February 4, 2008
Go down the rows of vineyards and rip out the vines, but not all of them. Leave a few. Prune back those vines! That growth didn't come from God! – Jeremiah 5: 10
Today, I began three days of prayer and fasting. A dear sister in ministry sent out this invitation that was extended by her brother, who lives in South Africa. In agreement with the Spirit in Shellie and her brother (because it’s the same one in me), I prayed and submitted to this “spiritual detox”. It was, to say the least, quite timely. I’d just had several conversations with people about the questions we needed answers to and most, if not all, of them can only come through the discipline and clarity of a fast. While I was excited for anyone who participated in this, I sent a few personal requests to those people that I knew were trying to understand the “whys and hows”- just like me. Some accepted the call; some did not. But we forged together anyway, linking with people across this world- people we will never see- desperately seeking the face of God.
And then today came. And boy, did it come! One of the requirements of this time was to get a journal, write your questions in black or blue ink and God’s responses in red. Throughout today, I’ve appreciated seeing more red than black because that means I’m listening. I am hearing what He’s saying to me. This evening was our time to spend in the book of Jeremiah. Sending encouraging text messages all day to each other, I sent my fellow fasters the hilarious truth: God is slick going OFF on me through Jeremiah! Now to be fair, God showed me some beautiful things about my destiny and preparation through this book, but He also showed me that compromise in ANY area of my life is no longer an option. As I continued to read and listen, He spoke frankly: Candice, everything you’re saying came from me really didn’t.
Yea, I know. Deep, huh? What God showed me was that for a very long time I’d gone around doing what I felt because I believed that was a part of my liberty, under the auspices of “only living one life” and having “no regrets”. I called because I wanted to. I texted because it was my phone. I knocked on the door because it was my life. It didn’t matter that twenty minutes after I called, I was wondering why I did it. The fact that I would have immediate regret after hitting “send” was of no consequence. And honestly who really cared that a day after knocking on the door, I was laying on the altar crying? I’d become a woman and women acknowledge and exercise their emotions, right? Wrong. There is a difference between submitting to the Spirit and catering to the flesh. Through God’s chastisement of Israel, I understood that, if not nurtured properly, something good can become bad. Milk will spoil if you don’t refrigerate it. Israel was God’s chosen and He loved them. In Him, they grew and prospered. But they also left Him and matured in ways that were not of Him. Just because you’re growing doesn’t mean you’re growing correctly. Take time to assess your soil. Are you getting enough sunlight? Do you get watered daily? It’s easy, very easy, to become cultivated by something that didn’t plant you. Stay on guard. That’s the only you can ensure that when you’re plucked, you’re put in a vase and not in the trash.
©BirthRight, 2009
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