Shallow Soil

 

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”  Mark 4:3-4

     The impatiens in our story yesterday are comfortable. They fit in. Each flower is one of a crowd, like the seasoned parishioner sitting in the same pew, year after year. A little bit of church, a Sunday smile, a Scripture heard and forgotten on the way out the door. The scattered seeds of faith are never germinated.

     

     A tug of emotion may hit our hearts a time or two, but the Bible? Satan loves it when we disregard the Word of God. “it is out-dated.” “The Old Testament is too violent.” “I know Jesus loves me and that’s all I need.” We’ve heard all of the excuses. The lies of Satan go way back to the garden, when he placed the first doubt in Eve’s mind. “Did God really say…?”

     The word is God’s love story written just for you. As you read the word, the word reads you. It is life-changing, true, and it will mold you and me into the image of Christ. Jesus explains the Scripture verses above.

     The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.  Mark 4:14-15

     Take a chance on leaving the safe corner of the garden where nothing changes and nothing is expected. Let the Great Gardener grow you with the seeds of His word. Let His green thumb sow those seeds until you stand out from the usual crowd. There is not much excitement or adventure in the corner, in the shade. Allow God’s light to penetrate a little deeper today. You may have to squint in the bright light for awhile. Adjusting to the Son is glorious work, not to mention the warm glow from within. Step out into the light.

     All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

Dear Jesus,

Take away our fear of Your word. It is God-breathed. Open our eyes and ears to see and hear. Open our hearts and minds to savor and understand all. Let the seeds be planted deep in good and fertile soil

Amen

 

Tender Fields of Grace

 

     The impatiens looked at each other with satisfaction. Bunched together in full array, they created quite a spectacle. The pretty in pink, the deep-royal purple, the bright-neon orange, together with the pure glorious white, made a luscious picture in this shady corner of the yard. They swayed together, chattering as one in their comfort zone in the shade. Life was good.

     In the center garden, however, the parched flowers hung listlessly in the still of the noonday sun.  The large heads of the hydrangea, the stems of the daisies and the sweet aster drooped with thirst. They did not have the energy to look up or to encourage one another. They had lost their sense of beauty. They had lost all strength. Even their roots felt the drought.

     Near the back fence, the fertile plot stood ready for anything.  The compost heap had eventually turned into this rich soil, eager to accept new seed, to be filled with something new.

     Weeds were flourishing everywhere. They were hidden between the full set of impatiens in the shade. They stood in full view among the fading blooms in the center garden, tall and strong even through this succession of long, dry days. And there they were, low to the ground, perched and waiting. They found the first spots in the fertile ground, ready to spoil the success of any new seed.

     The tenant came through the garage door and noticed a stray branch hanging from the large ash tree in the corner. He returned to the garage for a tool and a ladder and cut the wandering branch away.

     A brilliant light suddenly shone on the comfort zone of the impatiens in the corner. The impatiens had never experienced a light such as this. In the comfort of their shady spot, they could never have imagined they were missing anything at all, certainly nothing like this. To think there had been something so magnificent just waiting to shine on them and through them.

     As the keeper of the garden moved back to the yard after putting away his tools, he noticed the sad looking garden in the center. Back he went again, to fetch a bucket. He went slowly back and forth, pouring bucket after bucket of cool water over and over the parched flowers, until their heads, once again, turned to the sky. Their thirsty roots were filled with the living water that gives strength and hope and health to their weary bodies.

     He strolled toward the back of the yard. The readiness of the soil caught his attention. He moved one more time to the garage and pulled out several seed packets.

     He scattered them around the garden, imagining the wildflowers rising up in their various colors and forms, scattering more seed as they grew. Eventually these few seeds would scatter and move farther and farther along this back fence to create an even more bountiful harvest of color. Spreading seeds here and there can bring an amazing harvest to the patient gardener.

     He pulled a few weeds as he walked back around the yard. He soon realized there would be no way to yank them all out. He would continue working a little bit at a time over the next few weeks. He guessed there would always be weeds poking around here and there, threatening to spoil what is good.

     He stood, surveying the yard with a practiced eye.  The Master would be pleased. The pruned tree looked much better and the amount of sunlight on the impatiens would only help them shine brighter for the Master. He had almost lost some flowers in the center garden. What if they had died and the master would never have seen them? He caught them just in time and now just look at them!

     The Master had shared with him the dream for the large area in the back. He visualized it in full harvest, not as it was now, but as it would be one day. And now the time just might be right to sow those seeds. The Master would help with the weeds. He always had a vision and an answer.

     How is your garden growing?

Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times. Mark 4:8

Lord,

Show us how to get out of our comfort zone, to stay rooted in You, to plant seeds wherever we go.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

The Gift of Grace

 

     Feeling a little lost or imagining that you just don’t measure up? Yeah, me too. And here is why.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:24

     Luckily for us, God sent a Savior to die in our place and we can now freely share in God’s glory!

