• Speaking
  • Weekly Devotion Blog
  • Our Family Story
THREE THINGS WILL LAST FOREVER—FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE—AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Memories Oh How They Linger

12/1/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
I love the Old Gospel Song Precious memories by J.F.B. Wright. 
Precious mem'ries, unseen angels,
Sent from somewhere to my soul;
How they linger, ever near me,
And the sacred past unfold.
Refrain:
Precious mem'ries, how they linger,
How they ever flood my soul
In the stillness of the midnight,
Precious, sacred scenes unfold.

I sat in the doctor's office on Wednesday. We were in this small holding room for about an hour, so I became acquainted with these two older ladies to my right and left. They were talking about their grown children, weddings, and the world in general, just many memories from their lives. One of the ladies had her mom sitting beside her. From all the evidence, I believe either dementia or Alzheimer's was at play. She would constantly remind her where she was and what she had done and describe the people she was talking about to jog her memory. Later on that night, while resting on the couch, I had a memory pop up of my sweet daddy. I was wearing his watch, and it said, "Counting down the minutes until you are wearing this again." The memory went straight to my heart's tender place. I thought, why does Facebook remind me of all the pain we felt? But almost instantly, my mind returned to the waiting room and the lady sitting to my left. It sent a dagger through my heart, thinking of how painful it would be to have someone physically, but their memories be lost in time mentally. I thanked God for the memory He allowed me to have and even for the pain, which meant I experienced great love. I prayed for the woman who was facing a monumental heartache in her care for her mother.

It was a reminder that Christmas is a time to love one another more deeply. It's during this time when losses and troubled situations seem exponentially more enormous and the pain ever greater. However, it can also be an even bigger time of healing, love, and kindness. During this magical season, it always seems like our hearts are a little more open, tender, and forgiving. So, as we enter this time with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in hand, where can we be that light that shines for others? What blessing can we give the elderly who have no one this Christmas? What love can we show the children who are abandoned? What opportunity do we have to feed and clothe those with nothing? Where can we plant our roses, so they will bloom in December!

In God's word this is what He says in Mathew 25 (ESV),
"35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’


0 Comments

This Does't Make Sense

11/13/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
     Sometimes the places the Lord takes us we don’t understand. In our human mind, it doesn’t make sense. I am reminded of the story of Elijah. In 1 Kings 17 He tells the King there will not be rain or even dew, so basically a huge drought is coming. The interesting thing is the Lord tells Elijah to head to a brook and then says Ravens will feed him. There are several things to look at in these verses. When you look up the word for brook it focuses on the smallness of the water. So, the Lord was sending him to a place where water was not plentiful, but enough for the moment. Sometimes we think we know best and bigger is better, but obedience is always best no matter what we think. On top of that ravens were to feed him there. Ravens are described as being opportunistic and cunning. They store surplus food items, especially those containing fat, and will learn to hide such food out of the sight of other common ravens. So, their nature is fierce to fight for their own food, definitely not to be providers of food, but God. God will use anything He pleases to serve His purpose at a specific time and place. I think this should set us free when we think about it. If God has called us to it, or appointed us to a certain place, He will make sure we are there by whatever means necessary. It reminds me of the verse if God is for you, who can be against you. Elijah has obeyed and is sustaining himself by the brook, but then it dries up. Have you ever been there?  You are doing exactly what God has asked you to do and then something unexpected happens. This is where Elijah found himself. I cannot speak for Elijah, but sometimes when God provides for us, we get too dependent on the provision and take our eyes off the provider. We often let our faith shift to the brook for our sustaining rather than staying focused on who provided the brook. The brook may dry up only to remind us that God is the author of all provisions we receive. God moves Elijah on and that certainly isn’t the end of his story, t but we will save it for next time. 
0 Comments

