Sowing Seeds of Praise

 Have you ever bitten into a ripe strawberry or a juicy slice of watermelon - and the juice starts running down your chin and your arm? It's so sweet and refreshing! So delicious!

I think that's what God wants for us when we experience the fruit of the spirit, JOY. In 1 John 1:4, we are told, "And these things write we unto you," - Why? - "that your joy may be full." And in 1 Peter 1:8, the Bible goes beyond full:" ...though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" That sounds like JOY has overflowed its regular boundaries to me. The glass can't hold another drop, and it starts pouring over the sides.

As believers in Christ, we should be filled with this JOY, simply because of who we are in Christ. We have Him. That should be enough for us. JOY, unlike happiness, should not be dependent on circumstances. There have been times in my life when I was not happy. Perhaps my day did not go the way I thought it should; frustrations came. Irritations grated. But for some seemingly unexplainable reason, I found myself singing. There was still a song in my heart - my JOY had not left. It's hard to imagine feeling sad and joyful at the same time, but if God's peace can pass "all understanding", I think perhaps His JOY can too. 

Now I'm human; I don't always feel joyful. In fact, there are many times when I don't. Though JOY may not be dependent on circumstances, it appears that it is dependent on our relationship with Christ. JOY is listed as one of the "fruits of the spirit". God designed fruits to be produced, developed with time. He doesn't usually just give them to us. One way to begin growing fruits in our lives is to start with a seed. "...Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7) When we focus on our problems and trials, begin allowing our prayer time and Bible reading to pass by forgotten, our JOY will begin to wither and die. But when we focus on God and begin thanking Him for His bountiful blessings, we are sowing "seeds" of praise, which will ultimately yield a crop of JOY. It may not happen right away; life-long habits of discontent or ungratefulness won't change overnight. Like with any good fruit, it may take time to produce. Often, on a package of seeds, dates are listed for germination and harvest. If we are faithful, day after day, to begin changing our focus and the way we think, we will begin to see results. Sow His Word in your mind, and meditate on scripture verses. The more we sow "seeds" of praise, the more we will see that we have to be joyful about. "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 2 Corinthians 9:6 If you want a rich harvest of JOY, give God bountiful praise.

NOTE:
I wrote this post, then looked back and discovered that I had written a similar one before about thanksgiving. It seems that God is continuing to bring to mind the importance of having a positive outlook on life. I'm often overwhelmed by how much He blesses me and helps me.

(Pictures taken by Mary Beam)

Night-time Bandits - STOP, Thief!

If you live in the country, you'd better be careful. You may discover your neighbors are moonlighters. Literally. Just check your garden. If there are footprints hidden among the cornstalks, or teethmarks on the cabbage leaves, you'll know for sure. There's all kinds of culprits - deer, rabbits, moles, raccoons, cutworms. And they don't play fair! Those rascals creep out under the cover of darkness while you're asleep, and begin to feast on your hard-earned fruits! By the next morning, all that's left of some plants are the points of stems sticking out of the ground, or a single munched-on leaf waving sadly in the breeze. Oh, and the squished, rejected tomatoes that fell to the ground and got stepped on as the culprits left, fat and happy.

I was thinking recently how darkness sometimes enters our lives. We find ourselves passing through a season of the "night" - a time of adversity, when everything seems to go wrong. Not enough money to pay the bills. A dreaded surgery looms like a giant, blocking from your vision, the brightness of your future. Caring for that terminally ill parent or child fills your days. Rebellious kids weighs you down like a dump-truck load of bricks. Looking for some peace and quiet? Silence can become oppressive when all you're left with is an empty house when the one dearest and closest to you passes on. When the kids have all grown up and flown the coop. Or maybe you have yet to find your "knight in shining armor" or "fair maiden", and you live alone, wondering as time passes if you ever will. Night comes in many different shades, but its shadows are cast all the same.

And often, that's when the thief slips in. We don't notice him at first, but he's there. John 10:10 says that the "thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy". And you know what he's after? Our fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23) He wants to steal our peace. Our joy. Our contentment. Our faith, our trust in God. Our love for others. He doesn't perform a stick-up with all its drama. He's like a pick-pocket, stealing our fruits silently and sneakily. And one day, we wake up to discover that, rather than looking to the Lord, we've been focusing on the broken, trampled dreams that lie scattered and "squished" at our feet. It is then that we must ask the Caretaker of our lives to "restore unto me the joy of thy salvation", for only He "restoreth my soul". If we are sincere, He will not turn us away. Joel 2:25 gives us God's promise, "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten...".

Bloom Where You're Planted - Rain or Shine

Bloom Where You're Planted -

Rain or Shine

Thanksgiving is a natural time for counting our blessings and reflecting on God's goodness. It's a time for remembering all the many things that He and others have done for us. We thank Him for family, friends, home, food, and freedom.

But let's think for a minute...what if we didn't have, or lost, those blessings? What if we lost our freedoms in America? What if the house burns down? What happens when we lose a loved one or close friend? Can we still thank God? Could you still be content when you lose your job? What about when you have a job, but hate it?

