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Glory Seed Devotional’s, 2017: Anticipating and Experiencing Jehovah-Jireh...
The Parable of the Storm…
Shalom!
One night a man had dream and found himself standing in a thunderstorm. Normally thunderstorms did not frighten him but for some reason this one did and he was terrified! Looking around for cover he noticed an old tree about fifty feet away so he made a mad dash for it. Everyone knows you do not take cover under a tree in a thunderstorm but sometimes you don’t think straight when gripped by fear.
He thought himself safe while standing under the tree but suddenly there was a blinding flash of light instantly followed by a tremendous wave of intense heat and a terrific explosion. When the man regained his sight he realized he was standing in a rich green valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone approaching, “Where am I,” he asked? At first the man acted as if he didn’t see me so he called a little louder, “Excuse me sir, can you please tell me where I am?”
“Welcome Henry,” the stranger answered, “You are home.” The stranger had one of those faces that looked familiar yet he didn’t recognize him and it didn’t sink in that he called him by name, “Home! What do you mean welcome home? I don’t live anywhere around here,” he shot back.
“Don’t you remember standing under the tree when lightning stuck it?” the stranger asked. Henry thought for a moment vaguely remembering a thunderstorm and running for cover after that he couldn’t remember a thing. “Please sir can you tell me where I am? This is not where I live,” Henry asked. “This is your real home Henry,” the man started to say. All of the sudden it dawned on him he’d called him by name “by the way how do you know my name anyway?” Henry asked. “I know all there is to know about you. You are in the Garden of the Creator and I am the Care Taker,” came the reply.
After a moment of silence, “Am I dead or something?” Henry managed to ask. “No my friend you are not dead in fact never at any other time in your life have you been more alive,” the Care Taker replied. “If I’m not dead then what am I doing here?” he asked. “Learning not to fear,” the stranger answered back. “How is that so?” Henry asked in return. “Close your eyes and tell me what you see?” As Henry closed his eyes the beautiful garden was instantly replaced by the most alarming storm he’d ever experienced and gripped by fear he replied, “I see a raging storm.”
“Without opening your eyes and using the power of your imagination open your heart and tell me what you feel,” he said in return. Miraculously the storm raged yet the fear Henry felt was gone replaced by peace. “I don’t understand Lord,” he blurted out. “Where my Spirit is,” the Care Taker said, “fear cannot exist because of my love for you and there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Henry replied, “But you said I was learning not to fear.” The Care Taker answered back, “To learn not fear is to learn of my love for you and with your faith take my love into your heart.”
Before he could say another word Henry suddenly woke up and instantly got out of bed knelt and prayed, “Lord Jesus, bring your love into my heart and change the cold wind of fear into the gentle breezes of God’s love. Amen.” Instantly Henry felt deep in his heart the miraculous feeling of peace he’d felt in his dream.
“Faith isn’t hoping for the best life has to offer, Faith is anchoring oneself to the Best God has to offer!”
Grace and PEACE,
Gary
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