It's In His Hands

I started gardening as a hobby. I pulled up grass and broke ground. I dug up large stones that would impeded roots as they stretched deeper into the ground. When I was done I covered the bare ground with mulch to add some cover to portions left in the open.

 

Over time I realized there was a need to go back and tend to the plants and the soil. The plants needed fertilizer and the beds themselves needed to be mulched again. The weeds needed to be removed. I could not imagine the effort it would take to keep those areas I had changed from becoming an eye sore.

 

As I continue my labor of love, I now see that there is never a time when I can actually say there is nothing to do. I always see something to prune or an area that did not come out as well as I had anticipated.

 

My hobby resembles my spiritual walk in many ways, except God is the gardener and I am the garden. He has removed much debris and has planted His Holy Spirit inside of me. I remember my heart being cultivated by His words and the breaking up of hard ground. The removal of stones and the pulling of the weeds. When all was done He covered me with His amazing grace. Yet, with all that He has done there is still much to do. Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that built it (Ps. 127:1). I trust Him and understand that even when things tend to lie dormant His watchful eye remains. He not only watches over the things He has changed but, also sees the work that must still be done. As Paul told the Philippian church, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Phil. 1:6). He is still watching and He is still working, so keep believing.

Be blessed.

Eyes Wide Shut

I commute about thirty miles one way to work each morning. Sometimes traffic is tolerable other times not so much. One morning as I was driving to work making fairly good progress, considering a normal days commute. I found myself behind an eighteen wheeler. Although traffic was moving at a good pace, I could not see far ahead at all. Not being able to see too far beyond the front of my vehicle, I noticed I started to feel anxious and unsettled. I eventually moved around the vehicle as it merged in a different direction.

Afterwards I asked myself why I reacted that way. My answer was I could not see. Honestly it was only for a few minutes but it did not take long for my emotions to respond to the situation. Just realizing this helped me to see how as believers we still need to guard our hearts against our own thoughts and perceptions. The Word of God tells us the just shall live by faith (Gal. 3:11) and that we walk by faith not by sight (2Cor. 5:7). Today as we travel through this world going about our daily routine, let us take time to think about how we process our right now situations and be determined to filter them through faith in Christ. He is a keeper (Isa. 26:3).

Stop Ahead

Road blocks are common. They occur for different reasons. One road block may be set as a Road Closure, while another set for a Spot Check, or as a Search and Seizure.  Road blocks are not always bad but they often present as a hindrance to progress. Not being able to see our way forward makes the encounter look worse than it really is.

• A Road Closure could be set because the thru-way is washed out or emanate danger lies ahead.

• A Spot Check may be used to identify persons traveling the same roads in an unsafe manner who could endanger the lives of others.

• A Search and Seizure may be set because there is a threat and in order to proactively prevent further damage the situation has to be contained.

God creates road closures in our lives in much the same way. He opens doors that no man can close (Rev. 3:8). Just as important is His power to close doors no man can open. We love to find an open door but we scoff at a closed one because it presents as an obstacle instead of a protection mechanism.
He introduces Spot Checks to keep us aware of the dangers of life. We are told to walk circumspectly in the earth or with a watchful and wise demeanor (Eph. 5:15). We should examine our steps to ensure they are within the guidelines of scripture and if not humbly to take corrective action (2Peter 1:10).
Thirdly, He may do a search and seizure to rid us of the dangerous and sinful habits that corrode our relationship with Him (Rom. 13:14). Whatever we bind on earth will also be bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matt. 18:18).
Regardless of the reason, being stopped is not a bad thing. The protections God has in our lives are there to ensure He is glorified in all things and that we are saved from destructive behaviors and the sins that will quickly and easily surround us (Hebrews 12:1).

Give Them Liberty (Acts 16:16-32)

Paul and Silas were imprisoned for casting a daemon out of a young lady that was employed to be a physic and provide income for powerful men. They were falsely accused and beaten. Afterwards, they were cast into the depths of the local jail. While there we are told they prayed and sang praises to God. One thing I often overlooked was the important fact that the prisoners heard them. The scriptures reveal them being in a situation that would have made it easy to voice there innocence to all those in confinement and those employed to keep them.  Instead they used the opportunity to glorify God.

One way life presents us with the opportunity to assess how we have been wronged is by comparing our situations with others.  That comparison can sometimes lead us to desire that we be vindicated above all else. Paul and Silas showed their desire to keep the God of all creation front and center while they went through this ordeal. When the doors were opened they took the opportunity to minister, not escape the confinement. Their perspective was not the prison they were in, but the bondage of sin that held their audience in captivity. They cried out to the jailer when they could have allowed him to execute himself. They observed the right time to reach out in love to their perceived enemy. Falsely accused and imprisoned for serving God does not meet the expectation of modern day Christians. Neither does it fit the modern day model of prosperity and power we suggest to each other because of our faith. Paul and Silas were more concerned with the salvation of others than they were with the comfort of their own reputations and success. Being falsely accused and imprisoned did not distract them from the task of being a light in a dark place (Matt. 5:19). Will the cares of this world and the wickedness of men keep us from revealing the grace of God to a dying world? Give them the opportunity for liberty before they taste of death.

Water Marks

There are times when I deal with specific incidents and determined I have taken all I am able to take, reaching my wits end. I go to work to confront the issues of daily tasks and unplanned situations just to find that something has been overlooked. At home the demands of fatherhood providing correction, oversight, protection and wisdom for teenagers.  As the situations mount and the storms continue I begin to establish a point in my spirit where I determine the fight is over and I spiritually check out. 

I place everything on auto pilot assuming it will go away if I ignore it, only to retain the feeling that I am losing control. The reality is that I never had control.To reach the full extent of what my intellect can handle causes feelings of instability and fear as if the world is falling apart. Not being able to throttle situations to suit my ability to handle them reveals my weaknesses and limitations. I have learned that the feelings of security we get from thinking we have it all together can produce false hope and a fake security. In the book of Mark chapter 4 we see how seasoned fishermen were found to be in a situation that caused them to see their lack of control and understand the threshold of their faith and ability to trust that things will be well even when they are unable to control the outcomes.  These men were very familiar with the dangers of being on the sea.  A single storm caused them to be fearful for their lives and feel completely powerless. Calling on Jesus makes up for our inability to weather the storms and to manipulate the outcomes. We need times of weakness to reveal our water marks to be able to press for the true Mark (Phil. 3:14) that will provide the prize in store for those who believe.