Isaiah 30:24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

Provender is a mixed grain. It is not wholly of one type or another. The winnowing and fan serve two purposes, to mix evenly and to remove anything that is not meant to be eaten. Say what you will about the animals but they are service animals. Are we not servants of the Lord?

I see two very distinct lessons in this verse. One is a diet that contains both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Is your diet thoroughly mixed or are you fond of only eating from the New Testament because you like the taste better? If I only ate of the New Testament, how would I have known of the lesson contained here in Isaiah 30:24?

Yes we follow Jesus. Yes the structure of the church in found in the writings of Paul. Yes there is a more clear understanding of scriptures that are quoted from the Old Testament. But….

John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Since He was the Word even before the world began, He is found in all of the Word and not just parts of the Word. To know Him and to know His will and to know His ways, we cannot ignore the mixing of the Old and New.

The second issue I see here is the mixing of teaching and personal study. Any teacher with any salt of their own will encourage you to perform personal bible study. That does not mean picking up a book written by a renown bible author, preacher or doctor of divinity. It means allowing the scriptures to speak to you personally, directly through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is how we come to know the will of God.

What does your provender look like?

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

At the onset of this series I said, “What is the need for power if power is not to be exercised?”

Were you under the impression that we own power, that power is ours to wield? I hope I did not give you that impression. I have come across many a believer that think they possess the power. We possess the power in the same manner in which we are possessed of the Holy Spirit. He dwells in us to guide us, instruct us, teach us, correct us, and if and when our cooperative will matches the will of God, move in power as God, not us.

Look to today’s verse. Not according to our works. According to His purpose. It is the vanities of all vanities to think that we possess the power. It resides in us, in the form of the Holy Spirit, but we do not control that power by force of will. That isn’t how His power works.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

If Jesus declared He did nothing on His own, why should we think we can? He sought the Father’s will and this is our example of how we can execute God’s will.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

To will and to do is God moving in power. Now if that is to be done in us or through us, it is because we sought His will and submitted to His will.

It still remains within you to choose if you want in on the action. Do you?