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Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. Psalms 126:5
Growing up, my parents would always have a large garden to help feed our large family on a limited budget. I never enjoyed planting the garden for several reasons.
First of all, it was tedious. Spending hours in the hot sun putting seeds in the ground, making sure they were spaced according to my mother’s expectations and then covering them with the correct amount of earth wasn’t my idea of a great way to spend a spring day after a long, cold winter!
Secondly, we never really knew how well the garden would do. Summers in Wisconsin are anything but predicable. Sometimes they were hot and dry. Other times they were hot and wet. I didn’t always see the point!
Thirdly, I realized that planting seeds wasn’t the end of the story. Planting seeds also meant that in coming weeks there would be weeding to be done, cultivating to be accomplished and sometimes, irrigation to be implemented.
Lastly, I wasn’t looking forward to the process of canning and freezing these vegetables, which at our house was a family affair and usually took many hours away from some serious play time. Summers were short, time was valuable!
My problem was that. I wasn’t able to see the end result of all my seed planting. I wasn’t able to look ahead to my enjoyment of going out into the garden and picking a pod from the peas, those sweet morsels of enjoyment!
I couldn’t see my love for picking cherry tomatoes and snacking on them through the day.
I couldn’t see the joy of having fresh sweet corn and other vegetables, or the tastiness of BLT sandwiches made with tomatoes from our garden on mom’s homemade bread. I lost focus on the harvest.
Is that how it is with you? To often we focus on the current situation and the struggle ahead without realizing the joy of the harvest.
Marriage can be hard, yet those who have stuck it out in the hard times will tell you that those hard times ended up being the very thing that cemented the relationship.
Those who’ve gone through business or financial failure will tell you how much they appreciated the lessons learned and the resulting joy they live in now.
The drought of relationships gone bad can seem hopeless, yet those times of drought often are God’s call to draw closer to him, not people. To sense his love and faithfulness.
The analogy breaks down though. Sometimes the seeds we plant result in a harvest we never see. Kindnesses to strangers. Patience with those who let us down time and again. The pain of watching out kids make choices that go against the things we taught them.
But keep on planting seeds! Even though you may not see a harvest in your lifetime, the Father who brings the increase, will reward you in the life ahead because of your faithful seed planting in Jesus’ name.
Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27
Our dog, Oakley, is terrified of loud noises. Fourth of July, thunderstorms, hunting season and any other loud noises he hears will send him cowering to the floor and looking helplessly at us, almost as if to say, ‘Can’t you do something about this?’ Nothing we can do will comfort him. Fear conquers reality in his life. He is in no danger, but fear conquers facts!
All of us are famliar with fear. Sociologists have found that up to 90% of the things we fear never happen, and the remaining 10% were easier to get through than first thought. Fear conquers facts!
Yet, doesn’t the Bible say we should ‘fear the Lord?’ The answer is yes…and no. To fear the Lord isn’t to be afraid of the Lord. God isn’t some angry old man in the heavens with lightning bolts in his hands, ready to zap you with cancer, divorce, financial ruin, lay-offs and political unrest.
Fearing the Lord means we are in awe of His power. Where do you see His power manifest most often? I see God’s power most often in the person of His son, Jesus Christ. The power of Jesus was love, understanding, grace and mercy shown to those who rejected Him. Yet in all this he didn’t stray for the holiness of the Father.
The more we see God for who He is, the more we will revere, honor, serve and emulate him in our lives. To believe God is angry with you for past choices is a lie from Satan himself. Perfect love (God’s love) casts out all fear!
The more we learn about God through His Holy Spirit, the more He will show us the wisdom we need for each and every day. He becomes a life-giving fountain that refreshes us in the droughts, wildernesses and storms of life.
The difficulties we face in life are the consequences of sin not the revenge of an angry God. He promises to forgive our sins but may allow the consequences to help us grow stronger.
Don’t let FEAR keep you from the FACTS!
What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? Psalms 124:2
We are wired for relationship. From the very beginning God knew this. The only time he saw something was not good was when man was alone.