In every situation, in every circumstance, God tells us to give thanks. It may be difficult to feel thankful, but we can find something to give thanks for. We can be thankful in trials that God can work good through it, that He can use it to make us more like Himself, if we will be obedient and allow Him to have His way. When loved ones die, we can be grateful for the time we did have with them, and if they had received Jesus Christ into their hearts, we can be thankful that we will be reunited one day, and that they will never suffer again. A.A. Milne, the author/writer of the children's cartoon, Winnie the Pooh, once wrote, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” So there is always a way to "in every thing give thanks."

God wants us to be content and grateful in every area of our lives. Years ago, I learned a short children's song that we would all do well to learn and apply.

"Contented, contented, contented I'll be,

Wherever I'm planted, I'll grow faithfully.

A tent or a cottage - why should I care?

Contented, contented I'll be." 

A friend of mine recently said that one of the first steps to moving away from God is forgetting - forgetting to be thankful and remember what He has done for us. The first step back is remembering. And did you ever notice - self-pity and complaining cannot thrive in a thankful heart. It is very difficult to feel sorry for yourself while dwelling on all God has done. Such thoughts simply cannot co-habit. The next time you begin to feel depressed or grumpy, give the devil a black eye by writing down and thinking on things that you have. Remember the Garden of Eden and the "Tree of Good and Evil"? Instead of focusing on the things you can't or don't have, start focusing on the things you can or do have. It just might change your life.

Need Some Fertilizer? Try "Miracle-Grow"

Want a spiritual growth spurt? Then let this sink in: emotions are overrated. Now, before you turn me off saying, "she's cold and insensitive", keep reading.

Ever found yourself thinking, "I really don't feel like doing that" or "I'm in the mood for _____"? We have good moods, bad moods, thoughtful moods, irritable moods, playful moods, and can't-make-up-my-mind moods. We have a tendency to live according to our feelings, to make decisions based upon our emotions, and feelings can change from moment to moment. We're often told, "If it feels right, do it". But feelings can lie.

I have learned from my Sunday School teacher that many things we think rely on feelings actually don't. You may say to yourself, "I just can't forgive that person". You're right - without God, you can't. Or how about "love your enemies"? If you're waiting for the "feeling", chances are you won't find it. You may have a really good day and feel somewhat civil towards that person who gives you problems, but is that true love? Contrary to what the world tries to tell us, forgiveness and love are NOT feelings. They are an act of your will - a DECISION you make. You must choose to obey the One who commanded you to love or forgive, and resist the Devil when he tries to interfer. If you make your will, or decision, the "engine" of the train, your emotions, or "caboose", will eventually catch up.

The same thing applies in other situations. Mark 16:15 says, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature - as soon as you get a strong burden for them that overcomes your fear of what others will say." Oh, wait - I don't think you'll find that last part in the Bible. God didn't say, "Wait til you feel like witnessing, then go hand someone a tract at the store checkout counter". He simply said, "Go". He didn't tell us to "Study to shew yourself approved unto God - if it sounds interesting, or if you don't have anything else to do". He just said do it. If you will start obeying - one day at a time, one action at a time - whether you "feel like it" or not, you may start looking around to see who added "Miracle - grow" to your spiritual life. When you start obeying, over time, your feelings will catch up.

Don't be a Pretentious Parasite!

     Pretend for a moment that you're planting a garden, and you're so excited - you can't wait for the plants to grow big and start producing. You fertize it and water it liberally. You watch as your squash plants flourish, and your cucumbers shoot runners across the ground with tiny yellow blossoms. The tomato plants stretch taller and taller. You can almost taste those veggies! You have to go away for the weekend, so you carefully water your garden before you leave. After you come home and unpack your suitcase, you hurry out to check on your plants. You want to see how it's grown while you were gone. But...something's happened. Something's different. Your squash plants have holes in the leaves. The cucumber plant has wilted, and upon closer inspection, you notice that, instead of drinking in the water and nutrients you've provided, the stem has begun to sit and rot. And your tomato bushes? Their brown-spotted branches look like they've suddenly grown tired of standing upright and are beginning to droop. Your hopes for a high yield suddenly seem like a dream.

        There's many different reasons why plants develop problems - bugs, diseases, too much water, too little water. I don't know a whole lot about plants, but I do know that I can be a lot like those plants - and so can other Christians!

       Recently, I heard a sermon from Dr. Larry Brown of Washington, Iowa. He was talking about the story of Lot and Abram in the Bible (Genesis 13:8-10), and the time when they parted ways in the valley. Abram told Lot to "separate thyself". In the beginning, Lot had gone with Abram, following even though neither of them had any idea where they were going. Lot could have chosen to stay behind, but instead he chose to follow a Godly man, Abram. The Bible doesn't say anything bad about Lot before this time. But once they parted ways, Lot quickly went downhill. He began to make wrong choices and to head in the wrong direction. Before, perhaps Lot prayed and worshipped God with his uncle. The Bible doesn't say. But once he separated himself from Godly company, he couldn't stand alone. Bro. Brown called him a "parasite Christian living on another man's spirituality".

