Yesterday I mentioned that if you plant a garden you need to be feeding the soil. You have got to replenish the nutrients that the plants consume if you want to have a fruitful harvest year after year. In comparison, it's like having a mentor for the Christian walk, someone who pours into you, and calls you to be more like Christ. We need a Paul in our lives. But there is a flip side to this. We actually need to plant the garden; otherwise we have a bunch of wasted space.
It's amazing what people will spend on their lawns. There is a fertilizing program consisting of four steps to be done throughout the year. Each bag costs between $45-$60, and only covers 15,000 square feet (about 1/3 of an acre). People spend hundreds of dollars each year on their grass. Grass really doesn't do all that much. Yes it helps hold the soil in place to prevent erosion, but it doesn't give you anything. It simply takes the nutrients you supply and gives you nothing in return for the work you do, except causing you to have to do more work by mowing it.
A lady I work with said a couple of weeks ago, "Your lawn is a desert." Set aside the requirement of rainfall and she makes a good point. Your lawn doesn't do anything. It doesn't produce food, it doesn't even produce a flower (dandelions and clover are weeds that step two of the four step program works to eliminate). You end up with a bunch of wasted space. And so the solution, make a garden. Let the money and nutrients you're pouring into the soil work for you. Let them work to produce something of benefit.
This, too, has a parallel to our lives. Just as we need a Paul to pour into us so we can produce, we also need a Timothy to pour into. If we constantly give without receiving eventually we have nothing left to give. And if we constantly take without pouring anything out we become a hoarder with wasted resources. We suck nutrients that could be used to feed something productive.
I've had the chance to float in the Dead Sea twice now. The second time was cool, but not as mind blowing as the first since I had an idea of what to expect. This amazing landmark and phenomenon occurs because of the geography of the location. The Dead Sea is nearly 1,400 feet below Sea Level, as the lowest place on earth that isn't in the ocean it is a location that everything flows into, but nothing flows out of. The minerals there are deposited and caked on the Sea floor and the beach. The fresh water that flows in from the Jordan River is immediately contaminated by the high salt content. Nothing can live in it, and if you were to drink any of the water accidently you would need to have your stomach pumped. And that is what our lives look like if we have no one we are investing in.
Is your yard full of grass? Why not turn part of it into a garden? It will be good exercise, save you money, and be a fun project for you and your family. The soil will be able to produce something useful and valuable. Do you have a Timothy? Are you investing in someone else, pouring into them, and helping them become more like Christ? Find someone, pray for God to send someone to you, open your eyes to who He has already placed in your life. Begin to encourage and teach about what God has done in your life.
Get a Paul, find a Timothy. Plant a garden and fertilize it.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Feed the Garden
Right now I have six or seven blog posts in my head. I want to do another set of four on songs from one of Matt Redman's cds, but haven't gotten to that yet. I have one or two that I'm debating writing and may or may not get to. And as the time for harvest grows closer my mind is full of thoughts on the garden. My water melons still don't seem to be doing much, it looks like I may end up buying seeds for next year, but the sunflowers my father-in-law planted looked good when I was down there last week, and hopefully soon I'll get to make a trip down to collect and roast the seeds.
Today’s thought comes from a lady I met at work last week. She came up to me with a problem. Her garden wasn't doing well this year. The plants didn't look healthy and nothing was producing any vegetables. She then told me that this is the first time in twenty years that her garden hasn't done anything at all. Every year for the past two decades she has planted her garden in this spot, and every year it has done really well, until now.
Before I found out how long it had been in the same spot I reminded her that it has been a very wet year, but then when she told me how long it had been planted I asked another question. "Do you fertilize or compost?" And she said no, she doesn't add any chemicals to the soil. At that point I knew her problem, her soil is shot.
After twenty years of planting the same plants in the same spot all of the nutrients have been sucked out of the soil. She has planted, she has harvested, but she never fed the soil. All of the taking and not giving can only last so long, and now her soil has nothing left to give the plants, and the plants in turn have nothing to give her.
If you garden in the same spot year after year, you've got to feed the soil. Like everything else, if you continue to use it without giving back it will eventually lose its ability to produce. And the same is true of our lives. If we constantly give without ever receiving, eventually we have nothing left to give. We must have something that pours into us. I've written this past month how prayer and Bible study do feed us, but I think we really do need more than just those two things, as important as they are.
I don't know where I first heard it, but the Apostle Paul's relationships are often given as a model for Christian's to live by. He himself was a teacher and mentor to Timothy; he poured into him and instructed him. But we also see that Paul had Silas, a friend and companion who journeyed with him. We need a Paul in our lives, and that means we need to take the role of Timothy. We need someone who will mentor us and challenge us. We need someone who will call out the best in us, challenge us to be all that we can be. We need a Silas who will walk with us and encourage us.
We need to be fed so that we can feed our Timothy. If no one is pouring into us, eventually we can't pour anything else out. If the well isn't connected to a spring, eventually it just becomes a dry pit. If you want a fruitful life, then find someone who will feed your soul. Find a person who has a more intimate and experienced relationship with Christ than you, someone who is more like Christ than you are. Listen to them, learn from them, and allow them to help you become more like Christ.
Find a Paul, feed the soil.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Today’s thought comes from a lady I met at work last week. She came up to me with a problem. Her garden wasn't doing well this year. The plants didn't look healthy and nothing was producing any vegetables. She then told me that this is the first time in twenty years that her garden hasn't done anything at all. Every year for the past two decades she has planted her garden in this spot, and every year it has done really well, until now.
Before I found out how long it had been in the same spot I reminded her that it has been a very wet year, but then when she told me how long it had been planted I asked another question. "Do you fertilize or compost?" And she said no, she doesn't add any chemicals to the soil. At that point I knew her problem, her soil is shot.
After twenty years of planting the same plants in the same spot all of the nutrients have been sucked out of the soil. She has planted, she has harvested, but she never fed the soil. All of the taking and not giving can only last so long, and now her soil has nothing left to give the plants, and the plants in turn have nothing to give her.
If you garden in the same spot year after year, you've got to feed the soil. Like everything else, if you continue to use it without giving back it will eventually lose its ability to produce. And the same is true of our lives. If we constantly give without ever receiving, eventually we have nothing left to give. We must have something that pours into us. I've written this past month how prayer and Bible study do feed us, but I think we really do need more than just those two things, as important as they are.