Small Decisions = Where You Are Going

6/29/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Consider this. If you're going somewhere and you're off course by just one degree, after one foot, you'll miss your target by 0.2 inches. Trivial, right? But what about as you get farther out?
  • After 100 yards, you'll be off by 5.2 feet. Not huge, but noticeable.
  • After a mile, you'll be off by 92.2 feet. One degree is starting to make a difference.
  • After traveling from San Francisco to L.A., you'll be off by 6 miles.
  • If you were trying to get from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., you'd end up on the other side of Baltimore, 42.6 miles away.
  • Traveling around the globe from Washington, DC, you'd miss by 435 miles and end up in Boston.
  • In a rocket going to the moon, you'd be 4,169 miles off (nearly twice the diameter of the moon).
  • Going to the sun, you'd miss by over 1.6 million miles (nearly twice the diameter of the sun).
  • Traveling to the nearest star, you'd be off course by over 441 billion miles (120 times the distance from the earth to Pluto, or 4,745 times the distance from Earth to the sun).   Antone Roundy
I recently watched a documentary about a 1995 plane that experienced this fate. The pilot made a wrong input in the computer, leading the plane to start veering slightly off course. Because it was dark and the plane was going about five miles every minute, it didn't take long for them to be in serious trouble. They were flying into a small country whose radar was down. They had been receiving voice commands, but the problem was they weren't in the location the air traffic controller thought they were because of the previous error. It resulted in the plane being too low, coming in for what they thought was a landing, and crashing into the side of the mountain. One error set off a chain of events, leading to other mistakes and eventually 160 people's death. 

Have you ever wondered how in the world you got so off course? It could be with your career, kids, weight, health, or financial crisis; the list is endless. Maybe that chocolate brownie you started eating for dessert has turned into every night, and your clothes don't fit. Perhaps you are now in 50,000 dollars of debt after you took out one credit card. You may wonder how you got to this place in your career when you should be entirely somewhere else. It's astonishing that something that seems insignificant, one small thing, can lead to such a huge problem. The same principle can also apply to spiritual life. Most people don't set out to stray from the Lord, but getting preoccupied with life can allow us to move in a direction that does not bring us closer. For example, first, our prayer life might slip because we are just too tired, then reading the Word is sparse because we are so busy, then the kids have so much stuff we are skipping church. My friend, that is what you call a slippery slope. If you checked back in on this person in a year, if they stayed on the same path 9/10 times, they are now not praying at all, not reading their bible, basically not going to church at all, and lastly, not being bothered by any of it. The gulf has grown so gradually it has barely been noticed.  

There are numerous examples in the Bible where one wrong choice sets off a negative chain of events.

Sarai devised a plan to have a son through her housemaid Hagar instead of waiting on God's promise to make Abram a Father of many nations. Abram is persuaded to follow the plan, leading to jealousy, hatred, and heartache. 10 Sarah said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman! Get rid of her son! That woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. All of it belongs to my son Isaac.” 11 What Sarah said upset Abraham very much. After all, Ishmael was his son.


Because he did not go to battle, David caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman from the rooftop. The one decision to stay home led to a death of an innocent man, a child dying, and David with a remorseful heart. 2 Samuel 11 In the spring when the kings normally went out to war, David sent out Joab, his servants, and all the Israelites. They destroyed the Ammonites and attacked the city of Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem.

Samson had an attitude of pride and arrogance that led to his downfall. One writer penned this about Samson. Samson's ethnicity, role, and family heritage in no way helped him to live a life pleasing to God. In the same way, we can go to church, serve and do the right things; and be off off course. The life of Samson cautions us that hearts left unchecked and uncontrolled, given in to pride and lust, can lead us to disaster.
https://www.thefellowship.site/archives/samson-strength-and-weakness/samsons-fall-lust-and-grace

This writing is to remind us that small choices eventually, over time, compile what our life becomes. 

“The real cost of a four-dollar-a-day coffee habit over 20 years is $51,833.79. That’s the power of the Compound Effect.”


 We must choose wisely every day!



Proverbs 4:25-27
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.​
0 Comments

Who's on Your Boat

6/3/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Lately, I have been studying Jonah. Before you tune me out, I've heard this a thousand times. Today I want you to look at this book differently. What about the people on the boat? These people were living everyday life traveling as they did daily by water, but on this day, a storm that even frightened the sailors blew up. This was a cargo ship. People depended on it for their lively hood and desperately started throwing things overboard. Who would be responsible for these items lost? There were no insurance policies or guarantee programs. It would be the merchants who would lose valuables, money, and maybe even their lives. 
 
