Children of the Corn
“I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land;” Jeremiah 15:7 NASB
Winnow – The Hebrew word is zarah. This verb captures a daily event in the life of the people. Just as they threw grain into the air to separate the good from the bad, God throws His people up into the turmoil of living in order to scatter them and separate the good from the bad. In the Old Testament, there are two purposes for this scattering. The first is for purification. The second, as in this verse, is for punishment. Both of these purposes come from God. Whether we are being scattered for purification or for punishment, God’s hand does the winnowing.
It is the natural inclination of human beings to resist scattering. We want to cling together with the ones who share our common beliefs and interests and passions. But God often has other purposes in mind. So, He separates us. We are deliberately pushed apart because God wants us to depend on Him above all. And He has purposes that reach beyond our human need to congregate.
How many times in your life have you resisted separation from your own background and culture and city and comfort zone? We serve the same God as Abraham. He was called “out” to a place God would show him. We have the same calling. “Leave that place of comfort behind and follow Me and I will show you a land that I have chosen for you.” God is taking us to new places because He knows that His plans call for scattering His people. There is no comfort at home. At home there is only withering. Keeping our message in the safe place in our comfort zone will not accomplish His purposes.
Sometimes God needs to scatter us for correction. And sometimes He scatters for punishment. He breaks apart the bonds that keep us locked in sinful patterns. He destroys our old habits. He strips us of our human dependencies. All for good reason. He wants to bring us to the point of obedience and sometimes that means crisis and catastrophe in our lives. God’s punishment always has a purpose.
Are you open to His scattering, or do you try to tell God that you will only do what you think you should do or go where you want to go? Are you afraid to be pushed beyond the edges of your tranquility? Can you embrace distress of mind and body as an act of obedience? God’s ways are not our ways. He has plans far greater than those we can imagine. But if we are going to fly on the wind of the Spirit, we dare not be anchored to the earth.
Topical Index: scattering, winnowing, zarah, Jeremiah 15:7, punishment, purpose
I have reserved comment (so far) on this, but it does seem He will (and does!) “turn us every which way, but loose!!”- Shaken, stirred, stripped, scattered– all for a purpose- His purpose. We truly are “dust in the wind,” (Psalm 103.14) but in our case, we are animated dust, animated with His Holy Breath and for His purposes- which are often not our own!.
“Let go, and let God”- time to pull up the anchor, and cast out into the deep!- Amazing adventures await! None of us, (no, not one) has a clue “what a day may bring forth”- but we do know (Praise His Name) -Who brings forth the day!
Meanwhile, (back at the ranch..) we do have an Anchor!
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
We have an Anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,
For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy that blast, thro’ strength divine.
We have an Anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
It will surely hold in the Straits of Fear—
When the breakers have told that the reef is near;
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.
We have an Anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
It will firmly hold in the Floods of Death—-
When the waters cold chill our latest breath,
On the rising tide it can never fail,
While our hopes abide within the Veil.
We have an Anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
When our eyes behold through the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav’nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
We have an Anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
(Priscilla Owens, 1882 )
Thank you so much Carl for this song of praise and security that is found in HIM ALONE.
I look forward to Skip’s postings always and along with the thought of the day..the many comments that come in .
I copy and paste the songs and print them out and give them to people to encourage them when I send a card. Thank you ALL for the time, desire and effort put into all of your postings. Greatly appreciated !
Carol in Canada and on Facebook sharing the goodness of the LORD from this redeemed vessel.
well Carol in Canada.. “who can stand before envy?” lol..- such a beautiful country and I praise our Father for the “point of light” (or one who points to the Light) He has embedded for His purposes and for His glory “across the border!” Yes, praise His Name, His “sheep” are everywhere.. while they might (for now) be scattered, they are always “secure” and safe in His arms.
Safe
To the one who’s dreams are falling all apart
And all you’re left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think your on your own
but you’re not all alone
Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet?
