Category: Faith

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Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to each of you wonderful ladies who are reading this.

As mothers, none of us are perfect. We haven’t done it right all the time but our hearts are for our children and we only want the best for them. Today we can thank God for His mercy and grace that He has extended to us and we can be an example in extending that same mercy and grace to our children.

The greatest gift we can give our children is a godly heritage, standing strong for God even when our children think we are fanatical and/or old-fashioned. God has entrusted us with our children’s lives; we are responsible to teach them to love and respect God and His word. If our children are small or grown, live within our home or are separated by miles,  we must depend upon God’s word to guide us and them. God will be faithful.

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take. 106 Your laws are good and fair. I have promised to obey them, and I will keep my promise… 111 The rules you have given me to follow will be mine forever. They give me great joy. 112 More than anything I want to obey your laws always, until the end of my life.” Psalm 119:105-112

At times, this road called life can be a dark path. One where the next step may seem uncertain but when we seek and follow the counsel of God’s word it becomes like a flashlight shining brightly on our path, illuminating the way we should go. We also have God’s promise that He will be our guide.

“But now you will again see the Lord, your teacher, and he will guide you. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying, “This is the road! Now follow it.” Isaiah 30:20-21

King David was a man of his word; he had promised to obey God’s commands and he vowed that he would continue to keep that promise. People depended on him the way he depended on God. As the king of Israel, David’s actions affected the entire nation. He would lead the country to battle their enemies and he would lead them in peace. He needed to know that he was hearing God’s voice and being faithful to follow His word.

We might not rule countries and lead nations but we do have a sphere of influence and we need to be following God’s word. It is essential for us and for those who follow us, our children and grandchildren.

Each day we should pray for our children and grandchildren. We don’t know what they will face, dangers and temptations, but we can talk to the Lord about them. We can trust Him to keep them safe and well, making right decisions and judgements.

God’s word will provide direction for us. We need to determine that we will follow God’s word at all costs. Live committed to what He says – make it our primary purpose and goal.

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 Keep these words in your heart that I am telling you today. 7 Do your best to teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NLV

 

 

 

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Wisdom From the Farm Yard

I overheard this conversation a while back when I was visiting a farm yard.

The farm animals were trying to decide how they could honor Farmer Brown. They had seen how hard he worked each day. Rising early in the morning and still working long after the sun had set. He would make sure that all their needs were met. He brought them grain and fresh hay and provided them with shelter. He would be out to the fields to cut the alfalfa and harvest the grain.

What could they do for him?

The chicken said that they could help the farmer by making him a healthy, hearty breakfast. That’s what they would do to show their appreciation!

“We can bring him eggs, bacon and buttermilk. I know he would like that.”

The cow agreed. Sounded like a good plan to her. Starting Farmer Brown with a good breakfast would give him the strength he needed for the day.

Pig stood quiet for a while. He loved Farmer Brown and he wanted to show his appreciation as much as cow and chicken did but he was having mixed feelings over this breakfast plan. Finally, he spoke.

“I am all for doing something nice for Farmer Brown. He is a kind man. However, this breakfast plan causes me some distress. You see, the things that you are contributing for the breakfast only require your involvement but for me, it requires a complete commitment.”

I see our relationship with the Lord in a similar fashion. There are some who like to be involved. They want God there when they need him so they do things to be involved. Maybe they do good for the neighbors or help with the church’s rummage sale or food drive. They find all sorts of ways to “act” like they are committed but they are only involved.

Then there are those who love the Lord and aren’t afraid of commitment. They make it their life’s ambition to love and serve the Lord. It’s their goal to do the things that honor and please Him. Loving as He loves, giving up things that would bring dishonor, daily committing their actions to him. Yes, it’s a fulltime commitment.

Jesus told the story of a rich young ruler who came to him, wanting to be one of his disciples.

“A man came to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what good work must I do to have life that lasts forever?” 17 Jesus said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One Who is good. If you want to have life that lasts forever, you must obey the Laws.” 18 The man said to Him, “What kind of laws?” Jesus said, “You must not kill another person. You must not be guilty of sex sins. You must not steal. You must not lie. 19 Show respect to your father and your mother. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 20 The young man said to Jesus, “I have obeyed all these Laws. What more should I do?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give the money to poor people. Then you will have riches in heaven. Come and follow Me.” 22 When the young man heard these words, he went away sad for he had many riches.” Matthew 19:15-22 NLV

This young man had been involved with the things of God. He knew the commandments and had kept them. So I’m sure he felt confident in talking with Jesus. But Jesus saw his heart. There was only thing that was blocking his commitment. There was something he wasn’t willing to give up to follow Jesus. You see, the one commandment that he was willing to keep was the first. The one that said “have no other gods before me”.

