WHAT IS YOUR ROD?
- LifewithJesus
- Jun 8, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 4
Jeremiah 1:11-12 KJV
“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.”
Now the above verse, when I was reading this chapter of the bible, I actually brushed through this verse, like skipped it, but the HOLY SPIRIT took me back to it and told me to meditate upon it, that there was a message, life and light there for me.
Let me just say this, that by the grace of God, when we devotion or read the bible, we should be expectant, really have an open heart and ask the Lord to reveal to us revelation from the word of God, because the word HE says to us are spirit and life. I know me personally, I told God when I started really reading and studying the bible; lord for every chapter I read help me see you and let there be a message for me.
Okay back to what I was saying; I meditated on it, you know what the rod of an almond tree meant, and look at the below expert from https://findingchristthroughfiction.com/2020/05/02/the-rod-of-an-almond-tree/
“Almond trees are the first tree to bloom usually at the end of winter, right before the spring comes. But the almonds are the last fruit to develop of all of the fruit trees. It takes months for this process to occur.
Interesting that God didn’t show Jeremiah a bloom, but the rod. Blooms remind us of new beginnings and hope. Rods are thought of as strong, and used for discipline, strengthening, and comfort”…….
Before we see the almond fruits, we see first the rod and the fruits takes timeeeeee to be shown.
The interpretation for me, was that God was telling me I was first in my ROD season, I needed to be disciplined in some things and it will take time. Now there are a lot God told me, but the first thing he told me and led me through was financial discipline and I was going to need to be patient but it was going to be worth it.
MY ROD OF FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE
The first lesson is that God gave me everything and everything absolutely belongs to HIM.
one of the parables that came to mind was the parables of the Ten Talents, this parable became life and light to me. You know I used to think that the servant with the one talent didn’t do anything that bad for Jesus to cast into the outer darkness, I was like at least he kept it, he didn’t spend it lavishly or stupidly, I used to be like ‘kilo le to ba yen’ you know, but this Parable came life to me during this period.
Everything God has given us is to be used for his glory, absolutely everything. Not using the things he has blessed you with; and for me, my finances to bring glory to God, is me being the same as the servant with the one Talent.
My finances is my Talent which Jesus has blessed me with, how am I using it for Him?
Matthew 25:14-30 English Standard Version
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
And fair enough most times we are carried away with life issues, for me I was chasing and prioritizing earthly worldly gains, wealth; but you know what the bible say, to gather and store treasures in heaven:
Matthew 6:19-21 New International Version
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I tell you to be honest, this also was life saving for me, because when it was just all about me saving, me saving for a house, a car this and that and even comparing how much I got with others, I was frustrated, very frustrated, it was never enough for me. Now having God be lord over your finances is letting him be in control over everything and not having to worry, that worry I was getting from thinking about tomorrow, the future.
And when God tells us do not worry, its actually for our own God; like its just another way God loves us you know, HE knows chasing after these things will only lead in frustration and HE literally says Do not worry about these things, because it will never be enough, I got you; and in this I also saw the Love of God and HIS care for me.
Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Now the first thing, God put me through was my tithing, to be consistent in tithing. For me this is a way of consistently acknowledging to God he is Lord over your finances, that He blessed me with this in the first place; It’s a form of concentration, Its your sowing you know.
Let me be honest, I didn’t start tithing immediately, especially in being consistent; I struggled a lot with this aspect of my life; but God really worked on my heart in letting go and letting GOD, there was even a giving God told me to do that took me like a year to obey, so when I say I struggled, I struggled oh.
Tithing, sowing seeds, giving; God has blessed me to advance His kingdom and bless others. That was the main thing and priority, this mindset was what God worked in me to understand and change.
To be honest, I tell you; when I let God control my finances, I had a period where I would say I was clueless on how to handle my finances, I was ‘on the extreme of giving’, not that I didn’t have the longing to save but I just was giving and giving, I took the do not worry about tomorrow literally, I wasn’t spending carelessly, but I had no sentiments to save anymore especially towards the future, which brings me to my next point.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you on how to control your finances/spending
Let the Holy Spirit guide you on how to control your finances/spending.
I had to pray like really pray and depend on the Holy Spirit to guide me in how to handle my finances, like break it down for me; how to save, how to give, even how much to tithe. And God absolutely answered, how to save, even how to tithe.
It’s beyond tithing you know; it’s not like okay I give you Lord 10% the 90% is mine; Nope; everything absolutely everything belongs to God so really Let God be Lord over your finances and guide you in handling your finances.
Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Let the mentality of for me, ‘TO LIVE IS CHRIST’ be evident in your finances.
Now what’s the importance of going through a ‘ROD SEASON’
To bear much fruits we have to go through the period of discipline.
“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24).
Proverbs 23:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.
Your rod of discipline will yield much fruits, fruits of good works wherein God is glorified, so be patient also, God works in us to do and will of his good pleasure.
PHILIPPIANS 2:13 NIV.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
After the ROD season comes the budding of the rod, season of blossoming of the almond tree and bearing many fruits
Numbers 17:8 NKJV
“Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.”
Time for engagement 😊 can I ask you WHAT IS YOUR ROD? What has God disciplined in you, what has HE taken you through and thought you personally?
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