With a love so strong, He’ll never let you go
oh you’re not alone
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
‘Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms
Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life
Is the very same voice that calls you to rise?
So hear Him now He’s calling you home
You will never be alone
These are the hands that built the mountains
the hands that calm the seas
These are the arms that hold the heavens
they are holding you and me
These are hands that healed the leper
Pulled the lame up to their feet
These are the arms that were nailed to a cross
to break our chains and set us free
With a love so strong, He’ll never let you go
oh you’re not alone
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juptsGuP3oE&feature=related
Thank you Carl.. thank you so much for this ..
Thanks Patrick. That was like missing breakfast!! 🙂
This word is so perfect for my life right now and also a confirmation of what YHVH has been teaching me. Hallelujah!! I am sure this is true for many on this blog. We serve an amazingly awsome God!! Thanks Skip.
“Are you open to His scattering, or do you try to tell God that you will only do what you think you should do or go where you want to go?”
Hmmm
Our model here is the character played Robert De Niro in the Taxi Driver
When De Niro is looking for a job, the manager of the cabbies tells him
Only the roughest routes are left
Personnel Officer: Wanna work uptown at nights? South Bronx? Harlem?
Travis Bickle: I’ll work anytime, anywhere.
Personnel Officer: Will you work on Jewish holidays?
Travis Bickle: Anytime, anywhere
“I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know,
for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.”
Jeremiah 15:14 makes me think of the movie Heat
In which Al Pacino plays a detective with “fire in the belly”
And lives by the following code
“I say what I mean and I do what I say”
He also kindles fires within
That “burn against” his enemies
“How many times in your life have you resisted separation from your own background and culture and city and comfort zone?”
Lately, this seems t be a recurring theme in my life — character over comfort. God is a lot more concerned about our character than our comfort.
Someone once told me that God keeps circling us around to the same issues until we learn the lessons we’re supposed to learn. I can definitely see that in my life — but is this a biblical theme? I think of Israel wandering the desert, can anyone think of other examples?
>>Lately, this seems t be a recurring theme in my life — character over comfort. God is a lot more concerned about our character than our comfort <<
true Christian fellowship (koinonia) begins, the moment we start to say "you too?"
Hi Gabe, I would suspect that everyone who is really searching after God is currently experiencing the same phenomenon. Here’s a resounding yes to your question as to whether it’s a biblical theme. This is just AN example, there are many more.
Isaiah 6:11-13 (you can read the context for yourself) “Then I said, until when Lord? And He said, until that might lie desolate cities without inhabitants, even houses without man and the land laid waste, a desolation. And has sent far away YHWH mankind, and great the desolation in the midst of the land. Yet in it will be a tenth and it will return and it shall be burned. Like the terebinth and like the mighty oak which, in being felled, the stump of them, the seed holy (it is) the stump.
You’ll notice that the remnant, or the tenth, returns, only to experience burning, leaving only a burnt stump (if you will). After all the “glory” of the tree is gone, all that remains is an old dead stump, but it has in it the seed (holy seed) for a new tree. God isn’t satisfied until He removes all the old stuff from us. No matter what it looks like for us, He’s always good!!
YHWH bless you and keep you….
Thanks Robert.
‘Are you afraid to be pushed beyond the edges of your tranquility? Can you embrace distress of mind and body as an act of obedience? God’s ways are not our ways. He has plans far greater than those we can imagine. But if we are going to fly on the wind of the Spirit, we dare not be anchored to the earth’
Thanks so much for this word, Skip! If you only knew the distress of mind, heart and body that I’ve been through with my family. The only way I handle the stress is I know God is in control of the situation and is “growing” me through this. Do I like it? No! Do I want it to stop? Yes!, but I trust Hashem with all my heart, and I don’t want to miss the end results of what He is bringing me through. Like someone once said, “The end is always better than the beginning”. When God repairs, or restores, it is always @100%