Praises or Curses

March 21, 2016March 20, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

“And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Matthew 21:8-11

Can you see Him?
He entered the city riding upon a donkey. The people lined the streets, shouting, “Hallelujah,” praising His Name. They hailed Him as King.

http://ilifejourney.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/act3-scene28-01l.jpg : source

Can you see them?

One week later, they would curse Him and crucify Him. Hate Him for the very thing for which they praised Him just days before: He proclaimed to be King.

How often do we do this same thing?

When things are going good, we praise Him, we worship Him, we proclaim His goodness. We smile. We laugh. We rejoice and tell of His great love to those around us.

Yet, when tragedy strikes, when hard times comes, when things happen that we just can’t understand, we question. We doubt. We grow angry. We even curse Him, at times, believing we should never suffer, because we serve Him.

Can you see yourself?

Fighting, clawing your way through life. Angry and broken over the things that haven’t gone right. Hurt and confused because of the broken dreams and shattered promises of this world. Lost and alone without Him.

Now, can you see Him?

He looks upon you with eyes of love and not anger. He comes to you with His arms open wide. He wants to forgive us, and He longs to redeem us. He died for us while we were yet sinners, and He is faithful to us even when we are so less than faithful! He loves us and desires to be with us, and He patiently awaits our surrender.

This week, as we head toward Easter, let’s stop and really evaluate our responses to Him. Let’s not allow our praises to become curses simply because things don’t turn out as planned.

Bring your brokenness to Him, and let Him heal your hearts. Let Him soothe those fears and doubts. Let Him comfort you and help you. He loves you, and He has good plans for you.

Can we praise Him today?

Praise Him for all He’s done. Praise Him for His love for us and freely receive that love. It’s there just for you, just for me. Let our praises become a ritual and not a one time offering. Let our praises become a lifestyle of love to Him.

To Reach Them

March 17, 2016March 19, 2016 / The WheatandTares

We never know someone’s struggle. We never know their pain until we come in close, until they let us in past the protective shield they’ve constructed. Just as a wounded animal responds with growling and even a bite, sometimes, those most wounded will respond with the most hatred and venom. Just as a child whose grown up way too fast will grit their teeth and bare the scars and brokenness without a tear to shed, those most crippled often respond with a cold stare and clenched jaw.

source: flickr.com

We must reach to Him for the love they need. We must be His arms extended to show them grace and mercy. We can’t assume we know how they feel or even what they’ve been through, but He knows.

Oh, but the one who is broken and almost barren inside and, yet, is somehow able to respond to the love shown. That one to whom grace is freely given and the ice around her heart is finally shattered. Oh, the joy that will overflow!

We must first reach Him to reach them. We must first love Him to love them. Our acts of kindness, our showing of mercy will never last if it is only from our own mind, our own hands. Some will never respond, and that’s okay. It’s not a reflection of you. It is only a rejection of Him.

Just keep loving Him and reaching to them. Those who reject, just move on past, but keep on praying. God will have His way. God will reach their hearts.

Sometimes, you’re just to plant the seed. Sometimes, you get to pour the water. Regardless of your position, He’s always the One who brings the increase. You just keep obeying His call, and He will take care of the rest.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19

Get Back Up Again

March 16, 2016March 19, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

“Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.” – Oswald Chambers

Toddlers toddle along, walking, falling, holding on, letting go, falling, and getting up again. Constantly, all day, until they finally master the walking. I think we have a lot to learn from these little guys.
How often do we let mistakes and missed opportunities impede us from moving forward? How many times do we look back to past failures and let them hinder us from trying new things? I’d venture to guess it’s quite often. It’s human nature to say, “Well, I messed that up. Great. I’ll never get another chance.” Or “I’ve always been bad at this, why should I try again?”

We get so consumed on those past things, and I believe, often times, that’s why we get tripped up this time. When you’re learning to walk, you can’t look back the entire time. You can’t stay focused on what’s behind you, because you’ll miss out on the very things which are in front of you! Stop believing just because you have a shattered, damaged or imperfect past that your future is destined to be the same.

That’s not what Christ promised for us! He said, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11) He also said, “Nothing is impossible for God.” Here’s the cool part… When we start leaning on Him, rather than ourselves, when we start allowing Him To do the work within and through us, there is NOTHING we can’t do, because He’s doing the work.

So what, if we fall down, trip up; we’re just like those little kiddos learning to walk! It doesn’t matter how many times you feel like you’ve failed yesterday. The important part of failing is getting up today! So, get back up again! Dust yourself off. Ask for a little assistance from Him and those spiritual leaders He’s placed in your life, and try again! You’ll be amazed how fast you’ll run and achieve!

