Reflecting

I've been rereading one of my favorite books, Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton. It's so full of rich insights I'm learning all over again. I hope you will also read the book and if you attend Christ Community Church join us in a book discussion on Saturday, July 26 at 5pm.

He says in the beginning of Chapter 3 "Many people spend their entire lives reacting to what they don't want to be instead of responding to the call of God on their lives". He references the story of Jacob and Laban. After Jacob ran off because he cheated his brother out of his birthright he ends living with his father-in-law, Laban. Jacob actually now lives with a "familiar" spirit. Laban was a cheat too. In fact, it appears that quite often Laban was a bigger cheat than Jacob. We are at the place in the story where Jacob now wants to leave, because he is tired of being cheated. Jacob was blessed by God and he was bringing good fortune to Laban. Laban did not want to lose a good thing so he said, "name your wage" but please stay. Jacob knew that whatever he made, he would be cheated out of it. So he struck up a deal, all the speckled and spotted lambs & goats would be his, all the others, Labans. Then Jacob carved branches, exposing the white beneath the bark and placed them in front of the watering hole whenever the best sheep & goats were drinking and mating there. Jacob become rich because his flock prospered!

As Kris says, "this was not a lesson in agriculture, God was demonstrating how we, His sheep, reproduce. The watering hole is a place of reflection. Gazing and meditating happens in that place. What we reflect on while we are eating and drinking at the watering hole of life is what we will reproduce." Proverbs 23:7 "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he".

If I spend my time reflecting & meditating on my shortcomings and weaknesses, I will continue to reproduce them even though I may be wanting to do or be something different. As I look back, I find this to be true in my life and the lives of others. If I want something different, I must reflect and meditate on something different. Phillipians 4:8 says, "Whatever is true ..noble ..just ..pure ..of good report ....meditate on these things". I am created in His image, His DNA is running through my veins but more importantly I carry His heart. In and of myself, there is no good thing, but when I reflect on Him and His beauty, His character, His love, I see that He is forming it in me! (Romans 8:29). He formed me, He is making me as I gaze and meditate on His image.

Lord, I don't want to stand at the watering hole of life and reflect on myself or others because I want my life to be a reflection of You. So I choose to behold You and agree with what You see and what You say about me. I will (Psalms 37:4) Delight myself in the Lord and He will give me the desires of my heart". (Desire means "of sire", He becomes the father, the sire, of my relections & meditations and produces good things in me.) I also ask you to forgive me for the many times that I have chosen to look to other things and other ones and other ways to bring about "godly" things in my life. I cannot produce anything of You unless have I my eyes fixed on You! How deep, how wide, how high is your great love for me and I'm so grateful to You for revealing this truth to me today!