Like Trees Planted by the Water

 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colosians 2:7

What a beautiful, quiet place. I'd like to sit on that bench and just rest awhile. Quiet places can be a place to be rooted and established in the faith. But how? 

God's creation is given to help us see his plan, his care, to teach us. So what does this picture teach besides I want to have a seat under the tree?

Paul was well taught in the scriptures. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. I think in our verse he is reflecting back on Psalms 1:3

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The Lord plants us in His family, the church, where we can be taught by the word, nourished by the Living Water, the Holy Spirit, and bear fruit, spiritual fruit, in the world. 

A tree must put down roots to be firmly planted. The wind and rain must not be able to move it. Yes, it may lose a few limbs, but every tree profits from a little pruning, and so do we. Having our roots firmly planted in a church that teaches God's word will disciple us to be profitable servants.

A tree must receive water regularly, and so must we. We must include prayer, talking with the Lord, so His Holy Spirit can speak to us through His word, helping us to grow. 

To bear fruit, a tree must receive pollination, and so must we. We need Christian friends with whom we can discuss the scriptures, pray together, witness together, and give thanks for the fruit we bear. 

We all will face storms of different magnitudes at different times in our lives. When we are rooted in God's word, watered by His Spirit, and work together for the kingdom, we will be strengthened and bear much fruit. 

Father God, help me continue to grow, putting down my spiritual roots in the good soil of Your word, watered by Your living Spirit, and bearing fruit of You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Where Does My Strength Come From?

 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

WOW! Look at those muscles. I wonder how long it took him to gain the strength to do a push-up with one hand, holding a weight, balancing on a weight, and on his toes. I wonder who coached him and how he was coached. I just don't have the mindset to chase that goal. But I do have another goal that includes a coach who will encourage, correct, and strengthen me. 

Looking back at our verse, I notice the word "which". In many translations and in our own mental gymnastics, that word is translated as "who". "I can do all things". I don't think that means one-handed pushups with weights, but maybe there are things to be done that will strengthen me even more than pushups. 

Paul lists things he had learned to do. 

• Be content
• To be abased - lowly, humble
• abound - live well with plenty
• suffer need - hungry, lonely

Paul knew how to weather through the hard times and enjoy the good times. He knew that Christ was the one who strengthened him. Christ was his coach to get him through. Had he done nothing, had he refused to be based, to live without plenty, to suffer need, Paul would not have been able to reach the goal Christ had set for him. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. Most likely, if you are reading this, you are a Gentile brought to the knowledge of Christ through first the preaching, the obedience of Paul. Christ was like a coach whose encouragement pushed him to continue in the work.  Once Paul overcame one obstacle, he could feel strengthened to push forward to another goal. If you follow the travels of Paul, you can see he went into dangerous places that were far from home. He couldn't take the next plane home when the ship wrecked. He didn't throw up his hands and quit when he was beaten near to death or thrown in jail. Paul knew Christ would meet his needs, strengthening him whether he was alone or had friends at his side. 

Reading all that Paul went through makes me wonder how I would handle an uncomfortable situation. I've been on mission trips to a third-world country. It's not how I'd want to spend the rest of my life, but I know those who do, and I know it is Christ who gives them the strength to keep going. 

Christ has a plan for each of us. Each of us faces challenges that will strengthen our walk for Him. We must keep pressing toward the goal and never give up.

Father God, strengthen me when I am weak. Encourage me when I feel down or disheartened. Help me look to you and to others whom you have helped. Help me be like Paul, weathering the storms and enjoying the blessings in the calm. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Adam and Eve (You and Me) in a Garden

 

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Phillipians 2:12

As I pondered on this verse, I noticed Paul was saying you work without me or anyone having to watch over you. That's a good worker who can do the job without someone looking over their shoulder. So I wondered where were people first given a job with instructions and allowed to complete that job without a watchful eye?

Adam and Eve were first placed in a garden.  They were instructed to keep it, to take care of it, care for the animals and to fill the earth with children. Big job, but then God left them to work coming by to talk in the cool of the evening. Things were going well until Satan deceived Eve into believing God was hiding something from her. After the fall, she and Adam were still expected to work the land but there would be added troubles, briars and weeds. 

Now in our verse Paul tells us to work out our  own salvation with fear and trembling. Do we need to work for salvation?  No, Jesus already paid for our salvation.  Should we be afraid and tremble all the day and night? Let's consider the old language. Fear can also be awe, and trembling can be a reverance. Because we serve an awesome God we can reverantly serve Him without someone looking over our shoulder. Whether it's Monday or Sunday our work should be the same. Not a work for salvation but of pleasing the One who saved us.

Let's look at the verse again. Work. The first work was in a garden and so was the second work outside the garden. So what does gardening involve?

