John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Have you ever connected this verse to the birth of Christ?

Of course if you knew that the word "belly" was connected with the Hebrew understanding of "womb" you just might start connecting the dots.

The word picture for "womb" is "the house that surrounds life".

Mary was actually pregnant with the "Living Water".

John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Mary was also pregnant with the Purpose of God (Yeshua).

As we drink afresh of the revelation of the birth of Christ may we become pregnant with our unique God given purpose and may many drink of the "living water" that will flow from your "womb" in 2016.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Did you know that the word "discerner" is connected with the whole idea of the role of a judge?

However, before we go any further we need to make it quite clear that the Hebraic understanding of the role of a judge is to protect, rather than to condemn.

As I was pondering this though the following Scripture came to mind:

Psalm 105:19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

The person whom the word of the Lord "tested" was Joseph.

You will recall that at a young age Joseph had some prophetic dreams which depicted his brothers and indeed his father & mother bowing down before him.

The "word of the Lord" that came in the form of these dreams tested Joseph from the moment his brothers plotted to kill him to the day he found himself in prison in Egypt.

All through these long and difficult years Joseph experienced the sharpness and piercing nature of the "word of the Lord". Despite being falsely accused by his brothers and by Potiphar's wife Joseph maintained a heart of service.

Here is the key: the word picture for "judge" in Hebrew is "door of life"!!!

 So, the intent of the "living and powerful word of God" is to guide us to and ultimately through the "door of life". On this journey the "living and powerful word of God" also protects us.

Those dreams that Joseph had as a youngster were the means by which Joseph would become Pharaoh's trusted adviser and the second most powerful person in all of Egypt. This was the "door of life" or the divine purpose that God had planned for Joseph all along. 

Do you have a word the Lord has given you?

Then expect that word to test you over time, but remember it will also protect you and safely deliver you through the "door of life" into the fullness of your God given purpose.

Have you ever experienced a thunderstorm where the thunder was such that you could not tell which direction it was coming from?

It can be a truly awe inspiring moment and at the same time a rather scary experience as you encounter the power of the approaching storm.

Strangely, this brings us to the following verse:
Gen 3:8

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking  in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

The Hebrew understanding of this verse is that Adam & Eve were experiencing what I just described above. They were in a "thunderstorm" and the voice of the Lord God was the thunder. They could hear it but they could not pin point the direction the sound of God's voice was coming from.

Consequently, it is extremely interesting that the word picture for "walking" is "to reveal the authority of a person".

In western cultures a common saying is to "walk the walk and talk the talk". However, when we use that expression we are not literally referring to how a person walks. Rather we are referring to integrity and character as what a person says lines up with what that person does.

This expression helps us to understand the Hebrew here. There is no actual physical act of walking on God's part. In fact this verse is all about God's "thundering" voice carrying with it the powerful reality of His character and His integrity!!!!

I have always been critical of Adam & Eve for hiding from God's presence, but now I realise what was actually happening to them I know I would have been doing exactly the same thing; hiding.

Most of our thoughts about the presence of God lack this perspective.

I believe the time is here when we must learn to experience the presence of God as Adam & Eve did; as a thunderstorm where His voice comes at as from seemingly every direction with such a fresh revelation of His character that we stand in awe and cry holy, holy, holy!!!

Remember, there is no such thing in Hebrew as hearing without obeying. Unless we obey we never heard the voice of the Lord God in the first place, maybe this is the real key as to why Adam & Eve hid. 

Obey: to see the name (even in the midst of a thunder storm!!!)

There are two alarming forms of violence that are on the rampage in our society: domestic violence against women and terrorism.

I believe each has exactly the same source.

Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

Of course the key word in this verse is "violence".

The word picture in Hebrew gives us the image of a person who is reliant upon the chamber of chaos (fury/war) to establish their purpose in the world.

This word stands in stark contrast to the word "might" used in the following verse:
Judges 6:14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
The word picture in Hebrew for "might" is the "chamber inside". 

When we read the full account of Gideon we discover that his "chamber inside" was filled with God given purpose, the purpose of one who would deliver the people of Israel from the "chamber of chaos" that caused the Midianites to continually harass them.

​There is no greater enemy to the chamber of chaos (violence) than people rising up in their God given purpose.