The Earth Declares the Glory of God

     In the deep South, our covering of white seldom comes with the snows of winter anymore. Instead, it comes as the Bradford pear trees bud out, covered in blooms of white announcing the arrival of spring. This year it seemed as though all the trees had scheduled a specific time to bloom simultaneously.   We awoke one morning, and the small town in which I live was covered in white. It is a beautiful sight to behold.  Though the drab colors of winter still dominate the landscape, these trees give promise of the new life that is to come when the tender green of the season reappears.

     "Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; Let the sea roar in all its fullness; Let the field be glad and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord." (Psalm 96:11-12)  The Bible speaks of the earth rejoicing and praising God.  Surely we will not leave all the work to nature. "For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)  In appearance alone, that is what these trees are doing. They are rejoicing and praising God.
     And what of us? Can the same be said?  Maybe today hasn't been very stellar . Your boss is in a bad mood. Your kids are driving you crazy. The doctor didn't have the news you had hoped for.  Surely we can wait until things take a turn for the better. The trees can handle it for now. But is that what the Bible tells us?  "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice!"  The singing of  heaven and nature is not enough.  God longs to hear our praise through words, songs, and our everyday lives.  People around us are listening to hear the sweet music of rejoicing so that they might also join in and find joy and peace in their lives even in the toughest of times...always! Yes, the trees rejoice, but God has given us a voice to use in our rejoicing. Let the world hear you use it, see you live it despite your circumstances.
     When the Pharisees called on Jesus to rebuke His disciples, this is what He said. "I tell you that if these (disciples) should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." Surely it will not come to that. Surely we are not so oblivious to what God has done for us through His only Son, Jesus. Surely we are not so distracted by the world  that we blindly overlook His daily blessings starting with the first breath we take each morning. Don't delay another minute. REJOICE! Join the trees! Don't leave it up to the rocks! Even on the worst of days there is reason to do so. To God Be the Glory!

Stretched To the Limit

   

    As I looked out my kitchen window this week, I caught a glimpse of this little bird seed thief.  He was doing whatever it took to get what he wanted, even if it was awkward and uncomfortable. Look at those little toes hanging on for dear life as he stretched himself as far as possible.  Then I was reminded of a recent conversation with a group of people reminiscent of my squirrel as they, too, were stretched to their own limits. I was exhausted as I listened to lists of activities that seemed to fill every waking moment.
     There was a sadness in my heart after we parted. The conversation was initially centered around a ministry opportunity for which ultimately no one seemed to have the time. Aren't we all guilty of that?  Too involved in our misdirected priorities.  Too eager to send Jesus to the back of the line to wait until we have an open appointment on our schedule somewhere between meetings and baseball practice and gymnastics. We live in such a frenetic society, always in motion because that seems to be the norm these days. If everyone else and their kids are doing it, then we should be, too. We don't give it a second thought, much less a second of prayer as we fill our calendars.
     Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you for your valuable time spent reading my posts. Now I ask you to sacrifice a bit more of your time to read "My Heart Christ's Home."  I promise it will be well worth the time spent.  We ask Jesus into our hearts, our lives, but do we give him full reign, even down to our scheduling of events.
    "The Living Room" portion of this story has caused me to hang my head many a time. Jesus sacrificed everything for us. Because He loves us, He craves sweet fellowship with us. Instead of quality time, we give him fleeting moments as we scurry on our way, a million different directions. He is saddened. We suffer and fall into a pattern of just existing, missing out on all that Jesus died to give us, the abundant life He has in store for us.
     Please follow the link below. Let Christ speak to you as you read.  And the next time you find yourself tallying up your "To Do" list to someone who is only waiting to trump you with theirs, listen to yourself.  Does Jesus or anything remotely connected with Him appear anywhere on the list? Don't permit yourself to be stretched that far. Hope this has given you a little something to "chew on." To God Be the Glory!

My Heart Christ's Home link

   
   
     
      

Ring Your Bell!

     Years ago, churches had bell ringing choirs.  Each very focused participant rang a bell sounding out a specific musical note at the appropriate moment in the song. In our church, a very patient instructor worked with a group of our younger children. She was precious enough to encourage Ben to be a part of the group. Another saint actually stood next to Ben and told him the exact moment to ring the bell. During performances, I held my breath. On cue, Ben usually rang his note out there even if it was slightly early or delayed. This was a good thing because the song would not have been complete without his particular note.