• Cultivate - we need to cultivate our lives, plow up our hearts so God can do a work.
• Plant - plant the word of God in our hearts so we can grow and share with others
• Weed - pull out those things that don't belong in the life of a Christian.
• Water - let the Holy Spirit pour into our lives and show us the blessings of a Christ filled life
• Harvest - God gives the harvest but we reap the blessings. A harvest produces seed to plant again. Those seeds may reach our family, our friends, our community, our nation, and the world. 

Father God, help us work to live the joyous life you have in store for us. Help us study to show ourselves approved, pull out those things in our lives that hinder our walk with you, and allow you Holy Spirit to encourage and bless us that we might enjoy the harvest you desire to give. In Jesus' name. Amen.

#garden, #AdamandEve, #cultivate, #devotion, #GailCartee

God Knows My Name

 

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.~ Genesis 2:19

 

Walking through our wooded neighborhood, I noticed an Eastern towhee flitting through the pine brush. He was joined by others, chickadees, wrens, and a cardinal. Bluebirds lit on the fence posts. I could hear crows calling in the distance and the fuss of a bluejay. Then it struck me how many birds I can name. Is that important? 

Did you name your dog or pet? Do you know the names of your neighbors' pets? Why? Is it because they have names? You are familiar with them. You care for them. They are important to you. God wanted the animals and birds to be important to Adam. He gave the responsibility to Adam to care for His creation.  Farmers often do not name the animals they plan to sell to the market. Why not? They don't want to be attached. 

Do you know your neighbor's name? I can see a house through the trees, whose occupants I have never met. How cold is that word, Occupant?  They live, work, and probably go to school. They have days of health, sickness, and accidents I never know about. Maybe one day I will see a lot of cars or a white wreath on the door. I don't know their names, but God does. He sees. He cares. He knows their names. He cares if they know Him. 

How did I learn the names of the birds? I set out bird feeders. I listened to their calls. I became familiar with them. I have seen pictures of people feeding wild birds from their hands. I have fed and tamed feral cats. Getting to know the birds and animals is such a joy, but it takes time. They won't eat out of our hands at first. They need to know we care about them before they trust us. 

It's the same with people. We have to be friendly with others, get to know them, and show we care before they trust us, before they are willing to hear what we have to say. What do we have to say? It's simple. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.~John 3:16

Just as God knows the name and number of the stars, He knows each person by name. 

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Psalms 137:4

He wants to help others trust Him. We are the ones he uses to help others learn of Him. We are the ones He uses to draw others to Him. 

Father God, please help me introduce myself to others. Help me show others I care about them. Help me show the simple love of Jesus to all I come in contact with. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

 

Do you have a favorite animal or pet? What are their names? 

What are the names of your friends? 

Are there others whose names you do not know?

Try introducing yourself this week. Make a new friend. 

Friendships are opportunities to help them know about the best Friend, Jesus. 

The Best for our Babies

 

Photo by Aditya Romansa

Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. ~I Kings 3:27

In the story of King Solomon, two new moms who were prostitutes brought their babies to the king. One mom had lain on her baby in the night and smothered it. She had taken her dead baby and swapped it for the other mom's living baby. Now they argued before the king.

King Solomon sounded cruel when he asked for a sword to divide the living child in two, but in reality, he was revealing the heart of the true mother. She was willing to give up control of her child's life to save her baby. King Solomon returned the child to her because he knew only a real mother would be willing to give up her child for its life. 

As moms, we give up a lot for our children, even our own bodies. We to protect our babies, give them everything life has to offer, and hold them close, but are we willing to give them up for the sake of their lives? For the sake of their souls? We must give them up to the king, the King of kings, if we want life for our babies. 

What would that look like? 

• Are we reading a Bible story to our children each night or do we find ourselves too tired? 
• Are we praying with them and for them or just telling them to say their prayers?
• Are they involved in activities that would take them away from church, activities we feel would give them a better chance in life to be professional athletes, musicians, or performers? 
• Are we willing to have less so we can raise our children to love Jesus instead of giving them up to others to raise?  Prov 22:6
• Are we giving them our undivided attention when they want/need to talk to us? Deut. 11:19

The back-to-school ads have begun. Are you already rushing around trying to find the best buys for the upcoming school year? More importantly, have you checked out the schools and curriculum your child(ren) will be taught this year? You may think this is where my children have always attended. This is where I attended, and all my family. Schools of all sorts have changed tremendously in the last few years. It's not what we always expect. It may be time to be like the mother in Solomon's court. It may be time to sacrifice some wants to supply what our children really need. 