Jesus wasn’t against this man having wealth. In fact, many of the people that Jesus ministered too were wealthy people. What Jesus saw is that this man was held captive by his money. His riches had become his god.

For some their god is their reputation while to others it’s their homes, their possessions. Still others invest more time and effort into their education than they do in knowing the Lord and following after him. And for some worry over personal needs has become their god.

“Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. 29 But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealthwasn’t as well clothed as one of them. 30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

31 Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:28-33 CEV

I frequently have to evaluate where I am with the Lord. Am I like the pig, who would give up his life for the farmer, fully committed to honoring the Lord? Or am I like the cow and the chicken, who didn’t mind helping because it required no self-sacrifice?

Lord, today I desire to be a pig in my walk with you. Please show me where I am “chicken” so that I follow you completely and without reservation.

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To Be Like A Child

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid?

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Last night we had the opportunity to be at the dedication service of our two youngest grandchildren, Sam and Kristine.

There were a number of families there with little ones. The pastor asked that we family members keep these children and their parents in our prayers as they grow.

The parents were making public their desire to raise their children to love the Lord and to have them learn to live their lives based on God’s word.

“People brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But the followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him. 14 Jesus saw what happened. He did not like his followers telling the children not to come. So he said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. 15 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” 16 Then Jesus held the children in his arms. He laid his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 ERV

I love thinking about these verses. I can just see Jesus playing with the children; peek-a-boo, tag, hide n seek. He wasn’t too big or too important to be bothered. No, He made time to impact their lives.

He also took time to teach the adults about their relationship with His Father. “You must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things”.

A small child knows nothing of how electricity is conducted but they accept that if you touch the switch the lights come on. They accept that the remote will make pictures appear on the tv. They accept if you open the refrigerator there will be something good to eat. They accept many things they don’t completely understand.

So with the same child like faith I accept that God loves me. I accept that Jesus died so my sins are forgiven. I accept that the Holy Spirit is with me each day to guide my thoughts and actions and to give me strength and wisdom. I accept that God the Father wants me to be with Him in heaven someday.

Do I completely understand all the ways of God? No! But what I do accept is that He loves me unconditionally and that will never change.

We have the opportunity to be examples of God’s love and forgiveness each day to the littles in our lives. Do we really think that God’s love for us is any less than the love we have for them?

“Do any of you have a son? If he asked for bread, would you give him a rock? 10 Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? Of course not! 11 You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:9-11 ERV

Father, my desire is to relate to you as my loving, gracious, kind and benevolent Father. Thank you for loving me. I want my life to be a reflection of your love. I want to bring honor to you.

I will close with this little incident from last evening. After the dedication, most of the parents took their children to the nursery area. I noticed one little with their parents who stayed in for the pastor’s teaching. At one point the parent got up, holding their child’s hand, they walked down the aisle to the exit. Then I heard the child proudly proclaim, “I go potty”. Some of us who heard it smiled and chuckled. I’m sure the parent was embarrassed but not the child.

We will often say and do things that could be embarrassing to our Father but they will never stop His love for us!

 

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Over, Under, Around or Through

Those of you who had young children in the 70’s, or perhaps you were a young child then, know that phrase well. It came from the characters on Sesame Street.

 

It was repeated continually to teach kids the directional concepts of over, under, around or through.

So many times we look for ways to get over (above) our circumstances instead of being under them. We would like to go around difficulties but are never too anxious to go through them.

A while back I did  a search on the word “bridge”. I wanted to share with you some wonderful thoughts about Jesus being our “bridge over troubled waters” (yes, our church youth choir actually sang that when I was in high school). But there is no bridge in Scripture.

And then I got to thinking about times in the Bible when people would have needed a bridge. Crossing the Jordan, The Red Sea, Sea of Galilee. You know what I found – God either parted the water or gave power to walk on it.

Some may be looking for a bridge. Looking for something to help you cross a river of circumstances in your life. I want to offer you a new prospective. Instead of looking for a way over, look for a way through.

“But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 43:1-3 TLB

The Father has victory for us if we keep our eyes on Him.

“At once, Jesus said to them, “Don’t worry! I am Jesus. Don’t be afraid.” 28 Peter replied, “Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.” Matthew 14:27-29 CEV

The first thing you will hear from the Lord is “don’t worry, don’t be afraid”. In other words I can hear Jesus saying, “I’ve got this!” Peter’s problem came when he got his eyes off Jesus and on the circumstances. We must keep our focus and not become distracted from God’s promises.

