A Message From Heaven

Last week’s post challenged us to offer up to God both thanksgiving and praise as we begin preparing our hearts for Thanksgiving. Again this week let us focus on the same tandem actions of “thanksgiving and praise” as we recall all of God’s gracious benefits in our lives.

 

In addition, if you are like me, as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten I begin to prepare for Christmas. Today begins my five week series of Christmas messages. This week I will begin this Christmas season by considering the message Mary received from heaven.

“The angel went to her and said,

“Greetings, you who are highly favored!

The Lord is with you.”

Luke 1:28 NIV

 When God calls to us from heaven it is important! We hear God’s message through his Word, the Holy Spirit, or a messenger. Often God’s message will encourage us, rebuke us, or teach us new truth. Other times the message from heaven contains a job assignment. Regardless, when God singles us out, speaks to us, or gives us a job to do it is because we, like Mary, have found favor with him. The angel reminded Mary that the Lord was with her just as the Lord is “with us” and he recognizes those who are “with him” and he calls us by name. God knows the ones who are “with him” are available to serve. Our association with the Lord Jesus Christ singles us out. Those who do not know him are not favored or ear marked to do his holy work. The question is not if we are highly favored by God but are we willing to be used by God?

 

When we hear our own personal, private message from heaven our first response may be that we, like Mary, are greatly troubled. We may even be afraid. Most likely our mind will be full of questions. The request from heaven may take us totally by surprise and our initial response may see the request as unnatural and impossible.  If you read Luke 1:26-34 you will see that all of these things went through the mind of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

 

Mary’s number one question was, “How can this be?” The angel’s answer to Mary is the same answer that will be given to us. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”(vs.35). An amazing power from God himself will come upon us and overshadow all of our concerns! When we bow before God in humble submission to his will for our life, God is pleased. I don’t think it is one bit out of line to imagine him smiling at our obedience.

 

When God calls to us from heaven and we possess even the smallest measure of doubt, God graciously brings additional confirmation to our heart. God sees when our knees are still shaking and he knows if we are entertaining the thought that perhaps we misunderstood him. God knows when we are about to resist his call and enter into battle armed with our excuses. When we hesitate or doubt that we have indeed heard from heaven we can expect, more likely than not, that we will hear additional confirmations from other believers. God graciously meets our needs even when what we need is confirmation of his will for our job assignment.

 

Mary was no different, she too needed confirmation. After the angel left her she prepared for a trip to the hill country to visit her relative, Elizabeth, who was soon to be the mother of John the Baptist. Elizabeth had her own job assignment. She was to give birth in her old age to a baby to be named John, who would prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God’s gracious confirmation came to Mary the moment Elizabeth laid eyes on her. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” Luke 1:41-42 Elizabeth even called Mary the mother of her Lord.

 

After this encounter joy descended on Mary like early morning dew glistening in the sunlight. It was the joy of knowing without a doubt that God had entrusted her with a very special holy assignment. Mary’s response was, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.” Luke 1: 46-49 NIV

 

When we are on the same page as God our response will be the same as Mary’s. Nothing in this life brings us more joy than knowing we are being used by God for his glory. Mary found favor with God because she was available. We who are available must also be obedient when God calls us from heaven to do his holy work. We must live with our ears tuned upward so we don’t miss any of God’s heavenly messages.

 

God has all kinds of jobs. You and I are his voice and his hands and feet. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been equipped to do his good works. God may give us a major assignment that will be seen by all those around us, but I have come to believe that he has far more simple, quiet, behind the scene jobs than he has major assignments. Pay careful attention when God calls you to step up and be a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, an aunt or an uncle, a grandparent, a friend, an encourager, a prayer warrior, a giver, or one who dips and gives a cup of cold water, sends a note, or delivers a casserole to a friend in need. All of us are to stand ready to give an account of the hope that lies within us. If you walk with our Savior you will have many jobs to do. Do not be afraid for he is with you! Remember above all that you are favored by him and that is precisely why he is calling you. Take note that he has been mindful of your humble state and has still chosen you to be his servant. Like Mary, rejoice because this is how the Father is doing great things for you! Of course, in this process others benefit as well and when we obey, God is glorified.

