Weeds

(johnson.k-state.edu)

Ponder with me if you will… since that’s the whole point of these blog posts. Just as Jesus told parables to illustrate a point He really wanted His disciples to grasp and comprehend, I see all around me points that illustrate Who He is and what His kingdom is all about! He uses what we CAN see, to reveal to us the greater thing that are yet UNseen. 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” – Matthew 13:24-25 

Pastor Mark Cowart (Church For All Nations, Colorado Springs, Colorado) referenced this scripture Sunday morning. He’s teaching a series on the dangerous lies we believe. Our lives are shaped by the things we take to heart and believe. That easily makes sense. But do we stop to think about just how easy it is for us to be presented with ideas that don’t come from God? How easy is it for the enemy of our souls to drop little tidbits along the path of our lives, that we scoop up like candy and cling to, not bothering to ask God if they’re from Him or not? 

While we’re sleeping or occupied with other things, our enemy plants weeds and thorns in the harvest of our lives. When we’re busy, or not paying close attention or things other than the Word of God demand our attention, it’s easy for those weeds to thrive. They may even look like the very crops we thought we were growing! The ‘tares’ that were planted in the parable Jesus shared were weeds that look like wheat. They weren’t discovered until they started to grow and were noticed by those working the garden.

(housemanservices.com)

When we’re too busy to spend time with God and in His Word (sometimes, we’re even too busy doing things for the kingdom of God), we get distracted from the truths He’s trying to share with us. Weeds grow up in the garden of our lives, and we may not even notice until it’s harvest time. By then, they’ve got a place in our lives, and it may not be easy to pull them out without tearing out the good things we’ve stored up along the way, too. By the time we notice a weed, and by weed, I mean a lie or falsehood that we’ve built our beliefs and our lives around, it can be devastating to examine ourselves and see that we’re not living the lives that God intended for us to live. And remember, some weeds can be beautiful.

(thegrassmaster.com)

God can redeem the days we’ve lost to lies and false beliefs, but we need to turn to Him now – while there’s still time and turn away from the things that were not from Him and turn TO all that He has planned for us. That’s the meaning of repentance. Even when everyone around us thinks we look good on the outside, or that we have it all together, God knows our heart. He knows our every weakness and loves us still. 

God isn’t out to punish us for the wrong we’ve done, He wants to redeem us from the life that’s permitted us to do those wrong things in the first place. He’s not waiting for us to mess up, He’s watching and waiting like the father of the prodigal son – for the moment we appear on the horizon with our hearts in tow to surrender to Him. 

1 John 3:20 reveals to us that, “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” Don’t walk around in condemnation. Romans 8:1 tells us that, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”

Simply, ask God what He’s trying to share with you today. Get into His Word and find His answer!

Overflowing With Gifts, Purpose and Potential

The other day I cut my finger while working on something with my granddaughter. She, being the pretty little ten-year-old nurse that she is, watched me wash it with peroxide then gently put the band-aid on for me. She wound up replacing that band-aid for me several times before she went home that night, it kept bleeding through. It’s clearly a deeper cut than I first thought.

Over the past few days, I’ve been keenly aware of just how much that finger bumps into things, and how much I use that part of my hand for. Things like wringing out a washcloth, or pulling something across the floor or gripping anything, really.

We routinely use body parts without thinking about them and muscles we don’t even realize we have until they’re injured, and pain calls them to our attention.

(depositphotos.com)

Of course, looking at the parallels in life between the physical realm and the spiritual, my mind is drawn to look at the body of Christ and the injuries we suffer; the body parts that get no attention and body parts we don’t even realize carry the work load they do. In the New Testament, there are several chapters that share how we’re fit together for the perfecting of the Bride of Christ and to win the lost to eternal intimacy with God.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 describes the body of Christ better than I can.

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – all have been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.

“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And they eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” (NKJV)

God has given us each the gifts and abilities, the power and authority we need to accomplish His will in the earth. He’s uniquely positioned us within the body of Christ to edify the Church and disciple those around us.

Romans 12:4-8 tells us:  

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (NKJV)

When we’re not lending our gifts the Church, the body of Christ suffers as a whole, and our local body of believers in particular.

When one of us is injured, whether through spiritual, mental, emotional or physical injury, the whole-body hurts and suffers the loss of what we can contribute.

What have you been contributing to the body of Christ lately? You’re more important than you realize. We need you.

Standing on the Edge of Revelation

 

(picture from wallpapercave.com)

To me, intimacy is a big deal. I want intimacy with the people in my life.

I’ve noticed, though, that so many people in my life would rather keep to themselves. They don’t seem to want intimacy with their friends and family members. It’s not that they seem to have some big, deep, dark secrets in their lives that they’re hiding from people. Maybe it’s just that in a society that affords us so little privacy, they’re trying to create a private place. Maybe it’s just a matter of boundaries, of which I have too few.

The other night, in the middle of an emotional prayer… I may have gained a little insight on intimacy - or the fear of it. 

With great excitement, I prayed -

Heavenly Father, I love You. I adore You. I worship You! Help me to revel in You, to delight in You, to walk in Your presence and breathe my every breath in You, to bring my every thought to You.

Help me to see you with my spiritual eyes. I know that You see all of me. Allow me to see inside of You, allow me to look into Your heart. I need to see what You see, to feel what You feel.

Then, suddenly, I was afraid to see.
I looked away. My excitement went from a rolling boil to the simmering of a desperate plea.

Father, draw me close. Draw me closer and closer until I'm nestled in Your arms and can feel Your breath against my face and our hearts beat together as one. You created me and know my inner most thoughts, fears and longings, You know my desire to be completely immersed in You.

Don't let me go.
Hold me tight.
I need You.

Knowing intimacy is shared, fear wrapped her boney fingers around my tongue.

Now my prayer was filled with weeping.

Your love will be too great! Your pain will be too deep.
I feel as though I'll sink into the vast pool of Your love and the depth will overwhelm me.
If I drown in Your love, though I'm so terribly afraid of drowning, yet, let me abide there. Saturate me.
I long to explore the untouched places in Your heart.

Still afraid, but reassurance begins to creep in.

Your Word so often reminds me to fear not...
Your mercy exposes Your patience with me.
Your grace displays Your compassion for me.

I want to run completely into You. No looking back. No hesitation.
You didn’t give me a spirit of fear or timidity! You gave me Your Spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind.

 

Questioning and reasoning peek into the conversation.

 

What will it take to step forward and leave my fear behind? What am I afraid to commit?
You are my Lord, my Savior, my God and my King. Surely my heart will explode with Your love. That’s a good thing! That’s the goal!

 

Submission falls over me with refreshing peace.

 

Father, replace any fear in me with Your holy boldness.
Have mercy on me, Lord. Snatch me up into Your arms of grace. Rescue me.
Again.

Again, I fell asleep as God continued to work on entwining my heart with His.

(from thommiodem.com)