Zebra Ministries: Wise

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Wise

Isaiah 11:2 (NLT)

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Good morning Zebras,

Today’s attribute is Wisdom. And boy, am I glad! I didn’t realize it but my mind was getting full of the wisdom of men and needed a good washing. Spending the morning reading some great verses about the wisdom of God did the trick.

For me the quintessential passage on the wisdom of God is Proverbs 3. In my study Bible, it is titled “Further Benefits of Wisdom,” and it contains the following verses:

Proverbs 3:5–7 (NLT)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

I love that! Do not be impressed with your own wisdom. Most translations say “do not be wise in your own eyes.” Basically, do not think you are so smart, when the Bible says “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom”

But that sure isn’t how people act, even Christians sometimes get tripped up.

For example, finding balance in our life is a popular Christian topic, and it sure sounds good when we talk about it, but man’s version is figure out how much time you have and divide it up. Give so much time to God, so much time to work, and so much time to family. But that isn’t what God says. God says to pursue Him first, to love Him most, and to count everything a loss compared to knowing Him.

If you do that God will bring balance to your life. He will give you time to spend with your family, He will make you successful at your job and He will provide the opportunities to serve the kingdom. He will get your life in order if you wholeheartedly put Him first.

Or think money. Man’s wisdom says, “Be wise, save up, you need to make sure you have enough to last you through the “Golden Years.” But again I don’t see that in the Bible. What I believe God says is, “Trust ME! Trust Me to take care of you today and trust Me to take care of you tomorrow. Use what I give you to advance the kingdom and trust that I will give you more. Trust me enough to test me on this.”

Or how about how we spend our time? Man’s wisdom says, “I don’t have time to serve God, I don’t have time to study my Bible, I’m too busy. Maybe later, when the kids are grown or when I retire, then I will have time to focus on God.” But that’s not what God says. God say, “Follow me now, obey me now, you don’t even know what tomorrow holds. This very day your life might be demanded of you and it’s “Game Over.”

And the list goes on; education, our children and how we define success have all been tainted by the wisdom of men. In fact I am struggling to think of one good example where the wisdom of men agrees with the wisdom of God, which is why we so desperately need the wisdom of Christ.

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for Your word, Your wisdom and Your Son. Thank you for reassuring us that the world’s ways and Your ways are not the same. Thank you that you do not judge the success of a man based upon outside appearance and material wealth, but upon the heart. Thank you for sending us your Son, not only as our Savior, but as the human embodiment of Your wisdom. A flesh and blood example of what it looks like to live a life that is completely pleasing to You.

Love,
Jill

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Why Zebras?

In the summer of 2008 I was looking at a herd of zebras in a wild animal park and commented to my son that I didn’t understand why the lions didn’t just eat the zebras because their markings make them so obvious. He told me that the opposite was actually true. God has marked zebras so when they hang together in a herd, their stripes create the illusion they are one large animal and therefore too big to attack. It is the lone zebra that is usually eaten. The same is true of Christians; we must hang together and encourage each other to fight off the lions. The lone Christian is easy prey.

1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Therefore:

Zebras was started to encourage women who desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who want their lives to be transformed to honor God and who are willing to be “zebras” in a world of “horses”. Zebras exists to reassure you that you are not alone and that God has called you to be peculiar. As a peculiar person you should look different than the world

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pastor Endorsement

Jill Getchell speaks from her heart and from God’s word in a way that brings encouragement and hope to God’s people. I’ve been blessed to hear her at Awana conferences, a women’s retreat, and from the pulpit of our church. I am confident your people will be equally blessed by spending the day with Jill at We Have Hope...your church will be blessed as well.

Pastor Al Marks

First Baptist Church Vallejo

I have known Jill for many years now. She truly desires to encourage the churches in our community and to strengthen the believers that attend our churches. Her passion for Jesus comes out in her ability to speak, and her heart is to encourage all those that attend to go back into their churches and be a blessing.

Pastor Kelly Patchin

New Harbor Community Church, Benicia

I believe women are vital to the unity and health of the church. They bear the image of God and serve Him in a great way within His church. Zebras has the ability to unite and excite women to grow in their faith and in their relationships with each other. In John 17:20 Jesus says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” One of Christ’s last prayers for His church is that they would be one as He is with the Father. And through our unity the world can come to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Unity is essential for a healthy church and healthy relationships between women. Zebras can stimulate healthy growth in the spiritual lives of the women in your church too. It is a blessing at New Harbor and I believe it would be a blessing for any pastor to have in their church.

Kelly Patchin, Pastor
New Harbor Community Church

Testimonies

The Zebra herd has given me the opportunity to be myself. I think we all have a face we put on for others, especially on Sunday. We don’t want to let anyone see the pain or hurt we’re suffering because we feel that it’s a reflection on our walk with Christ. I now have a group of loving Christian women with whom to share the joys and sorrows equally… Without the Zebras, I’d still be wearing my Sunday face. ...............Dawn C.

The Zebra ministry has deepened my relationship with Christ and the women at my church beyond what I thought possible... Most importantly, it has given me a safe place to be very, very real… I have learned how to be transparent and allow my fellow Zebra sisters to support me in prayer and God to minister to the deepest part of my soul--the part that needed it the most.................... Jennifer H.

When I came to New Harbor Church I was so lonely. I knew I needed the fellowship of other Christian women but did not know if I could break out of my self-imposed isolation. I felt unworthy of anyone’s friendship, let alone" godly people"... But Zebras has made me feel the true acceptance of these wonderful women. I have slowly opened my heart to them, with their encouragement and love! I don't have that heavy ache of solitude anymore. ................Barbara B.

I was with you in the beginning meetings of the herd and watched it evolve into a place where we as sisters in Christ could share our burdens without judgment. Being a Zebra helped me through a very trying time- Leap of Faith– leaving a relationship, selling my home and trusting in God. It was encouraging to know that I was not alone and being a part of a group where women could feel understood, comforted, and lifted up spiritually. .................Tracy M.

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