When reading the story, I have always considered Jonah's thoughts, feelings, and consequences, but not those around him. His disobedience carried significant ramifications for everyone on the boat. People suffered because of Jonah's disobedience, and he was initially oblivious to the wind. The other passengers weren't doing wrong, they weren't going in the wrong direction, nor were they on the wrong boat, yet still, they were adversely affected by his sin. Dharious Daniels said, "Sometimes people make us responsible for their irresponsibility."  Look at Jonah's story. They were panicking, throwing valuables overboard, and worrying about the problem, all while Jonah slept. These people had taken on responsibility for his irresponsibility. 
 
Sometimes we may not have a choice but to have the person in our life, we may not even realize they are on the wrong boat, but sometimes we harbor people on purpose that cause havoc. Those we harbor, we make excuses for, enable, and disregard their reckless behavior. Occasionally, we need to jump out of the boat they are in or push them out of ours. Nothing is worse than taking responsibility for someone else's mess. As soon as they threw Jonah off, their world calmed. Don't get me wrong; they still took on damage because sin always leaves its mark, BUT GOD....... he provided safety for the crew, and even a Whale which represents grace to Jonah.  
 
12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.
We all need to think about how our sin affects those around us. Five years ago, two children were suffering greatly. One lady talked about giving one of the children a bath in the sink at daycare, while the other was three and could not speak. These children were 18 months and three years and had not made any decisions that led them to where they were; however, plenty of adults had made poor choices for them. These kids were metaphorically on the wrong boat reaping the horrific consequences of sin. The Lord provides, not through a whale in this case, but a different home. Here is the thing about the rescue the people had no idea they were even being sent on a mission. They minded their own business doing children’s ministry and policing, with NO plans to increase their family, BUT GOD...... The Lord asked for a slight favor of three weeks in the form of a DHR worker, even though they have never been to foster care classes. He knew where they were in life and asking for the whole thing at once would have maybe sent them into disobedience with a no or at the very least overwhelmed them completely. This week the little boy who could not speak accepted Christ as his Savior. This was the Lord’s plan of Grace and Mercy for him. I know this because this is our story. I contribute so much of his salvation to a small country church were so many people have poured into his little life. They have taught him the bible, but are always mixing in plenty of love with it.  It doesn’t matter what you have planned because God’s ways are not always our ways nor His thoughts our thoughts.
 
There are two things you can be in this story, either the Whale who is used by God for grace and mercy, or the one who needs to be thrown overboard because they are causing havoc for all those around them. God certainly wants us to be the first!
 
 
Genesis 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.


 
  
0 Comments

Servanthood

4/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Today is Maundy Thursday, which comes before Good Friday and Easter and is observed by Christians. This holiday celebrates Jesus Christ's Last Supper with the apostles. He shared his final Passover with his disciples by washing their feet and passing around bread and wine.

It is always a great reminder to me of pridefulness on my part. Matthew 20:28, He came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The humility expressed by Jesus’ act with the towel and basin foreshadowed His ultimate act of humility and love on the cross. 

Today, we are reminded that we, too, have been placed on the earth as servants. In Titus 1, "Doulos" is a Greek word in the Bible with only one valid historical option for accurate translation into English, which is a slave. It means to be owned by someone for a lifetime. When Paul referred to himself as a "bondservant," it lets you know he expected nothing in return. He would serve his master, "The Lord," without expecting what he could or would do for him. I frequently think when we serve the Lord, we always expect something in return. We may not even realize we have this assumption. Walking through the grief of my daddy, I found this to be accurate of myself. In my heart, in parts I didn't know existed, I truly felt my dad would be healed because he was such a loyal servant, and I was bitter when it did not happen. The truth I now know in my heart and had always had head knowledge of is we aren't promised another hour or minute on this earth no matter what we are doing for the Lord. We aren't serving him for rewards here. The only thing we are promised is an eternal home at the end of our earthly journey, precisely what the Lord provides. May we always remember the serving example of Paul and most importantly, our Savior, as he humbled himself at the feet of his disciples, who were so unworthy, to wash their feet. EVEN the one who would ultimately betray him. 
0 Comments

Winter Has a Purpose

2/2/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
     Sometimes winter gets a bad reputation. I must admit I am one of those facilitating this bad publicity. I like it to be warm, but not too warm. I am a spring and fall girl.However, there is something genuinely unique about winter; it lays everything bear.Libby and I have been cutting a secret trail in our woods. Normally we could not get to these parts, but because all the leaves were stripped from the trees and briars were somewhat dead, we could see clearly where we wanted to go. Although the green leaves are lush and beautiful, it often hinders us from getting an accurate view of the forest. It also exposes things you would never see in the shrubbery. Hiding behind all the greeneries, many trees had unhealthy branches and trunks. When it’s in full bloom, what the eye sees looks stunning, all while parts of the tree suffer. Isn’t that like our lives? We try to make sure the outside is so pretty, while on the inside, everything’s a mess. I am reminded of Matthew 23.            

