I find myself becoming much more quiet and reserved. I sometimes wonder if I've said too much. Often, I am relieved that I did not share certain particulars. When YHWH has given a specific assignment, yet HIS servant is told not to discuss the assignment, but simply the message that has followed, it can feel a bit like confinement. I'm by no means referring to sharing the Gospel or discussing Torah. I love talking about my G-d and my Bridegroom, and His Word is not called the Good Book for no reason. It is the Best book and I'm thrilled to know the author personally.
I'm talking about confiding in humanity, what G-d has confided to us as an individual and the discouragement that can ensue. I do find myself feeling like I have a peculiar assignment regarding my call, and nowhere to feel comfortable to discuss it, at this time. For that matter, I have no permission to discuss it and so far I'm being obedient. I think a number of the remnant are hearing some interesting assignments at this time and it's not easy to be ridiculed. Telling all my business isn't usually a temptation for me, anyway, but sometimes . . . I am also very thankful that my assignment is not nearly as peculiar as some of the guys I've read about in Scripture.
I can't imagine, even with instructions, trying to build the ark. What faith Noah had, and obedience. I have no idea if he could even envision this floating zoo he was called to build, much less imagine rain . . . He was told it would rain forty days, but we know from the recorded times of sending birds out, he had no idea how long it would take for the water to recede. Was the food supply like the widow's flour and oil that didn't run out with Elijah or was the supply getting low when the birds came back? We aren't told, and I'm sure we believe that YHWH would have made sure to their needs, but Noah was human and the outcome wasn't yet in writing. Look at all the wonders we have in writing and still we get nervous and anxious in our situations.
Speaking of Elijah, I can't imagine what it must have felt like to know a queen was wanting to kill him, and not be able to find any one else that believed what he did. I think of Elijah often as various Facebookians or Facebookites, I'm not sure which we are, discuss having no flesh and bones fellowship. We are truly blessed to be able to find fellowship and one accord, even if it is at this time touching, electronically. I am always amazed at Elijah's life, in that he had the faith to completely drench a bull for sacrifice and know fire would fall from heaven, yet going before a wicked queen was quite the overwhelming ordeal for him.
Moving right along to the prophets with books named for them. Jeremiah was told to write something that would be read to the king, only for it to be cut up and burned, then told to write it again. Jeremiah did not have a popular ministry at all, nor did he have a trendy message, it was timely, but not trendy. He spent time in a cistern and in stocks.
We all know the story of Jonah and his assignment was pretty run-of-the-mill as it "preach repentance," but his own repentance was certainly of unique circumstances. Three days and nights in the innards of a big fish. What a place of contemplation.
Ezekiel has always grabbed my heart with his assignment in laying on one side for over a year, with specifically measured water and bread with special ingredients, baked over manure. All this while restrained, only to roll over and do it for over a month on the other side. Then when that's all said and done, get up and tell these religious folk mixing holy with profane doesn't cut it and that's what they're doing!
Most of the prophets had very peculiar assignments, but Isaiah, takes the cake on peculiar assignments in the Old Testament, at least from my perspective. That poor guy had already been in sack cloth giving warning, then he was told to take off his shoes and his sack cloth and walk around barefoot and naked for three years . . .
When I think of how all these people simply stood on faithful obedience, not having in writing what we can read. In seeing this amazing faith and all these accounts of the greatness of Adonai, my perspective is completely changed and I somehow feel very grateful and humbled for the peculiar assignment I've been given.
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