But if we do, like Peter, we call out for help and Jesus will grab ahold of us and bring us to safety.

So instead of trying to build a bridge today go through and see what God will do!

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Follow Through the Storm

Continue following today.  Yesterday we saw that the disciples who were called obeyed immediately. They left all but not everyone that came to Jesus had the same response.

 

 

“When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you any place you go.”

20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to rest.”

21 Another of Jesus’ followers said to him, “Lord, I will follow you too, but let me go and bury my father first.”

 

22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let those who are dead bury their own dead.”

23 Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him. 24 After the boat left the shore, a very bad storm began on the lake. The waves covered the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The followers went to him and woke him. They said, “Lord, save us! We will drown!”

 

26 Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have enough faith.” Then he stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm.

27 The men were amazed. They said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the water obey him!”  Matthew 8:18-27

Here are two men who came to Jesus and had good intentions on following Him but they were hindered by their own limitations.  I say the first man was put off by the lack of personal comfort.  He had just seen Jesus do many miracles of healing. He saw that others were following Jesus and was moved with a desire to be part of those who followed but when Jesus told him that He really had no permanent home, or prominent national headquarters (my words not the Scriptures) he reconsidered the cost and followed no further.

The second man was also a man of good intentions but family life caused him to draw back. And so he too was left on shore when Jesus had His followers get into the boat to cross the sea.  The difference between the two groups – immediate obedience vs life’s circumstances.

Now notice when the “followers” were in the boat and the storm came the “followers” weren’t great men of faith. They feared for their lives.  Jesus on the other hand, rested in the midst of the storm because He was following  His Father’s plan. He lived a life of faith. Following Jesus and living a life of faith doesn’t mean you will never go through a storm. It does mean that you will be victorious in the midst of it.

I heard one Bible teacher say that Jesus didn’t tell his followers  “Let’s get in the boat and go half way across and drown.” He said, “Let’s go to the other side”.  When Jesus calls you to follow, you can be assured He’s a good leader and you will be safe with Him.

Honestly, I have been a part of both groups. There was a time I wanted to follow Jesus because I knew it was right and good but I wanted to follow on my own terms. There can only be one leader! And I’m not Him.

Don’t let life or circumstances deter you from following today. Get into the boat and go to the other side!

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Follow the Leader

As kids, I’m sure you all played at least one game of “Follow the Leader”.  When I would play it, all the neighborhood kids were involved and the boys would try to do things they didn’t think the girls could do – like climb trees, etc.  The goal of the game was to be the leader.

However, if we are going to be truly successful we must be willing to follow the leader, Jesus.

“17 From that time Jesus began to tell people his message: “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near.”

18 As Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Simon’s brother Andrew. These brothers were fishermen, and they were fishing in the lake with a net. 19 Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen. You will bring in people, not fish.” 20 Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed him.

21 Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told the brothers to come with him. 22 So they immediately left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus.

23 Jesus went everywhere in the country of Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. And he healed all the people’s diseases and sicknesses.” Matthew 4:17-23

These men had a successful fishing business and Jesus called them to follow. Do you see what it says? Immediately they left what they were doing and followed him.

Immediately!!! Good word – you know what that word means – it means immediately…duh!  No hesitation, no questioning, no second thoughts but immediately they followed.

“Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. 35 If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.”  Mark 8:34-35

Following Christ requires two things – first we must be willing and second we must be obedient.  So over the next few days we’ll be looking at the Scriptures and working on our lead changes.

It might be a little scary but it comes with a promise.  If we follow, we will gain life, life filled with good.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” Isaiah 1:19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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L’Chaim – To Life

There is a word used in Jewish toasts – L’Chaim, to Life!

Lifting a glass of wine to celebrate an engagement or marriage, the birth of a child and everyone says L’Chaim.

Each day we should be doing the same. We should be toasting the life that God has given us. Celebrating life and His goodness. A life of thankfulness and faith.

L’Chaim!

The just shall live by faith. Faith isn’t just something we have when we can’t handle things on our own, it’s a way of life.

Faith is what pleases God and God is the one who has given us the faith that we need to please Him – pretty good right? God doesn’t leave us unprepared or without the proper equipment. He tells us what it takes to please Him and then he supplies us – gotta love that.

“I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.” Romans 12:3 CEV

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

I don’t understand where people get the idea that God is sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to fail or mess up. Moses told the nation of Israel that God set before them life and death, blessing and cursing. Then he told them “Choose life”. That was Jesus’ purpose – to provide the way of blessing – choose life.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

Jesus said: “The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

L’Chaim!