I don't know where I first heard it, but the Apostle Paul's relationships are often given as a model for Christian's to live by. He himself was a teacher and mentor to Timothy; he poured into him and instructed him. But we also see that Paul had Silas, a friend and companion who journeyed with him. We need a Paul in our lives, and that means we need to take the role of Timothy. We need someone who will mentor us and challenge us. We need someone who will call out the best in us, challenge us to be all that we can be. We need a Silas who will walk with us and encourage us.
We need to be fed so that we can feed our Timothy. If no one is pouring into us, eventually we can't pour anything else out. If the well isn't connected to a spring, eventually it just becomes a dry pit. If you want a fruitful life, then find someone who will feed your soul. Find a person who has a more intimate and experienced relationship with Christ than you, someone who is more like Christ than you are. Listen to them, learn from them, and allow them to help you become more like Christ.
Find a Paul, feed the soil.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Monday, August 19, 2013
Container Gardening
As I mentioned last week, another post from the garden is here. I don't know how long this method has been going on, I just found out about it a couple of years ago, but then again I only started paying attention a couple of years ago as my interest started. Container gardening is exactly what it sounds like, gardening in containers. Growing plants in pots, it's great for people with small yards, poor soil, limited space, or people with apartment balconies. It allows you to grow plants in places you usually couldn't.
It's a great thing; it allows plants to be moved based on the amount of sunlight needed. It also allows for mobility in the event that there is an unusually cold spring with late frosts like this past year. There is no tilling of a large area needed, nor is there usually the need for a ton of weeding. Sound good so far? Now for the rest of the story.
Container gardening is good, but at the same time it can be a real pain. Because the root system isn't in the ground and is limited in how much it can grow your plants growth is effected, which in turn affects the size and amount of the fruit or vegetables produced. In addition to this, since it's a small container it dries out quickly needing constant watering. Because of the small size you're limited in the types of plants you can grow, some things need more than just a gallon pot.
This year I didn't have the space to grow things like last year, so I attempted some container gardening. Last year I grew watermelons because I wanted to grow something but didn't want to do a ton of work. From one of the melons I kept seeds to plant the following year, only this year there was nowhere to plant them. As spring got closer I started to think, the only thing that needs to be in the ground is the root system. The vines and the melons all grow on the surface, so that shouldn't matter. I found a pot, about two gallons, filled it with soil, and planted the seeds.
The first round sprouted, but didn't make it, most likely a result of the cold wet spring we had. I had a couple left so I decided to try again not expecting it to work, but having nothing to lose tried again. This time I got seven vines that grew and began to spill over the edges of the pot onto the ground. I moved it to a spot in the yard and surrounded it with a small piece of fencing to keep the deer off of it. I've been watering it daily, and have added plant food as needed to increase the fertility of the soil.
I have five melons growing on the vines, but they aren't really what I'd call melons. One is about the size of a softball, one is about the size of a baseball, and the other three are like golf balls on weak steroids. They have full sun pretty much all day. They are well watered with proper drainage so the roots get enough but don't rot. And I've added nutrients into the soil so that the plants have energy to grow, but in spite of all of this, some things just weren't made to grow in a container.
(Side note: If you want to grow watermelons and have a confined space there is a type called Bush Sugar Baby which will grow in a pot. I helped my niece plant some this spring and her's are doing very well, 15 healthy vines with about a dozen and a half melons.)
So where am I going with this? I'm honestly trying to remember. This might be one of those things that seemed like a really good idea until you start to actually work with it. It all started with the fact that my watermelons, which are Crimson Sweet and not Bush Sugar Baby, are not seeming to do too well in the container they are planted in.
Thinking back to Psalm 1, the righteous man is compared to a tree that is firmly planted by streams of water which bears its fruit in its season and its leaf does not whither. A tree planted in the ground has room to grow. Plants need three essential nutrients to grow, Nitrogen which helps the part of the plant you see, Phosphorus which helps the roots, and Potassium which focuses on all around plant health. Phosphorus is something that is quick to drain from the soil, so in order to get it; the roots have to keep moving outward and deeper into the soil. The bigger the root system the more secure the plant is in the ground. In a container the roots can only go the edges of the pot. They aren't firmly rooted in anything, and they get to a point where they stop expanding because they no longer need to.
A pot bound plant is dependent upon someone watering it. Again, pots dry out quickly and without constant watering the plant will wither and die. But a tree planted in the ground by a constantly flowing fresh water source is connected to a source of life. It isn't dependent upon anyone, just its life source that is easily accessible. It will not wither. Because of this the tree can produce an abundance of fruit when the season is right. When the plant is free to grow, and empowered to grow, the possibilities are endless. I've asked before, how many pieces of fruit are in a seed?
The Christian life cannot be a container garden existence. We cannot limit our growth and fruitfulness by staying in a comfort container. If we don't allow ourselves to grow, if we don't challenge ourselves to grow, then we starve ourselves. If we don't have a real personal faith, a faith that is rooted in a personal relationship with God, we will wither and die. The Christian must be like a tree planted by a stream of water, otherwise it’s just a plant with a momentary existence.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
It's a great thing; it allows plants to be moved based on the amount of sunlight needed. It also allows for mobility in the event that there is an unusually cold spring with late frosts like this past year. There is no tilling of a large area needed, nor is there usually the need for a ton of weeding. Sound good so far? Now for the rest of the story.
Container gardening is good, but at the same time it can be a real pain. Because the root system isn't in the ground and is limited in how much it can grow your plants growth is effected, which in turn affects the size and amount of the fruit or vegetables produced. In addition to this, since it's a small container it dries out quickly needing constant watering. Because of the small size you're limited in the types of plants you can grow, some things need more than just a gallon pot.
This year I didn't have the space to grow things like last year, so I attempted some container gardening. Last year I grew watermelons because I wanted to grow something but didn't want to do a ton of work. From one of the melons I kept seeds to plant the following year, only this year there was nowhere to plant them. As spring got closer I started to think, the only thing that needs to be in the ground is the root system. The vines and the melons all grow on the surface, so that shouldn't matter. I found a pot, about two gallons, filled it with soil, and planted the seeds.
