Removing the Seeds

Tags

be fruitful, be fruitful and multiply, bringing our Father glory, Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, complacency, control, Creator, devotional, devotions, encouragement, family devotions, fruit, fruitfulness, growing, locusts have eaten, organic, seeds

I bought organic bananas the other day. It’s not something I usually try to buy organic, but the “regular” bananas looked so pitiful I couldn’t help myself. Do you know what I discovered? Seeds! Organic bananas still have seeds! I was amazed. I hadn’t seen those black little buddies in quite some time. (I’m especially fond of banana seeds because it reminds me of a Vacation Bible School lesson I had as a youngster. Mrs. Mary Ellen taught a lesson about seeds to a group of kids she probably thought weren’t even listening, but her legacy lives on every time I see a banana seed.)

Those banana seeds reminded me of all the food items I now purchase on a regular basis that have no seeds. This can’t be right, can it? Those little seeds are annoying, I know. I would much rather bite into a piece of fruit without having to deal with the annoying seeds, but the seeds are how God created the fruit to multiply. Genesis 1:11 tells us that God commanded the plants and fruit trees to bear food and “seeds with them.” The seed is how God chose for fruit to reproduce, yet when man makes fruit there are no seeds. We somehow think we are engineering something better than the Creator of the universe.

I can’t help but think about all the ministries today that are failing to reproduce, failing to produce much fruit as stated in John 15:8. Maybe through the years we felt like the seeds that God put in our ministries were too annoying, too bothersome, or too hard to deal with. So, over time, we simply engineered those annoyances to exit quietly. How did we do it? We might have simply made a certain group of people feel unwelcome. We didn’t actually say not to come back, but they got the message and we were relieved. Or, we didn’t financially support a missionary who convicted us we needed to be more involved with missions. We dreaded that slide show, so we avoided them like the plague. Their support diminished. They had to return home due to no financial backing and we are relieved that we no longer have to hear about their calling and be convicted ourselves. Or, we simply could have stopped praying for our pastor, or ministry leader. We don’t like him and we certainly don’t like his family. So, we don’t support anything he does. He’s discouraged, but we don’t care because he should not be concerned with what others think. After all, isn’t he a professional Christian? Over the years, we have just quietly removed the seeds from our ministry and now we sit and wonder why it is no longer producing fruit.

I’m discovering that maybe the problem of unfruitfulness stems back to the fact that we have gotten rid of the seeds, the very thing God meant for us to reproduce.  I don’t know if this hits home with you, or not, but I can tell you that I am sure I have been guilty of removing seeds that God fully intended to bring the greatest growth in my life and ministries. I have stopped praying over a person, or a situation, where I now know God wanted to produce fruit. I have stopped giving in an area where it became too sacrificial for my Americanized wants and I have certainly wished a certain person wouldn’t show up to a meeting. Horrible, but true. That’s why I need God so much. That’s why I need Him to reveal these seedless areas in my life and restore to me the years that the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), even the years I welcomed the locusts in. I’m tired of blaming my politicians, my culture and others for the fruitlessness of the ministries I’m involved with. I am ready to ask God to once again place seeds in my life that may be hard to chew on and that need to be nurtured and loved, but are so ready to grow and multiply into much fruit to bring our Father glory.

Will you do the same? Will you ask Him to reveal areas where you have removed the seeds? Will you ask Him to restore the seeds and help you to nurture them as He intended? I pray you will. I pray you will reach out to our great Creator and trust Him to put the seeds where they are needed and allow Him to grow fruit for His glory in every area of your life. In a few years, you will look at the great harvest you had a small part in and remember that it came from an area you thought was shriveled and dead, but God knew was a precious seed ready to sprout once again.

Seeking Peace

Seeking Hearts Ministries

Living in the Now

Tags

countdown to Christmas, countdowns, devotional, devotions, encouragement, family devotions, family quiet time, living in the present, mercies new every morning, quiet time, reflections, the her and now

I’m sure you’ve all seen it by now. The countdown to Christmas has begun and while I love Christmas and the whole season that comes with it, I am just not ready to see the countdowns begin. On Facebook last week a friend posted how many Fridays were left until Christmas and then, the flashing sign at my pharmacy told me the exact number of days until Christmas. Every time I pass by…BOOM!… there it is in blinking lights: 75 days, 74 days, 73 days… and it will continue to flash the number until the Big Day arrives.

