Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Dance Step "A"


Book: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence
Author: Angela Thomas
A springboard for "Dancing with the Lord" discussions. 
There is….a time to dance….Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)


It is always time to dance with the Lord---when dance means living a life of fullness/abundance w/ Him. It’s that dance/life that gets us through the "mourning’s"(griefs) of life---loss, disappointment, regret, fears, etc. 
Dance steps include the acceptance of the truth from John 10:10b where Jesus (our Shepherd) said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance” (to the full, till it overflows)(AMP) (abunDANCE, mine) The fullness or abundance of the Christian life is exhibited, according to Westcott, in three elements—safety, liberty, & support.
Jesus gives--thief takes!
In comparison, the first part of the verse reminds us, "..the thief comes in order to steal and kill and destroy." 
Identify the thief or thieves in your life. Ask self, “What have I allowed him to steal, destroy or kill in my life? John 10:10 is a new verse to hang our dance shoes on---shoes of acceptance and attentiveness for a life of abunDANCE.

ACCEPTANCE --For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1 Thess. 2:13) ACCEPTANCE--of one's life situations and acceptance of what God’s Word shows you about those  circumstance. ATTENTIVENESS---Along with life situations, there are often verses that do just that---GET MY ATTENTION Ps 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
A recent NP ranger's forest fire story illustrated that verse for me---a bird found dead, feathers scorched & burned from flames of the fire....but when ranger turned her over with a stick, 3 little chicks waddled out. Secure. Safe from the fire by the covers of protection from the feathers of one who was trustworthy. 
ATTENTIVENESS to God's Word is always NEEDED because truth is NOT revealed to idle spectators! (C Huffman, 6/13/15)

Dance Lesson --A
D ecide (Joshua 24:14) Delve (Psalm 119:169) & Discover  (Psalm 119:130) 
A cceptance and Attentiveness
N ....
C ....
E ....

Acceptance of life's situations & attentiveness to God’s Word require a choice......just like a dancer chooses the "correct" shoes for each dance. 
Dances may change and shoe choices may vary but our Lord is steadfast, unchanging and His truth endures to all generations.
 If you’re wearing the wrong shoe, you’re asking for trouble. All of us need a shoe that FITS her own dance/ situation for Dance Step "A."