The first round sprouted, but didn't make it, most likely a result of the cold wet spring we had. I had a couple left so I decided to try again not expecting it to work, but having nothing to lose tried again. This time I got seven vines that grew and began to spill over the edges of the pot onto the ground. I moved it to a spot in the yard and surrounded it with a small piece of fencing to keep the deer off of it. I've been watering it daily, and have added plant food as needed to increase the fertility of the soil.
I have five melons growing on the vines, but they aren't really what I'd call melons. One is about the size of a softball, one is about the size of a baseball, and the other three are like golf balls on weak steroids. They have full sun pretty much all day. They are well watered with proper drainage so the roots get enough but don't rot. And I've added nutrients into the soil so that the plants have energy to grow, but in spite of all of this, some things just weren't made to grow in a container.
(Side note: If you want to grow watermelons and have a confined space there is a type called Bush Sugar Baby which will grow in a pot. I helped my niece plant some this spring and her's are doing very well, 15 healthy vines with about a dozen and a half melons.)
So where am I going with this? I'm honestly trying to remember. This might be one of those things that seemed like a really good idea until you start to actually work with it. It all started with the fact that my watermelons, which are Crimson Sweet and not Bush Sugar Baby, are not seeming to do too well in the container they are planted in.
Thinking back to Psalm 1, the righteous man is compared to a tree that is firmly planted by streams of water which bears its fruit in its season and its leaf does not whither. A tree planted in the ground has room to grow. Plants need three essential nutrients to grow, Nitrogen which helps the part of the plant you see, Phosphorus which helps the roots, and Potassium which focuses on all around plant health. Phosphorus is something that is quick to drain from the soil, so in order to get it; the roots have to keep moving outward and deeper into the soil. The bigger the root system the more secure the plant is in the ground. In a container the roots can only go the edges of the pot. They aren't firmly rooted in anything, and they get to a point where they stop expanding because they no longer need to.
A pot bound plant is dependent upon someone watering it. Again, pots dry out quickly and without constant watering the plant will wither and die. But a tree planted in the ground by a constantly flowing fresh water source is connected to a source of life. It isn't dependent upon anyone, just its life source that is easily accessible. It will not wither. Because of this the tree can produce an abundance of fruit when the season is right. When the plant is free to grow, and empowered to grow, the possibilities are endless. I've asked before, how many pieces of fruit are in a seed?
The Christian life cannot be a container garden existence. We cannot limit our growth and fruitfulness by staying in a comfort container. If we don't allow ourselves to grow, if we don't challenge ourselves to grow, then we starve ourselves. If we don't have a real personal faith, a faith that is rooted in a personal relationship with God, we will wither and die. The Christian must be like a tree planted by a stream of water, otherwise it’s just a plant with a momentary existence.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Why do the Righteous Bear Fruit?
The righteous bear fruit which allows them to stand before God. Their lives produce something fit to be offered to Him. But as I said in the last post, it is not the deed that redeems a person and makes them righteous. The righteous works of a man are like filthy rags, fit for nothing. But the works of a righteous man are good and pleasing to God. So the question becomes, why do the righteous bear fruit?
The answer to this question is found in verses 2-3. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."
When I was reading this chapter earlier in the week something hit me for the first time. Verse 2 says that he meditates IN the law of the Lord day and night. In, not on. I think usage of the preposition in speaks so much more clearly about the key to bearing fruit. When something is on something it can be removed. A book set on a table can easily be picked up. A sock dropped on the floor is easy to move. When something is on something it is resting there, but it is exposed. A house built on a hill, though it has a solid foundation, is still on it. It is exposed to the elements and will be damaged over time, eventually falling down.
But the word in gives a whole new picture. When something is inside of something else it is covered and protected. My heart is located inside my chest, surrounded by my ribs, some muscle and flesh, in order to protect it. When something is in something else, it is covered and protected. In some ways it becomes part of that thing surrounding it. That is the idea of our relationship with God and His standards. We are to meditate in them day and night. They are to become a part of who we are, and we are to live according to His standards. The longer we meditate on them, the easier it becomes to live them out because they are that much more apart of us.
And as we become enveloped in God, something incredible happens. We become a tree firmly planted by streams of water. Apart from God we are confined to a container. Our growth is hindered, our supply of resources is limited, and our productivity is greatly slowed and diminished. But when we come to God, when we allow Him to save us, forgive us, and redeem us, He removes us from the container and plants us in good soil. Here we have limitless room to grow. The roots can grow deep and spread out, securing us.
Not only are we planted in good soil, but it is by a stream of water. There is a constant source of life that we can tap into and grow. And when this is the case, we produce fruit in season and the leaf does not wither. It is crucial to note that fruit comes in season. There is a time for an apple tree to give apples, and a time for it not to. Different types of apple trees produce fruit at different times of the year. And it's the same way with us. There will be times when we produce fruit and times when we don't. There will be times when we produce a great abundance of fruit, and other times when we produce only a little. But remember, the leaf does not wither. The tree is never dead. It is constantly growing, constantly sending its roots deeper. It is constantly alive and growing, and when it is able to, it produces fruit that is fit to be presented to God.
The righteous man can stand before God because he has fruit to offer. The righteous man has fruit to offer because he is connected to God and growing. If there is no connection to God there is no life, and therefore no fruit, only chaff. Where there is only chaff, there is no offering and therefore no way to stand.
What does your life look like? Right now I don't feel like I'm being very fruitful. I've seen some fruit in the past, nowhere near as much as I'd like to, but there has been some. But right now it feels like I'm not in season. It's frustrating to not be able to do the thing that you know God has called you to do. But at the same time it's crucial to remember that I am rooted in God, still alive, and still needing to grow so that when the season comes, I can produce an abundance.
Right now I'm trying to pour into some people that God has laid on my heart, and some others that He has put in my path. My situation isn't ideal by any means, but it is where God has me planted for right now. What about you?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
The answer to this question is found in verses 2-3. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."
When I was reading this chapter earlier in the week something hit me for the first time. Verse 2 says that he meditates IN the law of the Lord day and night. In, not on. I think usage of the preposition in speaks so much more clearly about the key to bearing fruit. When something is on something it can be removed. A book set on a table can easily be picked up. A sock dropped on the floor is easy to move. When something is on something it is resting there, but it is exposed. A house built on a hill, though it has a solid foundation, is still on it. It is exposed to the elements and will be damaged over time, eventually falling down.
