Sunday, May 17, 2009
Ashes To Excellence
I want to take the time to thank many of you that came to me today with gratitude for the time spent writing here on the church blog. I do enjoy writing, but most of all I enjoy praying for what God wants to share through me to all that visit this blog and believing that what I get within my secret place will lift you up and encourage you throughout the week. My family and I have enjoyed the past several months at Vintage Faith and know that God is doing a great work through the unity of this church. I look forward to getting to know each of you better. If you need anything, you may reach me at potterhouse182@aol.com .~Joey
Do you know what discouragement feels like? It is a feeling that can rob your spirit, soul, and body. It can effect your spirit through struggling to pray, it can attack your soul through a battling in your mind, will, and emotions, and discouragement can even rob you of your physical health. Other words for discourage are dishearten, dispirit, demoralize, dampen one's spirits, dash one's hopes, or even take the wind out of one's sail. I will even attempt to give my own definition of discouragement as "to take an arrow to the heart without loosing one's life."
David's life, found throughout the Old Testament, can be a great example of one man's life having great highs, and great lows. But what I want you to focus on today is how David reacted in 1 Samuel 30 when he was faced with a great low time in his life. I won't ruin the story for you, but will only highlight what David did while feeling abandonment with discouragement. David was greatly distressed, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
I can relate to David and how he felt during this time in his life. Arrows to the heart, wind taken out of your sail while waves crash on the sides of your soul, but then I can recall times that I have risen like Paul after being stoned and left for dead just outside the city. From these personal feelings I leave you with words given to me by our Lord...
Do you know what discouragement feels like? It is a feeling that can rob your spirit, soul, and body. It can effect your spirit through struggling to pray, it can attack your soul through a battling in your mind, will, and emotions, and discouragement can even rob you of your physical health. Other words for discourage are dishearten, dispirit, demoralize, dampen one's spirits, dash one's hopes, or even take the wind out of one's sail. I will even attempt to give my own definition of discouragement as "to take an arrow to the heart without loosing one's life."
David's life, found throughout the Old Testament, can be a great example of one man's life having great highs, and great lows. But what I want you to focus on today is how David reacted in 1 Samuel 30 when he was faced with a great low time in his life. I won't ruin the story for you, but will only highlight what David did while feeling abandonment with discouragement. David was greatly distressed, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
I can relate to David and how he felt during this time in his life. Arrows to the heart, wind taken out of your sail while waves crash on the sides of your soul, but then I can recall times that I have risen like Paul after being stoned and left for dead just outside the city. From these personal feelings I leave you with words given to me by our Lord...
Ashes to Excellence
Though I stand in the midst of ashes
A remnant of hope remains within the lowness of my soul.
The edge of my sword, dull as my heart;
My shield as battered as my mind.
Yet,
The spirit of excellence that I have entombed
Cries out from this earthen vessel
To live in the vastness of a resurrected life.
Who am I to restrain the flow
That longs to go beyond the depths of unknown?
Rise, spirit rise!
Joey Davis 2004
Please take the time to leave a comment to these post and let us know how you are and how we can better serve you.~Joey