july 23

There are 2 things that really spoke to me today. The first was that after the Lord would restore things, people would serve Him shoulder to shoulder. Of course that speaks of working in harmony with one another without complaining, griping, criticism and things like that, and it assumes that nobody will be letting someone else do the work, everyone will pitch in. However to me the Lord was saying, you have to ask people to join you shoulder to shoulder instead of doing it yourself. Sometimes it is just easier for me to do, but that is not the plan of God for me or my ministry - or your ministry! Being shoulder to shoulder speaks loudly that I have to let people in on my ministry, train them thoroughly and be specific about the needs of the ministry. Of course it is the same conversely, but God was talking to me. Although writing that I can see that I need to get specific needs FROM people to come alongside them in their ministry as well.

The second was the that God said; "Don't be afraid, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is might to save." Knowing God is with you cures limp hands and fear. The picture to me was of people who were afraid of their enemies and apathetic in their posture like, "what can we do". Victims who are afraid. When you know that God is with you and is might to save, you aren't afraid and you are nobodies victim!