Pictures of a Deer and Holy Spirit
There was a quiet grove of plenty of grass to eat and in this grove was a gentle stream meandering through it.
Then a deer came, believing everything was safe, drank slowly from the refreshing stream.
This small stream was very convenient, nearby a very relaxing space. It was a place of full provision.
Sometimes our lives go along just like that, easy going, full of peace and plenty.
We feel the Intimate presence of God and are encouraged by His Peace and moving in our lives. It is necessary to have these times in our lives.
But so quickly things can change! The enemy breaks in!
But as we look at the deer again we see the deer’s ears pick up.
It suddenly became extremely anxious.
It had heard a frightening noise.
This noise reminded it a very sad time in its distance past.
It was the sound of a gun!
This time it did not have any place to hide.
Last time its mother had hidden it in long grass, but now it was much larger and the grass no longer would give it safety.
Last time it had peeped out and heard that hateful sound and saw its mother fall dead and those nasty hunters with their smoking stick come and drag its mother away.
So where could it hide this time?
The deer suddenly remembered a place, it was far away harder to get to but it was a place of safety.
It ran as fast as it could. It heard the hunters following. It zigzagged through the forest. The forest was thick but it knew the way. Yet that noise kept coming, they were chasing.
If only it could get to the place of safety.
Then suddenly through the trees it saw it. It was a quick flowing river.
It quickly jumped in and swam out into the deep current.
The water was cool and refreshing to the deer’s aching muscles and the flow of the water carried it away from the hunters!
The noise of the shots continued to come but the water now became its place of security.
The flow carried it away and out of range.
What can we learn about the refreshing River?
At times there is a convenient supply of God’s presence will give us Peace and Quiet, even in places of past hurt.
We can go there for times of quiet refreshing and an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, but there is more.
There is a River, it takes a little effort to get there but it provides refreshing and in times of danger provides safety for us just as the water gave the deer after it had been running hard through the forest.
The River will also give us a covering and carry us away from danger.
We need to know how to get there!
Then trust the flow of the River to carry us.
So we have two pictures of the River Of God!
We can go for a intimate refreshing drink, and we all need these times. Then at other times we can just dive into His Presence and allow the River of God – The Holy Spirit – to refresh us and carry us away from danger.
Some time later the deer in the story above longed for the quiet refreshing it experienced in the quiet grove.
The place where it once had an intimate relationship with The Creator.
But he bitter experiences kept it from returning.
It knew that it needed to return at some time, but!
Would the enemy, that killed its Mother and nearly killed it, still be there?
This fear kept it away from the quiet refreshing it longed for.
Could it take the risk?
The deer had heard stories that the enemy had been defeated, but were they true?
It did miss the beautiful quiet grove.
It did miss the refreshing clear water of the stream.
Finally the deer decided it had to return.
It had to overcome the fear. It had to take action and return.
The drawing power of the refreshing water, the quiet communion with Father God, slowly overcame the fear.
Have you felt like that?
Do you have fears that keep you back from turning back into the loving arms of a caring God?
Are you aware that the enemy of our souls has been defeated?
It is safe trust in God. It is safe to spend time in His Presence.
It is safe to drink in His refreshing Holy Spirit.
It ran as fast as it could. It heard the hunters following. It zigzagged through the forest. The forest was thick but it knew the way. Yet that noise kept coming, they were chasing.
If only it could get to the place of safety.
Then suddenly through the trees it saw it. It was a quick flowing river.
It quickly jumped in and swam out into the deep current.
The water was cool and refreshing to the deer’s aching muscles and the flow of the water carried it away from the hunters!
The noise of the shots continued to come but the water now became its place of security.
The flow carried it away and out of range.
What can we learn about the refreshing River?
At times there is a convenient supply of God’s presence will give us Peace and Quiet, even in places of past hurt.
We can go there for times of quiet refreshing and an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, but there is more.
There is a River, it takes a little effort to get there but it provides refreshing and in times of danger provides safety for us just as the water gave the deer after it had been running hard through the forest.
The River will also give us a covering and carry us away from danger.
We need to know how to get there!
Then trust the flow of the River to carry us.
So we have two pictures of the River Of God!
