NOT a coincidence :)

Good Morning!

I thought I'd share with you one of those "I love it when God does that" kind of moments :)

A week or so ago I sat down to do my devotions on the sofa with my coffee and books and the Bible fell off my lap and fell open to Zechariah 3:1(f). For some reason (probably the word "fire"!) it popped out at me and so I started to read it before I started my devotion.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

I read it several times because it really struck me that I don't recall that story before. It also struck me that the Lord was talking directly to Satan here in the Old Testament, similarly to when He was in the desert in the New Testament. He rebuked Satan in front of Joshua out loud. Also, I love the picture of being snatched out of the fire, Joshua being dressed in filthy clothes and the picture of him being changed into clean clothes and being given the command to obey and keep The Lord's commands. I feel like my name could have been placed there! I love to put myself in that vision of being changed into clean clothes! I love that the story includes rebuking Satan. I grew up knowing about Satan and the Holy Spirit and I believe I had an awesome foundation. As an adult, I have come to see though that I need to be more vigilant with what the Holy Spirit is guiding me to do and say and that I need to quickly recognize when I'm getting a thought that is from the enemy and take it captive to Jesus. I am not suggesting that I am somehow "giving more power" to Satan as sometimes Christians fear will be the result, but that I am acutely aware that he can influence us and deceive us if we don't recognize it. The power to knock him out before he can do more damage is pretty important, in my opinion! Putting on the full armor of God is critical and is exactly why I am doing Armor of God again starting in January 2 with my group of "fit" people :)

Now, the part that really got me!....... I did my devotions. Went about my day and later was getting ready and listening to a sermon. It was a random pick out of a long list of faith podcasts and the title didn't even have anything particularly catchy.

As she was speaking she started reading out of the Bible--Zechariah 3:1(f). UM!!!! I stopped dead in my tracks and my mouth literally fell open. I felt tears welling up. I felt the sense of "that is meant for you to know that I'm here"..... Random verses that are not common and here it came at me for a second time in one day.

Noted!!!!!

Thank you, God, for your postcards from heaven, as my friend Sharine calls them!

Know and believe that you are dressed in clean garments, He is with us! We are free! A new creation! Word from God!

jennie