Jeremiah 1:11-12 Message “God’s Message came to me, What do you see Jeremiah? I said, A walking stick-thats all. And God said, Good eyes! I’m sticking with you. I’ll make every word I give you come true.”
Flu shots available this year. No shortage as posted in my physicians office. This office has made me aware of the flu shot available, now what does that mean to me? I will not get the flu because I am aware of the shot being available?
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Over two decades of building breast cancer awareness and providing information and hope for future innovations in breast cancer treatment.
We see the awareness of breast cancer through information like the above, pink ribbons and many other pink symbols. Now what does this mean for women?
The Amish community during a great crisis is bringing new awareness to us on forgiveness. The Amish community goes to the family of the gunman that took their children’s lives and offers forgiveness. Does this statement and the actions of the Amish community give other Christians an awareness of forgiveness. If so, what does it mean to us now?
As a Bible Teacher when I study God’s Word and then teach a Bible Study, what am I doing? Hopefully, I am bringing about an awareness to me and others on that particular subject. I like to call myself an inspirational Bible teacher because I feel making another or myself aware is very inspirational. Inspiration is not a gift given to some of us and not others from God or by our DNA. It a conscious choice to do something with awareness. We have been inspired now its time to go to work. Have a cancer check-up, get a flu shot, see a counsellor, give forgiveness and any other thing that might be holding us back from a divine calling.
I spend most of my time praying. Sometimes I question myself, why? I am only making God aware of different situations. That sounds strange to me and some days when I feel a little disappointment and grown a little weary, it sounds even stranger-er than the day before. I am very much aware that God has already told me that He knows and is aware even before I ask or make petition to Him. So why do I keep at the tiresome job at times with no pay check, no Oscars, probably no appreciation for the most part from those for whom I pray about. So goofy Sara, why? Others, other than God are most likely are not even aware of my prayer life.
Why does God want us to make Him aware? Well, maybe practice and relational so we will make others aware of many things and have better relationships. He tells us to pray without ceasing. Keep asking, seeking and knocking and we shall surely find.
Now I find our Jeremiah scripture kind of interesting for more reasons than one. It’s humorous? Jeremiah a great prophet and seer and God shows him a stick and then ask him what He sees. And Jeremiah being obedient answers and becomes aware of a stick. He says a stick, and that’s all I see, like what is so important about a stick? God tells Jeremiah he has good eyes. WOW, good eyes because He sees a stick. But God is God and He wanted the prophet to be aware of something really very important.
I’m sticking with you. I’ll make every word I give you come true.??? God made this prophet aware before the doom’s day message he was to give that He was going to stick with him as he delivered this message and made the nation of Israel aware of what was coming. I wonder how many times Jeremiah thought about that stick and God’s promise during those years he would use words to root out, pull down, destroy and throw down and plant. (Jeremiah 1:10, 18:7-9, 24:6, 31:28 and 55:10,11)
Awareness brings me to ask each of us what are we doing with it? What is going on in your life, your Nation, your community, your home that you are aware of but not doing anything about it? Jeremiah also delivers an AWARENESS in my very favorite passage of scripture in 29:10-14 Amp.
This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned outplans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. God’s Decree. I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you. God’s Decree bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.
thedailylily.com 
There is so much in this blog to consider but these are a couple of thoughts I was made aware of. When I looked up the word ‘aware’ I found it meant watchful, wary; having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge. Being watchful reminded me of Matt 25:42 where Jesus said to “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” In Matt 26: 41 He told His disciples to “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation”. Both of these are doing actions with results if we do them.
Another ‘doing’ verse that I thought of with regard to what you said about making God aware of situations is Phil 4:6 where he tells us to “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known (let God be made aware of) to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. What a great promise is your last paragraph..also a result of watching for Him.
I Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, The Man Christ Jesus. Jesus is always revealing to us The Father and His goodness.
