I’ll use Psalms 123:1-2; 145:1-3; and 31:1-3

My Shepard met me in His green pastures and led me back into Revelation to feed. The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind in the following passage:

Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Along the still waters, I thought about Jesus’ chief complaint against the Laodiceans: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot” (Revelation 3:16). What contributed to their condition was the oldest corrupting influence known: pride resulting in the attachment of one’s affections to things (1 John 2:15). It’s what corrupted Satan’s wisdom (Ezekiel 28:17; see 15-18).

As I reflected on this, I discerned another path Satan uses to seduce Christ’s disciples to “eat” what is “sacrificed” to idols (see Revelation 2:20).*

Satan calls you to follow his perverse example, to sink the teeth of your affections into things rather than into His Word, “the Bread of heaven” (John 1:1, 14; 6:51).

But the Spirit alerted me to another path our enemy uses to draw our affections away from our Lord: bitterness. The Laodiceans fell into the trap of failing to see themselves truly: wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. But Satan will attack the saint awakened to his or her wretched condition and see only too clearly their misery, paucity, blindness, and nakedness. Satan’s seducing spirits will spoon-feed “bitter words” that embitter the soul of the saint. Beware: “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).

I confess, I am vulnerable to this device and must guard against these devilish thoughts. It is very easy for me to see myself as wretched (Romans 7:24), miserable (Lamentations 3:18-19; see 1-20), poor (1 Samuel 2:7; Proverbs 10:15), blind (2 Peter 1:9— especially when I compare myself to the Spirit’s description of those who are partakers of the “divine nature” —2 Peter 1:4-8); all of which makes me feel “naked” and ashamed.

The danger is discouragement leading to bitterness. But it’s the same problem: pride that changes the direction of our affections. Like a child who loves his father is sometimes provoked to wrath by his father’s chastening (Ephesians 6:4), the Spirit understands that it is unpleasant but necessary (Hebrews 12:11).

The secret is to answer the devil as Jesus did, with Scripture. Satan’s bitter words say, you are wretched, and you have no defense. The answer is to confess and read the rest of Romans 7:24-8:1, “Who shall deliver me …? I thank God through Jesus Christ” (Romans 7:24-25). When the devil points out every single thing that increases your misery (Lamentations 3:18-19; see 1-20), read on to verses 21-22: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” (“Lamentations 3:21-22). Sometimes we stop one verse too soon.

Does the Devil reproach you for your lack (1 Samuel 2:7; Proverbs 10:15)? Remember He that maketh poor also maketh rich, and consider Him Who made Himself poor to make you rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Having tried every conceivable path promising happiness and prosperity to no avail, and you are flailing about blindly not knowing where you are much less where you are going, He invites you to anoint your eyes with His eyesalve that you might see (Revelation 3:18). But, you say, I can’t see the eyesalve.

Jesus’ counsel is to buy gold tried in the fire (“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7)—endure suffering. Buy the “white raiment” to cover your nakedness (Revelation 3:18)—put off the old man, put on the new (Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 2:9), and “walk worthy” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). I think when we endure suffering without leaving the path of service, He will direct you to the eyesalve. When you get it, rub it in.

In the valley of the shadow of death, I find it, the eyesalve, and it helps me see clearly. Here are the healing, sweet words that I eat every morning that counter the disturbance caused by Satan’s bitter words: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). With self put his place, “behind” Christ, my Shepherd turned to face me and told me something: when My executioners began their work of crucifixion, they offered Me vinegar with gall, and I refused (Matthew 27:33-35). At the end of my suffering, they offered Me vinegar again, and knowing my suffering had been accomplished, I received it and gave up the Ghost, Who is now guiding you to truth (John 19:28-30; John 16:13).

At the table, I ventured to explore whether I rightly understood: don’t accept relief from your suffering until it has done its work:

James 1:2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup, mingled with a sufficient measure of His grace to counter the evil sufficient to the day ahead. Goodness and mercy attended as we walked into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v7ep18e-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Jesus spoke of “eating” as a metaphor to represent the spiritual act of believing (John 6:51; see Psalm 119:103). Think about this in connection with Jesus’ distaste for those who “eat things sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:14, 20). Note the word things. Feed your body with food, but let not your soul feed on your things. Feed your soul with His Words.]