But the word in gives a whole new picture. When something is inside of something else it is covered and protected. My heart is located inside my chest, surrounded by my ribs, some muscle and flesh, in order to protect it. When something is in something else, it is covered and protected. In some ways it becomes part of that thing surrounding it. That is the idea of our relationship with God and His standards. We are to meditate in them day and night. They are to become a part of who we are, and we are to live according to His standards. The longer we meditate on them, the easier it becomes to live them out because they are that much more apart of us.
And as we become enveloped in God, something incredible happens. We become a tree firmly planted by streams of water. Apart from God we are confined to a container. Our growth is hindered, our supply of resources is limited, and our productivity is greatly slowed and diminished. But when we come to God, when we allow Him to save us, forgive us, and redeem us, He removes us from the container and plants us in good soil. Here we have limitless room to grow. The roots can grow deep and spread out, securing us.
Not only are we planted in good soil, but it is by a stream of water. There is a constant source of life that we can tap into and grow. And when this is the case, we produce fruit in season and the leaf does not wither. It is crucial to note that fruit comes in season. There is a time for an apple tree to give apples, and a time for it not to. Different types of apple trees produce fruit at different times of the year. And it's the same way with us. There will be times when we produce fruit and times when we don't. There will be times when we produce a great abundance of fruit, and other times when we produce only a little. But remember, the leaf does not wither. The tree is never dead. It is constantly growing, constantly sending its roots deeper. It is constantly alive and growing, and when it is able to, it produces fruit that is fit to be presented to God.
The righteous man can stand before God because he has fruit to offer. The righteous man has fruit to offer because he is connected to God and growing. If there is no connection to God there is no life, and therefore no fruit, only chaff. Where there is only chaff, there is no offering and therefore no way to stand.
What does your life look like? Right now I don't feel like I'm being very fruitful. I've seen some fruit in the past, nowhere near as much as I'd like to, but there has been some. But right now it feels like I'm not in season. It's frustrating to not be able to do the thing that you know God has called you to do. But at the same time it's crucial to remember that I am rooted in God, still alive, and still needing to grow so that when the season comes, I can produce an abundance.
Right now I'm trying to pour into some people that God has laid on my heart, and some others that He has put in my path. My situation isn't ideal by any means, but it is where God has me planted for right now. What about you?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Why Can the Righteous Stand?
"For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish" (Psalm 1.6). Why will the righteous stand before God while the wicked cannot? Why does God know the way of the righteous while the wicked perish? The answer is found in what their lives produce.
We stand in one of two places, in the path of sinners or in the judgment with the righteous (all will face judgment before God, but the righteous will be welcomed into His presence forever.). Where we stand, how we live, determines what our lives produce. The reason the righteous can stand is because his life produces fruit that is fit to be offered to God.
"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers" (verse 3). He will be like a tree firmly planted by water which yields its fruit. The life of the righteous has something good to show for it. It produces fruit that is useful, and pleasing to God. It produces something that can be presented before God, and it is offered by cleansed hands that can present the offering. The righteous stand because they have something good to show for their lives.
Salvation is not based on works; I know that this could sound that way. A man is not made righteous because he does good things on earth. The fruit is only produced because the righteous man is rooted in God (more on this in the next post). The fruit that is fit to be offered to God is only able to be produced in a life that has been cleansed and redeemed by Him. The Bible says in Isaiah 64.6, "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." If you've read Crazy Love you'll know that the phrase "filthy garment" in the original Hebrew refers to menstrual rags, used tampons.
A life that has not been cleansed and forgiven by God cannot produce anything good enough the cleanse itself. No amount of good deeds can cleanse the stain of sin. It is only by the blood of Christ that we are forgiven. And that forgiveness, the new life that it produces, the being transplanted from a confining pot to good soil by a water source (another garden post is coming soon), results in good works, fruit fit to be offered to the King.
James 2.26 says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." Without action faith is useless. Without producing apples, an apple tree is worthless. When we enter into righteousness by the blood of Christ, when the sin and wickedness is pruned, and when we are transplanted, we begin to produce fruit in our lives.
But the life of the wicked doesn't do that. "The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away" (Psalm 1.4). The life of the wicked produces nothing fit to be offered to God. In fact what the wicked produces is nothing more than the husk that is beaten off of the kernel and blown away by the wind. It cannot be offered to God because it is unfit for any use. And without the redeeming blood of Christ to sanctify it, every deed is nothing more than chaff to be carried off by the wind.
The righteous stand because they have fruit worthy to offer to the King, and clean hands to present it. The wicked have nothing to offer, except some worthless dirty rags they have tried to clean up.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
We stand in one of two places, in the path of sinners or in the judgment with the righteous (all will face judgment before God, but the righteous will be welcomed into His presence forever.). Where we stand, how we live, determines what our lives produce. The reason the righteous can stand is because his life produces fruit that is fit to be offered to God.
"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers" (verse 3). He will be like a tree firmly planted by water which yields its fruit. The life of the righteous has something good to show for it. It produces fruit that is useful, and pleasing to God. It produces something that can be presented before God, and it is offered by cleansed hands that can present the offering. The righteous stand because they have something good to show for their lives.
Salvation is not based on works; I know that this could sound that way. A man is not made righteous because he does good things on earth. The fruit is only produced because the righteous man is rooted in God (more on this in the next post). The fruit that is fit to be offered to God is only able to be produced in a life that has been cleansed and redeemed by Him. The Bible says in Isaiah 64.6, "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." If you've read Crazy Love you'll know that the phrase "filthy garment" in the original Hebrew refers to menstrual rags, used tampons.
A life that has not been cleansed and forgiven by God cannot produce anything good enough the cleanse itself. No amount of good deeds can cleanse the stain of sin. It is only by the blood of Christ that we are forgiven. And that forgiveness, the new life that it produces, the being transplanted from a confining pot to good soil by a water source (another garden post is coming soon), results in good works, fruit fit to be offered to the King.
James 2.26 says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." Without action faith is useless. Without producing apples, an apple tree is worthless. When we enter into righteousness by the blood of Christ, when the sin and wickedness is pruned, and when we are transplanted, we begin to produce fruit in our lives.