From my View I see a chain of action when I pray and study God’s Word I have an opportunity to help advance the cause of ‘good news’ to be proclaimed world wide and of course in my own family and community. I get to explain how it works by simple faith and just plain down home truth. This epistle goes on to say in vs. 8…what I want most is for men and women to pray and lift up Holy Hands.
And, this bring us back to Twila’s song…”God is in Control.” Why, we just get to travel worldwide first class paid for ticket on a plane called Prayer.
I really appreciate and love this blog..even this message made me aware of awareness…then you even asked Does this statement and the actions of the Amish Community give other christians an awareness of forgiveness. If so, what does it mean to us now?…..I believe it does give an awareness…and now that a visual picture and words have been given (again)..just like what is written in God’s word..forgive us..Matt 6:9-15..vs.:14.”if ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you..vs.:15.”but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will you Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses”….You asked what does this mean now?,,Responsibility..I believe…as we have seen and heard we are responsible ..if we want results ,change, forgiveness ourselves…as you wrote..we are made aware for a reason ,,,we’re made to “see” as Jerimiah for a reason..to do, to say, to go ….dj
I like your choice of words Dorothy. Responsibility. That is it responsibility. We know forgiveness is not excusing and it’s not tolerance. For if and when we search we will find excusing and tolerance is the very opposite of forgiving.
If we start with the work of our Master, Jesus. We find that our Teacher leads us to first confession of our wrongs to have forgivenss and the benefits of forgiveness. Sometimes we need others to make us aware of our wrong in order to ask for forgiveness. God set in order a way for us to understand and know that we need forgivenss. Many times we have the awesome responsiblilty of making wrongs known to others and them to us so forgivenss can take place. Your word responsibility brings with it a moral obligation, don’t you think?
Let’s don’t forget Matthew 5:23….
Speaking of forgiveness, I stand in awe of the courageous Amish people who practice what they preach and have forgiven the perpetrator of the great tragdey they have suffered.
I was moved by the courage of the little victims as reported that, the older child to save her younger siblings and friends stood in front of them and said asked to be the first victim over the others. And then in turn, the sister said the same. “No greater love has anyone than this, that she lay down her life for a friend. “That’s what Jesus did for us. Those who follow the GOOD SHEPHERD may be called upon to do the same.
Thank you for this awareness article and the second step of prayerfulness. I to am a person of prayer. Without an awareness, I not able to carry a person or group to God in prayer. God promises state in John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. In Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. I Timothy 2:8 I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. In Hebrews 4:15-16. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Phillippians 4 (MESSAGE) Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. In Ephesians 5 (Message) It says, “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” Early in that same passage it said, “His (Jesus’) love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” Based on these scriptures having been given an awareness, we in prayerfulness carry those we are aware of to the Father in prayer. In awareness we also do what we can do for them on this earth in love.
blog on awareness. This is like a well hit nail for me. I love the book of Jeremiah and this has encouraged me in areas I need to work on with action.
We’ve probably all had the opportunity to hear…”actions speak louder than words.” In other words, I believe we could say: “the magnitude of our actions…demonstrates that we are actively pursuing a positive outcome, for whatever we have been made aware of. Now Jeremiah could have walked around all day saying, “stick, stick, stick,” but he had a message to deliver. “Stick” is just a word, and if Jeremiah did not actively pursue what God had made him aware of, it would just have been an empty word without any positive outcome. We, like Jeremiah, are aware that there are things we must do. For instance, I am aware that my house gets dirty and needs cleaning. I could sit around all day saying, “I’ve got to clean my house,” but that neither gets the job done or provides an outcome that I would like to see. I have to make a conscious choice to get up and actively clean the house, if I want it to be clean. God, help us to be reminded that we must put some action to our words, if we want a positive outcome, for whatever we have been made aware of.
