nowadays. The toddlers have been going to pre-K and I'm sure have been learning things like the difference between big and little. Likely, my little niece thought, "Yesterday I saw my great 'little' grandma, and this is my great 'big' grandma."

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Here's one way I can know that I've forgotten the gospel of grace:

when your sin bothers me more than my own. - Tullian Tchividjian

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org