But the life of the wicked doesn't do that. "The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away" (Psalm 1.4). The life of the wicked produces nothing fit to be offered to God. In fact what the wicked produces is nothing more than the husk that is beaten off of the kernel and blown away by the wind. It cannot be offered to God because it is unfit for any use. And without the redeeming blood of Christ to sanctify it, every deed is nothing more than chaff to be carried off by the wind.
The righteous stand because they have fruit worthy to offer to the King, and clean hands to present it. The wicked have nothing to offer, except some worthless dirty rags they have tried to clean up.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Where Will You Stand?
Right now I'm doing a personal study of the book of Psalms. Unlike last month where I blogged on every chapter of Proverbs, I am not undertaking the task of writing a blog on each of the 150 Psalms, at least not right now. During July there were some days where I definitely wrote because I had to, and not necessarily out of inspiration from what I was reading. Because of this I know that some posts were not my best work. And so for the rest of the year my focus is going to be on the things that stand out to me and inspire me, which was why I started this blog almost four years ago. Some chapters will have a few posts over a several days, others won't get any attention.
My reason for this study is a search for Fathering by God. On my other blog I am working through The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge, and he presents the material as a map for the masculine journey. In chapter four he talks about finding healing/Fathering in Scripture, and one of the Biblical examples he points out of a man of God is David. And so for the past week I've really been feeling God leading me to really dive into this section of Scripture more than I ever have before. And so over the next few months you are invited to join me on this journey.
Psalm 1 is where I begin; this will be the first of three posts from this chapter. I couldn't tell you how many times I've read this chapter, but I think it may be one of the Psalms that I've read the most. And even though that is the case, something new has hit me this time around. Verse 1 says, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!" As I kept reading something hit me in verse 5, "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous." Do you see the similarities?
In these two verses we see our options. Righteousness and wickedness, and the question is where will you stand? Will you stand with the wicked and the sinners, or with the righteous when judgment is passed? Do you stand in the path of sinners or in the assembly of the righteous? Really these are the only two options we are presented with, the only real choice we have.
The man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked does not run the risk of standing in the path of sinners, and ultimately sitting in the seat of scoffers. If he keeps his way pure and upright he is blessed because he will be able to stand at the judgment, and dwell among the righteous when they are gathered together before God.
We will all stand somewhere, where will you stand?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
My reason for this study is a search for Fathering by God. On my other blog I am working through The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge, and he presents the material as a map for the masculine journey. In chapter four he talks about finding healing/Fathering in Scripture, and one of the Biblical examples he points out of a man of God is David. And so for the past week I've really been feeling God leading me to really dive into this section of Scripture more than I ever have before. And so over the next few months you are invited to join me on this journey.
Psalm 1 is where I begin; this will be the first of three posts from this chapter. I couldn't tell you how many times I've read this chapter, but I think it may be one of the Psalms that I've read the most. And even though that is the case, something new has hit me this time around. Verse 1 says, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!" As I kept reading something hit me in verse 5, "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous." Do you see the similarities?
In these two verses we see our options. Righteousness and wickedness, and the question is where will you stand? Will you stand with the wicked and the sinners, or with the righteous when judgment is passed? Do you stand in the path of sinners or in the assembly of the righteous? Really these are the only two options we are presented with, the only real choice we have.
The man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked does not run the risk of standing in the path of sinners, and ultimately sitting in the seat of scoffers. If he keeps his way pure and upright he is blessed because he will be able to stand at the judgment, and dwell among the righteous when they are gathered together before God.
We will all stand somewhere, where will you stand?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
One of Those Posts from the Garden
Pruning, it's one of those crucial things to do with several plants. It's something I need to do with my wife's roses, and two of my raspberry bushes right now. And it's something I'm procrastinating on getting to. It's one of those tasks that is vitally important, but it takes some time and effort to do correctly. Plus there is always the clean up afterwards. And I only have three plants to work on right now!
Pruning is important because a plant can produce one of two things, wood/leaves or flowers/fruit. A plant only has so much energy that it is able to put towards growth and production, and if pruning doesn't take place that vital energy is spent on the previous option. If I want my raspberries to be able to give me a late season harvest I have to go out and cut away the dead and dying branches. If I want my wife's roses to continue to bloom I need to get my clippers and cut away the dead flowers and excess shoots. Otherwise I'm just going to have a couple green bushes for the deer to munch on.
I'm a big fan of plants (if these couple posts on gardening haven't told you already), but I'm not a big fan of plants that don't produce edible material. We have the roses because they are my wife's favorite flower, and I have one or two other decorative plants I'd like to put on a landscape at some point in the future for looks, but I'm not one of those people who will have flowers growing in every open spot in the yard. I hate annuals (the plants that live for a single season and die) because they are too much work for so little enjoyment. It's crucial that I do my pruning so that big, healthy fruit can be produced, otherwise I end up with a landscape that I really don't want.
As you're reading this you probably think you know where I'm going. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7.19), but no that's not what I'm getting at with this.
I want you to think of your life as a seed, a seed with unlimited potential. At some point someone came along and planted the seed in sunny spot. It was watered properly, and it began to grow. As it matures it get's taller and stronger, soaking up the sun light and pulling water and nutrients from the soil. And then it buds, the flowers begin to appear, and as the seasons change those flowers begin to transform into fruit. But the fruit is small and limited. Too much of the energy has been spent producing branches to help the tree stand out and get more sunlight. It is concerned with it's own life, and everything goes to self-preservation.
And now imagine that moment when you came to know Christ. The land the tree is on is bought by a farmer who knows who to care for plants, keep them healthy, and make them productive. He pulls out a saw and begins to cut away branches. He strips the tree down to what it needs in order to survive. He cuts away the limbs that do nothing but suck life. He adds compost to the soil, improving it and adding nutrients to it. The next year the blooms come again, and as the seasons change this time the fruit is large and abundant. The tree has produced something useful for others, and within each piece of fruit are new seeds that can be planted. The tree is not useful to others.
As I said, our lives are like that tree. The farmer is Jesus, the pruning is Him cutting away everything that doesn't look like Him from our lives, the things that don't lead others to new life. The compost is the things that make us stronger, Christian fellowship, Bible study, prayer, the things that help us learn who God is and connect with Him. All of these things not only make us more fruitful, but the fruit that we produce has limitless potential in each seed that is planted.