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, are full of dead men’s bones and impurity. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to be righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. We judge the Pharisees, but we are SO much like them. One commentary describes them this way, “In public meetings, the scribes tried to get the most important seats, and they loved the feeling of status when their students greeted them respectfully. They appeared religious with their long prayers, yet they heartlessly took advantage of the poor. They judged others’ sins when they avoided the commandments of God, such as loving one another. Sometimes we need to stop and, like the winter, lay bare our souls before the Lord, so he can expose what is not fruitful and pure.  

The winter seasons can allow us to see what is on the inside. Often we may not like what we see.It has felt a little like winter since my sweet daddy passed. He was such an enormous part of our daily lives. I felt the coldness of winter settle in my heart, feeling God had left the building at times. It was a real challenge and still can be, facing a circumstance that is forever permanent on this earth that I despise. If I’m honest, the enemy was relentless in my ear. (God doesn’t care. He let him die alone. What God separates you from your family while they are sick? Your prayers don’t matter. They weren’t answered. He let him suffer for almost a month is that love, and on and on the enemy tortured me with questions.) But here is a verse I believe more than ever. Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” I had stored up His word in my heart, and when winter came, and my Bible wasn’t open, my mind flowed with scripture every time the enemy came against me. Hymns would flow out of my mouth without me desiring to sing.You see God’s word, no matter how much pain was present, and a sword against the enemy.In this season, he dissected my heart, asking me to look at the faith in ways I had never had to before. I had to ask myself hard questions, eventually growing me tenfold. I had been in ministry and been to seminary, but neither could have produced exponential growth like this event. The key is to fill your store houses before winter comes.   

Winter doesn’t have to be all bad. Libby and I, on our adventure, found a wet weather spring hidden under tons of fallen leaves. When we cleaned it out, you could hear the sound of the little trickling waterfall, which allowed it to run its course to a larger waterfall. We would have never found this little treasure if the forest was not barren from the cold winter. We also found another large boulder we cleared off so we could enjoy the view of the creek from a higher vantage point to soak up God’s splendid creation. You see, winter can bring treasure you never knew before. Winter’s, when assigned to our life, is the time to peer hard at what needs your attention. So, the next time you see a tree with no leaves, be reminded it’s simply a season of inspection so that the spring foliage will be stronger and more picturesque than before.  
0 Comments

Pouring Out Brings Abundance

1/26/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture
Sometimes we find ourselves in places we never thought we would be divorce, illness, infidelity, financial crisis, spiritual crisis, and the list could continue. The question is, where do we turn when we face these life-altering situations?
I am reminded of a lady in the bible in 2 Kings. She was experiencing tremendous loss from the death of her husband. On top of that traumatic experience, someone was trying to take her children away due to her inability to pay family debt. So imagine the emotional stress she was experiencing as a widow and mother. She could have turned to friends and family, but she doesn't; she heads straight for the man of God.
She turns to a prophet, Elisha. "Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know that your servant honored the Lord with fear. But the man whom he owed money has come to take my two children to make them serve him. Elisha said to her, "What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you"have in the house?" And she said, "Your woman servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
She replies she has nothing at first but then haphazardly says a jar of oil. You would think the prophet would have given her money or offered a straightforward solution, but instead, he gave her some bizarre instructions, go and gather empty jars. I wonder what the woman was thinking. No matter, she followed his instructions and sent her sons to collect all the jars they could find. Elisha told the woman to shut the door when she had gathered all the jars. Please take notice this part of the story. Although the woman wasn't aware, this was her only chance to gather jars, which would later translate into how much oil she would have to sell for monetary gain. When she went in and shut the door, she began to pour the oil until the last jar was full.
You see, the thing she thought was insignificant was the answer to her problems. The moment she started pouring was the moment it was multiplied. Sometimes when we face famine in a particular area, we neglect to pour out, which makes us stagnant. You are born with God's gifts, which can't be taken from you; however, our enemy can strongly discourage their use. So when we look at our life, we should never judge something by our standard but by what the Lord has called us to do. Because this woman was faithful and gathered abundantly, she paid her debt and saved her children. Under her control, the jar was simply a jar, but under the Lord's control, it was a saving grace for her family. She not only had enough but abundantly more than she could hope.