We can go for a intimate refreshing drink, and we all need these times. Then at other times we can just dive into His Presence and allow the River of God – The Holy Spirit – to refresh us and carry us away from danger.
Some time later the deer in the story above longed for the quiet refreshing it experienced in the quiet grove.
The place where it once had an intimate relationship with The Creator.
But he bitter experiences kept it from returning.
It knew that it needed to return at some time, but!
Would the enemy, that killed its Mother and nearly killed it, still be there?
This fear kept it away from the quiet refreshing it longed for.
Could it take the risk?
The deer had heard stories that the enemy had been defeated, but were they true?
It did miss the beautiful quiet grove.
It did miss the refreshing clear water of the stream.
Finally the deer decided it had to return.
It had to overcome the fear. It had to take action and return.
The drawing power of the refreshing water, the quiet communion with Father God, slowly overcame the fear.
Have you felt like that?
Do you have fears that keep you back from turning back into the loving arms of a caring God?
Are you aware that the enemy of our souls has been defeated?
It is safe trust in God. It is safe to spend time in His Presence.
It is safe to drink in His refreshing Holy Spirit.
So in this picture of the deer we see it cautiously return through the forest it had once run from the enemy. Totally unaware of two sets of eyes watching it from the other side, urging it to return.
With its ears open to any sound of shooting it slowly returned.
There was now a bridge across the river. Fast moving objects on wheels roared across.
The deer watched and listened and ran across as quick as it could.
Then it finally passed through the forest and saw the quiet grove.
Memories returned. It remembered hiding in the grass as a young fawn when it mother had been killed. It remembered the fear when the shots came so close last time.
But the drawing power of the refreshing water slowly overcame its fear and it bowed to drink. It loved the quietness and the sense of peace that flowed into its whole being.
It was better than it remembered!
The refreshing water washed all through its body and it felt it was home in the quiet intimacy of its Creator.
This is what happens as we bow in trust and drink the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into our spirits.
The picture of water representing the Holy Spirit is real.
We can see the intimate presence as refreshing, encouraging and peaceful.
The rushing stream was a symbol of the Holy Spirit as a place of safety and protection.
Fears are overcome as we learn that our enemy has been defeated and we can return to a place of intimacy and relax in His presence. As the deer was contemplating its life it felt a twinge of loneliness. It did miss its mother.
Was there more?
Then its ears twitched again!
Was the enemy back?
It turned to see where the noise came from and all its fears subsided!
Turning it saw the most beautiful Doe it had ever seen!
Yes, once again God had provided!
Two eyes looked on. The doe’s Mother looked on. Finally her daughter and the son of her best friend had met!
With its ears open to any sound of shooting it slowly returned.
There was now a bridge across the river. Fast moving objects on wheels roared across.
The deer watched and listened and ran across as quick as it could.
Then it finally passed through the forest and saw the quiet grove.
Memories returned. It remembered hiding in the grass as a young fawn when it mother had been killed. It remembered the fear when the shots came so close last time.
But the drawing power of the refreshing water slowly overcame its fear and it bowed to drink. It loved the quietness and the sense of peace that flowed into its whole being.
It was better than it remembered!
The refreshing water washed all through its body and it felt it was home in the quiet intimacy of its Creator.
This is what happens as we bow in trust and drink the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into our spirits.
The picture of water representing the Holy Spirit is real.
We can see the intimate presence as refreshing, encouraging and peaceful.
The rushing stream was a symbol of the Holy Spirit as a place of safety and protection.
Fears are overcome as we learn that our enemy has been defeated and we can return to a place of intimacy and relax in His presence. As the deer was contemplating its life it felt a twinge of loneliness. It did miss its mother.
Was there more?
Then its ears twitched again!
Was the enemy back?
It turned to see where the noise came from and all its fears subsided!
Turning it saw the most beautiful Doe it had ever seen!
Yes, once again God had provided!
Two eyes looked on. The doe’s Mother looked on. Finally her daughter and the son of her best friend had met!
The place of intimacy with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the place of complete provision!
God provides all our needs as we learn to dwell in His presence.
There is a River and it comes from the heart of God.
It is as a quiet place of communion and also a place of protection,