A call to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God

Psalm 146:8 (NKJV): ...The Lord raises those who are bowed down...

The word 'bowed' here is 'kaphaph' in Hebrew, having the same root word as 'kaphan', which means 'to hunger for, to yearn for, or to stoop (lowering down) humbly in emptiness (before God)' in the context of the verse above.

Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV) says, 'By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life'. Here, the word 'humility' is 'anavah' in Hebrew, which means 'condescension (i.e. lowering oneself), modest and meek (before the Lord)'.

See the words 'lowering down' and 'lowering oneself' in the above paragraphs? By the way, humbling (or lowering) oneself before God is first and foremost inward (in the heart), instead of an outward religious act. So here, it isn't so much about bowing down one's head (or body), but bowing down one's heart.

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NKJV) says, "...'God resists the proud, but gives grace (i.e. His supply, His ability) to the humble'. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time."

According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word 'humble' here is 'tapeinoo' in Greek, which means 'to lower oneself, to bring low, to abase (before God), to be humiliated in circumstances or in disposition'. See the words 'lower oneself' again?

From the above, you can also see there are two ways to humble:
1. In circumstances, i.e. when one is forced to be humbled by circumstances.
2. In disposition, i.e. when one chooses to humble now (or places oneself to humble now).

In fact, some of you are even led to go into a time of fasting. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and help you as you fast. Take this time to worship, meditate on the Word of God, and pray in the spirit. As a believer in the New Covenant, just remember that you don't fast to try to earn (or strive for) God's merit or favor. In Christ, you already have God's favor (because of what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross). One good reason to fast is so that your flesh can be 'tamed' (or 'humbled'), and your spirit can be 'sensitized' to hear from Him clearly again. In short, your spirit will have the 'upper hand' over your flesh (or the flesh's desires) as you fast.

James 4:6-7 (NKJV) says, "But He gives more grace (i.e. more of His supply, His ability). Therefore He says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

You see, He is a God who always wants to give us grace (and more grace). The key is to humble ourselves before Him. The word 'submit' here is rather interesting. It is 'hupotasso' in Greek, which can mean 'to subordinate (for He is superior), to be obedient to Him, or to be subjected to Him' in the context of this verse.

So, to humble before God is also to obey (or follow) all His instructions and directions for your life (even above all your own ways). And when you allow yourself to be subjected to Him, you will not be subjected to the devil. These are antagonistic. When you have one, you won't have the other. Therefore, if you choose to be subjected to Him, the devil has no choice but to flee from you.

Recently, I heard these words during a time of prayer:
"This is a time to humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. There is a call for such. As you humble, you will receive new strategies for the months ahead. Some of you will also receive directions and instructions to re-strategize, to approach things in a new way, and to see or do things in a new way. A time to give Him your own confidence in the flesh, thinking that you can do it by your own strength or intelligence. A time to also let go of the things that you thought you know so well, the ways that you have always known, even the old things that you hang on to."

He is indeed shaking His Body at the moment (and this will eventually rub off on the nations) to prepare for His Coming. Whatever that can be shaken will be shaken. He is shaking every work of the flesh in His Body (the Church), every 'man-made' way, or things/structures/systems that are not from Him. But take heart. As long as we are willing to be corrected and stay humble before Him, He will surely work in us and through us for His glory in this end-time. Amen.

God is raising a people of 'quick understanding'!

Isaiah 11:3a (KJV): And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord...

The word 'understanding' here in Hebrew is 'ruwach', which can mean 'scent, sense/smell, perception, anticipation'. In other words, being of 'quick understanding' is being 'quick-scented, quick in sensing/smelling, quick in perception, or quick in anticipation'. Interestingly, this word 'ruwach' is the same word found in Genesis 1:2 that says, '...And the Spirit ('ruwach') of God moved upon the face of the waters'. Here, this same word 'ruwach' means 'spirit, breath, or life'.

Let's look at Isaiah chapter 11 now. This chapter speaks about our Savior Jesus, the Messiah who was to come. Isaiah 11:1-2 begins with, 'And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord'. And it's from here that Isaiah 11:3 continues, 'And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord...'

As you can see, all the above attributes, i.e. wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord, and of course, being of 'quick understanding' in the fear of the Lord are attributes found in Him. And you know what? The Bible says 'as He is, so are you in this world'! (1 John 4:17) Receive the impartation of all these in your life by faith now!

In this end-time, God is also raising a people who are like Jesus, a people who are of 'quick understanding', a people who are spiritually-sensitive (to the things or situation in and around them), and a people who just know how to make a way of escape when they sense danger (or something amiss)! One example is in Luke 4:30. Here, even in the midst of 'danger' surrounding Him (and when some people were trying to kill Him), He just knew how to make a way out - somehow, someway, supernaturally! And He knew His time (to die) was not yet.

I like the definition 'quick-scented' in the first paragraph. The word 'scent' is defined in Oxford Dictionary as 'characteristic smell of something, particular type of smell, smell left behind by a living thing that allows others to track/follow, feeling of the presence of something, or discovering something by sense of smell'. Therefore, I can also say being 'quick-scented' means 'when you sense/smell something, you just know what it is or what is going on'.

Today, the Lord is indeed sensitizing (or 'scent-sitizing') His people to be likewise, a people who are enabled by His Spirit to sense and move with His timing and season (being sensitive to every change or movement in the spiritual realm, and what He is currently doing in the spiritual realm at the moment).