 

The Christmas season is busy. There are so many things to do. At times it seems that the “ings” get the best of us. Decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, writing cards, entertaining, party going, and maintaining! Here are some words of caution for me and for you. We must make time for Jesus so that the season does not sweep us away. We must make sure that we leave our schedule open ended so that when we receive a message from heaven we will remember that we are favored of God. He needs us especially during this busy season. We must obey his call to do his holy work even when we are afraid that time will not permit or that God is making an impossible request. We must remember that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us!

 

Questions:

1. What do you think about the fact that you are highly favored by God?
2. Do you question what you can do that would be of any holy significance? 
3. What do you think about minor jobs being just as important as major jobs?
4. Do you find joy in knowing that God wants to do great things for you and he accomplishes these things through trusting you with his work?
5. When a certain thought repeatedly enters your mind do you recognize that those repeated thoughts are spelling out a job assignment that is coming to you straight from heaven through the Holy Spirit?
6. Do you understand that the Holy Spirit is confirming that yes indeed; God has a special assignment for you?

Prayer:

 

Dear God,

 

I am a bit taken back today to realize that because I have found favor with you this automatically marks me as available for job assignments. I admit that during this busy time of year my heart goes out to others, but frankly God, my schedule is so hectic I’m not sure I can get to this until January. Father, forgive me when I have these thoughts. God, you are the busiest person in the universe, yet still you have time to meet with me, minister to my needs, and one day over 2,000 years ago you took time to send your precious son into our world. I thank you Jesus that you are never too busy for me. During my quiet time, change my thinking and my priorities so that I can be used by you this Christmas season.

 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Thanksgiving and Praise

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever,

his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

Some things just go together. Things like turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot rolls and butter, and pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Sitting down to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner certainly stimulates our taste buds into action. Be honest, if you are like me you want to wear your most comfortable pants or dress to this gala! Most of us have been waiting all year with wild anticipation for this dinner where all of our favorite, traditional foods will compliment each other in such a way that we will eat until we enter that state of feeling “stuffed”. At our house we always hope that everything will settle enough so that later in the evening we will have enough room in our tummy to have a turkey sandwich and just one more slice of pie! Gluttony, pure gluttony! Sometimes Thanksgiving seems to be a little too much about food. The fact is there are other things that should, without a doubt, be considered on this special American holiday. Things like our faith, freedom, family, and friends.

 

Another example of things that go together well is thanksgiving and praise. I have been in the company of many people who are indeed thankful for what they have but they seem to be completely void of praise to the One who is their supplier. They think that they are fortunate to have good health and that they are lucky to have met their soul mate. They think only their efforts have lined their bank account. They believe themselves to be their own provider.

 

As Believers, we do not believe in luck. We believe that God is Sovereign and has a plan for our life. Yes, we know that we are fortunate to have the things we enjoy, but we know that it is the hand of God that has equipped us with intelligence to do our work, and has given us the gifts and abilities to succeed in our jobs. If we happen to be among those who God has blessed with good health we give him thanks and praise. We believe that when we trust God and ask him for direction, it is God who brings our spouse into our life and blesses us with that special one who he has sent to be our helpmate.