Don’t Settle For The Mud

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 / The WheatandTares

Proverbs 21:2, “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

Have you ever fooled yourself? You know, you’re walking along in life, everything is good, and the sun is shining. Then all of a sudden, you stumble a bit, you trip up, and you end up in a mud hole! After you get up, dust yourself off, you look around to see if anyone saw you, and you pretend nothing ever happened…only to realize later, you’ve been walking around all day with mud on your face!

source: flicker.com

Sometimes, this can happen in our Christian lives, and we wonder how in the world we got where we are. It may be a relationship of which we realize we never should have been a part of from the beginning. It may be a job situation where our faith is being compromised on a daily basis, and we realize we’ve let it go way too far, or it may even be an addiction that you thought you could control in moderation only to find out you’re in way over your head, and you’re about to drown, if you don’t get some help fast.

So, how can these things happen, when we call ourselves a Christian, when we go to church, say the right things and truly believe we are doing what we should? Well, let’s look at the latter part of that verse, “but the Lord weighs the heart.” The heart is where it all counts. The heart is the scale God uses to determine where we are in relation to Him. If your heart isn’t totally surrendered to Him, you will constantly find yourself in one mess after another, not because you “weren’t thinking,” but rather, because your heart misguided you.

You see, our hearts will lie to us. Our hearts will deceive us into thinking what we are doing is a good thing, maybe even a noble thing. It will convince us that our motives and intentions are pure and right; so, how in the world could we ever go wrong?

The answer to that can be summed up in this verse from Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” If you’ll take time to read the verses right before and right after this verse (17:5-13), I believe it can really shed light on this subject for you.

The only way our hearts can no longer deceive us is if we allow someone greater than us to consume our hearts. If we allow Him, the One who created our hearts, to direct our heart, then we are no longer trying to decipher good from bad within our hearts, He is.

I, for one, am very thankful to surrender my heart to Him and allow Him to guide and direct my heart and my life. I’ve tried it the other way, and I constantly kept walking into those mud holes, getting up and proceeding to walk around (unknowingly) all day with mud on my face! No thank you! I’ll take His divine guidance any day over my common sense and blind direction! 😉

Just A Light For This Step

March 10, 2016March 8, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

http://www.f3ashley.com/christian-encouragement/one-step-at-a-time/ : source

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

We may not always be able see far down the path. In fact, many times, we won’t be able to see more than one or two steps in front of us. Think about it.

How often do you know what is going to happen in a certain situation or a certain conversation? We can imagine. We can assume. We can even theorize, but we can never truly know, because we are not God. We are not fortune tellers. We are not even wizards who might conjure up an image of what’s to come.

We simply are who we are, and He is who He is.

We just have to follow Him one step at a time. If we will follow in obedience, we will make it to our destiny, even when we can’t see three steps in front of us. He is a good and loving Father, and when we will put our trust in Him, He is faithful and just to lead us, protect us, change us and love us, despite our fears, failures, doubts or hesitations along the way.

Can you trust Him today? I promise you, even when things don’t turn out the way you expected, in the end, He will not disappoint. He can see farther. He knows more, and best of all, He knows the innermost depths of our heart, even those things that we might hide from ourselves. He does know best, and He loves us so much, He is willing to give us just what we need when we need it!

Falling Forward…

March 9, 2016March 8, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Falling makes us wiser. Falling makes us stronger. It makes us more aware of what needs to happen differently the next time. It makes us more conscious of the change that must come, most of the time within, for us to succeed.

Yet, too often, we will resist falling. We run away from failures, and we hide from imperfections and mistakes. We believe everything must be picture perfect the first time around. We believe if there are any mistakes involved in our first try, then we are destined for a lifetime of misery, a lifetime of failure.

Maybe I’m just talking to myself here. Maybe it’s just me who struggles at times with wanting everything to be pristine perfect. Have you been there? Do you ever wrestle with these truths?

Can I tell you? There is HOPE! There is a promise we can hold onto! The Word says, “There is nothing impossible with God.” (Emphasis, mine) That Scripture isn’t there simply as a “feel good” word. He didn’t include it just to taunt you and make you think He was kidding. No, God means what He says, and He keeps the promises He gives us.

So, the next time things don’t go exactly as planned, take a step back and evaluate the situation. Sometimes, you might have needed a little more preparation. Other times, you need a little more practice, and often times, you just need a lot more patience!