       God forbid that should be true of us! Just like the plants in our "pretend" garden, we know all the things to say, all the things to do - we look like incredibly spiritual Christians. We read our Bible and know lots of verses, we pray, and are busy serving in the church, and God has blessed us so much. But - deep down, instead of using those blessings for the Lord - we've gotten comfortable and are starting to "rot". Oh, we read our Bible - enough to get by, enough to say we did (at least 2 or 3 verses.this morning before rushing off to "serve the Lord"). We know lots of verses - how could we not? We've heard them in church since we were little. We pray - at mealtimes, when we need help, and when we feel guilty because we told a friend we would pray for them (we'd hate to tell them we forgot). We've gotten "handout" after handout from the pulpit, but the truth is, we don't know how to gather our own "meat" from studying the Bible. We're living off sermons and the spirituality of other truly Godly Christians, but we ourselves have no deep, lasting relationship with our Creator. When we get away from church, and must go to work in the world, suddenly we start wilting. We start complaining with our co-workers and are embarrassed or "too shy" to tell them about Christ.

      Let's get serious with our Maker, and start developing our own root system - study the Bible for ourselves, develop a regular prayer life, and start serving God with the proper motives!

"Dying" to Produce

"...Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:

but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:24

      Ok, so my picture doesn't show a corn of wheat. But really, I think this principle holds true for many different seeds or grains. (I heard this illustration at church tonight, and it got me to thinking.) So imagine with me for a moment, that you're holding a few grains in your hands. Suppose you decide to place them in a jar for safekeeping. They might stay nice for a while, and be protected. But would they do you any good? Would they grow and produce fruit inside that nice, clean jar? Of course not. In fact, with time, they might even grow moldy and be of no use to anyone.

      To reap a harvest from those grains, they must be planted in the ground. "If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be..." Like kernels of wheat or corn, in order to produce, we must follow Christ to the fields. Once a grain is planted, the hull, or shell surrounding and protecting the tender inside parts, must die. It must decay and fall away, allowing the inside spring forth and grow.

      Most of us don't like to talk about dying. It's not usually the first conversation to come up at the dinner table or the most popular topic of social gatherings. And that may be a good thing. But maybe it's something that should be pondered in private. These verses aren't talking about physical death; they're suggesting death to our plans, our desires. When we die to self, we become alive to Christ and His plans. Let His desires become our desires.

       BUT -  there's another way to apply this. Many people, even good Christians, hide themselves away (not in body, but in their heart), afraid to get close to others, carefully protecting themselves. From what? From being hurt. From being rejected. From the possibility of failure. From the fear of looking stupid before men, of making a mistake. From all kinds of things. Oh, they'll be kind to others, they'll reach out, they'll serve, and give of themselves - as long as it's SAFE. But the instant the first sign of danger appears - "Whoops, that's out of my comfort zone. Sorry." For some people, that "comfort zone" is pretty small. Jesus said that unless you "die", you will "abide alone". Your "comfort zone" can be a very lonely place. It's often outside of that "zone" that others dwell, and the only way to reach them is to "die" to self, to take risks, to open yourself up. Jesus didn't stay within the comfort of Heaven. He came down to where the "fields are white unto harvest, and the laborers are few". Now He's asking you and me to follow Him - to break out of our "shell" and start taking chances in order to produce fruit. He risked all for you and me; are we willing to risk anything for Him and for others?

Don't Fall Apart!

     Sometimes when growing a garden, plants become heavy and need to be staked, or tied up. Tomatoes are notorious for this. Without a cage or other support system, they will fall over and break. They must be carefully surrounded, or tied to a wooden support.

     One of my favorite flowers is the hydrangea. Because of their gigantic blooms, they, too, must be tied up at times to keep them from breaking.

In Ecclesiastes 4, the Bible has this to say:

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."

      Ever notice how much easier it is to serve the Lord when you have someone likeminded helping you? It's much easier to be a witness when others are behind you, praying for you. It's easier to reach for higher goals when people are supporting you, not judging because you failed the first time you attempted - or the second, or the third. When you surround yourself with Godly Christian people whose desires are to bring glory to God and bear fruit - people who will pray for you and encourage you - it is much easier to make the right decisions.

     It is harder when you are the only one taking a stand or believing in a thing. If we find ourselves in such a situation, we should not use this as an excuse - "I, even I only, am left..." (1 Kings 19:14, Elijah). We must remember that God is with us, supporting us, holding us in the palm of His hand. But we should endeavor also to surround ourselves with Godly examples and friends, and to be an example for others as well. We, as well as those whose lives we touch, need a support system, to "lift up his fellow". God Himself is the ultimate support system -

"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." Psalm 37:24. "

"The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down."

Psalm 145:14

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
Psalm 54:4