 

The truth is, all that we own, all that we are, all of the spiritual benefits we are privileged to enjoy, all of creation, and every breath we take comes from our Creator, our Savior, our Sustainer. Our God is an awesome God. That is why those who follow Jesus Christ give thanks and praise to our Almighty God. That is why on Thanksgiving and every other day of our lives we are to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

 

We enter his gates not just when we go to church but every day during our time of prayer. God invites us into his courts every single day. He craves our praise and desires to see our thankful heart. The fact that God desires our gratitude and praise may seem that God is interested only in himself. This is simply not true. God never demands our thanksgiving and praise but he always deserves it! Why? Because he is good and his love endures forever. God deserves our thanksgiving and praise because he is faithful. Not only to us, but he promises to be faithful to all generations of believers in the future. God has promised to provide for the needs of his children. However, God is not a wishing well. Those things that come from the hand of God that are above and beyond our needs are additional blessings that he chooses to give us. We can ask God for anything but the bottom line is, he knows what is best for us and so we trust him to answer our request in a manner that is in line with our best interest. Gifts should not be ordered. They should always be graciously received.

 

It is God who blesses both the godly and the ungodly. We all receive from the same hand. Sometimes this seems extremely unfair. The truth is, God loves all of us and he uses his provisions and blessings as a tool to point all mankind to himself. It is his desire that someday those who pay him no mind will eventually see how much he loves them, through his provision. Narcissistic ideas of accomplishments are void of both thanksgiving and praise. Some people are thankful but it is so noticeable that they speak without praise. Thanksgiving without praise is somehow empty. It is only a follower of Jesus Christ, who gives both thanksgiving and praise. The object of our thanksgiving and praise is none other than our God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and his precious Holy Spirit that lives within us.

Questions:

1. Do you see how beautifully thanksgiving and praise go together?
2. Most of us are thankful, but how are you doing on your praise?
3. Will you purpose in your heart to enter the gates and courts of God everyday with a thankful heart and words of praise?
4. Will you make a conscious effort to offer up to God both gratitude and praise as you prepare for Thanksgiving?

Prayer:

 

Dear God,

 

Forgive me when my words and actions seem to mirror that I am ungrateful. Forgive me when I enter your gates and courts with only requests and then leave without offering even one word of praise. Thank you and Praise you God because your love endures forever. Even when I fail, still your love endures forever. Thank you and Praise you God because you are good all the time. Forgive me when I begin to think that just because I am going through a difficult time that you have ceased being good. I thank you and praise you God that you are forever faithful. Even when I am unfaithful, you still remain the same faithful God. You always pursue me, you always provide for me, and you are always waiting for me to enter your courts. Only an awesome God like you is deserving of my thanksgiving and praise.

 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Surrender Is Not Defeat

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for me

and for the gospel will save it.”

Mark 8:35 NIV

For me, surrender is often one of the hardest things for me to do in my Christian walk. Every fiber of my being wants to buy into the messages of the world. Messages that tell me I am in charge of my life, if its to be – it’s up to me, and I deserve to have all I want no matter the cost. At times I so want to “save my life” for my good pleasure, my desires, and my purposes. I want to believe that it is my goals that God should honor. I want to believe that my choices are to be mine and mine alone. I want to write the plan for my life and then wait for God to bring those plans to fruition. To me, surrender at times feels like I am giving up or loosing control. It often feels like failure, and defeat. Who wants to go there? There is no wonder that Jesus issued this warning, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:35 NIV

 

God often reminds me that he is the one who made me. He made me just as he wanted me to be. I was created with talents, flaws, and special needs. It is important for me to believe that God has no plan to change me into anyone other than the person he created me to be. I simply must trust him with my life. I must believe that he has greater plans for me than I can ever imagine. He wants only that which is good for me. Isn’t that how we all feel about the ones we love? I must not fear his plan for my life but I must surrender to that plan. Why? Because he loves me!

 

I find it amazing that God is able to take my gifts and talents and use them to the max! But the sad truth is that when I take charge of my gifts and talents and try to determine the outcome of their use and purpose, I interfere with his perfect plan for me. My plan may be good but it will never be the best until it is surrendered to God. This is not defeat but it is trusting God to use me for his glory as he sees fit.