He created woman for relationship. Not just the marriage relationship, but relationship in the emotional, physical and spiritual realm.
But when sin entered our world, relationship was irreparably damaged. Greed, jealousy, shame and hopelessness replaced the unity, love and mercy of relationship. Faith, hope and love, the cornerstones, of relationship died.
We talk about how Jesus came to offer forgiveness of our sins and that is true, but the ultimate reason for that sacrifice was to restore relationships, first with God the Father, and then each other.
The effects of the pandemic are just now starting to bloom. Violence has increased. Distrust is at an all-time high. Fear and anger seem to run rampant.
Ironically, while we are wired for relationship, we also have a penchant for revenge.
When your beliefs are challenged. You may react defensively in the name of Jesus. (FYI, God doesn’t need our help in this regard.)
When you are told to do something you know is wrong. You are tempted to attack the person who is in charge.
When you are ridiculed and judged for your failures. You may feel guilty or anger at the person.
When your words of encouragement return void. You may try to shame those who didn’t respond as you’d hoped.
When you sit down at an empty lunch table at school and no one joins you. You listen to the lies that you’re not worthy.
When those times, come, remember the words of the Psalmist. God is on your side. Jesus is there with you and totally understands. The Holy Spirit will remind you of who you are if you listen to His voice.
The psalmist finishes his song with this reminder, “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 124:8)
The enemy voices have no power over you unless you choose to give them the power.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Several years ago I remember buying my dream truck. I’d done the research, I knew what I wanted and went for it! I still remember driving that truck off the lot. I love the smell of a new car, don’t you?
I also remember the day the repossession company towed away my dream truck. The cost of operating it, plus the payments were more than I expected. As a result, I lost my dream truck. I didn’t count the cost.
The failure to count the cost has resulted in homes being lost, marriages to fail, companies to fold and dreams to die. Counting the cost is vital to success relationally, emotionally and spiritually.
When Jesus called his disciples he made no grandiose promises of the life before them. He makes is clear that life following Jesus would not be easy. It would involve sacrifice. It promised humiliation and misunderstanding.
Today, we have crosses on our walls, our cars and even tattooed into our skin as a symbol of allegiance to Jesus. That wasn’t the case in Jesus’ time. Crosses meant pain, suffering humiliation, sacrifice and death. Once you had a cross with your name on it, your life was over!
Following Jesus is more than a prayer or going to church when you have time. It’s more than a bumper sticker or a social media post.
Cross bearing is painful, voluntary, at times humiliating and always involves sacrifice. Don’t take following Jesus lightly.
Count the cost, and if you are willing, if your think life with Jesus is better than the life you can provide for yourself, pick up his cross and follow him.
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem. Psalms 122:1-2
Have you ever received an invitation to something and jumped at the chance because it was an exciting event, and an adventure that you look forward to?
I have a friend who has season tickets to a local professional team. When he invites me to a game, I jump at the chance. It doesn’t matter who they are playing, I just look forward to the atmosphere!
In Psalm 122, David is excited when he is invited to worship in Jerusalem with other believers.
Jerusalem was the center of Jewish worship just as the church is the center of Christian worship today.
David describes Jerusalem as being impenetrable. Nothing can attack it or defeat it. His place of safety, support, and security.
Now, we know physically that was not true for the city of Jerusalem, but spiritually speaking it was.
Jesus made a similar claim about the church. The walls of hell will not stand against it. The church is the strength of the believer to the glory of Jesus.
The church, as with Jerusalem, should be a place of unity and peace among God’s people. It should be a place where God’s people pray for harmony and prosperity.
When the church is at peace within its walls, the struggles outside seem less.
When the church focuses on the blessings of God and shows gratitude for all He’s done it glorifies the Father and strengthens the believers.
It’s the unity of believers that gives God’s people strength, purpose, and protection.
Never lose sight of the value of worshiping in a group, in person. When we worship in person we glorify the creator and are an encouragement to each other.
You’ve received the invitation! Get excited at the opportunity!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 