Seed

Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
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The parable of the sower (Luke 8:1-15), a simple story that can be brushed over easily and one that Jesus took the time to explain.  When I was young I always thought of myself as the seed that grew in God's love. Which isn't at all the way God intended and has huge implications regarding the chance of being thrown in God's love or not.  

The Truth is this.  The essence of who are is dirt, our hearts.  Jesus says plainly in verse 11 that the seed is the Word of God - Himself.  Without Him there is no way to grow into an Oak of Righteousness rooted in Him.  How can we remain or abide without The Seed?

We have the responsibility of giving The Seed a good place to grow.  Truth be told we all have things in this world we like or set our sites on (thorns v14), we all go through testing (v13) and the devil prowls around looking for anyone to devour(v12).  John 16:33 says "In this world you WILL have trouble."  So, how do we keep our soil good?  How do we retain The Seed?  Verse 15 tells us it will take perseverance. 

The Seed, God's Word, is full of scripture that explains how to keep our soil good, our hearts from deceit.  Without the Holy Spirit's guiding it is impossible to see the rocks and the thorns or not to become a well worn path of conformity with the world by desensitization to the Only Truth.  How does God keep us?  2 Peter 1:3-11 explains The Sower (Holy Spirit) and how to keep The Seed (Jesus - God's Word) in the soil of our hearts.  It will take God's power but it is possible with perseverance of KNOWING God.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Lord may we desire Knowing You like a deer pants for a drink of water.

Yearn

Psalms 84 "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almight!  My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of The Lord."

How did King David know that God's dwelling place is lovely?  King David was world rich, family rich, politically rich; but he talks about God's dwelling place as being the place to be.  Where the Living God is, King David wants to be. To yearn for something to a point of your heart and flesh crying out for it requires separation from the place.  King David had experienced the living God, seen the dwelling place and now he wants to return.

"Hear my prayer, ...Listen to me O God...Look upon your redeemed with favor...O God.  Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;"

That verse is a song today.  I heard it hummed almost 8 and 1/2 years ago to this day.  I read verses from this chapter in church last Sunday and was reminded of when the verse was made true to my heart.  Daniel was traveling to heaven and I was honored to accompany him to the door.  He never spoke only motioned and hummed much of the way.  I am sure he was carried the last little bit.  It was days later that I realized what song he was humming.  It went so well with the verse he signed to me as I watched and prayed; "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him."  I Corinthians 2:9  Better is one day in your courts than a thousand  elsewhere.

King David had everything you could want on earth.  We continue to try and give our children all they could need or imagine so they might grow up to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with their God.  King David talks in Psalms 84 of a place better than all that he has, which he compares to less than a sparrow's home.  I know what King David and Daniel had and their testimony separated by thousands of years, makes clear that dwelling with the living God for even a moment is better than all they had here on earth.

As I sat down to do my devotions today I was overwhelmed with where to begin.  Where do I meet God first, what do I do.  I pulled out my pile of books and notecards spilled everywhere.  God's word scribbled on every piece.  When I came upon Psalm 84 and I Cor 2:9 God reminded me that He yearns for me to dwell where He is Living.  I know that this true and possible because of the testimony and reality of God's Word.  I want to carry Him around with me everywhere I go and live all my moments where He is.  Lord fill me with Your Word that I might dwell in Your courts all the days of my life, starting today.

Hope Unseen

Regardless of the time that has passed since you last touched your loved one, the feeling of loss is real and great at this time of year.  I vividly remember our conscious decision to not subject ourselves to other's pain of lass, our own was more than enough.  Platitudes may be true and heart felt but definetley not comforting or healing.  I offer to you the same phrase I spoke to Daniel one warm June day in 2004 standing in our driveway after returning from yet another discouragin doctors appointment; "Daniel, our only Hope in all this miserable world is God."  From day one he is who we clung too.  When Daniel moved to heaven two years later God reminded me that Hope is believing in things you cannot see.  Hebrews 11 talks of those who have gone before us in this world with great faith because of the HOPE they had in what they could not see.

What I miss the most of Daniel can't be softened by pictures and videos.  Like the Thomas of the Bible I long to touch him.  God showed me a Hope I can touch in John 1 "The WORD became flesh.."  The Word, what I hold in my hands? Finally, Hope we can see and touch. Our healing Hope is found in Christ Alone.  The Word I hold in my hands has endless pages of Hope promised to those who Lean on Jesus.  Hope is our link to Heaven where we yearn to be with our Lord and loved ones.

SNOW DAY!

I am one of those Moms who can't wait for a snow day!  I love having my kids and husband close.  So often life gets in the way.  We allow so much to interfere with the biggest gift God gave us - love- relationships. We desire to give our children the best and teach them well.  Certainly we must give our kids more than we had, that would make their life better.  It starts in pre-school with town sports, scouts, dance, play dates, intramurals and midweek Bible Classes.  This is good because we are helping our kids find themselves, build other relationships and bathing them in His word.  They get older and need the newest and latest in technology, equipment for hobbies, travel with teams and clubs and lead in church and in school.  Now we need two cars and more than one job each to afford what is better for our kids.  Not once do we as parents slow down to ask ourselves, "Is raising children a bigger miracle than creating the world?"  Maybe we don't ask because the answer is obvious, no.  If the answer is obvious and the question is mute is the lesson obsolete? God found it good to rest for a WHOLE day after 6 days of creating the world.  Why do we think that non-stop activity...living. would raise good kids?

God tried to lead by example and show us how to rest.  When we were to blind to see, He commands us in Exodus to do so.  When we are to greedy to stop He gave a promise that we would be blessed beyond measure in Jeremiah if we kept the Sabbath, a day of rest.  Still we run the race and forget the key to His training.  So Jesus shows us through out the New Testament how to go and be alone or in quiet fellowship with family. We find it difficult to keep Sundays 'family days' let alone Holy days. This problem has been around for centuries because Holidays (Holy Days) were designed to bring families together and offer a break in routine. Now after a Holiday we need a day of rest to recoop from all the business of it! We complain that there is no time for fun and our dinner table is getting smaller.  We have forgotten again that to be good we must rest and focus on the One who makes us good with the ones we want to be good.  A snow day is God interrupting our routine to give us another chance to focus on what the greatest gifts in life are; love and those we share it with.

Lord, help me to keep the sabbath day holy, as a sign between you and I.  Only then can I know that You are the Lord my God.  (Ezekiel 20:20)  May a Holy Sabbath be a legacy I leave my children and may they know you as their Lord God and Shine your good gracious amazing love.  Amen.