 

You see, all gifts and talents have a dark side. This dark side of any gift or talent is manifest by our own selfish desires, our pride, and our extreme need for control. Surrender says Lord, I want my desires to be pleasing to you. Lord, I only want to boast in you as my Savior. It is God who enables us to do all things great or small. Surrender turns loose of control and trust that God will always be more than enough in all things. Surrender knows that I will be a better person regardless of the outcome because I trust my Creator. Surrender knows beyond a shadow of doubt that the moment I surrender my life to God, my life has been saved!

 

I must never assume that just because I have given my life to Jesus Christ that all my minutes, hours, and days have been automatically surrendered to God. Constantly I am being faced with new circumstances, challenges, lusts, and fears. I give my life to Christ but I surrender my will for my life over and over again. Each problem, situation, test, challenge, and desire has to be sifted through God’s heavenly sifter. The good will automatically sift through without effort, but the lumps of selfishness, pride, lust, anger, and fear must be surrendered. God sees all of my imperfections and he goes to work purifying that which is not good when I lovingly surrender each day every sinful imperfection to him for his sifting and refining.

 

Surrender is the open door whereby God comes into our thinking and ministers to our emotions. When God sees that we recognize our need for him, and when he sees us lift our hands in downright “God, I give up” surrender, he will then begin to work in our life to bring about his purpose for us. God’s plan is not to destroy who we are but to mold us into all that we were meant to be. Our temperament and our personality will shine for Jesus when we walk the path of surrender. Our talents and giftedness will blossom and bring glory to him! Surrender also allows us to experience peace of heart and mind regarding our future.

 

Total surrender is not defeat. It is victory! Surrender to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the key to living the abundant life both now and in eternity. No matter how many days we struggle with getting to the point of total surrender on any issue, the end result is always the same. Sweet peace is the prize that is waiting for us at the end of total relinquishment. We will also discover that joy will fill the void that was previously filled with our controlling, selfish, fearful will.

 

Every day we face struggling with our own “precious” will. Our emotions always seem to get in the way of our spiritual progress. In our head we know what we must do but in our heart we often struggle. We will always have choices to be made. God wants us to make righteous, holy choices. No way can we do this without the power of God in our lives. The Holy Spirit is always there to help us in our hour of need. Without a doubt God knows that we are dust. Out of dust we were formed into a fragile jar of clay. Inside that jar lives all our gifts and talents. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit also lives within you. He is there all day, every day waiting to be summoned. When we recognize our need and call upon the Spirit he responds, and wonderful things happen. Our mind-set changes, our burdens are lifted, and sweet peace is ours. The result of our surrender is nothing short of amazing!

 

Our God is awesome in every way. There is never a moment that he does not have our best interest close to his heart. He loves us all with an everlasting love and he calls us by name. I do not understand why surrender should be so hard. Under his wings of protection is the safest place any of his children could ever be. Surrender is not to be feared rather it is to be embraced as an open door that will lead to all that God has created us to be! Surrender is the path to blessing.

 

Questions:

1. What are you are struggling with today that needs to be surrendered to God?
2. Have you called upon the Holy Spirit for his help in your time of need?
3. Do you really believe that God is good all the time and always has your best interest at heart?
4. Can you identify what is keeping you from surrendering?
5. Will you choose to relinquish your _______ to your loving Heavenly Father?

Prayer:

 

Dear Father,

 

I am so tired of struggling. Father, I do not know what is best for me. Help me to trust you with my life and the lives of all those I love. I thank you that you continue to call me to come to you, and humbly bow before you in surrender. Father, please take away the ____________ in my heart that keeps me from surrendering to you. Lord, I am weak but you are strong. Thank you Holy Spirit that you are always available to help me in my time of need. Lord, I want to surrender ____________ to you today. Father, I give up, I can not do this alone. I know now that I desperately need your help. Lord, I choose this day to trust you with my life. Thank you for loving me and wanting only what is best for me. Lord, I relinquish to you ___________. Please fill me with your peace and use this struggle in my life for my good and your glory. Father fill me with your peace and give me your joy.