1 Comment

Time  Is it on your side?

12/17/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
My friend shared this picture, which resonated with what I've been studying in my quiet time. Time is a precious commodity because you are only allowed a certain amount, and it's impossible to create any more or get it back once it's gone. You could earn more money if you lose it, recreate fame, and work on your health for more energy, but time is a constant. Time is something you must be willing to exchange as currency for a desired result.

I was listening to one of my favorite Pastors' (Daniels) podcast recently about this subject. He said, "You have people on your payroll making you miserable. What payroll might you say I don't have a business? You pay people in time. People will use your time to accomplish their priorities, not yours. So if you are constantly spending your time on everyone else's demands for your time, what do you have left for yours? Dreams= cost. Improvement =cost. Right relationships=cost. God has given us all the time we need to accomplish His work IF we are good stewards."

Wow, this was such a word for me, personally. While pondering the sermon, I thought about my mind and who I was paying in time. Because ultimately, if we allow people to take up space in our brain that has been unkind or maybe severely wronged us, I am paying them with my time. Even sadder, I would consider the cost negative, for it will not be productive. Generally, playing a situation over and over does not create a benefit but bitterness and burden.

My daughter was telling me a story the other night. In this story, to eventually get to the point, she mentioned that someone didn't like her. I was completely taken aback because we knew the person very well. So my mom's brain started into high gear; what about this and that? Why would they say that? With her very monotone face, she said, "are you really getting upset about this? It's just their view, I've done nothing to them, and it's not like everyone will like you in life. Why would I waste my time caring about what they think? If you are right with God, what else matters. (my Daddy's advice)." And there it was, a fifteen-year-old had out-rationalized her mother. She was absolutely right. Why would we waste a precious commodity, like time, on people who were not rooting for our best life?

We are almost at a new year, and there is no better time to take inventory of what is dominating our time and thoughts. We must establish our priorities based on what God has called us to do. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks you should be doing, as long as you walk in your lane with God. We have to let those people go mentally, which costs us brain time; we have to let people physically go that are sucking away all our energy with their time demands that don't align with God's calling for us.

"Some people can't get clear on their priorities because they are controlled by the judgment of others. We will never live in a state of joy if we don't first become good stewards of our time!"

In Psalms 90:12 David asks the Lord to teach him to number his days. "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalms 31:15 "My time is in your hands....."

John 9:4 "As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." ​
0 Comments

Do the Next Thing

8/28/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
While waiting to pick Isabella up for practice, Mason and I were fascinated by the bricklayers. They just tossed big bundles up like it was as light as a feather. There was such precision to what they were doing. So just out of curiosity, since this is an enormous gym, we tried to determine how many bricks it would take. We didn't find the exact answer, but an estimate on the average gym was 54-70 thousand bricks.
Why am I even telling you about bricks? God just really stirred it in my heart when I was looking up at all those bricks that they had to start somewhere. If I knew I had to lay 80,000 breaks, I would probably not even want to start. Sometimes in our mind, when we are trying to make a decision, maybe starting a new discipline, dealing with grief, or a big project, we can get overwhelmed easily when we look at it in its entirety. So as my friend would say, "Do the very next thing you HAVE to do, and that's it!"

When my daddy slipped away from this earth, I held his hand. I remember hearing the monitors rhythmically beeping in the background until there was just one solid beep, which signaled to us he was gone. I remember sitting on the floor, and many people were talking to me, but I had no idea what they were saying because they seemed far away. But just like my friend said, I had to make my body do the next thing, somehow drive home. It started there and then moved to the next moment and the next until now it's a year and a half later. I could not have survived if I had thought about large chunks of time, and I still do not think long-term where he's concerned.

Wherever you find yourself today, with grief, significant challenges, new disciplines, or big decisions, remember all things are possible if you concentrate on the next step. You have to start somewhere, but the biggest challenge is just to START!!!!