I love your comments on awareness, Needles. It sure confirms and encourages me on what I am in the midst of doing, right now…clearing out junk and stuff that’s accumulated over the past few years. I had been saying, “I must get this stuff in order! Yes, I must get organized” However….until I MOVED in that direction, the stuff stayed on the shelves and IT did NOT MOVE. You know James wrote in his Epistle,in 1:22, “But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, DECEIVING YOURSELVES.” I think, just as Needles mentioned, we say what should be done and we speak what should be done and in that we take comfort that we have SAID IT and it seems to buy us some time. But eventually, God is looking for ACTION! He’s looking for action-packed figures. James says, he will show us his faith BY HIS WORK!
For, Faith without doing the works, is DEAD! (3:17-18)
Stick Stick Stick. WOW maybe God will stick with you and I just like He did with Jeremiah while we work with Joy. Just think clean our homes and be ready in season and out of season to receive anyone at anytime like Lydia, the color of purple in Acts 16 did. Paul baptised her and she was able to invite him and a group in her house right then. She didn’t have to say O great man of God let me go home and put my house in order. She was prepared and ready.
If we desire to be prepared and ready I think God’s stick will stick with us. If we are prepared and ready in all areas of our lives the jobs God has for us are without limits.
As Pastor Gary has been teaching for the last 3 or 4 Sundays let us “Be Prepared.” to go, do, when He says go. I hope we can all see and hear how it must sound to God to always say “not today Lord” well, not even this month or year Lord, because I have to clean my house, pay my bills…I have You Lord on hold and I will get back to you soon.
Tammy, do you think that is why we now call a stick a “walking stick?’
When I read Sara’s reply to Needles I remembered the Scripture in Luke 9:59-60 where Jesus spoke to a certain man & giving him the opportunity to be a part of establishing the Kingdom, said those incredible, compelling, Divine words, “FOLLOW ME!” Then the scenario plays this way….an old, familiar tune: BUT! the man replied to Jesus..”Let me go home and bury my father”. The text implies that the man would desire to remain at home until his parents died and THEN, THEN, THEN he would seek out Jesus and THEN, he would follow Him. BUT! Jesus told him the truth. It seems harsh at first, but within these words is LIFE, ETERNAL LIFE. These words are of Grand Proportion for ALL FOLLOWERS of CHRIST. Are you ready for this?
HE says, “LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD, BUT YOU GO!!! AND PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!” WOW!!!!
And another man said to HIM, “I will follow Thee but first let me go say farewell to my family”….(implication: stay there awhile before I have to leave) And Jesus said, “No man having put his hand to plough, AND LOOOKING BACK, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Missed opportunities, unpreparedness, casual service. THese stories in the Bible STING because when we APPLY them to our lives the gaps in our WALK are sooo obvious, not only to us but to all who observe us. Those to whom the Lord might have us minister; those to whom our koinina would bring a comfort and a consolation. Because we are not prepared to allow the CHRIST in them to enter our homes. We are not PREPARED> I am not prepared!
These men in the story are not absolutely the only ones who missed the OPPORTUNITY to walk in the earth with the SON OF THE LIVING GOD.
Thanks for the encouragement that I receive on this LILY BLOG. When we are inspired to ACTION then the WORD of GOD is truly alive, powerful and active and able to divide between SOUL and SPIRIT and is a discerner of the THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART. For neither is there any creature that is not manifest in JESUS’ sight. BUT I am open and obvious before the Living God to Whom I have to answer.”(Heb 4:12) Spurred on to action…by the Word and the saints of God. I don’t want to miss MY opportunity to be a vessel of honor for the Living God so I must become “activated” with Christian energy to do the FIRST WORKS.
As we have been hearing teachings on Preparedness in our services and meditating on just what that really means according to the Scriptures I thought about Lydia, whom Sara & Gary taught on; that is; her being ready in season and out of season to invite Paul and the team to her home after her Batism, on the spot, so to speak. She was READY!
