DON'T BE DUST-CONSCIOUS

[joaniemarie]

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[TD]And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.[/TD]
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[TD="align: center"]Luke 13:11[/TD]
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[TD][h=2]- MAY 10 -
DON’T BE DUST-CONSCIOUS[HR][/HR][/h][/TD]
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Imagine being bowed over for 18 years. All you would see is the dust on the ground. That was the predicament of the woman in Luke 13. Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious. Thank God she finally saw the beautiful feet of Jesus, who brought her good news and raised her up.


Now, dust is the devil’s food. The Bible tells us that God cursed the devil to eat dust all the days of his life. (Genesis 3:14) Dust represents death. (Genesis 3:19) The devil wants you to be like him—to fall flat on your belly, crawl and eat dust. To eat dust is to feed on your shortcomings and lack, until you constantly feel that there is so much in your life that you need to clean up. You may not be physically bowed over, but like the woman, you become dust-conscious and life every day is a struggle.


Having a dust-consciousness also affects the way you see others. You look at people’s faults all the time. You point out their shortcomings and rake up their past failures. When you are dust-conscious, you find your relationships robbed of peace and joy.


And if you, like the woman, keep looking at the dust, before long, that inward position of dust-consciousness becomes so entrenched that you become the devil’s food because dust is what he eats. God’s Word describes him as being like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)


If you don’t want to be devoured by him, then lift your eyes above the dust! Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat. See yourself the way God sees you—righteous and holy in Christ. (Colossians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) You are not dust because you are not in and of the flesh—you are in and of the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)


My friend, the more you realize who you are in Christ, the more you will straighten up and walk the way God sees you—a new creation with His authority, power and overcoming Spirit!



Destined To Reign Devotional J.Prince

 

[joaniemarie]

That was a good devotional for me this morning. It's so easy to get caught up in a "dust" mentality. Each day I need to be reminded to see Jesus as my righteousness and right standing before God. That truth sets the day on good footing.

2 Cor. 5:21 For He (God) made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (Jesus Christ)

"

 

[posthuman]

John 8:8
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

((in the dust, with His finger))

 

[joaniemarie]

John 8:8
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

((in the dust, with His finger))

Jesus is our sure foundation. In Him we are more than conquerors Rom.8:37

 

[joaniemarie]

While reading some of the other topics here I see how this truth about Jesus righteousness is the key to a joyful and profitable life in Him. It also answers many of the other questions about what the Bible means on so many other topics. The answers to the many questions all hinge on the truth of Jesus and the great salvation He has gained for us even for today as we are living here on this earth.

The Bible also says we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor.2:16 Just as so many other things we have in Christ., our minds need to grow into maturity. Not from the way we thought before but in a completely NEW WAY and direction. HIS WAY. And I believe we've been given all these things in seed form. And called to GROW AND MATURE INTO GROWN UPS.

That seed needs to be watered by the washing of the water of the Word each day.

Things for TODAY that will show Jesus. Things like knowing His will in matters of what to get done today...how to get it done.. who to work with.... how to manage what I've already been given... how to do it wisly and honorably. All this direction needed today He promises to lead me into. He helps in my weakesses and they are many... I acknowledge these weakness and He comes and helps in them and through them.

It's almost noon here and He already has sent me someone to help with the job at hand., and then He is giving this wonderful peace about it. Another truth I've been learning is He gives peace to accompany the choices before us. The Holy Spirit uses Peace to lead and guide and direct. And it's a peace that certainly does pass all understanding and wipes away all dread and worry and doubt.

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

John 8:8
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

((in the dust, with His finger))

Wow...you've blown my mind here...you do it more than occasionally...

 

[crossnote]

A doctor must identify the disease (dust) before administering a cure...same with biblical doctors.

 

[UnderGrace]

Well I really do not see how this relates, maybe you could explain?

John 8:8
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

((in the dust, with His finger))

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

Well I really do not see how this relates, maybe you could explain?

I took it to mean, like...just as He wrote in the dust with His finger, He also touches us (dust/made of dust) and writes on us too, writes His law in our heart. It has to be somewhat felt but I tried to awkwardly explain it.

 

[joaniemarie]

Well I really do not see how this relates, maybe you could explain?

I thought it was just me. I didn't know how it related either. Would like to know what he meant too.

I always thought that verse meant Jesus could have/might have been writing the names of those pharasees in the dust when He said he who is without sin cast the first stone since there were obviously some guys there who had sinned with the woman who was about to be stoned.

 

[UnderGrace]

To me the above passage, is about being stuck and being set free

Before we are regenerated we are slave to sin, dust being a metaphor for sin, when we are born again we now have the ability to focus on Jesus and his righteousness within us.

I see this as a key line ...

Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious.

Jesus wrote in the dirt, that is what they did back then sometimes even for quick calculations, they did not walk around with pads of paper and pen

Anyway we will see..

I thought it was just me. I didn't know how it related either. Would like to know what he meant too.

 

[posthuman]

heh i also want to understand better what God means by this.

He made man from dust, when he sinned, He said man will return to dust, and cursed the dust for man's sake.
He said He'd write on our hearts and minds. He became a curse to save us from sin.

and when He was here doing that, when people came to goad Him, asking who should throw the first hard piece of dust at a woman until the life went out of her and her body returned to dust, for sin, He didn't speak to them at first.
instead He stooped to write in the dust with His finger.

was He ignoring them or answering them?
answering what they said or what they meant to do by asking?

i get the idea that i could spend my whole life finding out what this means and never be able to say it any better than He says it by the things He did.

