Willows By Water Courses
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In Isaiah 44:4 God uses the imagery of vibrant willows and lush grasses near these waters to remind us that we, too, are like those tender green blades nourished by His living waters.
By staying close to His life-giving springs, we flourish! Not only ourselves but also ensuring the survival of future generations.
It is said that Jochebed, the mother of Moses crafted a basket from the soft branches of willows. This very basket carried Moses safely through the waters of the Nile.
But why did Israel hang their harps on the willow trees?
The humble willow tree symbolizes the simple yet profound faith of figures like Jochebed, David, Esther, and Mary. Each of them contributed a unique tone, a harmonious rhyme, a beautiful melody—a song that embodies our act of worship.
David was a young boy, charming in appearance yet courageous and wise. I believe his hidden strength (joy of the Lord) came from the many melodies of praise sang on the backside of those rugged Judean Hills.
Esther possessed a beauty that set her apart from all others. Her hidden strength was her inner beauty, and submission to God’s will!
This spiritual ‘head’ covering granted her access to the king's court and his attention which delivered a nation!
In the Old Testament, King David wielded worship as his secret weapon establishing the spiritual tabernacle of David!
Esther’s was her inner beauty.
But what adorned Mary and made her a secret weapon in the hand of God?
Mary’s secret weapon was her FAITH:
It was the perfume of the knowledge of the FEAR of the Lord!
What is that coming up from the wilderness, like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of the merchant? (Song of Solomon 3:6).
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It’s our FAITH!
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2 Corinthians 2:14 "But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
1 Peter 3: 3,4 reminds us that our beauty should not come from outward adornment. 4-But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
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In Matthew 26, while Jesus was
in Bethany at Simon the Leper's home, a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar filled with costly perfume, which she poured over His head as He reclined at the table.
In John 12, He remarked, "I entered your house; you did not offer me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You did not greet me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I arrived. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume."
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No one could stand against her! No one in that room had the faith to challenge her! Her fragrance (FAITH) didn’t merely fill the room; it released a “breaker’s anointing!” The scent of her hair reminded Jesus of Rahab’s scarlet cord of faith, which saved a nation! Still today, the cords
of her worship resonates with us!
Mary’s HAIR being infused with the fragrance of the knowledge of Him was her ‘divine head covering of faith…it’s a type of spiritual tabernacle we live under!
Song notes of freedom “danced” within the tresses of her hair creating her Tabernacle of Praise!
The fragrance of the fear of the Lord is the bridal’s authority we wear as believers in Jesus Christ!
Mary’s faith made her to sheltered under His wings.
She soared above the stars and planets, guided by the very pupil of His eye. She was nourished with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag!
She did not need a bonnet, or turban, hijab, scarf or hat!, or veil!
Faith was her head covering!
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If a woman wears a hat I believe it should be worn by faith ( not out of tradition), but as a symbol of tabernacling under God’s wing!
I love hats!
In a dream in the night I saw my spiritual hat.
I was wearing a simple straw hat with an extended brim.
The underpart of the brim was intertwined with a delicate transparent silk chiffon. You couldn’t see it unless you peeped under neath. It was so fine!
I saw tiny crystals dangling from this transparent cloth. Some were red, and some were blue. If you were looking from afar all you would see is a simple straw hat! In order to see beyond the hat to the crystals you have to look ‘into’ the hat!
Lord, let Your spirit flow through us! Sway us gracefully back and forth by your grace releasing songs of deliverance to those around us! .
By the breath of your spirit let the strings of our hearts resonate like a harp releasing faith!
Much like Moses, he nestled among the reeds of the Nile, crying out when Pharaoh's daughter discovered him.
In that moment, he conquered the giant of death, singing his “song of deliverance” through the simple intertwined willow branches of his mother’s faith!
Oh Lord, Give us faith to sing our songs allowing them to resonate through our delicate branches by the streams of the willow!
We will not let our heart songs (harps) hang lifeless on the willows, but instead, we will invite You to move through the branches of our willow tree, bending them freely by the wind of Your SPIRIT.
You are teaching us, as brides we carry this authority!
When You breathe Your life into us, it softens our hearts! You are creating YOUR Tabernacle within us!
Unless You breathe Your spirit into our branches, our hearts, our very essence, we will not thrive.
Oh Lord, use Your Holy shears to prune away the deadness and dryness so that our living branches flow with you!
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Written from an Experience on November 16, 2015, during the night when I heard the phrase: Isaiah 44 Mississippi
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Isaiah 44:4
and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
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