Then I thought about Zaccheus, the minute-of-stature and rich tax collector. He was the one in Luke 19: 2-5 who climbed the tree so that He could see Jesus. I wonder how many of us would “GO OUT ON A LIMB” to see Jesus, better! Then Jesus looked up into the branches and HE called Zaccheus down and invited Himself to Zaccheus’ house to abide a while. Zaccheus was ecstatic and quickly came down and hosted Jesus at his home. Z. did not make excuses about the yard’s being torn up for rennovation or that his wife hadn’t done the dishes or that his dog had strewn the newspapers all over the living room. No, Z. was prepared for a magnificent encounter with the living GOD and not only did he invite CHrist into his home, but Z. made a declaration of love,by offering of his possessions to the poor. Jesus said that truly, salvation had come to this house this day…because Z. had the Desire to see Jesus and when he did, He invited Him in, and then put FEET to his declaration of love for Christ. Zaccheus was an “ACTION FIGURE”!
In another scenario,some references to this teaching come from Sara’s book THROWING YOUR LIGHT FORWARD c(.VI) & WHY IT IS HARD TO LOVE JESUS by STOWELL. But these references are appropos to this teaching on PREPAREDNESS. Simon had invited Jesus, so to speak, but he was not prepared to be a good host. Christ remarked concerning it. He told Simon that he had not washed Jesus’ feet when HE entered his abode, which is a cultural custom of a good host. Jesus, in HIS own humbleness noticed that about Simon. So although Jesus was invited, HE was not treated with respect and honor which was due HIM. SIMON WAS NOT PREPARED TO BE CHRIST’S HOST.
So what I am learning through all these teachings is that not only should you be prepared….but one must be prepared to be prepared!!
As I have invited CHrist into my heart as a true believer, I want so much to be prepared to be a GOOD HOST OF MY LORD.
We’ve heard the story of the Proverbs 31 woman who is instant in season and out of season. And I thought about “her” in respect to preparedness. And I noted that she runs an excellent household, almost in a business or professional capacity. She MAKES things with her hands for the seasons. To have warm woolen shawls and coverings in the Winter takes preparing these things well in advance. Putting qilts and tapestries together takes time and preparation, gathering flax and shearing wool, spinning and weaving , all take patience and time. Yet, her planning is timely and orderly, like the rest of her life. We all want to be that KIND of person whether in business, in the home or in the CHURCH. Jesus wants us to be prepared and He’s shown us this over and over in the scriptures and in the teachings of the church.
With the changing of the season in some areas from fall to winter, I was reflecting on preparedness and observing how God teaches us so much about preparedness through nature and His creations. With harvest time here and the onset of winter coming soon, we see the squirrels scurrying to obtain and hide nuts for future use. I see buds of many plants developing before winter so we will have beautiful flowers to look at in the spring. Those who want to enjoy the beauty of spring bulbs must prepare and plant them now, many months in advance of when they will actually spring forth. And so preparations and planning must go on in order to have and be ready for the next season. Proverbs 6:6 illustrates it so well: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, ovberseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, ad gathers her food in the harvest.”
We must get moving if we want to get anything accomplished. I admit that we may sometimes feel tired, overwhelmed with other obligations, unprepared, (just to name a few), but God has promised to “stick” with us. What an encouragement for us to get moving, if we will remember this!
Needles, look what I found out about awareness and the Magnitude of our actions..and the outcome…in Matthew 25 31-46 Jesus Himself gave us an example of the out come of being and not being aware…and WOW the out come too…it says in verse 41 of that scripture”Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angles: for I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty qnd you gave Me no drink: I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.”Then they also will answer When did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?Then He will answer them, saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me..”And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The scripture verses before these tell of those who saw a need(aware of the need and did something about it..also in verse38 they were prepared and even took a stranger in)…talk about Magnitude of our actions!…..dj
Are you and Needles against me or for me? I’m feeling just a little under old fashion conviction? Well, that is good, yes, very good.
When I was young, I learned the best thing was to walk down to that scary altar in God’s house and repent, make things right with God in my heart and then get up and go and make things right elsewhere. All places that involved the repentance.
