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The Dove on My Shoulder

by Tonja Taylor
1/31/2021 / Christian Living

“What blessing comes to you when gentleness lives in you! For you will inherit the earth.--Matthew 5:5, The Passion Translation

For most of my life, I had a big problem with gentleness: I rarely had any! I was angry, frustrated, insecure, and bitter. These strongholds (which I like to call "wrongholds") were modeled for me and, most likely, somewhat of generational curses that had been passed down from many of my relatives that had no idea how to get rid of them; only to try to manage and hide them.

…3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 4 You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.…--Berean Study Bible

With the LORD's help--and much prayer, washing of the Word by going to a Bible-believing church; listening to the true Word preached daily on podcasts and videos; worshiping alone with God and along with videos and such and at church; getting in the Word daily myself; asking the LORD to reveal to me how to get victory over things, and what those things I needed victory over (for things can remain hidden, but the LORD will turn on the light and expose them--especially if you ask Him to!); and the laying on of hands by elder ministers and pastors--the LORD has freed me from SO many things!

I am a new creation--and I know it (2 Cor. 5:17)!

He has healed my broken heart and bound up my wounds, and now I am able to be much more gentle--because now it is much easier for me to yield to His sweet, gentle Holy Spirit within me! Now, He Who is Love (I John 4:8) is able to rise up and help me see things from His perspective; people, situations, myself, my spouse, etc.

I will always be on a journey to become more like King Jesus, the Master. That is the tireless work of the Holy Spirit, Who never slumbers nor sleeps; Who never grows tired nor weary.

…3 He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. 4 Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand.…Psalm 121:3-5, Berean Study Bible

So, let us all be more aware of the One, LORD Jesus, Who is our Strength, Who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; the Eternal truly Awesome God Who knows all, sees all, and from Whom all things (good) were made! He is with us always, and we can trust Him to always work all things for our best and His glory (Genesis 50:20)!

We can lean on Him and allow Him--His gentleness--to flow through us.

Gentleness is the opposite of strife. Praise God!

Once, I was driving and praying, "LORD, let me be gentle today," and the LORD gently (of course! He is a Gentleman; the ultimate Gentleman! Yet He is our Strength and we are nothing without Him!) corrected me, and I understood that, from now on, I need to say, "LORD, please let Your gentleness be evident to all through me, for I am not gentle! But You are!"

And one of the main ways to walk in gentleness--a form of love--is to allow Him, the Spirit of Truth, to reveal and remove those wrong roots that have affected how we perceive and react to people, thoughts, and situations.

It is written in the mighty eternal Word of God that, the LORD will help us remove the wrong things from our lives. Matthew 15:13 (Berean Study Bible) says, "But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots."

I have prayed that often, and He is faithful to help and heal, of course! That is one of His jobs! It is even His precious Spirit that makes us aware of the wrong things in our lives, and gives us the desire to be free and yielded to Him so that He can help us!

Another verse that I thank Him for often is from Nehemiah: "9 So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night. 10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.” 11 And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”…Nehemiah 4:9-11, Berean Study Bible

The "rubble" is all the wrong things in our lives, from generations before us, to our personal sins and shortcomings. "Sin" means "to miss the mark," and only Jesus Christ was without sin. That's why He could pay for ours! (John 3:15-17)

So, when you ask Him to expose and remove the rubble in your life, to help you become more gentle and otherwise more like Him, He will, and some of what He reveals about you may shock you! I've been shocked many times, and simulatneously overwhelmed with His Grace to work through me to help others through the years--in spite of my imperfections!

That is another reason that we can never say, "I did (whatever) to help/heal/deliver/restore that person..." for we can do nothing apart from God, nor are we anything apart from Him. Yet, by our faith in the Blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross, we are His beloved children whom He adopted on purpose, that He might lavish His love on us--forever! GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!

Here's my main point: We need the LORD, every moment, every day, in every way. We are to be His Ambassadors on earth, so those "walking zombies"--people who are spiritually dead, even though they seem alive--can meet the real Jesus and want to become born again to new life in Christ, with spiritual security for eternity, and days of Heaven on earth now!

As I heard Pastor Bill Johnson, the director of Bethel Church in California say at meeting years ago, as the Holy Spirit came down and rested upon Jesus, so we should ask the LORD to help us become more aware--stay aware!--of His Presence with us. Brother Bill put a white cloth on his shoulder, and said he would pretend it was a dove, which helped him remember to live and act and speak as if there is a dove on our shoulder, to be gentle so we didn't disturb the dove.

Prayer for Gentleness:

So Father, dear LORD, help us remember that Your sweet Holy Spiriit is the Dove of Love on our shoulder, upon our lives, and help us to let Your gentleness flow through us so we don't grieve you nor disturb others, but that they would be drawn to Your love! In Jesus' Name, amen!

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.

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