I couldn’t help but wonder if all of these countdowns (whether they involve Christmas, or something else) are just another tool of Satan’s to keep us pseudo focused on life, instead of really focused on living. If I am so focused on what is to come, maybe I am not focused on the here and now and the here and now is where Kingdom work really happens. After all, does someone receive the Gospel tomorrow, or yesterday, or the here and now? (I know all of the above happens, but I hope you get where I’m going with this.) Everything that happens to us, or through us, happens in the now. Satan wants us to only focus on the future and not the now. The now is where miracles take place. The now is where souls accept redemption. The now is where we actually live. Maybe that’s what the Psalmist is getting at in Psalm 90:12. It says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” When people have a few days to live, (and know it), their perspective changes. When we number our days instead of our years, our focus is usually much different. We are wiser and when we are wiser we are using every moment to give God glory. When we are wise, we are hyperaware of how we can expand God’s Kingdom. When we are wise, we realize that His Kingdom is what this life is all about. When we are only focused on the future, we are no good in the now.

You might be thinking that I must be one of those spontaneous people who have no goals, no ambitions and no future plans. Let me just tell you (after I get up off the floor from laughing hysterically) I most certainly am not a “fly by the seat of her pants” kind of a girl. No, siree. I don’t think I’ve ever lived a week without a major goal list. I’m the master goal setter. That might be why this hit me so hard the other day. Goals help me to believe that I haven’t wasted my day, my week, my month, or my year. But, I’m finding in my own life that the goals I’ve set have often kept me from living in the now. I’m so focused on my lists to get done tomorrow that I’m not taking joy for what was accomplished today. I’m often concerned with my agenda instead of God’s agenda for me. I’m so focused on getting to week nine, or fifteen, that I lose sight of the here and now. I’m not saying that goals aren’t important, but sometimes goals can get in the way of actually living.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:34, “…do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Jesus gives us grace for the day, yet we are trying to live in the tomorrow. Tomorrow’s stress is not supposed to be today’s burden.

Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us that His mercies are new every morning. That’s a day by day mercy. If we are aren’t waking up accepting what He has for us each day, what are we missing?

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see today’s miracles. I don’t want to miss them. I want my eyes to be wide open to receive what He has for me today. I want to expand His Kingdom today. I want to worship Him today and not wait for Sunday. I want Him to look at me as He sings over me tonight and say, “Well done, girl. Well done. You used every minute I gave you today. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
My Testimony

Seeking Hearts Ministries

Today

Tags

attention, calling, Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas season, countdown to Christmas, countdowns, devotional, devotions, encouragement, family devotions, focus, future, future focus, goals, God, God's Kingdom, here and now, Kingdom work, redeem the time

I’m sure you’ve all seen it by now. The countdown to Christmas has begun and while I love Christmas and the whole season that comes with it, I am just not ready to see the countdowns begin. On Facebook last week a friend posted how many Fridays were left until Christmas and then, the flashing sign at my pharmacy told me the exact number of days until Christmas. Every time I pass by…BOOM!… there it is in blinking lights: 75 days, 74 days, 73 days… and it will continue to flash the number until the Big Day arrives.

I couldn’t help but wonder if all of these countdowns (whether they involve Christmas, or something else) are just another tool of Satan’s to keep us pseudo focused on life, instead of really focused on living. If I am so focused on what is to come, maybe I am not focused on the here and now and the here and now is where Kingdom work really happens. After all, does someone receive the Gospel tomorrow, or yesterday, or the here and now? (I know all of the above happens, but I hope you get where I’m going with this.) Everything that happens to us, or through us, happens in the now. Satan wants us to only focus on the future and not the now. The now is where miracles take place. The now is where souls accept redemption. The now is where we actually live. Maybe that’s what the Psalmist is getting at in Psalm 90:12. It says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” When we are wise, we are using every moment to give God glory. When we are wise, we are hyperaware of how we can expand God’s Kingdom. When we are wise, we realize that His Kingdom is what this life is all about. When we are only focused on the future, we are no good in the now.