We may not be the best mom just as the mom in our story wasn't the perfect mom. She wasn't married. Other moms probably wrote her off as unworthy of their company.  She lived as a prostitute, but she was willing to give up her baby if it meant giving her baby life. 

Can we do better? How can we give our children to Jesus even when it means sacrificing the things we think are important to us? 

Maybe your toes feel stepped on. I know mine do. Maybe we feel like it's too late. It's never too late to give our children to the King of Kings. 

Heavenly Father, may I be willing to turn loose of control, my desires, and my dreams. Help me to be willing to let you have control of my children, knowing you want the best for them. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Lights in the Darkness

 

Today I'd like to share a Bible story from Acts 20:7-12. I'd like to take you deeper into the story to see the sights and sounds, "the just like us" human side of the story, because the Bible is just as much about us as it is about the people who lived those stories. Enjoy.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matthew 5:14

Children chattered and played as they walked with their parents carrying baskets of food and their lamps. Tonight was the last night to hear and visit with Paul before he sailed to Assos. There was a large house, three stories high, where they had agreed to gather. Neighbors watched as the little troop grew larger the closer they came to the house. 

The ladies in the house welcomed the guests, taking the baskets and spreading the food along tables for

everyone to share. A little food, a little fellowship, a little preaching, because of the buzz of the house no one noticed how late the hour had become. 

Eutychus, a young man, sat propped in a window to catch the night breeze and make room for the older folks to sit. As Paul preached toward midnight, Eutychus’ eyes began to droop and his head to nod. Several times, he’d caught himself from falling onto the old man seated in front of him. He rearranged himself, hoping to wake up. He wanted to hear, and he didn’t want to begin to snore, but his body slumped into slumber. Suddenly, his arms flailed. He toppled out the window to the street below. 

People screamed. Lights poured into the streets. Eutychus was dead! The commotion awakened the neighbors. Paul pushed his way through the crowd and then gathered the young man in his arms. “His life is in him,” he declared as Eutychus’ eyes fluttered open. 

“Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus!” came the exclamations from the crowd as they lifted their hands and faces heavenward. 

"Thank you, Jesus? Who is this Jesus?" the neighbors whispered along the street. They watched as people filed back into the house, talking and praising.

Inside, people prayed, ate, listened, and asked questions until dawn, when the town began to stir again. Eutychus, the young man, was helped home as people dispersed. Neighbors watched and eyed the window where, last night, he had fallen.

Lamps through the night, a dead man raised alive, people praising Jesus. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”

To think, it seemed to have started with lights shining in the darkness.

Heavenly Father, help us always be your shining light regardless of the hour or the circumstances. Even when we don't realize others are watching, may we still be prepared to be your witness. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Hey Kids:

It's easy to be kind, share, and play fair when we feel good, but what about when we begin to get tired? When it's bedtime and we feel grumpy, how do we react? 

How can we let others see Jesus in us even when we don't always feel like it? 

An Enlarged Tent

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; Isaiah 54:2

Isaiah prophesied before Israel was taken captive into Babylon that they would return. They would be responsible for spreading the gospel to the world. At the end of the 70 years, Cyrus allowed Ezra and Nehemiah to return to Israel with funds and materials to rebuild the temple and the wall. He sent protection for them. They had an opportunity to reach the world for Christ, the Messiah. 

The next verse says they would break forth on the right hand and on the left. They would inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Did it happen? Not yet.

Israel secluded themselves. They wanted nothing to do with Gentiles or Samaritans. So the Greeks took over and then the Romans. Finally, Israel themselves rejected and crucified the Messiah. God allowed Titus to destroy them, but God enlarged His tent. He sent Paul to the Gentiles. The church grew in Europe and Africa and in Asia Minor. All the while Israel lay desolate until 1948.

But what about us, the church, the believers in Jesus? Are we taking a vacation? When this country was founded, they came here for religious liberty. They stretched forth their habitations. We saw great revivals in Europe and in the US. 

There was a man mentioned in I Chron 4:9,10. He prayed for God to bless him and enlarge his "coast". He wanted God to use him to reach others. Like us he was probably a little bashful in sharing the gospel with others. But he wanted God to bless him, give him a supernatural unction to be brave enough to encounter others for Christ.

The world is changing fast, like a whirlwind has hit. I wonder if I'm paying attention and asking for God's favor to expand my opportunities to reach others?

Dear Heavenly Father, please give me a desire to be used by You, to expand my tent, my outreach to spread the gospel in a rapidly changing world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Follow the Son

 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. ~ Luke 9:23

While growing sunflowers over the years I've noticed a few things.

• No matter the time of day sunflowers follow the sun.From early morning to late afternoon, they face the sun. 
• Their roots grow deep into the soil, cleansing it from radiation, arsenic, and other harmful chemicals.

