Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 1, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Nature, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

WEEDS

He [Jesus] answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil.” [Matthew 13: 37-39 (NLT)]

7-1-15thistle (Canadian)-LGenWI572-cropwebI love thistles—when I’m taking their pictures in the woods. I discovered I don’t much care for them when they’re in my garden. But, there they were, along with dandelions, knotweed, clover, sorrel, mint, chives, prickly lettuce and other unidentified weeds in what used to be my rose garden. Months of neglect had taken its toll on our plant beds and only a few pink rose petals were even visible in the tangled mess. At one time, this had been a well-established and properly tended garden, but our more than nine month absence for two years in a row allowed the weeds to prevail.

My husband and I were faced with a dilemma similar to the one God faced with Sodom: in ours, far too many weeds and in His, far too many sinners. Because Abraham pled with God, the righteous Lot and his family were saved from destruction but the rest of the sinful city was destroyed. In the case of our garden, however, the two remaining stunted rose bushes had no one to plead for them and were pulled up along with the weeds. Unlike God, we swept away the innocent with the guilty! After thoroughly removing every plant, we started fresh, only this time with zebra grass that, hopefully, will better survive our neglectful gardening.

As we worked, I thought of Jesus’ parables about the farmers who sowed their seeds. One farmer planted seeds on different kinds of ground. The seeds sown on the quality soil produced a good harvest and represented those who heard and understood God’s word—people of faith. In another parable, Jesus told of a farmer who had planted good seeds in quality soil only to learn that his field had weeds. The weeds, planted by the enemy, were scheduled for future destruction. Looking at my garden, I knew it wasn’t Satan, but rather neglect, that had caused my weeds. It suffered from lack of attention; there had been no cultivating, watering, pruning, fertilizer, or weed pulling.

We can have a firmly established faith but, like our garden, faith can’t be ignored or neglected; it must be nurtured. Without cultivating our faith with church and fellowship, watering it with His word, pruning it with prayer, fertilizing it with service, and vigorous weed pulling with confession and repentance, our faith can’t thrive. The enemy will be able to take over and destroy the garden of our lives. Without consistent care, our faith won’t flourish; it will be weak or die like my roses.

As for me, now that I’m done with the house garden, I plan on doing some serious work in the garden of my faith. I don’t want to give the enemy a foothold and end up being swept away with the wicked or burnt with the weeds. How about you? Do you have any gardening that needs to be done?

The Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? [Genesis 18:22b-23 (NLT)]

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. [Hebrews 6:7-8 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 30, 2015

Posted under

Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

JOB’S FRIENDS

In trouble like this I need loyal friends – whether I’ve forsaken God or not. But you, my friends, you deceive me like streams that go dry when no rain comes. [Job 6:14-15 (GNT)]

My closest friends look at me with disgust; those I loved most have turned against me. [Job 19:19 (GNT)]

6-30-15IMG_5094aweb
Job was enduring unbearable suffering; surely he could count on his friends for some support! His friends came to him but, instead of the compassion and encouragement that Job needed, they opened their mouths and began to criticize the poor man. They immediately assumed the worst of their friend. It was all Job’s fault; God was angry with him and punishing him for his sins! Surely, Job’s past behavior hadn’t given his friends reason to suspect him of sinfulness; in fact, Job is described as a “blameless” man—a man of “complete integrity.” His friends, however, were quick to believe the worst of him. They became accusers instead of comforters and judges instead of supportive friends. Granted, there are a few nuggets of Biblical truth hidden in their long accusing speeches but Job needed sympathy and reassurance rather than theological arguments.

Friends like Job’s aren’t the kind we need in a crisis. They are the people in the basements of our lives: the ones who jeer and yell catcalls. Instead of helping us up, they kick us when we’re down and may even delight in our failings. Nevertheless, we tend to keep basement friends around, probably because they often praise us when we don’t live up to our potential and offer encouragement when we’re on the wrong path. They frequently tempt us or distract us from God’s plan. They may be interesting and fun, but they’re of little use when trouble hits.