You might be thinking that I must be one of those spontaneous people who have no goals, no ambitions and no future plans. Let me just tell you (after I get up off the floor from laughing hysterically) I most certainly am not a “fly by the seat of her pants” kind of a girl. No, siree. I don’t think I’ve ever lived a week without a major goal list. I’m the master. That might be why this hit me so hard the other day. Goals help me to believe that I haven’t wasted my day, my week, my month, or my year. But, I’m finding in my own life that the goals I’ve set have often kept me from living in the now. I’m so focused on my lists to get done tomorrow that I’m not taking joy for what was accomplished today. I’m often concerned with my agenda instead of God’s agenda for me. I’m so focused on getting to week nine, or fifteen that I lose sight of the here and now. I’m not saying that goals aren’t important, but sometimes goals can get in the way of actually living.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:34, “…do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Jesus gives us grace for the day, yet we are trying to live in the tomorrow. Tomorrow’s stress is not supposed to be today’s burden.

Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us that His mercies are new every morning. That’s a day by day mercy. If we are aren’t waking up accepting what He has for us each day, what are we missing?

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see today’s miracles. I don’t want to miss them. I want my eyes to be wide open to receive what He has for me today. I want to expand His Kingdom today. I want to worship Him today and not wait for Sunday. I want Him to look at me as He sings over me tonight and say, “Well done, girl. Well done. You used every minute I gave you today. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
My Testimony

Seeking Hearts Ministries – (link to other blogs)

Uncomfortable

Tags

Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, devotional, devotions, encouragement, exercise, family devotions, irritations, muscles, soreness, spiritual exercise, spiritual muscles, touchiness

I’m one of those annoying people who actually exercise. It’s a huge stress reliever for me and also keeps me from looking like a walrus because I love to eat, especially the sweet stuff. I’m not saying my exercise routine is perfect, or that I enjoy it every day, but I try to get it done as often as possible. Sometimes, it’s simply a chore I need to cross of my list, but on a good day I love the activity. There is just something about getting my heart pumping, focusing on a goal and finishing a routine that I never thought I could accomplish a few months before that I really enjoy.

Yesterday, I woke up and moved my arm only to discover my shoulders were unbelievably sore. Reaching for anything, especially to close the car door, about killed me, but the crazy thing was I couldn’t imagine what I’d done to cause the soreness. The day before had not been “arm day”, so I was really confused. Then, it hit me. I remembered turning on Wii Sports to see how many steps I could get out of a few games just for the fun of it. I was curious. I tried a tennis game, a race type activity and… boxing. A lightbulb went off in my head! Even though I only “fought” one match, wow was I sore. I couldn’t believe it! I work out my shoulders and arms often, but (as my husband was quick to point out) boxing took a different group of muscles. I wasn’t used to working my muscles in that particular way, so now I was very uncomfortable.

Paul tells us in I Timothy 4:7 to train ourselves in godliness. That’s a short statement that takes in a massive directive. Just like our physical body, our spiritual body has to be trained in order to be healthy. We work one muscle group and we eventually get somewhat comfortable with it, but then we work another muscle group and realize maybe we aren’t in as good a shape as we thought. So it is with our spiritual life. We get used to exercising some muscles like generosity, or forgiveness and we actually get comfortable with those, but then we might need to exercise our faith, or contentment and OUCH… we get uncomfortable quick! Just when we think we are “in shape” spiritually, God reminds us that we still have work to do. I am so thankful that He keeps training us, aren’t you?

