What God wants you to know about Broom Bushes 🙂
I live the life on a roller coaster- and sometimes I plunge and twist into Depression and Anxiety. Even though I love Jesus and He loves me, D/A seem to take me for an unexpected ride. But He is my HELP. I’m learning how to FIGHT and FLEE. One day, I’ll do a post about how to fight depression- but today, I want to share that sometimes we need to RUN AWAY!
I love the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel- If you’ve never read it- you have to! (I Chronicles Chapters 18 & 19) What a movie it would make!
Elijah- bold as a lion- confronts King Ahab, Queen Jezabel, the Prophets of Baal and all the people of Israel who have fallen away from the worship of the One True God! After mocking the priests of Baal and watching them utterly fail in their attempts to “show off” the power of their god, Elijah has them build a trench around the same altar and pour buckets of water on- over- around- the altar and says a simple little prayer. FIRE comes down from heaven to consume everything.
I’ve seen and been touched by God’s fire!
The, what happens next- blows my mind. We see Elijah has run away after hearing Jezabel declare she’s going to hunt him down and kill him. We see him the Mighty Man of God who just saw God bring down fire from heaven- FLEEING for His life and coming to REST under a Broom Bush.
I’ve lain under many a broom bush-
depressed and despairing.
I don’t know if Elijah’s Broom Bush looks like the one I have in my garden,
but I know where that spiritual broom bush is all too well.
[Tweet “Humble and weak is a place where we can look #UP and contemplate God’s #glory.”]
But maybe
Fleeing to the Broom Bush
and being laid out Flat on our backs
weak, helpless, defenseless
is not a bad place.
It’s a humble place
making sure we look up and contemplate from WHOM the FIRE falls.
Maybe,
we’re to REST under the Broom Bush He provides
and cease from our works
& let Him restore us,
delivering us from our fears.
Maybe we’re supposed to know God
in the Burning Bush AND the Broom Bush……
And come to know His love rests upon us
and His deliverance is more than enough
even when we’re resting under a Broom Bush.
Surprising Treasure: God is the Victorious God over the Broom Bush! He is our Shelter in time of need!
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My hubby has been preaching a great series about “Living On Empty”. or rather- how we should not Live on Empty! If you have time- check out the podcast that inspired this blog! 🙂
“Victorious on Mount Carmel- Depressed Under A Broom Bush”
click on this link for the PODCAST
http://www.ccclawrence.org/content.cfm?id=362&content_id=525#attached_content
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Love this CIndy.. Thanks for sharing your heart and encouragement. He “sweeps us up in his arms” under the broom bush 🙂
Amy!!!! I am re-titling my post- I love it! He SWEEPS us up into His arms! Love you dear sister!
I think there is definitely a time to charge in on faith as Elijah did and a time to rest in his presence. Feeling sorry for myself is the toughest thing to battle when I take a rest under that bush. But it helps me find that place of true humility in God, and sometimes the only thing from making me go crazy 🙂 Besides, if God oppose the proud but favors the humble; I would take a piece if humble pie to receive God’s favor any day. Thanks for the encouragement.
I love the bold- fire times- but I’ve come to appreciate the “retooling” “re-visioning” times with Him. It’s not that I like being flat on my back but He lets me fall to lift me up again. hugs Micah!
ewww- me likey 🙂 a bus stop- to get new directions! hugs
Been there… got the t-shirt(s) and learned much about how good our God really is… under the broom bush… I think of the broom bush as a bus stop… temporary, but sometimes necessary in order to change the direction of our life!
Love how you tied this all together, and I understand. I’ve been under the broom bush before. Teaches us all sorts of things we wouldn’t learn any other way, doesn’t it!
xoxo
Isn’t that the truth! As parents we begin to see that the challenging, difficult times are what matures our children but if left to me- I’d err on the side of fun and thrilling. Only God knows what I need to make me more like Jesus- and lovingly filters life through His redeeming love. hugs Julie
My preacher papa often commented that if the devil couldn’t attack Christians any other way, he’d use discouragement. Dad experienced it a lot, himself, but used it as a prompting to write letters of encouragement to others – rather how you are using this site of yours, Cindy! I love it! Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate how important it is for all of us to come to the end of self, whatever it takes, to recognize that apart from Jesus, we are nothing but broken clay pots for Him to make use of. My conclusion is that the Pharisees’ problem is that they seemed to be above that utter dependence on the Almighty, and that was their loss. Therefore, “in *everything* give thanks!” Hugs to you, dear girl.
Your papa was a very wise man! and look at the wise children he raised 🙂 I agree 100%- until we can see we have nothing- are nothing- completely disabled- we’ll never understand His greatness and gift of grace He offers to wrap our fragile form with! Then- and only then- can He minister our true value- rooted and grounded in His design for us! love you so much Edy- utter dependence is a good place to be 🙂
I love that reminder about HIS design for us – which He reveals to us only after we recognize our disabilities and get out of His way! 🙂 Aren’t we blessed to have had Godly-wise parents that set our feet on the path to walk with Jesus! I sure do love you, little sister! Thank you for all the encouragement you share with us readers.
We are so blessed- my heart breaks thinking of the increasing numbers of children- growing up without any spiritual compass or understanding… I pray we can encourage mothers and fathers to see how far reaching their impact is- the importance of laying a spiritual foundation! hugs back at you!