My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and He laid me down in Luke 4. I was engaged at verse 1: “And Jesus being fill of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” It occurred to me that Jesus, as the Rock, followed the first “holy nation” in their wilderness journey, and now, manifests in flesh, He begins the establishment of His kingdom defined in His kingdom parables in His own wilderness pilgrimage.

Some interesting insights emerged, however, the Spirit impressed me to return to 2 Samuel 5, and offer some thoughts on the second engagement in David’s first war with the Philistines as king of Israel:

2Samuel 5:22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

2Samuel 5:23 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

2Samuel 5:24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.

See yesterday’s devotion for insights regarding his first engagement on a mountain David named Baalperazim where he overwhelmingly defeated them like a flood of water. The Philistines regrouped, and gathered again in Rephaim. David enquired of the LORD, and this time God instructed David not to go out openly upon them, but to set up an ambushment behind the Philistine army using a stand of mulberry trees for cover. God told David to wait, and listen for the rustling of  the mulberry trees’ leaves: “When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines” (2 Samuel 5:24).

Yesterday, the Spirit impressed on me the analogy of the flood of waters pouring forth from the belly of believers to overwhelm the enemies of the gospel. I didn’t have time to bring out the next analogy: that of the sound of wind moving among the trees signaling the time has come to “attack” the enemies of the gospel in fervent, spiritual warfare. Wind, like water, is used symbolically for the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2; John 3:8).

I probably should not make too much of the fact that the mulberry is in the same botanical family as the fig, and from there show that the fig tree is used to represent Israel (Jeremiah 24:1-7). And finally, from there to argue that we should watch for God’s breeze to stir among Israel as a signal that triumph over our enemies has come, and to launch our “spiritual” assault assured of victory. Yet these trees do not yield figs, but mulberries.

On the other hand,  we should watch the fig tree (Matthew 24:32; see 21:19, and Mark 11:13). Indeed, the Spirit, like a mighty rushing wind came down at Pentecost and rustled the “leaves” of the fig tree and revival followed.

Trees are used symbolically for men and families (Mark 8:23-24; Romans 11:17-24; see Daniel 4). Trees have leaves; listen for the moving of the Spirit in the “leaves” as a signal that God is moving in that life.

Sometimes we attack the enemies of the gospel straight on. Other times we hide among the “trees” and listen for the movement of the Spirit of God upon the “leaves” to signal God is moving. which is our signal to move.

In the valley, I pleaded for discernment to know when God is ready to release the flow of “living waters” and when I should listen for the wind to blow upon the tops of the trees. David’s example instructs us: we must “enquire of the LORD” (2 Samuel 5:19, 23). So I enquired, and He responded: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, my Shepherd anointed me with His oil, filled my cup, and intermingled His grace to meet the day’s opportunities and challenges. Goodness and mercy came to my chair, Jesus rose, I followed, and we all walked together into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap;

https://rumble.com/v7g8wym-shepherds-pasture-when-god-moves-in-the-tops-of-the-trees.html