Job needed a cheering section, not a jeering section. He needed friends who would lift him when he was down and strengthen him in his weakness. We all need friends in the bleachers of our lives who will cheer for us. Good friends, however, do more than encourage us. While they see our potential for greatness and offer praise, they also tell us the truth. They can be trusted to give us an honest critique of our conduct. Tactfully (and with love), they will tell us when our behavior is inadequate or unacceptable and they’ll hold us accountable. Most important, unlike Job’s friends, good friends know how to sit silently with us in our sorrow, affliction and even shame. They’ll hold our hands, wipe our tears, and pray with and for us. A good friend will help us find strength in our weakness and hope in our despair.

Lord, guide us in our friendships. Lead us to befriend the people who will make us better and show us how to be the kind of friends who, in turn, will bring out the best in others.

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. [Henri Nouwen]

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. [Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 29, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Trusting God

WHY ASK “WHY?”

I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! [Job 1:21 (NLT)]

So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. [Job 23:14 (NLT)]

6-29-15jobDSC01010web
Life rapidly went from bad to worse for Job, a prosperous farmer who lost absolutely everything dear to him. In a matter of a few days, Job’s world was turned upside down. His flock of sheep were destroyed, his livestock stolen, his farmhands killed, and his children all died. As if the emotional pain from losing both his family and wealth wasn’t enough, Job became afflicted with boils, causing him terrible physical pain as well.

Job’s greatest torment, however, wasn’t physical or emotional; it was intellectual. He simply couldn’t understand the reason why such horrible events had occurred. In his anguish, he asked why God had turned away from him. Why was he being treated as a God’s enemy? Job, a good man, was positive that he’d done nothing wrong so his suffering couldn’t be punishment for any sins. Why then did he have to endure such woes? Even though he couldn’t understand the why of his misery, however, Job never lost his faith in God. He finally comprehended, as we all must at some point in our lives, that there will never be a satisfactory explanation for suffering and agony; our business is not to ask but to accept. Job finally asked God to forgive him for the questioning of His will. Even without knowing a reason for the tragedies of his life, the faithful Job managed to say, “Praise the name of the Lord!”

Like Job, when tragedy occurs in our lives or even in the lives of others, we feel there needs to be a reason that we can comprehend. Why we keep asking “why?” is beyond me; there is never anything close to an acceptable explanation for the tragedies of this life. We’re simply not ever going to know “why” on this side of eternity. It is a test of our faith to trust in the life a good and loving God has given to us and rather than just to trust in a life that is good. Rather than having faith in God because of what He does for us and the blessings he bestows on us, we need to have faith in God simply because of who He is and what Christ did for us on the cross. God’s plans for us are good ones and that is all we really need to know.

You, child of God, sometimes say, “What can be the design of this cross? What can be meant by that bereavement? Why am I perplexed by this dilemma? Why is this difficulty piled like a barricade across my path?” Well, you know not now, but you shall know hereafter; meanwhile, settle it firmly in your faith that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) [Charles Spurgeon]

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? [Job 2:10 ((NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 27, 2015

Posted under

Bible Stories, Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Prayer, Trusting God

PRAY AS IF YOU BELIEVE

6-2-15insectACLweb

Praying Mantis


Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. [Psalm 5:3 (NLT)]

Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! [John 14:14 (NLT)]

I never wrote a Christmas or birthday present wish list as a child; I was taught that it is impolite to ask for gifts. When I was first married, I remember being somewhat disappointed at the gifts my husband chose for me because he hadn’t selected whatever it was that I’d hoped to receive. Yet how was he to know? I foolishly thought that if he truly loved me he would automatically know what was on my unexpressed wish list. After a few disappointing holidays, I realized that I had to speak up and make my feelings known. Good man that he is, he hasn’t let me down since!