     This scenario brought to mind the gifts, the talents, the purposes that were placed in each of us by our Heavenly Father to benefit in the body of Christ. In essence, we have all been given a bell to ring in the song of our church. We each have a very important note to play and without it the song not will not be complete.There will be a gap, a missing piece of the melody.
     Have you sought out your "note" to play? That special one God placed in you as He formed you in your mother's womb? Or are you simply sitting and listening to the music of others.  Are you thinking that you don't possess the abilities to be included in the choir?  My Ben did not, but God brought someone alongside him to help, and He will do the same for you. After all, it is not in our might or strength that we ring our bell. "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)
     Perhaps that missed note you are hearing in the song of your church is the one you have been gifted to insert and ring out. Don't delay another minute.  Go retrieve your bell from the closet in which you have hidden it away, dust it off and ring it out for the glory of God and the completion of His song in your church and His kingdom. Ring the bells of heaven there is joy today... To God Be the glory!
     
     

When God Closes a Door...

     Though not found in the Bible, I am sure most of you have heard the saying, "When God closes a door, He opens a window." I wanted to share with you who are waiting for the window to open, that I am right there with you.  A difficult place to be, especially if the door was closed on something you love. Often times there are no answers as to "why," which I have found is a pointless question to pound God with in these instances. We usually spend way too much time attempting to dissect and understand this turn of events.  God's ways are not our ways.  Our best efforts should be directed toward seeking His will and knowing he has something better in store. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His Purpose." (Romans 8:28)
     When the door closes, it has come to my attention that a bit of a chain reaction can be set into place. Satan slips in to take advantage of the "door closing moment." Figuratively speaking, he will attempt to rattle your foundation, knocking the good china off the shelves and pictures from the wall.  Literally speaking, Satan will attempt to distract you from seeking God by unleashing an attack on you when you are already vulnerable.
   For that reason, I am immersing myself in God's word, singing favorite praise songs in my loudest voice, and  rebuking Satan, not for a moment but for the long term. I am also waiting in excited anticipation of what God has in store for me next.  He has promised it will be good, right? Come with me!  Put on your armor and march with your head held high and your mind and heart wide open for the next adventure His will for your life will bring!  When that "window" is opened there will be more than you could have hoped or dreamed for. In the meantime, empty yourself and allow the peace of God to fill you. To God Be the Glory!
       

Yield!

     It's not about you.  This is the first sentence you read in Chapter One of The Purpose Driven Life written by Rick Warren. As many times as I have quoted this sentence and heard it quoted, surely by now I should have a full understanding of its truth. Oh, I wish! What I can say is this, the more I learn about Jesus and the stronger my relationship grows, the more I begin to grasp the depth of its meaning.
     The secret is found in yielding.  Yielding your life with its desirable and undesirable situations, your hopes and dreams, your every moment of every day to God. Sounds overwhelming doesn't it? Deep breath! But believe it or not, yielding is the first step.

    How difficult it sounds to absolutely "let go and let God." Surrender requires a great deal of faith. Then suddenly we realize that these two, yielding and faith, walk hand in hand through the life we truly desire...a life filled with joy and peace that can only be found in Christ. However, if you are listening ever so closely, you will hear God whisper, "You don't have to do this in your own power. I will bring this about through you. When you ask, I will bestow on you all the strength and grace you need to slowly progress from baby steps to giant steps towards trust, towards my open arms." God never meant for our lives to be a never ending episode of  "Mission Impossible." That is why He sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross to save us from our sins, to be our resurrected, living Christ from whom we draw power to face each day.
     That should bring some relief from the self-imposed defeat felt when we, taking the reigns of our lives, bring about all sorts of calamity. Our Heavenly Father does not condemn us. Instead, only a prayer for help and forgiveness away, God, who is the embodiment of love, stands ready to lift us up. And, if we are truly wise, once back on our feet, we will choose the path that directs us towards that figurative, yellow "Yield" sign He has placed in plain view. Praise God, we will not journey alone.
     This is where you remember it is not about you and all about Him. How many times have we all failed in our self-fueled attempts? You are to draw on His daily replenishment of faith and grace to make this pilgrimage. This time, reach out, take His hand, feel His peace. For myself, each step towards that "Yield" sign has lightened my load, clarified my purpose, delighted me with God's presence. My eyes have been opened to needs and situations that my self-focused life never honed in on. There is a sensitivity to God's leading and precious moments spent living out His will for my life that I could otherwise have missed.
      Won't you come with me, listening, yielding, seeking God in your life? What joy awaits you! What purpose He has for your life in His Kingdom, in the lives of the people you encounter daily. Even "baby steps" in the right direction count. But be prepared. That blackbird sitting on the sign in the photograph might as well represent Satan because he will show up attempting to stop you in your tracks. He has his own agenda and definition of yielding. Remember whose hand you are holding. Ask God to shoo him away and march forward! Go with God!  To God Be the Glory!