I honor those of you like "Jeremiah", who weep over the nation, who faithfully preach God's message, having a true understanding of "The Lord Our Righteousness"; Jeremiah 23:5-6. You have been willing to be misunderstood, having denounced the false prophets in Babylon; Jeremiah 29:20-32. You have been courageous, rebuking the idolatry in the midst of the land; Jeremiah 7:9-21. You have been faithful to the Lord, even while in "prison"; Jeremiah 20:1-6; 38:1-6.
 
And I am thankful for those of you who are like "Elisha", who have understood the necessity of "sacrificing your oxen", so that you could be mentored by your "Elijah"; 1 Kings 19:20. You were diligent to follow your master, and you received his mantle; 2 Kings 2:14. You have been mocked, but you continue to obey the Lord; 2 Kings 2:23-25. Your ministry "purifies the water"; 2 Kings 2:19-22. It is because of your obedience and faith, that the eyes of a servant have been opened; 2 Kings 6:13-17.
 
Blessings,
Terri H.

        TAMED  AND  CULTIVATED  BY  THE  HAND  OF  GOD

God spoke to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah: “I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? Although you wash yourself…and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt (deeply ingrained patterns of iniquity) is still before me…How can you say I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals (idols, other gods)…consider what you have done. You are a swift, she-camel running here and there (after idols), a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing (inhales, devours) the wind in her craving - in her heat, WHO CAN RESTRAIN HER?…you said, It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them”. Like Jeremiah who wept because God’s people had forsaken Him to go their own way, we see the apostasy in the church and the decline of our nation. Jeremiah addressed Israel’s condition by describing the people as “corrupt” (strange, foreign or wild) vines, donkeys and camels; see Jeremiah 2:21-25; Isaiah 5:2.
We know that Jesus Himself is the “True Vine”, and the Father is the Gardener; John 15:1. How does a vineyard that was once planted with a noble, choice vine of pure “Seed”, become a degenerate plant of a strange vine? Answer: by allowing that which grows WILD from the GROUND (the flesh, worldly methods), to overtake the cultivated, tended, patient work of the Holy Spirit. Why would a camel and a donkey (which carried valuable cargo, including kings and dignitaries) be fitting examples of Israel’s behavior, of the church’s behavior? The answer: “MY FEAR IS NOT IN THEE”. And He adds: thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee; Jeremiah 2:19. Indeed! Israel resembled a wandering, female camel, and an unshod, wild donkey who were accustomed to the valley (a lower existence) in the wilderness, not the heights of Zion. These have not been “tamed” (were restless and impulsive); these have not been “shod” (they need “shoes”- a proven walk); their throats were dry (but not thirsty for Him); Jeremiah 2:25. Camels can walk a great distance but are never fully tamed. They are easily distracted; they spit, kick and bite, and can be completely unresponsive to their owner. And yes, the Master has need of the lowly donkey, but first, he must be loosed from the ties that bind him. Stubborn independence, self will and wayward tendencies must be severed; then he will be able to effectively carry the King’s presence as he walks; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:2-7.
 In a similar vein, a “corrupt vine” has not yielded to the corrective hand of the Gardener, who cuts away all that is dead or unfruitful. All that proceeds from Jesus the Vine, is holy and consistent with His nature and character. Israel’s chief sin was a longing for “worship” on her own terms. How true this is of the modern day church. Many are ambitious in their pursuit of “ministry” and works, but true repentance and holiness is absent. How is it that many seek “signs and wonders” in meetings, but have forgotten that the TRUE SIGNS AND WONDERS ARE THE PEOPLE who walk in intimacy with Him? see Isaiah 8:18. How many are pursuing full union with Jesus Himself, which is only obtained through the execution of self: carrying the cross?
 In Jeremiah’s day, God’s people were described as a female donkey, enticed by the “scent of another male”, who was engaging in a “union” with the wrong mate. Those who are seduced by the “scent” of other lovers “males at mating time”, will discover that there are many available “suitors”; Jeremiah 2:24-25. However, God is jealous over His people, and He can only reproduce His life through an individual who cuts off the old patterns, the learned behaviors and worldly methods. Any departure from complete surrender and obedience to Him and His ways, can lead to bondage. When the fear of the Lord is present in our lives, we gain the victory over sin and natural impulses.  The vines, donkeys and camels all had something in common: they were unrestrained, self-willed, uncircumcised and directed by their natural desires.
In 2 Kings 4:38-44, the “sons of the prophets” sat before Elisha. The problem was this: careless, inexperienced ministers were in ignorance, filling the pot with “strange tangents”. They had been gathering WILD vines, herbs, and gourds, things that grow and “spring up” naturally and quickly from the EARTHLY realm. They were filling the pot with that which was wild: natural thinking, traditions of men (as opposed to that which is carefully cultivated by the hand of God). Elisha knew how to correct that which had produced “death in the pot”. Some who “seethe pottage” have added sensationalism, fleshly additions, or a counterfeit gospel. These things produce death, not life! The remedy for healing is that which seasoned ministry produces, and it is motivated by love! The only way to “neutralize” the “poison” in the pot is to cast in the MEAL, the true Word; only then shall it be fit for consumption. The man of God brings “bread of the FIRSTFRUITS”, loaves of BARLEY, and FULL EARS of corn; Mark 4:28. This is what is set before the “100 men”; this will bring them to full stature.
Beloved, the training process is long, and the trials are hard. The warfare is continual. Give diligence to your calling; prove all things, test the spirits. Be clothed in the garment of humility. May the God of peace sanctify you entirely. May your spirit, soul and body be kept blameless unto the coming of the Lord. Truly, we are all being tamed and cultivated by the hand of God!

Terri Hill