Right now I am in the thought process. I am thinking you keep a chochet needle in your hands most of the time and Ms. Needles keeps another needle in her hands when working. Both of you keep needles pricking at our hearts to make them well. Oh well, what would we do about our overall health without good needles.
I agree with you about conviction. And getting a needle put in you can hurt…but ultimately it is to bring healing to the body. Dorothy’s warning scripture of the magnitude of awareness made me go to James 4:17 and further read…”Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it to him it is sin.” And James 1:22 which says…”But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
And in the garden where Jesus had asked his disciples to watch and prayer, Luke the physician (Luke 22:45)records that the discples didn’t watch and stay aware because they slept from sorrow. Being aware more of their sorrow then of their Lord’s request caused them to miss the point of obedience.
Thanks Sara for reminding us their is an altar and a place for repentence that involves a doing action to correct it.
This scripture makes me take a look at my life. Heavenly Father, help me to “ACT upon the awareness”, that there are people in need of your grace, mercy, and love. Use me for your glory, and I thank you, for the assurance that you stick closer than a brother.
Needles here is a scripture I found that connects with what was written in Jeremiah when God said He would stick with him…and with what you just wrote..stick closer that a brother…John 15:5..I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing…..(now thats sticking real close)…
And what is the fruit?…Galatians 5:22-26…Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control…against such there is no law. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts….If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit…Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another…..(Back to John 15:12..This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you..Ye are my friends, if ye do whatever I command you…((closer than a brother…and we get to be His friend…what a wonderful Savior is Jesus our Lord)…dj
I re-read this blog on Awareness and really meditated on it..again..and..with the other studies on the Daily Lily about preparedness…I could see Jeremiah was prepared to recieve, So he could see what the Lord showed him and he was prepared to understand….all this led me to this parable in Matthew13;31..The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard see, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which, indeed, is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches of it….(now to me the man was aware of a situation and he was prepared to take action to fix that situation…and the out come was what he expected…a place where the birds could find a home…refuge, food…etc…..) ….He knew what that seed would do when he planted it(he was awared even of what he had and how to use it),,God could use Jeremiah to plant His seed (His word)…and now God could bring back the exiles to a home prepared for them…I thought this parable was interestingly connected to this Awareness study…..dj
I see in this parable small seed and big results. I understand preparedness to go something like this according to this parable. If I am feeling hate toward someone or others I could best overcome hate with love by planting a seed of kindness in my mind and heart and then act as kindly to everyone that I meet until kindness grows into a big Tree and hate becomes a weed and gets chocked out of my heart.
I could take any negative like hate, or feeling blue rather than cheerful and joyful and grow a big tree of cheerfulness and joyfulness and the rhythm of the beat goes on and on until I have chased the blue-devils away because they are allergic to ‘me’ and the Holy Sprit because we are partners of ‘Hopeful and Happy.’
Did I get this right?
We are given the choice every morning every moment to choose..and when we say I choose to be cheerful..well there is power in the tongue and weve just planted that seed and so we get up smile be cheerful and then a beautiful thing happens ….like you said about the blue-devils being allergic…..they start sneezing and running away and youre so full bloomed into such a fragrant blossom that everyone wants to be around you…just like the children that ran to Jesus..He was cheeful..and it attracted the children..and He said let the children come because thats what the ones in My kingdom are supposed to be like ….Mark 10:14.( those children were so cheerful, joyful..no blue-devils could stand it)….and there was only room for Jesus……you could barely hear in the faraway distance…aaaah chew!…dj
These are such great practical helps from Sara and Dorothy in displacing negatives from our lives and tie right in with Sara’s blogs on GN. Awareness with action means not being passive like in GN I/Passivity so that weeds take over. Just like with turfgrass..if you want to get rid of the weeds in your lawn than focus on getting the grass healthy, mow at the right height, fertilize correctly and sow grass seed in the ‘negative’ spaces. Then the weeds can’t survive and grow less and less.