Jesus Under A Juniper Tree (Juniper…Yoke Up To)
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
1 Kings 19:1-5 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life,
and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said,
It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life;
for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay
and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel
touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
Psalm 42:1-3 As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth
for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Is it possible for righteous, godly, Spirit-filled Christians
to become so low and downcast, they feel they can't go on - and they come to the brink of giving up? I'm talking about believers who are close to Jesus - who know His heart and mind, have done battle in prayer, have experienced His miracles, and have seen victory after victory in their lives, dedicated to the Lord's work, living sacrifices. Is it possible for such Christians to be so pressed down and troubled,
to be in such despair and despondency, they become convinced they're not going to make it?
Absolutely - yes! Look at Job - a Man Whom God Himself Called "Perfect and Upright"! Scripture says of Job, "...that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1). He had lost his entire family, all his possessions, everything. And his body was covered with boils from head to toe. He had come to a place where he could not take any more suffering. And he cried out: "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.... Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!" (6:4, 8-9). Job was saying, "I have only one request - to die! I've had it, God. Cut me off!"
Do these sound like the words of a totally righteous man? Yet Scripture testifies that Job had no known sin in his life. He stood as perfect as any man could be before God.
Finally, in total despair, Job cried out: "...my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity....
What about Jeremiah - the Weeping Prophet! Jeremiah had the fire of God burning in his bones. This holy man walked with God and was fearless before men. He had an ear attuned to heaven - a pipeline to God's throne - and spoke
as the Lord's voice to his generation. No one could stand against his power and authority. Yet Jeremiah also came to a place of total despair. He came to the brink of giving up! "Cursed be the day wherein I was born... Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew... Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?" (verses 14-18). Do these sound like the words of a fearless prophet of God? Jeremiah was so overwhelmed by trouble and affliction,
he wished he had died in his mother's womb! All I want
is to lie down and die - to get out of this trouble I'm in!"
And then, Elijah! Elijah knew the supernatural workings of God firsthand. He had brought a dead child back to life. And now, he stood before Ahab and prayed the very heavens shut. He told Ahab, "I've been on my knees before a holy God. And I tell you, it won't rain again until I say so!"
Talk about power - Elijah first shut the heavens, and then he opened them again! When he prayed later, rain fell on the land once more. He poured twelve barrels of water over the altar, and called down fire from heaven to consume it. He defeated 850 evil prophets and stood fearless and powerful.
Suddenly, he was running for his life! He ended up in a desolate spot in the wilderness, where he sat down under a juniper tree, "...and he requested for himself that he might die..." (1 Kings 19:4). Elijah had literally given his life for revival, both in prayer and in action. And now he believed he was a total failure! He grew depressed, crying, "...It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" "I gave my all, Lord - I laid down my life.
I had no personal agenda. I wanted only to please You.
And now it's all blown up in my face!" Now, not even the thought of past blessings could comfort him. You might think, "Surely someone who has seen such miracles wouldn't have any doubts or depression. He would only have to recall the great victories God had wrought. That would override all his fears."But, Not so, not this time!
Or, maybe at this point you're still not convinced a Christian can experience such despair. You may say, "All these examples are from the Old Testament. But we live in a day of grace. Surely no Spirit-filled believer should live in fear. There shouldn't be any depression in God's house!"
I ask you: Can New Testament saints who are full of God's Spirit go through times of deep despair - people who spend time on their knees, who give their lives in service to the Lord, who don't walk in sin but are fully dedicated to Jesus? Paul, is quick to answer this. He surely was a saint - a godly, precious man - who spent every breath in the cause of the Master. He had a revelation of Christ as did no other person on earth. The Spirit took Paul into heaven and showed him unspeakable glories. But the Bible says when Paul went to Asia to preach the gospel, he received only trouble:
"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia..." (2 Corinthians 1:8).
God had been using Paul mightily. A great revival had fallen on the city and lasted for two years: "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed" (Acts 19:20). During that time the Lord had worked great miracles: Demons were cast out. The lame and the sick were healed. "And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them" (verses 11-12). The people gathered up all their occult books - 50,000 pieces of silver's worth - and held a massive bonfire in the city square. But then turmoil came into his life so heavily, he said: "...we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life"
(2 Corinthians 1:8). In other words: "I thought, 'It's all over - I'm not going to make it. I won't come out of this alive."
He felt undeserving, unholy, and unacceptable to God.
A few weeks ago I found myself in a pit, mental anguish –
a deep, spiritual warfare! I want to share with you how God is bringing me out of it - so that you, too, can be healed and delivered!" My Testimony………………………..
I Believe I Am Speaking to Godly People Who Love Jesus With All Their Heart – and maybe, Who Are at a Point of Deep Despair! Maybe you are on the brink of giving up.
You want to run, but there’s no place to go. Now you say with Paul, "This is above my strength!" So - how do you get out of it? What is the way to victory? All I can tell you is how God continues to bring me out.
Here are four important truths He has given me:
1. Don't think you are in some strange, unique battle.
What you are going through is common to believers throughout the centuries. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy"
(1 Peter 4:12-13). You are not alone…………..
2. When you think you can't go on - when everything looks absolutely hopeless - cry out to God with all that is in you, "Lord, help!" "As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon,
will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me" "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears" O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit" "For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper" (72:12). Jesus has sent the Holy Ghost to be our helper. He will hear your cry for help!
3. Get in God's Word, get your special promise, take it to heart and hold God to it. "Oh what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:9-11). "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20).
4. Trust the Holy Ghost, who abides in you. As you face your present hour of sufferings and confusion, turn everything over to the Holy Ghost. He knows the very mind of God!"
1. You are not alone………
2. Cry out to the Lord…….
3. Get YOUR promises from the WORD…….
4. Trust the Holy Ghost completely……..
Even when you are ready to give up, Jesus remains faithful.
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold,
then an angel touched him,
You will find Jesus Under A Juniper Tree
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