Ecclesiastes 3:21 - Dominion Over Beastly Nature
Step 1: Pray. Select.
Today, in my prayer time, the Holy Spirit was tugging at the words "plucked out" and "times and seasons."
As I searched for scriptures using these words, I was pulled into reading the entire chapter of Ecclesiastes 3, which led to the destination the Holy Spirit wanted me to land on since the topic of man's nature kept coming up in conversation over the past few weeks.
The scripture that stuck out the most was Ecclesiastes 3:21. Let's begin our journey there today, friends!
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
Who Knows
Spirit
Sons Of Men
Spirit Of The Animal
Goes Down
Step 3: Re-Write
Adding my name to the front and with a focus on the words that stood out, here is the sentence(s) I came up with for today:
Jennifer, who knows the spirit of the sons of men goes upward, the spirit of the animal goes down.
Step 4: Visualize
As I meditate on the words. I hear the Holy Spirit telling me to examine the split nature of the dust we were created from.
I picture the body as bound, but the spirit swelling within is incubating until it is prepared to go home to heavenly places.
As I think further about the scripture and the reference to animals, I think about how animals will always return to their animal nature, and if humans are not disciplined, the Holy Spirit warns us we will return to dust like animals. God gave us dominion over the beasts, so we mustn't let a beastly nature dominate our souls. Animal nature implies being unruly and purely instinctual without logic or reasoning. Act and think later.
The good news is that there is another way for us; through Jesus, our savior, he has made a way.
Being an animal lover my whole life, I was completely caught off guard when I adopted my latest rescue and saw a different side of our domesticated best friends. One day, I was on a training hike and got run over by a mountain biker. My skittish rescue dog ran into the wilderness, only to be found and rescued by animal rescue activists a month later.
The animal specialists informed me that dogs return to their wolf nature instinctively once separated from their owners and have been known to survive in the wild for months or even years. They instinctually go back to hunting and surviving amongst some pretty incredible circumstances. Even for small breeds like Pomeranians, I was told of one story where the tiny little dog was missing for over eight months in the Santa Monica mountains before eventually being reunited with its owner. They also said dogs don't usually recognize or remember their owners upon capture due to their animal nature taking over. Still, with time, they return to their everyday, balanced life as man's best friend after some love and rehabilitation with their owner back in their home.
At the end of the day, the message here is to be careful and don't stray too far away from the one who created you—the one who breathed life into your soul and built you out of dust. Instead, separate the body from the spirit so that we practice and focus on kingdom thinking daily, working towards eternal goals and rewards from the Father he has waiting for us to come home in heaven.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The main question(s) that came to mind were:
Holy Spirit, how can I identify the areas of the flesh that need to be held captive to stay strong in the spirit?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
"Pay special attention to the things that rule your thoughts. Thoughts are not a problem until we do not take them captive. The Bible warns over and over the battle is in the mind. But the word of the spirit is sharper than any two-edged sword. Since you live amongst the world's beasts, you must hold on to my word to slay them as you encounter them. Do not fight with your words furthermore. Always use the words of the Father. Be gentle and gracious like Jesus. There is no need for an uprising or disruptions to the will of God when you have the manual protecting you from all things written in the Bible. Embody the spirit. Do not let the body devour the soul. Do not become dust, which can blow away with the wind. Rather, become the wind and breathe life through my word into all the earth's beings and everything you encounter."
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
Father God, I pray that everywhere I go and in every situation I encounter, I hold tight to your word and speak life through your word into everyone I see.
I pray to remind the people of your promises, which in turn remind me of my own promises every time I speak to honor your wisdom.
Though we may live amongst beasts, let us not be afraid, for you are with us always.
If you used the scripture of the day and need prayer or someone to pray with you, connect Here. Remember, you are not alone.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you workshopped any of the verses mentioned above using the 8-Step Prayer Practice, we would love to hear from you in the comments below about what the Holy Spirit showed or spoke to you today.
Don't forget to Spread hope and share HERE if you have a miracle or testimony. We want to see how God is working in your life!
Conclusion:
I am so grateful for today's guide on how to live amongst wolves but not become one.
I love that God has already provided our survival guide in the world's wilderness.
I am eager to continue to separate the flesh from the spirit in preparation for entering the kingdom when you call me home.
Speak life to everything you see today, friends, as I look forward to seeing you here tomorrow!
