The Lion and the Dew
April 2010
Dear Friend,
In less than one month we will be headed to Israel for ten exciting days in the Holy Land. If you were not able to get a seat before they sold out, be sure to get in early on our tour next year! Our missionaries are excited to meet our tour group, and share with us what God is doing in Israel.
It is clear that 2010 is shaping up to be a year of growth and expansion for Way of Peace. That means more souls born again and lives transformed by the power of God’s love and grace.
While in Israel we will explore ways to expand current outreaches, and at the same time talk to new Gospel opportunities Way of Peace can take on. Thank you for your ongoing prayer and support, which make this expansion possible!
On to the subject of this months’ letter, the lion and the dew. Take a look at this scripture:
“The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.” Proverbs 19:12
Two seemingly unrelated words, yet Solomon penned them in this poignant verse, and not
surprisingly, they have a very relevant meaning for us today.
Let’s explore the Biblical meaning of both terms first:
1: The Roar of a Lion: In the Bible it is said the devil acts like a roaring lion.
“Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8
We know from Hebrews 2:14-15 that the devil is a defeated enemy. So his roar must be to deceive us into believing something that isn’t real. Let’s come back to this point later.
2. Dew on the Grass: Dew is figuratively used throughout the Bible as a symbol of God’s blessing.
“It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his
blessing, even life forevermore.” Psalm 133:3
And
“I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will
send down his roots;” Hosea 14:5
From a physical perspective, dew covers a plant or grass and the plant/grass absorbs the
life-giving substance through its leaves, giving it what it needs to survive and flourish.
Dew is moisture that forms at night when the air is calm.
What a wonderful picture of God’s blessing in our life
it comes while we are calm and resting! (Hebrew 4:9-11).
it gives us good and sustainable life! (Proverbs 10:22)
We have established the roar of a lion is the devil’s deception, and the dew on the grass is God’s blessing and favor.
Catch this!!!!
1) What is the devil’s deception? The devil would have us (the world) believe that God (the king) is angry with us. Note, “the king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion”. In Revelations 5:5 God is called a Lion, but no where in the New Testament is God referred to as a roaring lion.
Note, the devil is LIKE a roaring lion, but he is NOT a roaring lion. God the Father is
THE lion (ruler), and He is NOT roaring. However, the devil would have us believe
God is roaring, that God is angry and wrathful.
2) In reality, God has poured out all his wrath and judgment on Jesus. Jesus was the author of a new and living way; a covenant of favor.
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them,
and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
God has only love to give us now. It was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah and echoed by the author of Hebrews.
“Behold, the days are coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel…. Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31,34 (Hebrews 10:16,17)
Note the wording in this verse and the entire passage. God continually says “I”, “I”, “I”, “I will”, “I will”, “I will”. Why is this significant? The covenant is completed from start to finish by God. We merely choose to accept the good that comes as a result of what Jesus has done for us in the covenant.
A president of the United States once said, “the only thing to fear is fear itself”.
Whether this president made this statement based on a Biblical understanding, I don’t know, but there is a Biblical basis to the statement. In Christ, we have nothing to fear, except what we allow to make us fearful. Through Christ we have all victory!
It is impossible to rest when one is fearful. Have you ever tried? You might even try to lay down and sleep, but in a fearful state rest alludes you. Often you get up more tired than when you laid down.
So much of what we hear or see about God in the world portrays Him as a vindictive, jealous task master, eager to punish our mistakes. Of course, many well crafted reasons for this portrayal exist.
I was recently personally touched by the life of a young lady and mother who were turned off from God. Both the mother and daughter had made some poor choices in their lives, which admittedly were mistakes.
However, it was relayed to them that God was displeased because of their failures. They would have to straighten out their lives before they could come to God. What a perversion of the truth! Subsequently their hearts were hardened towards God, and they no longer actively serve Him.
I had only recently met them, but when they heard my involvement in ministry their reaction was to become defensive, which I understand. However, after taking some time to explain that I attempt take the approach Jesus took, they warmed up immediately.
What is that approach? Jesus said in the book of John to a well known sinner:
“Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:11
Haven’t you experienced the same in your own life? When Jesus’ love is/was most fresh and real in your life, you can’t say or do enough to serve Him.
When we allow the Spirit to fill us with His love, we are so filled with His love and adoration, living a right life is as natural as breathing.
And when we make mistakes, as the Bible predicts we most likely will (1 John 2:1-2), we have an Advocate with the Father, JESUS, the propitiation for our sins!
How wonderful and effortless is serving Jesus when the
revelation of His love is fresh!
This is why Way of Peace is so important, especially in Israel. So much law and condemnation has been heaped on the Jewish nation. The Apostle Paul said the Gospel is the power of God to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Take a look at the ministry report from Zvi and Yaffa I enclosed with this letter. What an
incredible outreach they have undertaken to the more than 20,000 hard core drug addicts in Israel. Yeshua the Messiah is the only answer, and you and I are a part of that outreach.
Today, lets do something significant for the Gospel in Israel. We who have been so blessed, can not help but be a blessing to the nation of Israel.
Thank you to the many who have already registered to be an automated Way of Peace Partner. That means you set up automated donation amounts directly to Way of Peace each month for a certain amount. The fund transfer is fully under your control, but the automation allows Way of Peace to more accurately budget knowing what will come in each month. If you haven’t already signed up, please do so today. The information to do so is on the back of the enclosed response form.
Go ahead and take the enclosed response form and let’s pray together…
“Father, thank you for your incredible love. I am so grateful for the dew of your blessing, and that you are not angry with us. Thank you for Your blessing on my life and my finances. Out of my abundance in Christ, I give you now, and I thank you that all my needs are supplied through Your riches in glory! Amen!”
I look forward to hearing from you. Be sure to write on the
response form any prayer requests you believe God for.
Our ministry will hold you up in prayer and faith.
Thank you! We look forward to hearing from you. You can use the donation page to give your gift.
Love and blessings,
Nathan Thurber