A certain man was sitting in service on a Sunday morning and noticed up on the platform (high place, altar) was an arrangement of flowers which was once a delight to look at and a blessing to the platform. As he stared at the flowers, he noticed that they were almost entirely dried out and many leaves were already falling off. He concluded that what was the problem with the arrangement was that it lacked “water”. Continuing to gaze upon the arrangement he heard Adonai say… ‘What you see is a prophetic image of many who sit Sunday after Sunday and never allow the refreshing “water” of My Word to sustain life and continue to be a blessing.’ The man asked Adonai, ‘How could this be?’ Again, he heard Adonai say, ‘It is because the ground is hardened and will not permit the life giving “water” to soak in.’
On further thought the man recalled times of drought in the town where he lived and when the rains finally came because the ground was “hardened,” the rain simply ran off and did nothing to refresh the vegetation. This is what Adonai says to His church…. Do not harden your heart as my people did in the wilderness when I brought them to Myself. I have sent shepherds among you who faithfully speak the “engrafted” WORD (that which has the ability to soak in) which is able to save your soul and yet you do not receive the refreshing water but allow it to “run” off and be wasted. I have sent worship leaders whose function is to plow open the hardened ground and allow the water to soak in and give life yet you resist the plow giving more attention to fellowship amongst each other than to Me.
Look to the lesson of the flower arrangement and consider… the arrangement in its present condition will eventually be thrown out and the remembrance of it will fade away. The certain man asked … ‘Can this arrangement be restored??’ He concluded with Adonai ALL things are possible and will continue to pray for the RAIN to fall in greater measures.
Rabbi Matt