​
Phillipians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
0 Comments

Gifts Can Be Hard to See

6/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
 Soul Sadness. It’s not a bad day it is not a body ache.  Soul sadness is the emptiness down to your spiritual core. Have you ever experienced a time of soul sadness? I am not talking about a day when you didn’t feel well or when you had a bad day. I am talking about emptiness down to your core. Sometimes in life you are doing what you feel certain God has called you, yet sense you are in a deserted land. Paul became so discouraged he recorded the words “despaired of life.” The Apostle Paul is arguably the most fruitful minister. He was the greatest missionary the world has known. The most accomplished church planter.  He penned two-thirds of the New Testament.  This man, once the greatest persecutors of the early church, became its greatest champion.  Yet, he utters the words "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers." It doesn't matter how spiritual you are, there will be at least one time in your life, you will feel defeated beyond repair.  Sometimes God cannot be felt because of all of our emotions, but it does not mean He isn't doing a work.
 
What causes you to sometimes to be where God has called you, yet there are no joys of serving, or doing the task He has called you to? I think somewhere along the way you, me, everyone loses spiritual eyes at least occasionally.  At some point, I think we only look through our fleshly vision, and cannot see what God sees.  When we are looking through our fleshy eyes we see problems, disruptions, and one obstacle after another. Our very Soul becomes discouraged, and the devil even tempts us that it’s not worth it.  However, if we take the time to look through our spiritual eyes, we might see it differently.
 
Let’s try to understand it through a story, or parable.  Once a man came to a beautiful meadow with a huge oak tree, dandelions, green grass, and butterflies fluttering through the air.  The scene was exquisite, and the man knew he would visit it often.  A week later the man came back to visit his favorite spot, only to find it had been demolished.  A farmer had plowed over the whole field, and nothing lay there but the bare earth.  The green lush grass was gone; the butterflies and birds had moved on; the man stood with deep disappointment.  How could someone ruin something so spectacular?  The man walked away; however, when he returned he saw a beautiful crop of golden yellow corn.  The birds had returned, and the sun shown brilliantly in the distance.  The man realized when the ground was bare he could not see the vision of the farmer.  What he thought the man had ruined was the preparation for a great harvest.
 
Sometimes in our life we cannot see the vision because we get stuck in all the ruts.  All we see is the bare ground of the day-to-day grime we are facing.  We forget to put on our spiritual glasses and recognize, just maybe, God is laying the ground- work for a great Harvest. It can be in those times of not seeing or feeling Him, that God gives you the greatest gift "clinging ONLY to Him". It often is the only way He can move us from a mindset of thinking we have control, to knowing He is in ultimate control. I know it can be tough at times to do what God has called you to do.  You may to sitting in an office, a classroom, a doctor’s office wondering: God what am I doing here?  What is your plan for me?   The truth is no matter what our job title, we can all loose sight of what we are living for and in essence who we are serving.
 
1 Corinthians 9:
22……….. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
 
One phrase can sum it all up:  I do all this for the sake of the gospel.  If we are doing it for any other reason, we will always be disappointed.  But God has promised, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  I love what New Song sang, “When I can’t see his plan, When I can’t trace his hand, Trust his heart.”  In the end it’s all about our Faith, and learning to trust someone besides our self. If we are currently having trouble seeing what God has planned for us because of all the turmoil caused by life, the verse in Daniel 10:12 should be reassuring for us. “From the first day you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard.”  How do we regain our spiritual eyes? We do so by setting our hearts upon God.  “set your heart” comes from a Hebrew transliteration “leb” meaning will, the inner man, heart”  It is to intentionally focus on something, and turn toward it.  For instance you do not have a pristine yard by never mowing, fertilizing, or pulling the weeds.  We also will never see through our spiritual eyes if we do not invest time in prayer, bible reading, and meditation on God’s Word.  So I ask you today to set your heart toward God and regain your spiritual sight.

0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author 

    My name is Bridgette Guest. I am a wife, mom, children's minister, as well as women's conference speaker.  I love the Lord, and want to share his word with as many people as I can.






    ​

    Archives  

    December 2023
    November 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    August 2022
    June 2020
    March 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Archives

    December 2023
    November 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    August 2022
    June 2020
    March 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.