Don't Shave

Let me begin this message with a story from my week. There is a little girl who is very dear to my heart. Her name is Chloe and she lives in Georgia. Chloe has very bad eyesight and must wear specially made glasses in order to see. She had been visiting here recently and had gone to church. While at church they had a healing service and Chloe wanted to know if God could heal her eyes so she would not have to wear her thick glasses anymore. The Pastor said that yes, indeed, God could heal her; so, she prayed right there to God and asked Him to heal her eyes. Fast forward a couple of days.While I was talking to Shelley she recounted to me the story at the church. It hit me for some reason because I had been praying for some time for God to heal not only Chloe but also her brothers, all three of whom suffer from poor eyesight.  As I was walking around the track a couple days ago I prayed for Chloe and a verse came to mind.

19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
Matt 18:18-19 (NASB)

Well, I decided right there that I would agree with Chloe about God healing her eyes. I agreed in my spirit with that little girl and prayed earnestly for her healing. It seems(at least to me) that no sooner had the words left my mouth that a subtle attack against God's Word was launched in my mind. "Ronnie, that isn't what that verse actually means." "Remember all the times you have agreed in prayer and nothing happened?" "Remember, remember,remember....that verse doesn't mean what it says" Ever experienced that? O.K. so next day I am down at the track and I start to pray for Chloe and I stop myself and I ask God if that verse really means that. Well, without answering my question the Holy Spirit spoke these words to my heart."Don't diminish My Word " Now that really hit me because just a few days ago my friend had told me not to let anyone diminish what God had called me to do. Add to that the fact that I had read in my Bible study just the night before the following:

2 Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word.
Jer 26:1-2 (ASV)

There it is again..diminish. O.K. so maybe I need to look at diminish.

Look at that word diminish.

a primitive root; to scrape off; by implication to shave, remove, lessen or withhold :- abate, clip, (di-) minish, do (take) away, keep back, restrain, make small, withdraw.

—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

You see the Lord was instructing Jeremiah in this passage to omit nothing of the prophesy.To speak all the words that He commanded. But, God went a step further. He told Jeremiah what? ..." DIMINISH(caps mine) not a word." Speak every word Jeremiah and don't shave or lessen anything that I have spoken. In today's vernacular DON'T WATER IT DOWN. DON'T MAKE IT SMALL.

You see brothers and sisters that is what happened to me. When I look at that verse in Matthew, simply read, it speaks of great power. Read it again.

  19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
Matt 18:19 (NASB)

Folks, that be some STRONG medicine. If you agree...about ANYTHING....IT SHALL BE DONE FOR THEM BY MY FATHER....."(caps mine)

You see in my case when the Lord put that verse on my heart in prayer the enemy started his' hath God said' game." Ronnie did God say that? Does the Bible really mean that?" Before long I began to water it down in my mind. "Well, it would be great if her eyes would IMPROVE." MAYBE she can get better and won't have to wear those thick glasses. MAYBE God will put her into contacts." You feelin' me here. I lessened His Word. I made it inferior.

Maybe you are in a similar situation. God has spoken something to you and in your mind it seems impossible. Possibly you, like me have prayed for something big and you are being tempted to water down what God spoke to you. To accept a shaved or inferior version of God's best. But God is shouting to us DON'T DIMINISH MY WORD!
Now hear this! God's best may not be a pulpit in a 10,000 member church, or a world renowned evangelistic ministry. No, no. God's best may be to make you and me a "singular point of light" as my friend put it the other day. But, understand, if it is God's best for you and me ANYTHING else would result in DIMINISHMENT! Amen?! Pray that you and I take God at His word no matter how impossible it seems. Pray that we don't accept satan's lies and attempts to deceive us into diminishing God's Word.

 98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.
Psalms 119:98-100 (NASB)

God Bless