The Seedling

Thou art the Gard'ner, 

Lord of my heart, 

This soul within Thy care, 

Is Thine to tend, to prune and hold, 

What Fruit Thou findeth there.

So with Thy hands, 

Plant "Faith", the seed

Down, deep into the soil.

 Cover, pat and water 'til

Settled deeply in my soul.

Bursting forth--the Sun!

Beating hot and dry, 

It comes to test Thy tiny seed, 

Which, taking root,

Presses up t'wards the Light. 

Birds of the Air, 

Begin to circle 'round,

Pecking and claw feet scratching, 

Eagerly search the fertile dirt, 

to prevent this seed from lasting. 

Next, springs forth weeds,

Chaff of envy, snares of doubt, 

Growing swiftly beside the seed, 

To seek gain only for itself, 

And choke this little seed out!

But deep, deep down

In that same fertile soil

The protected seed of Faith, 

Though tiny in size, 

Still strengthens and grows.

'Til Victory, yea!

The seed pushes forth, 

From the dark and tilled ground, 

And 'neath Thy loving eyes, O Gardner, 

A fresh, strong shoot is found. 

What then Little Plant?

Where doth thine uncertain course lie?

To grow more, still--steady and strong, 

'Neath Jesus' tender hand

and to bear true Fruit of Life!

Then tarry not, Dear Heart, 

Thru beating rays, birds or desert Sun, 

Press forward, up and on!

For under Jesus' care YOU are,

The Fight--soon finished, and thy work--soon done!

Love, 

[Photo Cred: Google]

Renewing Your Strength

I feel like every time I post, the posts just get longer and longer. I suppose it could be me growing long winded. *teehee* But, truthfully, I am learning that funny things happen when you actually study scripture. Call me crazy, but when you spend time looking into the Bible, prepare yourself for your jaw to drop. That is usually what happens to me. :)

Take Isaiah 40:31. God has been giving me almost daily encouragement the last few weeks that correspond with this verse (waiting is a very common theme in life). So as I was sailing through my Isaiah reading the other night, I was just sitting on my little bed...thinking.

"Those who (1)wait for the Lord

will (a)gain new strength;

They will (b) mount up with wings like eagles, 

They will run and not get tired, 

they will walk and not become weary."
~Isaiah 40:31~

Incredible promises, right? Waiting on the Lord, Him granting us a new strength that will last as we run and will not become weary. As a young women who is a little bit tired, this is always a breath of Life for my Spirit. 

And then...I noticed cross-references. *eye-brow wiggles*. I love it when there are cross-references. I get excited. Really excited. It is like a treasure map, showing us how to "dig in" even further.

First, the little (1) is where you could also put in "Hope in the Lord", instead of wait. "Those who hope (feeling of trust) in the Lord."...those who trust God will gain new strength.

Second, the little (a):

• Job 17:9
  "Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger."
• 2 Cor. 5:8-10
  "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; Perplexed, but not despairing; Persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the Life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
• 2 Cor 5:16
  "Therefore we do not lose heart, but although our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."

Sin kills us--maybe not obviously (sometimes it can be very obvious), but it kills our spirits. Those little things we leave..those addictions, those unconfessed lies, the lust, that hatred you harbor...it eats at our hearts, our conciseness, and our spirits. These things may feel good at times, but it kills you quietly, for it is never satisfied with "just a little". Those addictions become stronger, those lies build, it becomes easier to hate and harbor bitterness (leading to self-pity). If left alone, each of these things will grow and grow like the disease it is.

If you talk to someone who has been saved through Jesus' mercy from a life of these things, he feels "set free" as if burdens have been lifted. Even as Christians, when we confess our sins to the Lord, He forgives us and lifts these burdens off of our shoulders. He strengthens us by taking the accusations and condemnation of sin. As we hold to the way of Righteousness--the way of Jesus Christ--our spirits grow stronger and stronger through every trial. Even as our physical bodies (like 2 Corinthians) begin to fail with age or through incredible persecution like our Brothers are suffering in the Middle East right now, we can be filled with a Breath of Life every day--Just as 2 Corinthians 5:16 says "we are being renewed day by day"!

