A SMOKING FLAX

A SMOKING FLAX
The Prophet Isaiah gave us a very good description of the nature and work of Jesus in His Ministry.

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Matthew, in his writing, quoted from the above, and said that Jesus was fulfilling it. Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

I am glad those words were penned about Him, for they will give comfort to anyone who is struggling to keep their head "above water" in their Christian walk.

Pearl and I were attending the grave side service of a young lad who had, apparently, strayed from the "way", and had been killed. One of the Ministers took the opportunity to "lay it on" about rebelling against God and the Gospel. The second one soundly "put him in his place", or so I thought. What the second one said was a new thought to me, and it cleared up a lot of uncertainty about some scriptures in my mind. Quoting as nearly as I can: "There is a difference between open "rebellion toward God", and "struggles in the Faith", though they both look the same on the surface.

As the words were being spoken, I did a quick "retake" of some of my past ministry, and realized I might have made exactly the same mistake that the first Minister had made there by the grave. After much soul searching, I began to repent before God for some of my former attitudes toward people who were not measuring up to my expectations for them. With God's help, I am doing better now, though I still have difficulty once in a while.

When reading about "a bruised reed" I am carried back in memory to boyhood, driving the cows to pasture in the summer mornings. We passed a grove of "tules", as we called them. "Cat tails" is another name for them. We got so we could cause them to break down by throwing rocks at the stem. The tops would fall down, and we supposed they would die. But such was not the case. They kept on living, bruised as they were. The QUALITY of their life changed, but they lived on.

I am now convinced there are many of God's children who are in that same condition. They have been through some experiences that have created a real struggle in their lives, and their heads hang low as a result of it. Many times we tend to be harsh in our judgment of them. That is because we do not have the capacity to know the heart condition which underlies what we see on the surface. WE TELL 'EM TO SMILE! THEY CAN'T!

"A smoking flax" describes a situation where a fire, which at one time blazed high, has, for some reason, died down to embers. The cause is probably beyond the scope of our knowledge. And though Jesus knows the cause, His main concern is getting the "fire" going again. It should be ours also. I can visualize Him "blowing" on the "smoking" embers, fanning them to life. THE BREATH OF THE LORD!

I have "felt" the "blowing of Jesus" on my own life a few times. He blows gently, lovingly, persistently until new courage springs forth. Oh! GLORY TO JESUS!

This is the Jesus we love! This is the Jesus who loves us!

Take courage, struggling one. The "blowing" of the Lord shall come upon you. I feel I am prophesying into someone's life right now. God bless!