 

[posthuman]

Jesus wrote in the dirt, that is what they did back then sometimes even for quick calculations, they did not walk around with pads of paper and pen

Anyway we will see..

you're saying . . . . . .


. . . maybe He was doing math?

♥

 

[UnderGrace]

Okay, you are drawing a parallel to the original idea.

Tis true we will not know what Jesus wrote in this lifetime.

Jeremiah 17:13, "Hope of Isra’el, Adonai! All who abandon you will be ashamed, those who leave you will be inscribed in the dust, because they have abandoned Adonai, the source of living water."

Maybe He was writing the accuser's names?

As well, The high priest was required to write the law that had been broken and the names of the accused, in a way that was not permanent...like in the dust

Maybe Jesus wrote the law

So for the woman above the "dust" could be a metaphor for the law.

heh i also want to understand better what God means by this.

He made man from dust, when he sinned, He said man will return to dust, and cursed the dust for man's sake.
He said He'd write on our hearts and minds. He became a curse to save us from sin.

and when He was here doing that, when people came to goad Him, asking who should throw the first hard piece of dust at a woman until the life went out of her and her body returned to dust, for sin, He didn't speak to them at first.
instead He stooped to write in the dust with His finger.

was He ignoring them or answering them?
answering what they said or what they meant to do by asking?

i get the idea that i could spend my whole life finding out what this means and never be able to say it any better than He says it by the things He did.

 

[UnderGrace]

I know you like math, if Jesus was, He was showing them it did not add up...

you're saying . . . . . .


. . . maybe He was doing math?

♥

 

[posthuman]

I know you like math, if Jesus was, He was showing them it did not add up...

yes perhaps making it evident their math was wrong

 

[Magenta]

yes perhaps making it evident their math was wrong

Truly! There should have been two brought forward, not one only

 

[reneweddaybyday]

The pharisees brought the woman to Jesus in an effort to tempt Him (John 8:6).

It is interesting that the pharisees brought only the woman before Jesus. What about the man?

I believe Jesus followed the instruction shown in Numbers 5:11-31 and wrote "curses" on the ground (Num 5:23).

 

[posthuman]

Truly! There should have been two brought forward, not one only

what's the big idea?
'cause it takes two
to multiply
and leave a bruise ♪♫​

[video=youtube;bCdS69RHBtU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCdS69RHBtU[/video]

 

[joaniemarie]

[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Luke 13:11[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]- MAY 10 -
DON’T BE DUST-CONSCIOUS[HR][/HR][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Imagine being bowed over for 18 years. All you would see is the dust on the ground. That was the predicament of the woman in Luke 13. Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious. Thank God she finally saw the beautiful feet of Jesus, who brought her good news and raised her up.


Now, dust is the devil’s food. The Bible tells us that God cursed the devil to eat dust all the days of his life. (Genesis 3:14) Dust represents death. (Genesis 3:19) The devil wants you to be like him—to fall flat on your belly, crawl and eat dust. To eat dust is to feed on your shortcomings and lack, until you constantly feel that there is so much in your life that you need to clean up. You may not be physically bowed over, but like the woman, you become dust-conscious and life every day is a struggle.


Having a dust-consciousness also affects the way you see others. You look at people’s faults all the time. You point out their shortcomings and rake up their past failures. When you are dust-conscious, you find your relationships robbed of peace and joy.


And if you, like the woman, keep looking at the dust, before long, that inward position of dust-consciousness becomes so entrenched that you become the devil’s food because dust is what he eats. God’s Word describes him as being like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)


If you don’t want to be devoured by him, then lift your eyes above the dust! Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat. See yourself the way God sees you—righteous and holy in Christ. (Colossians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) You are not dust because you are not in and of the flesh—you are in and of the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)


My friend, the more you realize who you are in Christ, the more you will straighten up and walk the way God sees you—a new creation with His authority, power and overcoming Spirit!



Destined To Reign Devotional J.Prince

The reason yesterday's devotional spoke to me was because I can and do fall into limited dust thinking. And when I do it's often the recipe for failure. Daily we are called to look beyond our obvious limited situations. Not to believe the the information coming from those 3 places;

1. The world

2. The flesh

3. The devil

Those 3 things are in the faces of all humans even Christians every second of every day. But the unsaved have no born again spirit and can't look beyond those 3 things. But we believers are CALLED to look beyond those 3 things TO JESUS. But the Holy Spirit won't force us to look beyond ourselves. It's a choice we now have. That is why looking away to Jesus is vital to survival.

Dust also has to do with humiliation. Being humble and being humiliated are very different. How amazing is it that God never humiliates us but seeks to lift us up when we acknowledge our weaknesses and limitations. We are never brought to humiliation such hope in Christ never humiliates us or disappoints us. HOW GREAT IS THAT!!? God could easily humiliate us but He never does. We humiliate ourselves by believeing the world....flesh...devil.


Isaiah 54:4 [SUP]4 [/SUP]Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.[SUP]
5 [/SUP]For your Maker is your Husband—the Lord of hosts is His name—and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called.