Pruning isn't an easy or pleasant task, sometimes the things Jesus is trying to get rid of are things we have held onto for years. Things we have used as defense mechanisms to protect ourselves, can be huge hindrances to our fruitfulness. When we focus on self-preservation, we halt ability to invite others to new life in Christ because we are not living in new life with Christ. We must be willing to let Jesus prune away the branches that we don't need, because they are sucking the life out of us. He is an experienced gardener, and knows what He is doing, we're in good hands.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Pruning is important because a plant can produce one of two things, wood/leaves or flowers/fruit. A plant only has so much energy that it is able to put towards growth and production, and if pruning doesn't take place that vital energy is spent on the previous option. If I want my raspberries to be able to give me a late season harvest I have to go out and cut away the dead and dying branches. If I want my wife's roses to continue to bloom I need to get my clippers and cut away the dead flowers and excess shoots. Otherwise I'm just going to have a couple green bushes for the deer to munch on.
I'm a big fan of plants (if these couple posts on gardening haven't told you already), but I'm not a big fan of plants that don't produce edible material. We have the roses because they are my wife's favorite flower, and I have one or two other decorative plants I'd like to put on a landscape at some point in the future for looks, but I'm not one of those people who will have flowers growing in every open spot in the yard. I hate annuals (the plants that live for a single season and die) because they are too much work for so little enjoyment. It's crucial that I do my pruning so that big, healthy fruit can be produced, otherwise I end up with a landscape that I really don't want.
As you're reading this you probably think you know where I'm going. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7.19), but no that's not what I'm getting at with this.
I want you to think of your life as a seed, a seed with unlimited potential. At some point someone came along and planted the seed in sunny spot. It was watered properly, and it began to grow. As it matures it get's taller and stronger, soaking up the sun light and pulling water and nutrients from the soil. And then it buds, the flowers begin to appear, and as the seasons change those flowers begin to transform into fruit. But the fruit is small and limited. Too much of the energy has been spent producing branches to help the tree stand out and get more sunlight. It is concerned with it's own life, and everything goes to self-preservation.
And now imagine that moment when you came to know Christ. The land the tree is on is bought by a farmer who knows who to care for plants, keep them healthy, and make them productive. He pulls out a saw and begins to cut away branches. He strips the tree down to what it needs in order to survive. He cuts away the limbs that do nothing but suck life. He adds compost to the soil, improving it and adding nutrients to it. The next year the blooms come again, and as the seasons change this time the fruit is large and abundant. The tree has produced something useful for others, and within each piece of fruit are new seeds that can be planted. The tree is not useful to others.
As I said, our lives are like that tree. The farmer is Jesus, the pruning is Him cutting away everything that doesn't look like Him from our lives, the things that don't lead others to new life. The compost is the things that make us stronger, Christian fellowship, Bible study, prayer, the things that help us learn who God is and connect with Him. All of these things not only make us more fruitful, but the fruit that we produce has limitless potential in each seed that is planted.
Pruning isn't an easy or pleasant task, sometimes the things Jesus is trying to get rid of are things we have held onto for years. Things we have used as defense mechanisms to protect ourselves, can be huge hindrances to our fruitfulness. When we focus on self-preservation, we halt ability to invite others to new life in Christ because we are not living in new life with Christ. We must be willing to let Jesus prune away the branches that we don't need, because they are sucking the life out of us. He is an experienced gardener, and knows what He is doing, we're in good hands.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Monday, August 5, 2013
Bullied by the Devil
For the last five days I have been. I have been hit with doubt and discouragement which has led to small divisions. It came on pretty quickly and it has been a couple really intense days. And sadly they have been needless days of struggling.
In the book of James it says, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." The fact that we are told to resist implies that we are going to be targeted. Satan is a fallen angelic being who is working to destroy all things good, and he is able to lay a beating on us, spiritually, emotionally, even physically. He wants to take all people out, and if we claim to be followers of Christ, if we strive to be more like Him, then we hang a huge sign on our backs saying, "Here I am, hit me." And of course he does. He strikes quickly to try to prevent any counter attack. He hits hard to try and demoralize us. He strikes often to keep us down. Each blow has his full weight behind it and is carefully aimed for maximum effect.
Time after time we take it. We try to get up only to be knocked down again. We try to run only to be tripped up. It seems like a hopeless assault we are powerless to do anything about, and on our own we are. This is what happens when we try to live by just the second half of the verse.
On our own we cannot resist the devil. Alone we cannot stand up to him or overcome him. He is too strong of an adversary for any man. The only way to have the devil flee is for us to submit to God.
In God we find the ultimate big brother. We have someone bigger and stronger than the devil. Don't think that God and Satan are equals, too many people make that assumption. God is the eternal creator, Satan is a created being. God is all powerful, Satan has what power God allows him to possess. But Satan is no match for God.
Submitting to God, is like walking down the street with your big brother. The bully hides and waits for you to walk around the corner, but when you have your big brother with you he runs away.
Are you walking down the street by yourself? For the last few days I have been. For whatever reason I've allowed myself to lose sight of my big brother, and I've taken a beating. I've tried to stand up to an enemy that over powers my feeble attempts to resist him, and I've even found myself mad at God and blaming God even though its my fault for trying to do this alone.
It's not easy to get back to Him as you're being hit from all sides, but as we work towards Him, He comes to our rescue, and tells the enemy to back off. He picks us up and brings healing to our wounds.
The enemy is real, and he is waiting for the opportunity to take you out. Stay close to God and though he'll try, he won't be successful. God will not let you be taken out.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Glorify the Lord
Proverbs 3.5-8, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones."
Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Two verses I've been reading a lot recently. The command to trust and the results from trusting. Then we have instructions on how to trust and more of the results. But perhaps the greatest proof of our trust in God is found in the third verse on my list.
Ephesians 3.20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."
I've been reading this one a lot this year, trying to remind myself of the great things God is able to do in my life. Things that are greater and far beyond my wildest imagining. It shouldn't come as a surprise that God can do more than we think, after all we are finite and He is infinite. We are temporary, He is eternal. And yes, God should be glorified for the things that He has done and will do. But today as I thought about this section something really hit me, I am to glorify God for the things He is able to do, that is what this is saying.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think," God is limitless in His power and potential. The only limit is the faith and the trust we put in Him, because it limits what we are able to receive from Him. But if we dream big, if we pray big, if we hope and trust big, then God is able to do bigger and beyond, because we are willing to trust Him as He leads into the unknown. We must realize that everything, even the things beyond our expectations, is simply a glimpse of all that God can do.