I've also noticed the blessings that people have who follow God's Son every day.

• Following the Son keeps our eyes on Jesus and not on the world
• Being rooted in Jesus cleanses us from the harmful effects of the world.

I watch as bees carry pollen from flower to flower, helping the seeds to form.

• The pollen from the sunflowers feeds the bees.
• The seeds feed other animals, birds, and people. 
• The seeds also drop into the soil beneath, allowing new plants to form

There are seeds that form in our lives.

• As we interact with other Christians, we grow in knowledge and love.
• We are able to feed others with the seeds of the gospel.
• We teach our children who are under our care and instruction to grow into strong Christians.

The leaves of the sunflower plant gather sunlight. 

• The leaves transform sunlight into chlorophyll.
•  The chlorophyll feeds the plant and helps it grow stronger. 

The old folks used to say, "Leaf through that catalog and see what you like. Leaf through that book and see if it might be a good read." They referred to the pages. 

• If we "leaf" through the pages of the Bible, stopping to read, study, even devour passages we grow stronger.
• A solid reading of the scripture gives us knowledge, and then we are able to give every person an answer for the hope within us.

Heavenly  Father, help us to take notice of Your creation, allowing it to open our eyes to your truth.Your word tells us that the invisible things of You from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even Your eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (My paraphrase from Rom. 1:20) Direct our lives, O Lord, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

My "Plumgranny" Tree is Blooming!

 

And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.

And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;

 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the Lord commanded Moses.

Exodus 39:24-26

Grandma had two trees along her back walk, a chinaberry tree and a "plumgranny tree." The Chinaberry tree was for climbing. It had nice, low spreading limbs we could climb without worrying about falling out and breaking something. The "plumgranny tree" wasn't for climbing. It was for eating. 

You've never eaten a "plumgranny?" It's sour and sweet with lots of tiny seeds just right for spitting. That's all there is, seeds and juice. Just put your fingers in the crown, that's the blossom end, and pull the tough skin apart. Sections of bright, juicy seeds will squirt juice all over your hands and clothes. 

I heard that! Someone said, "They're not 'plumgrannies'. They're pomegranates." I know that, but I didn't know until I was plumb grown. Pomegranates are one of the seven species mentioned in the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) They are native to Iran and India but have naturalized throughout the Mediterranean. Pomegranates are associated with fruitfulness, knowledge, learning, and wisdom. They also have many health benefits. The whole plant, from bark to flower to fruit, is edible. 

Tradition says there are 613 seeds in the fruit, the same as the 613 commandments in the Talmud. Though the actual number of seeds varies greatly, there can be quite a bit of symbolism associated with the fruit. God commanded that representations of the fruit be sewn between the bells on the priest's robe. There is no flesh in the fruit, only seeds and juice. When we leave our flesh behind, there is no more self in our actions. For a seed to produce more fruit, it must die. To be of service to Christ, we must die to ourselves and live unto Him. The red juice surrounds the seed and stains all it touches. So the blood of Christ must cover the seed planted in the hearts of others, and the blood stain of Jesus left to water it so that others may come to know Him as Savior. 

The juice - tart and sweet. I wish I still had the picture of my grandchildren eating their first pomegranates. Following Christ is not all sweetness, but the end results are eternal blessings.

Heavenly Father, help me remember to leave the thoughts and actions of the flesh behind and always be vigilant in planting and watering the seeds of the gospel in the hearts of others. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

The Bible in Action

Do you know the seven species of the Bible?

Read Deuteronomy 8:8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil, and honey;

Have you eaten all these foods? In the fall, Judaism celebrates the new year. On the second day, they introduce a new fruit. Often, that fruit is a pomegranate. 

Why not introduce yourself to a new species during the seven weeks of summer? 

Week 1 - Explore your neighborhood or vacation spot for a mill or store that provides freshly ground grains.  Help Mom bake a loaf of bread from fresh-ground wheat. 

Week 2 - Explore a new breakfast food. Barley makes great muffins. I found a good recipe on the package of barley I bought at the grocery store. 

Week 3 - We all love a handful of grapes, but have you made grape jelly? 

Week 4 - The figs will begin to come in between June and August. I love to pick them straight off the tree on a hot summer day. They always taste cool and refreshing, much like a peach. 

Week 5- Pomegranates may not be available until September, but the juice is readily available in most grocery stores. Be sure to try a whole fruit once they come in.

Week 6 - Drag a piece of crusty bread through a plate of olive oil. It's as good as butter.

Week 7 - Explore the farmers' market for local honey. The taste is wonderful, and the health benefits far outweigh the store-bought brands. 

I'm wondering why God made these foods and recommended them to the Israelites. Got any ideas to share?