Saturday, August 19, 2017

A Sacred Copyright by SUSAN HARRIS

One of my Facebook  pages is devoted to prayer. Each year I choose a theme, and this year, the theme is God’s Direct Words. As last year drew to a close, I felt a strong desire to hear God speak to me as He spoke to His people in the Old Testament, and through thought He impressed on me to study His directs words. Not when it is repeated by Moses or another but when HE first says it directly to Moses or another. 


I feel a holy awe come over me each time I read God’s direct words, as if I am there. I tremble when the people trembled. I pause when His presence stands still in a cloud.  Each time I highlight those sacred words with my yellow highlighter in my Bible or copy and paste from the online NIV Bible, I feel His presence.  God promises in Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (NIV) . I sincerely believe this, and each time I call, I glean a fresh truth, a hidden insight from His words.

I chose the post from July 28 to highlight in this blog, “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.”  Exodus 30:30-33 (NIV)

The thought the Lord dropped into my heart is that just as Aaron and his sons (and generations) had exclusivity to the anointing oil and holy garments, so too, it is with the intellectual property He has entrusted to us as writers, artists, singers, musicians, publishers. In the natural, copyrights, patents, and trademarks guard exclusivity, and there are fines and punishments associated with their theft, abuse and misuse. 

The Lord our Creator, the Lord of Hosts has consecrated our giftings, and He looks over them jealously. I believe that whoever desecrates or copy our work unauthorized will face a punishment similar to the “cutting off from the people.”

We can personalize the verse so that God speaks to us directly.
 “Anoint (insert your name or names) and consecrate (me, us) so (I, we) may serve You as (insert writer, singer etc).

Considering how effortless stealing intellectual property can be in today’s digital world, this assurance keep my heart at peace. I hope it will settle your heart, too.


SUSAN HARRIS is an author and speaker. This year she is focused on reading God’s direct words in the Old Testament on her 1-Minute Prayer page and is finding it transformational. Any is welcome to join.

https://www.facebook.com/1-Minute-Prayer-368981386624849/

2 comments:

Peter Black said...

Thank you, Susan, for presenting your personal application of the anointing of the Holy Spirit and "sacred copyright." This is truly an interesting way of viewing our call and appointment as Christ-following writers, composers or exponents of other forms creative expression. An awesome thought, indeed. ~~+~~

Glynis said...

Interesting approach, Susan. Although I don't exactly liken my work to anything the Holy Spirit does! And I suppose that if one goes to jail for abusing intellectual copyright then they are 'cut off from the people'. I'd be good with an apology and a lesson learned! I've been professionally writing for 30 years and am only aware of someone using my work without permission, once. A church. (Yes, seriously) I contacted them and they corrected things and gave me the credit. But I think I get what you are saying and from a moral/spiritual standpoint, it certainly is wrong. Great food for thought!

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