 

In your name I pray. Amen.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another!

“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,

love, endurance and gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith.”

1Timothy 6:11-12 NIV

 My wise daddy used to say, “It’s a fight from the cradle to the grave!” Without a doubt, I have observed that he spoke the truth. Fight? How can this be right? As Christians aren’t we suppose to be a peaceful bunch? Why is it that the peace we long to have surround us always seems to be an illusive butterfly?

 

One thing for sure, in this life, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. The air conditioner goes out and the same week someone hits your car in the mall parking lot. Perhaps you have a child who is struggling or a spouse who is on overload and is a bit grouchy. The very next week you discover that the kitchen sink is clogged, the washing machine stops working, and a friend misunderstands you. On top of all this, the phone rings and your dad, who is on the line informs you that your mother is sick and needs your help. To add insult to injury as you rush past a mirror on your way out the door, again it is revealed to you that your beautician has given you the worse haircut of the century! The list seems to be unending. Peace? You’ve got to be kidding!

 

In my life I am learning that I can only have real peace within my spirit. This peace is not found on this earth but it is a heavenly peace that comes from our Father in heaven. Satan and all of his forces surround us everyday.  Satan knows when we have moved away from God and our mind has become focused on the “negative stuff” of life and Satan knows when we are focused on our Savior. One sure way we know we are on the right track is when Satan begins throwing adversity into our lives. We must never underestimate the lengths Satan will go to in order to discourage us by disrupting our lives. He does this by putting lots and lots of “negative stuff” in our life.

 

Paul tells Timothy, “fight the good fight of faith”. Paul also tells us how to do it. “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11-12  As believers we are to fight for our faith. Paul says this is a “good fight”, a fight worth fighting for. We fight Satan and his crew by pursuing righteousness. We do this by reading God’s Word. God’s Word teaches us what God says is right and what is wrong. In our attitudes and actions we must pursue and choose right responses and actions. We must learn to recognize Godly behavior and then choose to apply that same behavior to our life. The “good fight” of faith is none other than our faithfulness and loyalty to our Father. When Satan begins to pile on the “negative stuff” we must not cave in to his tactics. Remember your first thought does not have to be your final response.

 

When I choose faithfulness over unfaithfulness Satan is trampled! When I find it difficult to love, I must start with compassion. I must try to understand where the other person is coming from. When my thought pattern begins to change, Jesus opens my heart to experience his compassion. When I choose to be more understanding and compassionate I am now free to choose to be merciful. I have found that compassion must precede mercy and mercy invokes love. When we look to Jesus we see without a doubt that it was out of his great compassion and mercy that he lovingly chose to take our punishment.

 

We must not try to do this alone. We must choose to call upon the Holy Spirit in our time of need. He enables us to endure adversity and to take two steps back when necessary. The Holy Spirit prompts us to re-evaluate the situation and then respond in gentleness. Why should we do this? We do this because Satan is defeated when we do. This is how we fight the “good fight” of our faith. A faith that is worth fighting for!

 

We have been issued the equipment to fight in this battle. We must not try to fight Satan alone, nor should we expect God to rescue us while we continue to run around in confusion as we endeavor to find our own way out of the chaos. This is a battle to be fought by both you and God. The fight is between our sinful  nature verses the Spirit. When we call upon the Holy Spirit he empowers us to side with God instead of Satan.