"According to the power that works within us," God is at work in us. Philippians 1.6 says, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is at work in us to mold us into the image of Christ. The deeper we go, the more trust is required, but I think in some ways it becomes easier to trust. The more we see God come through, the more confidence we have in Him to come through again. The more we trust and rely upon Him, the more like Christ we become. God is at work in us to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.
"To Him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." And so to God alone be the glory simply for who He is. Let God be glorified simply because of all that He can do, whether He chooses to act or not.
As I wrote that last line my mind went to Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego are sentenced to be thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow before the image Nebuchadnezzar set up. When given a final chance to bow and save their lives they respond, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3.17-18). They know that God can save them, and they glorify Him for that. But even if He chooses not to act on their behalf, they still praise Him.
Right now my wife and I are in a situation where if God doesn't come through for us, I don't know what's going to happen. I know that God is able to do everything for us and work everything out, and for the last few days I have been crying out to Him in deep desperation. I know God can do far more than I am asking, and if He does I will praise Him. But what if He doesn't, will I have the same response?
It's human nature to be bitter and feel sorry for ourselves when things don't work out. But I am called to be like Christ. I don't want to be resentful if things don't work out the way I am hoping they will. I want to give God the glory that He alone is worthy of no matter the outcome.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Two verses I've been reading a lot recently. The command to trust and the results from trusting. Then we have instructions on how to trust and more of the results. But perhaps the greatest proof of our trust in God is found in the third verse on my list.
Ephesians 3.20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."
I've been reading this one a lot this year, trying to remind myself of the great things God is able to do in my life. Things that are greater and far beyond my wildest imagining. It shouldn't come as a surprise that God can do more than we think, after all we are finite and He is infinite. We are temporary, He is eternal. And yes, God should be glorified for the things that He has done and will do. But today as I thought about this section something really hit me, I am to glorify God for the things He is able to do, that is what this is saying.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think," God is limitless in His power and potential. The only limit is the faith and the trust we put in Him, because it limits what we are able to receive from Him. But if we dream big, if we pray big, if we hope and trust big, then God is able to do bigger and beyond, because we are willing to trust Him as He leads into the unknown. We must realize that everything, even the things beyond our expectations, is simply a glimpse of all that God can do.
"According to the power that works within us," God is at work in us. Philippians 1.6 says, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is at work in us to mold us into the image of Christ. The deeper we go, the more trust is required, but I think in some ways it becomes easier to trust. The more we see God come through, the more confidence we have in Him to come through again. The more we trust and rely upon Him, the more like Christ we become. God is at work in us to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.
"To Him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." And so to God alone be the glory simply for who He is. Let God be glorified simply because of all that He can do, whether He chooses to act or not.
As I wrote that last line my mind went to Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego are sentenced to be thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow before the image Nebuchadnezzar set up. When given a final chance to bow and save their lives they respond, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3.17-18). They know that God can save them, and they glorify Him for that. But even if He chooses not to act on their behalf, they still praise Him.
Right now my wife and I are in a situation where if God doesn't come through for us, I don't know what's going to happen. I know that God is able to do everything for us and work everything out, and for the last few days I have been crying out to Him in deep desperation. I know God can do far more than I am asking, and if He does I will praise Him. But what if He doesn't, will I have the same response?
It's human nature to be bitter and feel sorry for ourselves when things don't work out. But I am called to be like Christ. I don't want to be resentful if things don't work out the way I am hoping they will. I want to give God the glory that He alone is worthy of no matter the outcome.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Friday, August 2, 2013
Pray to the Lord
Yesterday I made a note with three different verses on it, verses I really need constant reminding of right now. The first one listed is Proverbs 3.5-8, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." As I wrote yesterday's post my mind kept going to the second verse I added to the list.
As I said yesterday, there is a lot on my heart and mind. I'm a more calm today than I was yesterday, but still a lot up in the air. Definitely need to be trusting God, and not worrying; otherwise I'm going to drive myself crazy. How can we know and show that we trust God? How can we live lives without worry? Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"Be anxious for nothing" yeah, that's what I need to listen to right now. Anxiety is not of God, and it has no place in the lives of His children. It's easy as humans to be anxious, but it only comes when we don't trust God. We are anxious when we think that God might not come through for us. We are anxious when we feel we've made too big a mess of things for God to fix. We are anxious when we believe we have to make our own security for the future. Anxiety is the opposite of trust. If trust is giving our problems to God, anxiety is taking them right back. And so we are told to be anxious for nothing.
"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" I love that it says "but". Don't be anxious, but instead to this. Rather than worry, which only makes things seem worse than they are, we need to talk to God. We need to pray. The word "supplication" has also been translated as "petition" I believe in the NIV, it means "humble prayer." We are to come humble before God, and share what is on our hearts. God wants to hear our requests, it says "let your requests be made known to God." God wants us to pray to Him, He wants us to make requests of Him. Requests, not demands. And our requests are to be made with thanksgiving. This is only possible with humility. We thank God for the chance to come before Him. We thank God for listening to us. We thank God for all that He has done and is going to do. We don't worry, we give it to God.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The result of humble prayer offered with gratitude, is peace. Trust brings healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones, that is what the peace of God does. It goes beyond all worry and reason, and assures us that God has this. It's a reminder that no matter what happens, we always have Christ. Paul says just a few verses in latter that "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (verses 11-13). Contentment in Christ is found in the fact that no matter what we go through, we always have Christ. This is the peace of God.
Trust and healing, prayer and worry free life. Straight paths walked with Christ. This is what comes when we trust in God, and God will do it. The last verse on my list says so.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
As I said yesterday, there is a lot on my heart and mind. I'm a more calm today than I was yesterday, but still a lot up in the air. Definitely need to be trusting God, and not worrying; otherwise I'm going to drive myself crazy. How can we know and show that we trust God? How can we live lives without worry? Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"Be anxious for nothing" yeah, that's what I need to listen to right now. Anxiety is not of God, and it has no place in the lives of His children. It's easy as humans to be anxious, but it only comes when we don't trust God. We are anxious when we think that God might not come through for us. We are anxious when we feel we've made too big a mess of things for God to fix. We are anxious when we believe we have to make our own security for the future. Anxiety is the opposite of trust. If trust is giving our problems to God, anxiety is taking them right back. And so we are told to be anxious for nothing.
