Emerging Conservative

This one is post a friend of mine did on his blog that I thought was awesome and wanted to share with you. Thanks for giving me the ok Jim! (You can visit Jim’s site under the recommended blogs on the right).

I have a small goldfish pond in my front yard and I like to spend some time out there watching the fish and dragonflies and other critters who live around that place.

I usually feed the goldfish a few times a week—somehow they seem to know when it is time to eat, I think they feel the vibrations as I walk up to the edge of the pond.

Anyway a few years ago I was feeding the fish and one of them was blind—she/he had cataract looking eyes.

Again anyway, whenever I would sprinkle the fish food into the water the other fish would come around the food and begin eating. The blind fish would also show up but usually never got anywhere near the food even though its mouth would be making all the proper moves in order to eat but it never really connected with dinner. I would watch that fish and be completely filled with pity and compassion for it so I would purposely drop some food right in front of the fish so it would get something to eat.

One day as I was feeding that fish the Lord spoke to me and said ‘Jim, you are just like that poor fish! You expend a lot of energy, go through the motions, your mouth going and going, trying to get something but left on your own you come up empty and hungry. If it weren’t for Me dropping just what you need in front of your blinded eye face you would starve to death.’

Of course He was right. I realized then and now that if the Lord had not provided for me on a daily basis I would be starving and lost and undone. What a loving Father I have, One who provides for all my needs and is the source and provider of my daily bread. Oh the riches of His mercy and His goodness toward me.”

Steve said–“Jim, you’re right on about us starving if it weren’t for the grace of the Lord dumping stuff in our laps.It makes me wonder, though… can’t we learn to sense the vibrations of the Master’s footsteps and look in the right direction?”

I replied–“Of course we can learn that, actually we must learn that. That’s what discipleship is all about.

Getting to hear and know the sound of the Lord—whether it be the sound of His voice, or His certain sounding footsteps, or His scent in our noses, or even to recognize His shape or His shadow, even we aren’t seeing too clearly. I have friends (the ones I know well) that I can see 100 yards away and I know it’s him or her.

I have to learn–
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, (Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; KJV) because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. NLT

I have to observe Him–
John 15:15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

I have to imitate Him–
Matthew 10:25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master.

I have to be so infused with the learning of Him that ‘it is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me’–
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

This prepares me to recognize Him in whatever way He chooses to reveal Himself to me at any one particular time. Often the Lord comes to me in ways which if I did not know Him in some of His own peculiar ways I might miss Him. I might miss His approach.”