Prayer: Father, Your words expose us all and show me my faults, and true nature. I come prepared to spend time with You. Teach me I pray. Amen.
Reading: Judges 12 key: vs. 5-6 “The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. So when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” then they would say to him, “Say now, ‘Shibboleth,’” and he said “Sibboleth” since he could not pronounce it right, then they would seize him and slay him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of Ephraim fell.” TLV
Attention: Living in the Pacific Northwest there are many opportunities to hear people mispronounce the name of local towns which have a Native American name. Most people know or have heard of Seattle, which is named after a Native American Chief. Visitors from other states make a valiant effort to pronounce a town’s name, but they are usually busted or found out on their first attempt. Towns like Puyallup (pronounced Pyou-yallup), Sequim (pronounced Squim) are among the tougher ones.
I remember making a sales call in the town of Blytheville, Arkansas. I asked the person I was working with, “do you live in Blytheville (I pronounced it Blythe-ville) and their response was, “You are not from around here are you?” I just smiled and said, “No, how do you pronounce it?” They answered, “Bly-ville.” Busted.
Well people from Ephraim had an inability to pronounce “sh” at the beginning of words. It must have been a trait of people from Ephraim which they could not overcome. So, whenever Gileadites (people from Gilead) approached a fugitive, they would ask them to say the word “Shibboleth.” They were found out when then went to try to pronounce “Shibboleth.” They just could not do it.
Is there a word or words in your vocabulary which give you away as belonging to Adonai? The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Ruach Elohim says, “Yeshua be cursed,” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord,” except by the Ruach ha-Kodesh (1 Corinthians 12:3).” If you are truly Yeshua’s, we have limitations of what we can say. One who is not of Yeshua also has the inability to say, “Yeshua is Lord.” We can know by what is spoken from one’s mouth, who they belong too.
Action: I choose today, in the power of the Holy Spirit to say, “Yeshua is Lord!”
Yield: I choose today to give the power and control of my tongue over the Holy Spirit.
Engage: I choose today to engage with the Holy Spirit in proclaiming Yeshua is Lord!
Relationship: I choose today to commune with Adonai.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for the Holy Spirit and the gifts which He has given me. May I use them judiciously. May I give You glory and honor. Amen.
Memory Verse: The Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, For You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created!”
Music Video: Chris Tomlin—Is He Worthy? https://youtu.be/-c6pl6CaiD0
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”