All are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:24

     It is hard to define grace and graciousness. God’s grace is a complete gift to us. The power of His grace finds us and gives us an open heart to just believe. Here is a great verse to remind you of His free gift to us.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no man can boast. Ephesians 2:9-10

   That makes it clear. A true gift. This gift just requires our faith. That’s it. Feeling the need for a loving Father, a Savior, a firm foundation that will never fail, a Rock to hold onto, a Shepherd to guide you, a compassionate, forgiving God? Find it all in Jesus Christ. Receive His grace today. It is enough for the rest of your life.

Amen

Need Grace?

 

     I have a confession to make. I have not acted with grace or graciousness over the past week. My back went out on me. What did it? I made the mistake of bending over to get something out of a kitchen cabinet. How sad is that? Just when I was completely healed from my hip surgery and out walking and doing my everyday activities!

     In the scheme of things, this is a minor issue. But it is a reminder that becoming more like Christ can easily go by the wayside when life happens. And luckily, we can give each other grace, just as my husband, friends and family continually do for me. My husband picked up the slack with no complaints (including handling over a foot of snow)  and my son-in-law took a couple of days off of work to stay home with our sweet Brooklyn.

     We are blessed to take care of our granddaughter four days a week and we miss her!  But bending and lifting would have been impossible and I so appreciate the time to rest. I think, as Christians, we need to be honest with each other. I have dealt with anxiety over the years, and a Christian friend told me talking about it to others would rob me of my testimony.  Imagine trying to be a perfect Christian all the time. An exhausting and impossible goal!

     When we completely open ourselves to each other and to life, we can meet others right where they are, just as Christ did. He did not condemn. He understood and brought others to Himself. Going through suffering of any kind throughout our lives gives us compassion for others. Those that may not know Christ know when someone cares.

     The grace of others when I need it is powerful and, of course, Jesus is right there with grace upon grace. And it is sufficient for this day. And this day includes Brooklyn. Seeing her would brighten anyone’s day.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Jesus,

Thank You for understanding our human frailties, for walking through our suffering with us and for finding the grace to pour over us to get us through.

We love You.

Amen

The Graciousness of God

 

     Our God is a gracious God. His face is inclined toward us, His favor is bestowed on us. He lavishes us with compassion and mercy. The Greek word for “gracious” comes from another word meaning to be filled with what we need. We told our kids that Santa brought them what they wanted, but Jesus always gives them what they need.

     Your every need will be met with Christ. He will bless you. A blessing given by a parent to a child was of utmost value in the Jewish culture. Let’s continue to bless our friends and family, to pray blessings over their lives and to speak them out loud. Our Pastor’s wife placed the sign of the cross on the foreheads of her children as they left for school each day, reminding them of the promises of Christ following them each moment of each day.

Let the words of this blessing from God wash over you and fill you.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His peace.

Numbers 6:24-25

Grace Upon Grace

      God continually fills us with His love, with His Spirit, with His grace. I long to be filled to the brim this year. The book of John is a great book to read when we need to fill our souls. Listen to these beautiful verses.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, sent from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Our of His fullness, we have received grace upon grace. John 1:16

     Jesus is full of grace and truth. And from His fullness we find grace and more grace. God’s grace gives us what we do not deserve. His unmerited favor and His forgiveness go beyond our worldly definition. He died for us and took the sins of the world upon His perfect shoulders.

     He will never, ever give up on you or on me. His forgiveness, His mercies are waiting for us time and again. They are new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness. (Lamentations 3)

Father,

Thank You for your unending favor and grace. We don’t deserve it, but You love us that much.

In Jesus name,

Amen

New Year, New Grace

 

     Seven years ago, inspired by my cousin, Audrey, I began to choose a word of the year. The second year, I realized I had begun alphabetically and have since continued the tradition. My goal is to live long enough to go through the entire alphabet.

     To be honest, as with any typical resolution over the decades, I have allowed some words and their meanings, to slip my mind, while others have stuck with me throughout the year. Our intentions are good, aren’t they? Our God is full of “grace,” which is my word for this year. He allows us to find new hope, new beginnings, new purpose each year (each day) as we turn each fresh, new page.

     With “authentic” desire, God finds ways to give us new “beginnings.” And we find our way back to “contentment,” as He “deepens” our faith. Our “enthusiasm” returns within His “forgiving” heart. Let’s begin this new year together, trusting God to find a future for us filled with His blessings, His “grace,” and another new beginning.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3;13

     Is God beginning something new in your heart?

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

Father,

Give us Your unending grace and fill us with Your Holy Spirit this year as we forge new paths through the wilderness. Show us the way.

In Jesus name,

Amen