In fact, what is in the spiritual realm is reflected by the physical realm. In the animal kingdom, there are animals which are very sensitive even in the most ‘minute’ of any earth movement. One of the earliest recorded instance of animals being able to sense impending earth movements/earthquakes was recorded in the history of the Greek. During the winter of 373 BC, ‘all the mice, beetles, centipedes, and every other creatures of that kind in the city of Helike left’. After these creatures left, an earthquake occurred, the city went under, an immense wave flooded, and Helike disappeared!

More recently, it has been recorded that before a powerful earthquake hit Chile in 2010, dozens of deep-sea fish surfaced and was discovered by a group of Japanese fishermen. Shortly before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a number of deep-sea fish were found stranded on beaches nearby. In a scientific study of earthquakes, waves, and earth movement by a Japanese specialist in ecological seismology, it has been found out that “deep-sea fish living near the sea bottom are more sensitive to the movement of active faults than those near the surface of the sea.” In the spiritual realm, the same is also true, that the deeper one’s walk with God, the more likely he/she’s going to ‘catch’ or sense what’s currently going on in the spiritual world!

Sensing/smelling has to do with inhaling/breathing in. In Genesis 2:7, the Bible says, 'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed (out) into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being'. This word 'breathed (out)' is 'naphach' in Hebrew, which can mean 'blow, scatter (as in scattering seeds), kindle, give up'. Genesis 1:26-27 says you are created after His own image and likeness. In other words, you are made after His kind, i.e. His seed (that He scattered). And even when man sinned, He sent His only Son to 'give up' His Spirit at the cross (John 19:30), so that we have His Spirit (breath, life) again. His redemptive work for mankind!

So, people of God, what do you breathe in today? He breathed (out) His 'ruwach' into your nostrils, so that you can now breathe in His 'ruwach'! You should therefore ‘smell’ Him all the time, because you have His 'ruwach' inside you. And what is this 'ruwach'? The sweet-smelling fragrance of Jesus! The Spirit of life that conquers death! The Spirit who always leads you in triumph in Christ, and through you, diffuses the fragrance of the knowledge of His glory wherever you go (see 2 Corinthians 2:14). Hallelujah! Amen!

Living a lifestyle of seeking Him

Isaiah 55:6 (NKJV): Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.

The word 'seek' here is ‘darash’ in Hebrew, which means 'to follow in hot pursuit, to frequently search, to inquire diligently, or to set one's foot in'. This same word 'darash' is also found in David's psalm that says, 'The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek ('darash') the Lord shall not lack any good thing' (Psalm 34:10).

When King David was about to pass the throne to his son Solomon, he said, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek ('darash') Him, He will be found by you..." (see 1 Chronicles 28:9).

As you can see, King David himself was an example of someone who lived a lifestyle of seeking the Lord. In Psalm 63:1-2, he said, "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You... So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory." King David sought the Lord much in his life, and it's no wonder that the Bible says he lived till a good old age, full of days and riches and honor (see 1 Chronicles 29:28). 

Recently, I heard the Lord say during a time of prayer, "Seek. This is a time for seeking. Tell the people to seek Me. Seek, and you will find. Seek, and I will show My revelation, My blueprint, My direction, and My will for you."

Yes, indeed, this is a crucial time for seeking Him, even in receiving His revelation, His 'blueprint' (i.e. detailed, specific plans for one's life), His direction, and His will for your life, your vocation, your ministry, and even for your many months ahead.

Matthew 7:7-8 (Amplified) says, 'Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened'. In fact, as you seek (and keep on seeking), you’ll even find that elusive door being opened to you this year!

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) says, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you'. The word 'seek' here can also mean 'to desire, to enquire'. And what are 'all these things' here? Jesus says these are 'what you eat, what you drink, and what you wear', which are 'pictures' of your every day needs!

When you seek Him every day, He'll also talk to you about your every day! Yes, all that you ever need for your every day! And these include His guidance, His plan, and His revelation for your every day too.

As you seek and hear, you’ll also need to act on it! Joshua (and the new generation of Israelites) wouldn't have experienced the land flowing with milk and honey if he had not acted on what God had spoken to him, i.e. to cross the River Jordan!

Another interesting definition of 'seeking Him' is found in Isaiah 64:7 that says, 'And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You'. Today, God is also looking high and low for such people - a people who would stir themselves up (or initiate) to take hold of Him every day, and in every season of their lives! These are also the ones who'll receive the secrets of the Lord - the things that 'no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

As you seek Him, know that He is a good God, and He’ll always lead you into good things. In fact, He’s even able to do ‘exceedingly abundantly above all you ask or think of’! (see Ephesians 3:20)

The other day, the Lord opened my eyes to see this word 'seeking', and I saw 'See King'! See the King! And who is this King? The King of kings! The Lord God Almighty! Your Heavenly Father! When you seek Him, you'll also see the King! Then and there, I was reminded on how Esther faced the king, how she found favor in the king's sight, and of course, how the king granted her wish! (see Esther 5:2-3)

Today, because of what Jesus has already done for you on the cross some 2,000 years ago (to take upon Himself all your sins and punishment), know that you too have found favor in His sight (like Esther had with the king those days), and therefore He is also saying the same to you, "What can I do for you?" 

Isaiah 65:20-24 (NIV) sums up beautifully the fruits and benefits for those living a lifestyle of seeking the Lord:

"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years... They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of My people; My chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear." Amen.