A Need for Escape

I Corinthians 10:12-13 says "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

I read somewhere that temptation is like someone looking through the keyhole into your house but the actual sin is when you open the door and allow that "peeping Tom" to come in. It seems to me that people use this Scripture as an excuse sometimes in that, if they wind up giving in to temptation, they say they "couldn't help themselves".

 It takes strength to resist evil of any kind.  Where does you strength come from?  "My strength comes from the Lord." (Ps 28:7, Ps 121:2) If we are not in communion with God the Father or welcoming the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have no support.  We cannot hear the guidance of the coach if we are on the other side of the field.  So as we traverse the temptations in our lives, we need to stay close to God for His strength and His guidance so that we can search for the "way of escape".  If you were in a corn stalk maze, you would have to search for the exit.  Sometimes there are dead ends, or you get turned around, but if you wave your flag for help, the guide in the watchtower will point you in the correct direction.

Don't assume there will be no temptation because you are a Christian.  Rather, shore yourself up, stay close in communion with the Guide and look sharply for your way of escape.

The Power of the Mustard Seed

As a gardener, I tend to deal with seeds, as one might imagine. I don’t know how many of you still grow anything from seed, but it is truly an amazing process. Seeds come in every shape ad size you can imagine! Think first about large seeds. Perhaps an avocado pit, or even a Black Walnut. All can recreate themselves, given the right conditions. Now, look at a smaller seed. Consider a bean seed, or a poppy seed or, even smaller yet, yes, the mustard seed.
Some seeds take forever to frow and need just the perfect light, warmth and moisture. Still others seem to germinate lying on top of the ground. Do you think that we are like the seeds with the way we grow in our faith and walk in Christ Jesus?
Matthew 13:31-32 Here we have the mustard seed. One of the tiniest seeds, and in the right environment grows a plant 5-6 foot tall. Our faith starts out the same way – just a speck is all it takes to get us believing. “Believe with all your heart.” As we allow ourselves to be nurtured by the Holy Spirit through reading the Word, studying, and talking to God, we grow. The trials and victories in our lives make us stand stronger and our roots push deeper. Those we encourage and teach lean on us and perch in our branches like birds in a tree, looking for a little support and protection as they themselves grow. The mustard plant then produces seeds of its own at the right time in its life. Those seeds can fall onto the surrounding rocks, or in the fertile ground beside the original plant or even be carried by a bird or the wind to another place where they will germinate and grow.
I came to this realization one day while watching the wrens sitting on the dried tops of my Echinacea in the garden. They were jostling the frozen heads and the seeds were falling out allover and then they picked some out themselves and ate them or carried them off, dropping some as they went. How interesting it is how nature takes care of itself whether we pay attention or not. How nice it was to see God in my garden today.

The Art of Submission

Good Morning! No matter what time of day it is, I welcome you. As I am enjoying a bit of warmer day today, I am also aware of the winter closing in on me. It's kind of a lonely place in a way. The garden, that is. Everything is sleeping and getting ready for the big kick off in a few months! I like to read Psalms when I get a little down or discouraged or even lonely. “Psalms is divided into 5 books…It teaches us so much about God’s eternal love and care for us and how we should trust Him even in the day to day experiences of life.” Quoted from a footnote in my NIV Life Application Bible, which I got for myself during the Women in Missions retreat this past year. You can say, “Yeah, I know. Trust Him with everything.” How many times have you heard it? How often do you APPLY it is the real question! You can say how you have tried and you can even say that you DO trust Him with everything. However, also keep in mind that “He knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21b
I would like to challenge you to begin looking for the point of surrender in your heart. To give you a visual, go to your most quiet place and lie down. Not on your back, but on your belly. Face down, hands outstretched, open your heart and let everything go.