If I can express my wishes to my husband, why do I have so much trouble asking God for what I want? Am I afraid He won’t or can’t answer? The more critical the problem or greater the need, the less likely I am to pray as if He can deliver. When praying for other people’s needs, I can be pretty specific, but when praying for my own needs I often pray a somewhat generic prayer of, “Thy will be done,” without ever expressing my fervent hopes for healing or help. It’s as if I don’t trust God enough to ask for anything that specific. This, however, is the God who created the heavens and earth, parted the Red Sea, made the sun stand still, restored lepers to health, gave sight to the blind, and brought Lazarus back to life. I shouldn’t be afraid to ask God for anything, always understanding that my hopes may not be His will. I should, however, have the faith to ask Him anyway.

Father in Heaven, give me faith; help me overcome my unbelief!

“Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” [Mark 9:22-24 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 26, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Wisdom & Guidance, Worry

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. [Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)]

5-28-15 elephantNCweb
Our land rover stopped as the bull elephant approached. He paraded around in all of his elephant magnificence and, perhaps thinking we were a cow elephant, he even fully displayed his manhood. Although our cameras were clicking away, apparently that was not the response he desired. After circling us several times, he turned his back to us, raised his tail, and did what elephants do in the grass of the Serengeti! While we held our noses and looked in dismay at the enormous pile in the road, he lumbered away.

Elephants in the Serengeti don’t like to be ignored and neither do elephants in the living rooms of our lives. There’s an elephant sitting in the room whenever an obvious but unpleasant truth is being disregarded or going unaddressed. There have been several elephants in my life that I thought could be ignored. “If I pay no attention to it,” I thought, “maybe, it will just go away.” Problems, however, like elephants, don’t take being ignored lightly. If we disregard them in the living room, they’ll just stomp around the bedroom at night and keep us awake; they may even follow us to work or visit other family members. Ignored elephants will leave a big pile of stink behind them and unheeded problems do the same thing. Paying no attention to a problem doesn’t make it disappear; it just gets bigger, messier and harder to clean up.

We shouldn’t ignore the elephants in our lives; we need to give them to God in prayer and look to His word for guidance. In answer to our prayers, however, God will probably hand us a shovel and tell us to get to work scooping up the mess. It’s often an unpleasant and difficult task, but it can be done. With God’s guidance, I’ve managed to clean up the assorted stinky piles the elephants in my life created. The task, however, would have been far easier if I had just properly acknowledged the problems when they first appeared and given them the attention they originally demanded.

Impossible situations can become possible miracles. [Robert H. Schuller]

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” [Psalm 91:14-16 (MSG)]

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 25, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, God's Word: The Bible, Peace of God, Prayer, Today: Make it Count

MORNING EXERCISE

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. [Isaiah 55:10-11 (MSG)]

When asked why I exercise every day, I often reply, “If God gives me the privilege of waking up this morning, I owe him the exercise.” Since I want my senior years to be more golden than rusty, I work out regularly. This morning, as I left for the gym, it occurred to me that I should be as dedicated to His word and time with Him as I am to working out! If God gives me the gift of another day, I owe him a something more than exercise in return! And, just as I get better physical health with the exercise, I get a better spiritual life with prayer and reading God’s word.

There is a clear correlation between one’s attitude and the time spent in meditation and Bible study: the more time with God, the better the attitude. If we don’t confess, the weight of sin weighs us down. If we don’t talk with Him, our words to others aren’t nearly as kind. If we don’t praise His wonders, the little blessings of our lives go unnoticed and unappreciated. If we don’t refresh at His well, our souls become weary and weak. If we neglect His guidance, we become confused and lose our sense of direction. If we don’t partake of His word, we miss the opportunity to have His light shine the way for us. Personally, when I neglect time with God, I tend to get short-tempered and stressed; patience, humility and even love tend to be in short supply. If we ever hope to be up to the tasks God puts before us, we need to spend time with Him first!

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. [2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG)]