There are other factors that may contribute, but these can give you a great start. When you’re struggling to succeed, and you’re tempted to quit, I encourage you to look at a toddler learning to walk, or a teenager learning to drive, or maybe even, a more seasoned folk learning a new trade. Do they always succeed on the very first try? I venture to guess that answer is a big, fat, “NO!” So, why don’t you give yourself a little more breathing room, a lot more grace and take that situation to God, and let Him help you try one more time. 😉

What Are You Hiding?

March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 7 Comments

source: http://thewell.intervarsity.org/reflections/hide-and-seek-god

We all hide something…we paint on makeup to hide blemishes and old age. We put on certain garments to hide weight gains. We avoid a phone call to hide awkwardness. We walk the other way to hide our annoyance with a certain person. We don’t show up in order to hide anger, hurt or confusion. Too often, we hide from the things that will cause us to work a little harder, think a little longer or or even confront a little stronger, because it’s much easier to avoid and hide than it is to put real effort into moving he mountain which is before us.

On the other hand, there are times you need to hide…

As the old saying goes, “If the barn needs painting; then, paint it!” There are definitely times when a little makeup helps more than it hurts. (I’m not arguing the merits of “going natural” here.) If you need to prepare your heart before the encounter; then, by ALL means, hide in your prayer closet and get prepared; so, you don’t add more damage to the troubled situation. If you need to avoid the conversation until you can gather your thoughts an words properly; then, do it, but don’t wait too long.

Yet, when it comes to matters of the heart, and it is a matter of obedience to the task God has set before you, it is better to hide under His wings to receive your true rest and strength and simply obey. When it involves someone who needs a confrontation, needs encouragement or just needs a friend, it’s time to come out from your hiding places and do the right thing!

Stop hiding for fear of failure, fear or confrontation or fear of rejection. When God calls you, He will equip you. He will give you the courage to obey. He will give you the ability to speak truth. He will give you the ability to forgive and love even when you don’t it’s possible.

One of the most important things is we must get honest about the hiding! It’s not a hide-and-go-seek game where you can claim to pretend you were just having fun. Your hiding doesn’t simply make those things go away; the hiding only prolongs the pain and frustration of yourself and those involved.

So, face down your fears. Confront the wrong and follow through with those things which God has placed before you! You can do this! You will be amazed how much better you will feel, how much stronger you will become and how much you will grow when you come out of hiding and seek out those things from which you have been straining to avoid. 😉

Are You Qualified?

March 3, 2016June 3, 2018 / The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

Source: http://veritusgroup.com/when-qualified-caseload-donors-become-unqualified

Do you ever really feel qualified for the task set before you? Do you ever struggle with insignificance, doubt, fear of rejection and a fear of failure? I know do.

Now, I’m going to interrupt myself for just a second here and say this: this post won’t be for those of you who are so sure of yourself that you feel you can take on the world. This post probably isn’t going to mean diddly to those of you who are completely confident in who you are and what you are doing that you don’t even ask for advice or input anymore.

No, in this post, I am talking to the ones out there who struggle with feeling qualified. You struggle with confidence and courage issues. You battle with low self esteem and the fear of rejection or the fear of failure. YOU are whose attention I hope to grasp for just a moment or two…

Personally, I have a constant war within my mind of not measuring up to who I ought to be or not doing the things that I know I should. I struggle with confidence, sometimes, in the simplest areas of life, and yet, I get so frustrated with myself because of this lack of confidence.

Even when I might begin to feel good about something I’m doing, there comes that moment, especially when in the public view, where I look (or at least feel like I look) like a deer in headlights. This being because I just saw someone look at me the wrong way and I begin to wonder if I’ve done or said something wrong, or I have a moment where I stumble with my words and worry that I’ve messed up the whole conversation, or I didn’t flow well with the service, in which I play a very small part, and I feel as if I could just run away and hide.

I could give several reasons for this inner battle. I could say, “Well, I’m just an introvert; so, I’m geared that way.” I could argue, “I’m a perfectionist, and I’m hard wired to always seek the perfect over the good.” I could even try to blame my parents, after all, my dad was neglective, out of the picture for most of my childhood, and my mom was a very domineering personality in the home.

Yeah, all of these have some truth in them. All of them effect who I am. However, none of these things can stand on their own when I look at this verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. None of these “hold water” when I read this verse, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14. When I read the Bible and see what it has for me, I find these excuses and justifications don’t work very well. These factors, these excuses, which are very much a part of me, just don’t measure up to the kind of God I serve.