Again, choosing to live by faith brings reward. God is the one who promised it, our part is to seek Him and not give up.  Faith is believing that God will be faithful to His word; that what He has said WILL come to pass. And why shouldn’t we believe Him – He hasn’t lied yet!

The greatest miracle in the Bible was the result of a young woman’s faith. The angel came to Mary and told her that she would have a child. Mary asked how this could happen since she was a virgin and hadn’t been intimate with any man. (You all know the story). I love what the angel, Gabriel, said in response.

“Nothing is impossible for God!” 38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:37-38

I want my response to God to be the same “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen as He said”.

What are you facing today? NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE when we put our faith in GOD.

L’Chaim

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Not By Sight

Have you ever been blindfolded? Maybe as a kid you played Pin the Tail on the Donkey or another game that required you to have your eyes covered. How well were you able to maneuver?

 

It’s an old movie but have any of you seen the movie Entrapment with Sean Connery and Katherine Zeta Jones?  It was a movie that fascinated me. I especially liked the part where Sean Connery was teaching her to maneuver through the maze of laser beams on the security system so she could get to the mask. Crawling under strands of yarn, stepping over the same, turning on a dime – it was like a ballet and then what was truly amazing is that she had to be blindfolded and do it all without ringing the bells that were attached to the yarn.

So how does this all apply to our devotional today?

“For we walk by faith and not by sight”.  II Corinthians 5:7

Walking by faith is almost like being blindfolded. We have to see with our heart and not with our eyes. We must be well trained, trusting, confident in the instruction of the one guiding us – not moved by the distractions around us but focused only on the goal.

Elisha was a prophet of God who had been thwarting the plans of the King of Syria. The King had been trying to conquer Israel’s king and armies but each time they were aware of his battle plan and avoided capture. God gave the Syrian king’s plant to Elisha and Elisha was giving information to Israel’s king.

One morning Elisha’s servant got up early and this is what happened.

“When Elisha’s servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “LORD, please help him to see.” And the LORD let the servant see that the hill was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.” II Kings 6:15-17

The Old English said he prayed “LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” It wasn’t his physical eyes that needed to be open; it was his spiritual eyes, his eyes of faith.  Elisha could see that God was there and providing a way but the servant could only see the obstacle when he needed to see the answer.

There were a number of times that Jesus spoke healing over someone and told them they were whole before they actually saw the physical results.

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Mark 10:51-52

When we are walking by faith, we will see that God’s word is true and effective with our spiritual eyes even before we see things change in our physical realm. Faith is substance; it’s real, it’s tangible but it is also spiritual.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

God called Abraham the Father of many nations before He had a child. Was God a liar? Hardly! He foresaw what was coming into Abraham’s life and He called things that weren’t as if they had already occurred. He did this at creation and called light out of the darkness and it was.

When we walk with our eyes on Jesus and His word we will be able to see the way God sees.

“…Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants. 6 The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ. 7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us…

These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. 18 Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.”  II Corinthians 4:5-7 and 17-18

Christ has put his power in us. The power to see by faith.  We are able to see things in an eternal light, we can see things from God’s perspective.

So put on your blindfold today – block out the natural and look at the eternal. Walk by faith and not by sight!

 

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Safe on Stormy Seas

Dave and I like to watch historically factual movies. Over the last few months we have seen stories on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots; a prison ship that sailed from England to New South Wales; a series on the founding of the western frontier; one based on the fur trappers and traders that opened northern trades routes and another on the Revolutionary War.

At some point during each one of these we have made the comment that we certainly have an easy life compared to those who came before us. We had to consider how we would have reacted if we had been alive during those times.

This morning while I was praying and thanking God for the life I have I began to consider these people and their hardships and then I thought of Paul, the apostle. His life was impacted by persecution and peril. I focused in on his strength and resolve. I want you to see his comments. I think you will find hope and encouragement by seeing how the Lord met him in his greatest struggles.

Paul accepted the life of a missionary. He traveled Europe and Asia proclaiming the message of Christ. Each city he went too had converts but also critics. Some of the critics sought to discredit Paul by bragging about their credentials. This is where we find Paul speaking up in II Corinthians 11. The passage I am including is lengthy but please read it. Listen to the words of a man who has faced severe danger and persecution.

“Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Israel? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? So am I. 23 Do they work for Christ? I have worked for Him much more than they have. (I speak as if I am crazy.) I have done much more work. I have been in prison more times. I cannot remember how many times I have been whipped. Many times I have been in danger of death. 24 Five different times the Jews whipped me across my back thirty-nine times. 25 Three times they beat me with sticks. One time they threw stones at me. Three times I was on ships that were wrecked. I spent a day and a night in the water. 26 I have made many hard trips. I have been in danger from high water on rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from the Jews. I have been in danger from people who do not know God. I have been in danger in cities and in the desert. I have been in danger on the sea. I have been in danger among people who say they belong to Christ but do not. 27 I have worked hard and have been tired and have had pain. I have gone many times without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. I have gone without food and clothes. I have been out in the cold. 28 More than all these things that have happened to my body, the care of all the churches is heavy on me. 29 When someone is weak, I feel weak also. When someone is led into sin, I have a strong desire to help him. 30 If I must talk about myself, I will do it about the things that show how weak I am. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is to be honored and thanked forever. He knows I am telling the truth. 32 In the city of Damascus the leader of the people under King Aretas put soldiers at the gates to take me. 33 But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and I got away.” II Corinthians 11:22-33 NLV

People either hated Paul or loved him. His message was one of life and peace but it was greatly opposed yet he kept going. Where did he find the strength? He tells us.

“8 I asked the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10 NLV

Do you see the answer to Paul’s prayer? “When I am weak, then I am strong”. That’s the same answer that Christ gives to us. When we feel weak, helpless, hopeless, discouraged, misunderstood, pick on or abandoned we can find strength in our weakness because Christ will come to make us strong. Paul wasn’t always saved from the storm but he was always safe in the storm.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

Jesus said, “A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

We have Jesus’ word that He came to provide us with a good life, a life of victory and peace. He promised to give us strength for whatever comes our way. So many times we want a life that is “storm free” and start to cave when troubles come. Remember, Daniel wasn’t saved from the lion’s den but in it. Noah wasn’t kept from the flood but he was safe above it. Jesus wasn’t kept from the cross but rose victoriously from the tomb. Here’s one final thought from the Apostle Paul. One that will give encouragement and hope.

“We are like clay jars in which this treasure (God’s strength) is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 8 We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. 9 In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10-11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us…

17 These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. 18 Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” II Corinthians 4:7-18 CEV

We need to be like Paul, always aware that God is with us. We draw our strength from Him when we face “little troubles”. We get up and go on knowing that God is there to keep us safe on stormy seas.

When we are weak, we are strong in God!

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What Are You Going to Plant

What is it that you’re wanting to grow in your garden? At our house, we seem to focus on a “salsa garden”, that means that we grow was is needed to make a good salsa – cilantro, peppers, tomatoes and onions.

So it would only be natural that we would buy pepper, tomato and cilantro starts and that we would plant onion seeds of bulbs, right? You certainly wouldn’t expect to plant zucchini seeds and get onions or carrot seeds and get peppers. It just doesn’t work that way.

“ You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. 8 If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. ” Galatians 6:7-8 CEV

In life, if we plant seeds of criticism, anger, selfishness, resentment and strife we are going to see those same things grow up and produce a harvest in our lives. Isn’t it better to sow seeds of understanding, love, encouragement, kindness, and joy?  We might not understand exactly how the germination and growing process work but we can be certain of this, we will only harvest what we plant.

“Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like a man who plants seed in the ground. 27 The seed begins to grow. It grows night and day. It doesn’t matter whether the man is sleeping or awake, the seed still grows. He doesn’t know how it happens. 28 Without any help the ground produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. 29 When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time.” Mark 4:26-29 ERV

This morning let’s plant seeds of faith. The important thing to remember about faith is that it’s not based on us but on God. Faith is simply believing that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He said He could do.

God gives us all “the measure of faith” at salvation. Some people don’t get a larger portion while others get a tiny bit. Paul says in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Jesus had much to say about faith while he was here on earth. But I guess a good place to start is to know that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  Hebrews 11:6 and that “faith works by love” Galatians 5:6 If we want a good crop of faith then we must fertilize it with love.

We get born again by our faith in the grace of God and that’s the same faith that we should apply to every other area of our lives. Our faith is in God’s grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2: 8-9

The Apostle Paul tells us that our daily walk with the Lord should be just like our salvation.

“ As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.”  Colossians 2:6-7 NLV

The choice is ours, we can plant seeds of worry or seeds of faith. Worry is faith that the wrong things will happen but true faith is confidence that God is bringing about good things in our lives.

“Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!

29 “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it.” Luke 12:27-29 ERV

Plant these seeds and then watch your faith grow. It’s amazing! Start by trusting God will small things and as your “faith” seeds grow you will find you are trusting Him with the larger things of your life as well.

Remember the adage: Don’t spend time telling God how big your problem is; tell your problem how big your God is!

Good harvest!

 

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