A WARRIOR'S HEART
Dear Son,
I am writing you this in hopes that you will gain
courage and strength in your walk through this life.
I was thinking today about
a 12 year old boy that went on a journey with his family. On their return home,
because the family was so large, the parents noticed that the boy was missing.
They returned and looked for him 3 days. When they finally found him, he was in
God’s house. The parents were so anxious (“in mental distress”) and probably frightened. They asked
him, “Why have you done this to us?” The boy replied, “Why did you have to go looking for
me? Did you not know that I must be in the house of My Father?” His parents
didn’t understand what he said but they would eventually.
You may be familiar with this story told in Luke 2
about Jesus. Two things stuck me, his age and where his heart led him. His
family was accustom to following the Mosaic law (the old covenant) and customs
but there was something about Jesus that would lead him closer to his true
Father, God in a different way.
His parents probably couldn’t understand why he was so out of character,
but the actuality is that he WAS in character. He didn’t need laws and customs
to be close to God. He wanted God himself, thus he went to the temple. He sat
among the teachers listening and asking questions. 46 “and all who heard him
were astonished at his understanding and answers.”
I am always looking at the context. Prior to his
visit to Jerusalem verse 40 speaks this of Jesus, “And the child grew, and became strong
in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace (favor) of God was upon him.” That was his character, who he was becoming before this
trip. And after they returned home is says, 52 “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the
people.” Jesus hadn’t changed.
He was growing. We all do. If we don’t we become stagnant. Have you ever drunk
stagnant water? There’s no flow, no freshness. Nothing that is stagnant grows,
if there is no growth, it dies.
Jesus at the age of 12 established that God was his father and
he knew God intimately and wanted to know more. Later in his life knowing what
went on in the temple would become important to him.
Jesus came to put away the old covenant (laws and customs)
and establish the new covenant, which was freedom for mankind. Jeremiah 31:33 "I will put my
teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will
be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his
relatives by saying, 'Know the Jehovah.' All of them, from the least important
to the most important, will know me," declares the Jehovah, "because
I will forgive their transgression and I will no longer hold their sins against
them." Also Hebrews 8:8-13
Unfortunately, many men do not recognize this. God is
looking at the hearts of men and he is changing them. One key understanding
that we should know is what is the standard or measuring line in which we can
know if something is from God.
God measures all things, matters, doctrines by who he
is.
God IS LOVE. 1Corinthians 134Love (GOD) is patient and kind. Love (GOD) is not jealous
or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It (HE)
does not demand its(HIS) own way. It(HE) is not irritable, and it(HE) keeps no
record of being wronged. 6 It (HE) does not rejoice about injustice but
rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love (GOD) never gives up, never loses trust, is
always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. HE
NEVER FAILS.
My Son, I want you to know and
understand the truth, which sets you free. If something doesn’t sound right and
doesn’t measure up to who God is then you are right to question it, especially
when it becomes a doctrine that a religious group of people say, “it’s from
God”. It is right to ask questions, it is right to want to know truth. Jesus
even at a young age did so and it is your right to do the same.
A man of God will be evident by who he
is in character and you’ll see he has God’s Spirit, which is love, joy, peace,
patience (long suffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. These things will come naturally from God.
A person who has to make a list and
work on these, do not know God IS LOVE. God is working from the inside out.
Hearts! That is the place only he knows. He is changing hearts.
We all need to understand we are his
Children. He made families. Our parents for a while, have been given the
privilege to have us near and to teach us. But the years are few and time runs
out. But when we come to know God as our Father the teaching goes on forever because
he loves us.
So now my son, as you decide what steps
to take today, know that Jehovah is Love. That he is always with you to care
and protect you. As a small boy you had a sword in your hand, give that sword
to Jesus and pick up that measuring stick. Keep that warrior’s heart and be a
warrior for what is right=righteousness. God will give you peace.
Ah and before you say a word out loud,
say a prayer from your heart.
My prayer is and you may want to say it too:
Dear Yashua (Jesus), I want to be in
the covenant with you. I want to know you for who you are. I want to know that
you are Love. Please help me to depend on you and set me free. Give me the
words to speak from my heart and protect me in all that I say or do.
My prayer for you is: Yashua, Help my
grandson. Give him courage and strength to say what’s on his heart. He has been
burden with a heavy heart in knowing what to say to his parents that he loves
dearly. Please give them words that won’t harm him, for he is precious in your
sight. Lift his spirit and this burden. Thank you.
Here is a song for your WARRIOR'S RIDE: Paths on Water
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