I have to realize in every situation that God placed me here for a reason. I have a purpose, and I must fulfill it, not for my glory and fame, but for His. When He gets the glory, people’s lives are impacted. When His glory is revealed, people’s lives are forever changed. When I get my eyes off of me and totally on Him, my feelings of insignificance, lack of confidence and fears of failure simply turn to gray, as I gaze upon His beauty and awesomeness!

qualified

So, I have made a decision to keep my eyes focused on Him, to make the best of every situation for His sake, and to surrender all my fears and doubts and “lacks of,” and let Him have complete control of all of it. I have chosen to fight these battles with confidence, or the lack thereof, and WIN! I can do this when Christ is working through me! I can succeed when He is the goal, and it’s for His glory!

You can, too!

We can do this thing! 😉

Look at these videos that I found by Jon Jorgenson. I hope you will be encouraged!

Inspired this post: http://youtu.be/ZCSlaX-u3P8

For women: http://youtu.be/uWi5iXnguTU

For men: http://youtu.be/aTAn-tk2pDA

Piercing Question

March 2, 2016March 4, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 13 Comments

The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself. – Oswald Chambers, His Utmost for My Highest

When God confronts us with a piercing question, one that goes straight to the soul, as He did with Peter in John 21:17, he strips our conscience of every other thought or good deed we might have done. He causes our heart to realize the truth in the answer.

This has happened at least once in my life. It was the summer of 2000. Joey and I had tried to have a baby for 13 months, and after much turmoil, heartache, and almost giving up and going to see a dr about it, the test had finally read positive. We were so excited!! We started planning, preparing and dreaming about this precious little one who would soon enter our lives.

Almost immediately, I got sick. Oh, the morning sickness was awful! As soon as my eyes popped open every morning, I’d run to the restroom. Well, even before my eyes would open, I’d feel that nausea. Yet, I didn’t complain. I knew this precious baby was growing inside of me, and the sickness was all worth it.

Two days before Joey’s birthday, we went to the dr for my first check-up. I was 10 weeks along. The nurse put the little sonogram instrument on my belly, Joey and I held hands as we awaited that precious sound of a heartbeat. The nurse blinked, frowned a little and tried again; then, she decided she’d do a vaginal sonogram. (Not fun. Not. Fun. At. All.) She turned the screen; so, we couldn’t see; then, she stopped and simply said, “You’ll want to get dressed, and the doctor will be in shortly to talk to you.” As soon as she shut the door, I burst into tears. As he held me, Joey said, “Maybe it’s not that bad, babe.” I knew without a shadow of a doubt; there’s was something terribly wrong.

The doctor came in, and after showing us on the screen what he was seeing, he told us the baby never grew after the second day of conception, that this is called a “spontaneous abortion,” or a miscarriage, and that I had been sick, because the placenta didn’t stop growing; therefore, my body still presumed I was pregnant, causing the morning sickness.

We were devastated. I had to have a D&C the following Monday to remove the placenta, and we left for my grandparents home in northwest Florida for a few days, just to regroup and process it all. While there, I prayed a lot, sought God for answers, questioned my faith and why He would answer my prayers only to take away my only dream in life.

You see, I was never bent on having a career, having prestige or even being great at a good job. All I ever wanted to do was be a mom. I just wanted to hold, love and nurture a little one. I just wanted to be the best wife and mother I could be. Now, I questioned if that was actually in God’s plan for me. I questioned if we would ever have any little pitter-pattering feet running through our home.

That is when God confronted me with the question. I remember it so vividly; the moment is forever etched in my mind. I was standing in my grandmother’s sewing room, looking through the glass door that looked out over the bay. I was praying, and God said, “Will you love Me even if you never have a child?” I just started weeping, and I knew, without a shadow of doubt, the answer within my heart: “Yes, Lord. I will always love You, even if You never give me the dream. How can I live without You?”

When He confronts you with His piercing question, there is no where to hide. There are no pretenses to hold onto. There are no lies to portray. The truth is revealed in your heart at that very moment, and you know it for the rest of your life.

Problem is, too often, we allow our lives to get so cluttered, so busy and so overwhelmed that we don’t allow Him the time to ask us. We don’t get alone with Him and give Him the opportunity to ask. Yes, He is God. I know, He can ask us whenever; yet, I have found, more often than not, He only asks those piercing questions when WE are ready for the answer. You see, He doesn’t need the answer; He already knows the depths of our heart. He knows what we’re going to say. The answer is for our knowledge. The answer is for our revelation of truth.

Get alone with Him. Open your heart and your ears to hear what He has to say. Let Him ask you those piercing questions, and you might just be surprised when the answer is revealed.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10