My physical soreness made me wonder about my spiritual soreness. I’ll be honest, there are some people that cause sore spots to develop in my life. I become touchy and don’t want to stretch and use certain spiritual muscles because to put it simply…it hurts. It makes me uncomfortable. First Corinthians 10:24 says, “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” That’s a spiritual muscle that needs work in my life. When I start working it, it’s going to get sore….quick. But, when that spiritual muscle develops it eventually will just be part of my routine. Will I want to put the interests of others first every day? I doubt it, especially at first, but when I exercise that muscle, the soreness won’t be as quick to develop as it once was. I won’t be as uncomfortable the more I work that muscle group. At some point, I will be able to look at what I couldn’t do in the past and be amazed how God trained me and molded me into a better shape, a more Christ-like shape. First Timothy 4:8 says, “For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Ask God to help you exercise the muscle groups that you’ve long neglected. It might be the muscle of love, perseverance, patience, or forgiveness. Ask Him to place you at the bottom of that spiritual hill and make you climb it. The cool thing about God is that He won’t leave you there to make it on your own. Even though you may not realize it, He’s the kind of trainer who pushes you from behind, whispers (or yells) encouragement in your ear and reaches down to pull you over the top. I love that about Him! No matter the training He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

So, ask God to stretch some of your spiritual muscles. Trust Him. Get uncomfortable and feel that soreness and touchiness disappear. Who knows? You may just get in the best shape of your life!

My Testimony

Seeking Hearts Ministries

Overworking the Dough

Tags

American Dream, baking bread, bread, Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, contentment, devotional, devotions, encouragement, Faithful is He that calleth you, faithfulness, making bread, trust

Contentment is something none of us like to talk about, (or maybe it’s just me that doesn’t like to talk about it). It is definitely not part of the American Dream and is often seen as a lifestyle with no goals, no ambition and just going with the flow of things like that not too smart surfer dude we’ve all seen on T.V.

Biblical contentment is so different than this picture. In fact, I think that the Biblical rendition of contentment is some of the hardest work we are called to do. There is nothing lazy about it. The apostle Paul says in Philippians 4 that he had learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself. He says in verse twelve, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Notice he says there is a secret to contentment and he had to learn it. He admits to us that contentment does not happen naturally. It takes work. He doesn’t leave us wondering though. In the very next verse Paul tells us how he has learned the secret of being content. It says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Paul willingly admits that only through Christ’s strength can contentment be a part of who he is and who we are. That doesn’t sound lazy to me. In fact, contentment sounds like hard work if it can only be accomplished through the strength of Christ.

We see that contentment is not defined by laziness, it’s defined by resting. There is a big difference. Laziness is simply sitting on your bum and not doing the work you are called to do. Resting is completing your tasks and then, well, resting. It reminds me of baking bread. You get your recipe out that the great recipe creator of all time designed (Betty Crocker). You get your ingredients out. You mix all of the ingredients at their proper time and in their proper way, checking your recipe continually. Then, you work the dough. You knead it until your wrists are going to fall off. Then, you let it rest. You might go to another task, or you might read a book for a while, or even watch T.V., but you leave that dough alone. Are you being lazy? No! You are content with letting the bread rise. When the time is right, you will go back to the dough, work with it some more and once again allow it to rest. At the proper time, the dough finally gets put in the oven where once again you will rest while the bread is doing its thing. The awesome aroma of baked bread fills the space and you are content knowing that the recipe you followed has helped you produce the results you want.

Just like making bread, in our spiritual life, we get the recipe out (the Word of God) and we get the ingredients together for the task He has before us. As we check the recipe continually, we are sure to mix the right ingredients at the proper time and in the right amounts. Then, we work the ingredients until His Spirit in us says to let it rest. That’s when it gets hard. We look at the lump of dough and then back at God and say, “But, it’s not finished.” We try to work the dough more and finally He has to stop us in some way knowing that we will ruin the dough if we don’t allow it to rest. This is what contentment is all about. Trust. We have to know that even though we aren’t “working the dough”, He is.  Second Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” This verse tells us that we are called, but ultimately, He does the work. He is completing the perfect work while we rest in Him. Are we lazy? No. Some of the hardest work we will ever do will be resting in Him, learning contentment and not over-working the dough.

I might just nail that phrase to my forehead: “Don’t overwork the dough!” If there is something that drives me to distraction, it is an uncompleted task. Learning contentment is knowing when to step back and let the dough rest in Him. That doesn’t mean it’s unfinished. It just means He has it handled. Contentment is remembering that if I keep working the dough it will become unusable, but when I allow it to rest in Him, it will turn out perfect every time.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

My Story