 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrow of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV

 

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,” 1 Peter 5:8-9a NIV Make no mistake Satan prowls around in our homes, our relationships, our responsibilities, our cars, our jobs, our finances, and he uses all that we hold dear to upset our apple cart. He does not fight fair. He is a sneaky liar. He is subtle and he attacks us at our weakest point. He causes disruption, stress, and confusion. We must train ourselves to be self-controlled and alert. We must be intentional about recognizing life for what it is; a struggle of the flesh vs. the spirit. The everyday struggles of life are not just struggles; they are without doubt spiritual struggles. We must not brush them off with the idea that this is “just life”. It is NOT “just life”, it is Satan at his finest hour doing what he does best! Discouragement, disappointment, depression, distractions, delays, division, and discontentment are all in his bag of devastating tricks designed for one purpose alone. That purpose is to cause us to take our eyes off Jesus. Oh how I need this lesson today and every day. I must tune in to the whisper of the Holy Spirit as he reveals to me the mind of Christ. I must seek to know the mind of Christ! One thing for sure, the mind of Christ is always the exact opposite of the way the world thinks. It is Satan who is the prince of this world and he is busy pushing his lies into the minds of all who walk this planet. He does this by attacking us where we live, work, and play.  Remember, if it is not one thing, it is another. Be alert and stand firm!

Questions:

1. How do the distractions of life affect you?
2. Have you considered the very real possibility that Satan is the instigator?
3. Will you consider the possibility that your faith is worth fighting for?
4. What can you do to remember Paul’s advise to Timothy?
5. Will you partner with God and fight the “good fight”?

Prayer:

 

Dear Father in Heaven,

 

Oh how I need this lesson today and everyday! I confess that I allow the circumstances of my life to often get the best of me. Father, I pray that I would choose to fight the “good fight” of my faith. I pray that I will recognize that it is Satan who is orchestrating havoc in my life. Lord, I pray that I will stand up tall and firm against him. I pray that, just like you Lord, I would use scripture to rebuke and bind Satan and demand by the power of your name, that he leave my mind. Even though problems remain, I know that your Holy Spirit will enable me to respond in compassion, mercy, love, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I pray that I will see the pursuit of righteousness is both a privilege and a blessing. I pray I will see that choosing faithfulness produces nothing short of pure joy and inner peace. I thank you Father for peace, this amazing peace that passes all earthly knowledge and understanding, but is none the less real. Lord I give you my frustrations, burdens, challenges, and trials. Help me this day to fight the “good fight".

 

It is in your name I pray. Amen.

We Do Know That All Things Work For Our Good - Right?

“And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

 It is an amazing day in the garden! I am feeling confident. The arrows of sin cannot touch me because I know that all things will work for my good. The flowers have never been more beautiful. I am prepared today to cut a basket full of these gorgeous blooms and place them in a treasured antique vase on my kitchen table. Life is good!

 

In my happy mood I call out to the Master Gardner and ask him to walk with me along the pathways of my heart’s garden. I begin the conversation by saying, “Thank you Lord for your promise to me that in life all I set my hand to will work for my good. I’m so glad you are on my side. Being a Christian sure does have special privileges!”

 

Then HE speaks. Jesus begins to teach me, and for a moment I feel like we are sitting on a hillside near the Mount of Olives. His words are clear, gentle, loving, and kind. “Paula, I believe you have a bit of a misunderstanding here. I did not say all things in your life will work out good.  However, I did say in all things, good or bad, I will work in your behalf so that something will happen for your good. It is more about changing who you are, into who you will become as a result of the circumstance in your life. Make no mistake my dear child; there will be plenty of trials. Bad things will happen to all mankind. This is a direct result of living in this sinful world. Remember, I have called you and you have responded to my call. It is because you belong to me that I will work in your behalf. But you must not forget that this will be done according to my purpose for you and not your purpose for yourself. This will require that you simply trust me with all that concerns you.”

 

Then Jesus takes a pocket knife out of his robe pocket and begins to cut flowers, one stem at a time. He places each freshly cut flower in my basket. Each flower is uniquely different. With the cut of each variety Jesus teaches me his amazing truth.

Without sin –

you will never know the fragrance of the French lilac of my forgiveness.

Without failure –

you will never understand the hot pink mandevilla of my mercy.

Without crisis –

you will never experience the white lily of my peace.       

