Did Jesus say, "Don't sit under the juniper tree with anyone else but me?"
No! As you can see, there's room under the juniper tree for a friend to
come and sit with you. Thank heavens for Christian friends who will hang
out with you in those discouraging times. But there's no room to build a
shelter here. The juniper tree is not a
place you want to LIVE!
So where do you go when the juniper tree begins to look too inviting?
Go...to God's Word!
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...Eph 6:17."
"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..Heb 4:12."
If you can't read it, listen to it! Watch for discount prices on the Bible on audio tape. Or listen to praise music and sing along if you can. I sometimes have trouble paying attention when hanging out under the juniper tree, so to make myself listen, I read aloud. Try it. See if you can daydream while you're reading God's Word aloud!
Go...to a friend!
"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Prov 27:17."
Especially if you've been under the juniper tree alone! I recommend developing several relationships with positive people and talking about how we can encourage each other in the down times. You may want to add a couple of other destinations here: Go...to coffee. Go...to lunch. Go...to the park. The trick is to do it with a friend.
Go...for a walk!
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Ps 19:1
Look at the sky (even if it's raining!). Look at the colors all around. Begin to thank God for the beautiful world He made. Remember how your walk will encourage the good little endorphins to chemically brighten your mood and keep walking away from that juniper tree as fast as you can!
Go...to prayer!
"Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you..."
"For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to Him, he will hear you... Job 22:21, 27."
Not the wallow-in-my-pain kind of prayer. Try praying for other people: missionaries, people in the hospital, unsaved family members, government (well, maybe that will depress you). You get the idea. And while you're at it, remember to praise God for His greatness. Get your eyes off yourself and onto Him!
Go...to bed!
"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep...Ps 127:2."
Yes, really. Sometimes, we're just plain tired. When we're tempted to stay in the shade of the juniper tree, a nice warm bath and cup of milk could head us instead to dream land. Recent studies are pointing out that we need a lot more sleep than we think. Nine hours is not too much. Maybe rest is just what the doctor ordered. And speaking of the medical profession, you may need to...
Go...to the doctor!
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers...3 Jn 1:2."
If you find yourself thinking more about the juniper tree than anything else, maybe it's time to see if there are other reasons that the juniper tree is so appealing. Do you have a blood sugar problem? Are your hormones out of balance? Do you have a low-grade infection or thyroid disorder or some other medical problem? This is important. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and very complex biologically...
You're already there, you say! Check out some of the other writings of encouragement at Peggie's Place. Every bit of positive input helps. And there is a Juniper Tree that you can return to regularly...You can listen to the music and read the words of hope and know that you are not alone...
...And that's just a few thoughts from...Gayle and The Juniper Journal!
by Gayle Moody.
Copyright 1997. All rights reserved.
Gayle is a faithful visitor to The Well! Want to drop her a note? She'd be delighted to hear from you, and pray with you too!
Most of the music playing at Peggie's Place originates from Songs of Praise.
Visit their great Web site to hear beautiful tunes by many talented artists (CDs are available).
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