The Little part (b) from "mount up":

• Exodus 19:4
  "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself."
• Deut. 32:11
  "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them (the children of Israel), He carried them on His pinions."
• Luke 18
  -A parable of a widow who went persistent to a Judge, pleading for justice. The Judge, fed up with how much she kept coming, decided to grant her wishes, even though he didn't believe in God. "And will God not bring about justice for His afflicted ones, who cry out to Him day and night?" (vs. 7)
• 2 Cor. 4:1
  "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart."
• Gal 6:9
  "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
• Hebrews 12:3
  "For considering Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

I love the picture of the Lord being like an eagle--His gentle wings covering His children in a protective gesture, shading and sheltering them. He protects us. Some translations talk about "pinions" instead of "wings". For those of you who don't know exactly what "pinions" are, they are the stiff feathers on wings that specifically help in both thrust and lifting the bird as it flies. God sustains us as we fix our eyes determinedly on Him, pushing forward with endurance to be close to Him (like the eagle) and in obedience. He gives us the thrust and the strength to climb the heights. Just as the widow in Luke 18 was persistent, so we must be persistent in "doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary" (Gal. 6:9). Where God says to go, when He says to speak, or when He says "stay put and wait"--there is where we must persist until He moves us. Don't lose heart if your work seems fruitless or things are not going as planned!

So. From Isaiah 41:30:
1) Those that Trust and Rely on God will gain the strength and Hope they need.
2) The more we release the sin or distractions that hold on to us, the more God can take those burdens and bondage that tie us down--and we gain freedom in Christ.
3) God, Himself--the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the One who has a name for every star, the One whom all of Creation knows  and praises--He is our protector and shelters us.
4) PUSH  forward in eagerness to serve Him and be fruitful for His glory. He promises to sustain you, to give you the "thrust" of endurance you need, and as you spend time with Him, truly TRULY you will find "rest for your soul"--even when trials come (Matthew 11:29)!

Resting Under His Wings,

(Original Image: google)

Thoughts from the Berry Patch

You never know what will happen when you go berry picking.

As we were picking berries yesterday, God gave me an interesting thought. Berry picking is like our walk with the Lord. We labor in the fields, picking fruit in its due season. Despite any of our doubting thoughts of being effective, we continue to work. Yet, as I was standing over a seemingly well picked-over bush, I noticed one dark berry close to the ground, so I bent down to get it. As I was kneeling, I happened to glance up at the (big) bush from the ground and there were a TON of ripe, giant berry clusters underneath the bush.

This lead me to another thought--our walks with God are completely changed when we have the right perspective. If we only stand continuously, we can sometimes get frustrated at the lack of fruit we pick or feel that we are not being "effective enough". Yet, it's when we kneel AND sit at Jesus' feet, it's then we see the handiwork of God. From our humble view of looking up, we can more easily see the hand of God cultivating and laboring alongside us. It is even then that the fruit will sometimes fall easily off the branch and land in our baskets. The more time we spend on our knees, the more we see what God is doing.

This morning, as started praying for peace and truth to be known in some really difficult situations/areas in my own life, I could feel my perspective change. As I literally felt like I was sitting at the feet of the One whom I love most, I could feel my burdens ease and my heart rejoice. I keep thinking of the verse, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget none of His benefits" (Psalm 103:2)

What I've Found to be Benefits of Spending Time at Jesus' Feet:
-Joy that bubbles over

-Actual Peace that completely fills your heart and causes Joy
-Hope for the future

-Love for those you are frustrated with
-The ability to pray blessing and be thankful for people you don't like or are irritated with
-Contentment in HIM

-Forgiveness in that you are actually able to let go of the hurt
-Comfort in the Shepherd's embrace

-Companionship of a friend who is closer than a brother

-TRUTH.

What I Feel When I (personally) Don't Spend Time With God:

-Fear that completely grips your entire heart, sometimes making you feel crippled

-Dismay that causes you to immediately panic

-Anxiety that causes you to to feel helpless

-Depression that causes you to want to give up

-Discontentment that causes you to commit jealousy

-Bitterness that causes you to hold past offences against people

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season" (Psalm 1:3)

I say there's no true comparison, is there? This is definitely not saying don't labor in the fields--NO! Work harder, if anything! But, remember the source of Living Water, the One who "rejoices over you with singing" (Zeph. 3:8). When you find yourself faint of heart, hit your knees and YOU will find strength!

Looking Up, 

Anna