Without sickness –

you will never experience the fragrant herbs of my healing.

Without unfaithfulness –

you will never experience the foxglove of my faithfulness.

 

Without imperfection –

you will never know the gardenia of my grace.

Without despair –

you will never know the hellebore of hope.

Without unhappiness –

you will never know the jasmine of my joy.

Without fear –

you will never know the tulip of trust.

Without need –

you will never know the vibrant poppy of my provision.

Without blindness –

 you will never know the freesia of faith.

Without stress –

you will never know the velvet rose of my rest.

Without disaster –

you will never know my restoration of order.

Without pain and suffering –

you will never know the salvia of my sufficiency.

Without sorrow –

you will never know the purple clematis of my comfort.

Without rejection –

you will never know the lavender of my everlasting love.

Without bondage –

you will never know the fabulous green ferns of my freedom.

Without brokenness –

you will never know the wisteria of my wholeness.

Without death –

you would never experience eternal joy.

 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV

 

Here in the garden today I see in a fresh and new way that living in this fallen world is disastrous if I do not look beyond my circumstance and into the face and heart of Jesus Christ. Without him none of us will ever find meaning in life, no matter what we do, what we achieve, who we know, what we have, what we have experienced, or what we have learned. Without Jesus we will come up short. Our life basket will remain empty, void of anything that is beautiful. Void of the gifts that only Jesus can give. BUT GOD…If we have put our faith in him alone, he has promised to help those who love him. Those he has called to live according to his purposes, not ours. When we live in his love we can learn how to give thanks in all things. Not for all things, but in the midst of all things. No matter how hard our circumstance may be we can always give thanks for the fact that he is using our trial to make us into someone beautiful. He is shaping us into his image and as a result we become more like him. Playing our trials forward is scary, but in the midst of every trial God is always there to provide the strength we need to trust him without experiencing fear. Our strength comes  the very moment we need it and never before.

 

I love the words “but God”, because those two words are full of love and hope. Those words are based on the sovereignty of God. Those words are full of his compassion and mercy for mankind. Those words are bathed in the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who wants to be our Lord and Savior. Life without Jesus Christ is both meaningless and void of hope. “But God” made a way where there was no way.

 

Yes, life is hard and we often long to be free of this world and its problems. We who know him long for his return and we often wonder why it is that he is staying away so long. The answer is clear. Because of his great love for his children he waits. He desires to gather more sons and daughters into his heavenly home. It is not his will that any should perish. So he is compassionate so – he calls. He is merciful so – he waits. Never do we see his mercy more evident than in the knowledge that he is waiting to gather more of his children into his courts. Even though we long for his return, He waits and we wait with him.

 

As Jesus pointed out to me this morning, I am NOT forgotten. As I wait, God pours out his goodness in my life every day. This side of heaven he is watching over all that concerns me. His good gifts are free and are designed to make me a better person. In all things he desires to work for the higher good in my life. Yes, I do know that all things work together for my good.

 

Today the Master Gardener and I gathered a basket full of gorgeous flowers that remind me of his precious gifts. As I leave the garden, I have plans to arrange this extra special assortment of flowers in a beautiful arrangement to be displayed in full view on my kitchen table. I anticipate that this arrangement will be breathtaking! Each and every time I pass by my beautiful flowers I will remember, my Lord is in all things, always looking for ways to bring about the highest good that will accomplish his eternal purposes in my life. This knowledge will make all my challenges bearable as I wait this side of heaven for Jesus to gather more of his children into his family. There is much rejoicing in heaven every time a child comes home. There is also joy in my heart this day as I reflect on the love my Lord has for me and for all those who know him. I also rejoice with those in heaven when a new soul is redeemed!

 

Questions:

1. Have you ever misunderstood today’s verse of scripture?
2. Do you trust God to take all of the awful circumstances in your life and work through those circumstances to bring about his good in your life?
3. Have you learned the joy found in the message of “but God”…?
4. Do you love the fact that as a result of every sinful circumstance God has an amazing antidote that is wrapped in his love?  

