Chapter 17 – The Coat of Many Colors
I go through phases in my prayer life. Sometimes I can really feel God working and it encourages me to pray more. Then, I get to praying about everything and I think this is getting kinda crazy. Maybe it’s too much. Then, I start thinking its futile because God is God and He is going to do what He wants to do anyway. In His will… So, is it really making a difference?
Then, something will happen, or He will speak through someone in my life about the importance of prayer and I start the cycle over. But I’m never truly understanding what or why I’m doing it.
God knows that we do not know how to pray as we should…
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered
The Holy Spirit literally fills in the blanks for us and makes our prayers acceptable to the Lord. I don’t know how that happens, but I have faith that it does. I’ve been spiritually low several times and actually asked the Holy Spirit to pray for me because I didn’t even know what to pray for… that prayer has actually been said many times over this book. And then a sweet peace would come over me and a precious thought to include.
One of those precious thoughts that has been revealing itself over the last several months is the story of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors. I’ve heard preachers talk about Joseph as a type or example of Christ. He went before his brothers and sisters and was “killed” by them. He then went into a land to prepare a place for them where he could save them when the famine came. Much like Jesus went and prepared a place for us after He was betrayed. Where He could save our souls by the spiritual food that will be poured out in the end.
I believe we are literally made in God’s image. I don’t think that verse means that we look like Him. I think we are all a part of Him. I think that Coat of Many Colors reserved for Joseph is a parable for all of God’s children that will be stitched together in the priestly robe of Christ.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
And, I believe the way that we stitch each other together is by prayer. How precious and mysterious it is. God himself orchestrating each relationship to make that full priestly robe exist together in love and forgiveness. It has taken thousands of years, and he will not miss one stitch.
Colossians 2:2-3 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I’ve told you about my recurring vision of the bodies in the dark struggling to reach a light. I think those bodies in the shadows can go both ways. The Choice. We can crawl towards Him or crawl away from Him into eternal darkness.
The words in Hebrew for the “image of God” is Tzelem Elohim. Tzelem is related to the word Tzel which means shadow. Elohim is God. So, we are literally in God’s shadow. I think that is beautiful imagery of His constant covering of us.
This choice is also portrayed in “beauty and bands”, which I have contemplated for years. You know how sometimes verses or ideas will stick in your mind. This has been that for me. I don’t think I still fully understand it yet, but here is the verse.
Zechariah 11:7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
God created both Beauty (Jesus) and bands (satan). All to teach us… like a good father does. You can lead with love but sometimes you have to use the “bands” to discipline your children. Here is beauty.
Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
When I was in Greece, I felt a strong pull to go to this one church that was on top of a very large hill. It was not an easy path up there. Many, many stairs only to find at the top of which I realized, I could have taken a cab. But it’s all in the journey isn’t it dear ones.
It was a very small church with a gorgeous view. Once inside, I realized why the Holy Spirit had guided me there. Here is the beauty and bands.
This world is quite literally a tug of war for your souls. When your too weak to pull on the beauty to get back closer to God, your Christian brothers and sisters can pray for you. Those prayers will literally draw you closer to Him and out of the clutches of the bands and the ways of this earth and the prince of it.
Why do you think those were the first two commandments. Love Me first.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
And then, love each other like yourself. In essence, care about each other’s salvation as you do your own. And you will stitch them into the family and draw them ALL to Me.
Colossians 3:13-15 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
If you picture as you are praying for someone, that you are actually pulling them out of satan’s hands and placing them into Jesus’ hands. I guarantee you, your prayer life will take on a whole new meaning.
Here is the end of the bands.
Ezekiel 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.