Rosh Chodesh is fast becoming my most precious time to look forward to each month. God continues to minister truth and strength as we meet at His appointed time.
The Red Hen is a strange title don’t you think? Yes, but wait till you see what the Lord is saying.
Our Church went on a 21 day fast to deal with unbelief. The first day into the fast God gave me two words, “complacency” and “dunamis.”
Miriam Webster Dictionary says complacency is: self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.
The New Testament Greek Lexicon Strong’s #1411 says Dunamis is strength power, ability
a. inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
b. power for performing miracles
c. moral power and excellence of soul
d. the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
e. power and resources arising from numbers
f. power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, host
God’s word to me was “Choose”! Honestly I never realized that complacency had anything to do with unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. I thought it was just being non-committal or lazy in attitude. Nor did I have any idea the scope of the meaning of the word Dunamis. Now faced with the truth by definition I have been pondering the realities of what God is saying to me in my personal life. I must say some of what I see is not pretty but I am grateful to the Lord for His discipline. I am also excited for the actual possibility to walk in Dunamis power. After all God did say choose. So I do have that option. I am also old enough in the Lord to know that the choice is not without cost. So what has this to do with the Story of the Little Red Hen?
Well this month I had two opportunities to meet for intercession for Rosh Chodesh. On Sunday before Rosh Chodesh I met with the same group who met for “ Snowtober page”
Before we went to prayer someone said, “We are coming together to celebrate the New Moon however the moon is not really new. Yes true I replied but it’s appearing sets a new cycle for us in God. So then the question was raised how do we walk “NOW” in the new of this season?
God is speaking to many of us the time is now. He has also made it very clear the old ways of our dealing with life are truly obsolete and we must engage life in new ways for the “now” of His Kingdom. The Bible is clear there is nothing new under the sun. So perhaps it is not the tactics and tools that are new but rather it is us who have become new, or should I say renewed in our thinking. As we take on battles without the old baggage, we become stronger and more agile and able to flow in the things of the Spirit.
As we listened and prayed this month God began to talk to us about the remnant and the cost of that position. One of the group got the following scripture:
Isa.17:6
As I read I felt it was talking of the Remnant and the fruitfulness of their character after the refining getting us ready for the days ahead. So I looked at the Cross references to that scripture in my NASB bible.
Deut.4: [27] “The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you.
Isa. 24: [13] For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, As the shaking of an olive tree, As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.[14] They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the LORD. [15] Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, The name of the LORD, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea.
I read on to the next verse of the original verse given (Isa 17:6)
Isa 17:[7] In that day man will have regard for his Maker And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.
I saw in this that the remnant will Know their God having gone through the purification process.
The Cross reference to that scripture confirmed my thoughts.
Hosea 3: [5] Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
On Tuesday evening the eve of Rosh Chodesh, I met with the intercessors from my church. That night one of the intercessor saw a picture of a healthy red hen. Although we got one scripture concerning the Hen, I was not confident that the scripture represented what God was conveying. It was the following day that God encouraged me to Google Red Hen. At first I was looking for a picture which I found and sent to the gal who saw it in the spirit. She confirmed that was what she saw and then she looked up the characteristics of that Hen and was amazed and encouraged me to do the same. In the meantime the Lord took me to the story of the Little Read Hen. How God has chosen to weave this message together through the corporate body is how I believe the body should work. We must be open to let God work collectively to bring forth the fullness of the revelation He wants to impart. For we each see in part but together we can have fullness.
Do you remember that story from your childhood? The little red hen lived on a farm and the story tells us she was friends with a Lazy Dog a Sleepy Cat and a Noisy Duck. She found some seed and decided she would plant and harvest and produce bread. Each step of the process she invited her friends to join her. Each invitation was turned down until it came to enjoy the benefit of her labors. However, the reward of her friends was equal to their willingness to serve. They received nothing.
Since my friend encouraged me to look up the Characteristics of the Red hen I did and here is what I found.
Here are some characteristic of the Rhode Island Reds which is the picture I sent my friend and she confirmed that was what she saw. They are tough birds, which are resistant to illness, good at foraging friendly chickens with a good nature. If raised properly and lovingly, they can be very loving, even affectionate. They will come when called or when they can see their owner (Master) and will walk with him and will happily sit on their owner’s laps, arms or even shoulders. These chickens care for each other as well, and often stay in a group. However they are known to be aggressive with other chicken, And have been known to kill intruding foxes.
Interesting isn’t it can you see the character of the remnant, strong, healthy and focused with a loving trusting relationship with our God. Fierce enough to protect the flock from an enemy.
What are the characteristics of her friends, lazy, sleepy and noisy? Mind you the story said they were her friends not strangers on the farm. What does the Bible say about those characteristics?
Prov. 6:[6] You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. [7] Nobody has to tell it what to do. [8] All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. [9] So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
Prov.20: [4] A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.
Prov. 12: [27] A lazy life is an empty life, but “early to rise” gets the job done.
The following scriptures brought me right back to the words God gave me to choose from complacency or dunamis.
Isa. 56: [10] For Israel’s watchmen are blind, the whole lot of them. They have no idea what’s going on. They’re dogs without sense enough to bark, lazy dogs, dreaming in the sun—
Matt 26: [40] When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? [41] Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” MSG
Psalm 24: [9] Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter. [10] Who is this King-Glory? GOD of the angel armies: he is King-Glory. MSG
I Cor. 13: [13:1] If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. [3] And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body *to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Where do you fit in alert, watching, loving, planting, harvesting? Recently a friend said the scripture God has placed on her heart to pray for the body was Luke 18:8…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? And I hear the Lord saying Choose!