Prayer:

 

My Father, in heaven, holy is your name,

 

Father, I pray that your kingdom will come, and that your will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. Give me today my daily bread. Forgive me my debts, and help me to forgive my debtors. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. Help me to know that his tactics are deceit, discouragement, depression, and despair, just to name a few. Forgive me when I doubt your goodness. Thank you for your amazing antidotes for all my trials. I praise you for your great love. Thank you that you are always at work in my life providing all that I need physically, mentally, and spiritually. I want to trust you completely because I know you love me. I also trust you because yours is the kingdom and glory forever.

 

Amen.

His Love Song

“The LORD you God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

The garden path today is one of colorful delight! Shades of deep foliage surround delicate white and pink chrysanthemum. A bright red-orange Bromeliad holds its head up proud and the cheerful deep pink Kalanchoe offers a visual of delicate ambiance along the pathway. I hear the song of many birds singing back in forth in a harmony understood only by them and their Creator. My heart too is full of joy! Then in an unsuspecting moment fear begins to cloud my mood. I am not worried about anything in particular just the unknown of the future in general. In quick response I shoot up a quick arrow prayer to God’s throne of grace. My words are simple, “Father, help me!” and he does.

 

Jesus reminds me that I must never forget that he is always good. There will never be a circumstance in my life that will be void of his goodness. In all that comes my way I must seek to recognize his goodness. I stop and lean against the trunk of a beautiful red maple. I humbly bow my head, breathe in the presence of my Creator and begin to soak up his love just as the flowers soak up rain after a time of drought. As I begin to listen I hear in the distance a song. It is a love song. It is now right above my head. I look up into the tree and there sits the Master Gardener, perched on a limb. To my amazement he is singing over me a beautiful song about his amazing love for me. I know in this moment he is also rejoicing over me because of the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face.

 

I close my eyes and I begin to listen. Every note is clear, mellow, and beautiful! The lover of my soul has perfect pitch and impeccable timing. I feel my shoulders begin to relax and I find that I am totally immersed as I listen to the poetic lyrics as they flow like the sweetest of honey, as he sings of his great love for me.

 

As I listen to his joyful, quick moving allegro and I am amazed at the sure precision with which he sings. My sweet Savior never misses a note or a beat. As he continues to sing his words of love he escalates into the loudest crescendo of love that I have ever heard and then gradually decrescendos into the softest melody of care and concern for me and all that concerns me.

 

My Lord sings above the heights of an Irish tenor and below the depths of the deepest bass in a gospel quartet. I am reminded of how high and deep the Father’s love is for me. This endless song goes on and on. The refrain is always the same, “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. Yes, today I hear it loud and clear. Oh, that I would hear his song everyday!

 

My time in the garden today has been extraordinary! When I reflect on what the Holy Spirit has taught me today I am feel deeply loved.  Trusting God is an awesome way to live. I know that his word is true because my God cannot lie. “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV Because I belong to him, he takes great delight in me and rejoices over me today and everyday with singing. Even on days with my needs are great, my faith is weak, and my thoughts, deeds, and words are sinful, he is the same. My faithful God is always above me singing of his love for me. He is my hope for today and all my tomorrows.

 

Questions:

1. How does it make you feel to know that God rejoices over you with singing?
2. Are you willing to listen to his love song?
3. Will you take time today to sing back to him a happy song of praise and worship that is full of your words of love and gratitude for all he has done, is doing this day, and will ever do for you?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

 

Today my prayer is simple. Thank you for the amazing gift of your beautiful, encouraging love song. Forgive me when I become so self-absorbed that I forget to listen for your song of love. Lord, you are marvelous and greatly to be praised because of your everlasting love. How wonderful it is to realize that every day you rejoice over all your children with singing.

 

In your name I pray. Amen.