Red Wednesday's Widsom - Symbolism

Symbolism is a form of communication. Webster defines a symbol as “an object that is used to represent something abstract.” So symbolism can be a reminder to us of what an object stands for or the message it is meant to convey to us. But here is the caution that I want to express about symbolism, symbolism does not always carry the same message or have the same meaning for all of us, and therefore, we need to be discerning in how we use it in our communication:
♥ Satanic rock groups wear crosses.
♥ The New Age movement puts power and energy into symbols.
♥ God uses His creation to speak to our hearts, BUT our focus is on the Creator and not His creation.

Over the years, I have learned that the Bible is full of symbolism. God has consistently used specific symbols to speak to me and to get my attention about His Word, His Power, and His Spirit. Ultimately, many of the symbols were very significant in my developing the Clutter Healing Guidelines (CHG’S) that have taught me about God’s simplicity, order, and nurturance.

God’s world is speaking to us all the time. We just need to be opened to how He uses His creation to reveal His personal touch and relationship with each and every one of us. This week I will share some of the symbolism that God has used with me in hopes that you too will begin to experience the touch of God’s Holy Spirit and His desire to speak to you as well, even through something as simple as a candle and an apple!

In the presence of some candlelight, intentionally allow yourself to be quiet, and as you look into the candlelight’s flame, think upon this Scripture from Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.” In some of my darkest times it has been that one flame of light that has been a symbol of hope for me.

Florence Nightingale was the first nurse, and when she is depicted in pictures, she is often seen as carrying an oil lamp to light her way to the sick. God’s Word brings light to the darkest sick room, including the darkest mind, heart, and soul. Where does God want to shed His light, His lamp of understanding in your life? What does He want you to see that can only be seen through Him?

In Acts 2:3 we are told, “Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire settled on each of them and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages.” When I gaze upon a candle’s flame, I am reminded of how it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s power and how He equips me to do what I could never do on my own! When we make the decision to ask Jesus into our life, He blesses us with this great gift, this power, the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Have you ever thought about yourself in relationship to an apple? Are you aware that God guards us as “the apple of (His) eye,” Psalm 17:8? No matter what we do or who we are, we will always have value in God’s eyes.

An apple often symbolizes the fruit that Adam and Eve ate. Genesis 3:6 just says that they ate some of the fruit. It could have been an apple, a banana, or an orange. It really doesn’t matter what kind of fruit they ate. The fruit was not the issue. The issue was about being obedient to God’s thoughts and what God said, and not what man thought or what man said.

Is it possible that Adam and Eve posed a question to one another that went something like this, “I know I believe in Him, but I’m just not sure I believe Him!” It’s some food for thought when it comes to reflecting on the apple.

Next week you will begin to see more clearly how our clutter is always about:
♥ What builds up and piles up in our life.
♥ That original erroneous spiritual thinking of Adam and Eve.
♥ Thinking that we can be above God and do things our way.

In truth, we are no different than Adam and Eve. We could have done exactly what they did, and we do! We will always be in the middle of determining what voice we are listening to. Ask yourself,  am I listening to the voice of God, myself, man, or Satan? There are always two forces at work in everything we do. There is the force and power of God’s light, and the force and power of darkness. Spirits are real and there are many, but there is only one Holy Spirit or Ghost, and He has power over ALL spirits!

I am here sharing the light of what God has taught me on His path for my life as a nurse, organizer, and spiritual coach/counselor. Will you allow God to take you on the path He has set for you? This week, I pray that all of us will experience God’s spiritual awakening so we can see what we have been blind to seeing, be able to hear what we have been deaf to hearing, be clear on what we have been confused in thinking, and be at peace with what we have been numb to feeling. May He free us from the hidden, secretive, and dark strongholds in our lives.