"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" I love that it says "but". Don't be anxious, but instead to this. Rather than worry, which only makes things seem worse than they are, we need to talk to God. We need to pray. The word "supplication" has also been translated as "petition" I believe in the NIV, it means "humble prayer." We are to come humble before God, and share what is on our hearts. God wants to hear our requests, it says "let your requests be made known to God." God wants us to pray to Him, He wants us to make requests of Him. Requests, not demands. And our requests are to be made with thanksgiving. This is only possible with humility. We thank God for the chance to come before Him. We thank God for listening to us. We thank God for all that He has done and is going to do. We don't worry, we give it to God.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The result of humble prayer offered with gratitude, is peace. Trust brings healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones, that is what the peace of God does. It goes beyond all worry and reason, and assures us that God has this. It's a reminder that no matter what happens, we always have Christ. Paul says just a few verses in latter that "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (verses 11-13). Contentment in Christ is found in the fact that no matter what we go through, we always have Christ. This is the peace of God.
Trust and healing, prayer and worry free life. Straight paths walked with Christ. This is what comes when we trust in God, and God will do it. The last verse on my list says so.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Trust in the Lord
After a month of blogging through the book of Proverbs the thing that stands out to me the most from the book is from day 3. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." The book talks about wisdom and discipline, humility and hard work, but I think the foundation of all of that is Proverbs 3.5-8, and in fact, I believe these few simple phrases are the heart of Scripture.
Right now, there is a lot on my heart and mind, more than I can say in a blog post. These are the words that I need to keep in mind, and this has been pretty much all my wife has been telling me for the last 18 hours.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" fully trust God. Don't hold on to anything, and hold nothing back from Him. Give Him every concern, every uncertainty, every hope and dream. Let God be God.
"And do not lean on your own understanding" don't try to take God's job. I'm my own biggest critic, and left to myself I can worry, panic, become discouraged, and shut down. Left to my own understanding I come up with futile solutions that don't really help all that much.
"In all your ways acknowledge Him" seek God first. No matter what the outcome of a situation, realize that God has your greatest good in mind. Everything that happens is Him working to mold you into the image of Christ so that you can glorify God. In everything we do, we must give the outcome to God and give our best. As we seek Him in everything He will be near to us.
"And He will make your paths straight" God has got this. The future is not a mystery to Him. Your life and circumstances are not unknown to Him. He knows your needs and struggles. He knows your gifts and passions. He knows the path we must walk, and as we acknowledge Him, He will make that path straight. He does not remove the hills and the valleys. He doesn't cut down the forests we must walk through or dry up the rivers we must cross. God does not remove the hardships from our lives because they help mold us into Christlikeness, but He does straighten the path we walk so that it leads directly to the destination.
"Do not be wise in your own eyes" don't think more highly of yourself than you should. Humility is essential to walking with God. If we feel that we are wise enough, and gifted enough, what do we have need of God for? If we feel capable and sure of everything we undertake what do we need to acknowledge God for?
"Fear the Lord and turn away from evil" realize the power and greatness of God. We must come to see our utter dependence upon Him. Without Him we are nothing. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Away from God there is no life, no hope, and no meaning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it is what keeps us from evil.
"It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." Trusting in God, acknowledging and fearing Him, humbly fearing Him, all of these offer healing and refreshment. When we trust in God we free ourselves from worry. We take our problems and give them to God, freeing ourselves to serve and worship Him. When we trust in God we free ourselves from the uncertainty of the future. Trusting God means we walk securely ahead as He leads us. There is no need to worry yourself sick over anything because God has got it.
This is the attitude I am praying for. This is how I want to live. Whatever happens, it will not catch God of guard or unprepared. He knows my situation and my heart, and whatever happens, He will mold me into the image of Christ. So trust in the Lord.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Right now, there is a lot on my heart and mind, more than I can say in a blog post. These are the words that I need to keep in mind, and this has been pretty much all my wife has been telling me for the last 18 hours.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" fully trust God. Don't hold on to anything, and hold nothing back from Him. Give Him every concern, every uncertainty, every hope and dream. Let God be God.
"And do not lean on your own understanding" don't try to take God's job. I'm my own biggest critic, and left to myself I can worry, panic, become discouraged, and shut down. Left to my own understanding I come up with futile solutions that don't really help all that much.
"In all your ways acknowledge Him" seek God first. No matter what the outcome of a situation, realize that God has your greatest good in mind. Everything that happens is Him working to mold you into the image of Christ so that you can glorify God. In everything we do, we must give the outcome to God and give our best. As we seek Him in everything He will be near to us.
"And He will make your paths straight" God has got this. The future is not a mystery to Him. Your life and circumstances are not unknown to Him. He knows your needs and struggles. He knows your gifts and passions. He knows the path we must walk, and as we acknowledge Him, He will make that path straight. He does not remove the hills and the valleys. He doesn't cut down the forests we must walk through or dry up the rivers we must cross. God does not remove the hardships from our lives because they help mold us into Christlikeness, but He does straighten the path we walk so that it leads directly to the destination.
"Do not be wise in your own eyes" don't think more highly of yourself than you should. Humility is essential to walking with God. If we feel that we are wise enough, and gifted enough, what do we have need of God for? If we feel capable and sure of everything we undertake what do we need to acknowledge God for?
"Fear the Lord and turn away from evil" realize the power and greatness of God. We must come to see our utter dependence upon Him. Without Him we are nothing. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Away from God there is no life, no hope, and no meaning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it is what keeps us from evil.
"It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." Trusting in God, acknowledging and fearing Him, humbly fearing Him, all of these offer healing and refreshment. When we trust in God we free ourselves from worry. We take our problems and give them to God, freeing ourselves to serve and worship Him. When we trust in God we free ourselves from the uncertainty of the future. Trusting God means we walk securely ahead as He leads us. There is no need to worry yourself sick over anything because God has got it.
This is the attitude I am praying for. This is how I want to live. Whatever happens, it will not catch God of guard or unprepared. He knows my situation and my heart, and whatever happens, He will mold me into the image of Christ. So trust in the Lord.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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