life

How Do You Do It?

/ The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

I watch as a mother holds the hand of her 12 year old battling cancer in a children’s hospital day after day. I look on as a wife says goodbye to her man of almost 60 years. I wipe a tear as I read a story of a family that’s dealing with the death of two grandchildren, a son and daughter in law, all in the same week, and I wonder how you do it?  

How do you survive in this world without the love of Christ to sustain you? I wonder how you make it through these darkened days of tragedy and pain. I can’t imagine living my life with no hope, no joy, no faith in a Higher Power than myself. 

Maybe you’ll think I am just weak, that I simply need a crutch to walk through this life…well, I have found I can’t even walk without holding His hand! When I am leaning on His everlasting arms, I realize I can climb a mountain or walk through a valley! I have strength, because it’s no longer my human strength that I am relying on. It is the strength of my Creator and my God. He laid the foundations of this earth, and He breathed life into my very being; so, why would I ever think my strength is better than His? 

To top it all off, He loves me so much that He died and rose again for me. His plans for me are good plans, and He wants to give me a hope and a future! Believe it or not, He longs to do the same for YOU, because He loves you, too! Why would you ever want to deny that kind of love or reject that kind of power in your life??

Desperate Living

/ The WheatandTares

Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our successes of today or our failures of yesterday that we accept the notion “all eyes are on us,” and that our success or failure will determine the destiny of those around us. Can I tell you, this is so far from truth! Yet, so many get caught up with this misconception from time to time.

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Truth be told, this mindset actually stems from a source of PRIDE! To have the belief that our actions, or lack thereof, can determine the destiny of someone else is placing ourselves in the position of God Himself, and He doesn’t give us that kind of authority. Sure, our actions can effect someone else, and they can bring pain and difficulty, or joy and freedom, into a part of that person’s life; however, God is the only One who holds the key to someone’s destiny! What we do, does matter; please don’t get me wrong. Yet, over the years, I have watched too many people who believe their actions can make or break another person’s future. To allow ourselves the privilege of this kind of thinking is to simply think too highly of ourselves and our impact on other people.

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We are all just living desperate lives of survival here, and we are all simply called to love God and to love our fellow man. We are instructed to reach others for His Kingdom by showing them His love and goodness. When we lay down our pride and work together to this end, we become a unified front against the desperation of this earthly life. We become the Body of Christ to fulfill His purpose and His glory and to put the enemy to shame!

So, let us never think too highly of our successes nor too lowly of our failures. Let us always encourage each other to see the greatness of our God rather than the greatness of ourselves. Let us lend a helping hand to lift up those who might have fallen a little lower, and pray without ceasing for those who have risen a little higher. Let’s put our hands into the hands of the Father as we keep traveling on together, one step at a time, toward our promise land.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Romans 12:3-5

Pilgrims Passing Through

/ The WheatandTares

edb8cc042620994917ac978f91ed3c6bI am reminded of something, time and again, that I think often gets lost in the shuffle of everyday living, periodic competitions with our fellow man and intermitten crises that, at times, seem to shield our vision from reality:  We are ALL JUST PEOPLE living desperate lives trying to survive in this journey called life!

That moment when you feel “on top of your game,” when you feel nothing can ever stop you, and maybe even a little pride comes sneaking in to seduce you to the thought that your life is so much better than so many, remember this: we are ALL just one heartbeat away from saying goodbye to everything. There are no guarantees for tomorrow, and there are no promises beyond what God has given us in His Word.

As well, on that day when you feel “at the bottom of the bottom barrel,” when you feel nothing could ever go right for you again, and maybe even a little self pity creeps in to convince you of the thought that so many would be better off without you, remember this: we are ALL just one step away from the potential to succeed. When you put your hand in the hand of the Father, you are guaranteed to become an overcomer, and you are instantly promised ALL He has to give.

Do these promises instantaneously make our lives perfect, never again to be effected by this human nature, this earthly life? OH! How I wish it were so, but by all means, NO!! He told us in this world we would have trouble, we would have tribulation; yet, He has, also, assured us that He has overcome the world! 

So, don’t take courage in your tomorrow, and never let discouragement cloud your view of today. We only need to hold tightly to His hand and remain trusting of His heart as He guides us through to the other side! We are simply pilgrims passing through to a better land, to our eternal home.

“Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:16

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Paving Their Path

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

 

Once a child reaches the age of accountability, every child must make his or her own choices, and every child is responsible for what he or she does. However, I have found that we, as parents, do have a part to play in helping to pave the path they choose in life. We can’t make their choices, and we can’t be accountable for their decisions. However, we do have the ability to make those choices easy or hard to find.

You see, our children walk down their own paths into the destiny of their own choosing. They will be faced with the good and bad consequences of their actions and with the fruit from the seeds they choose to sow. However, we can pave that path with the “asphalt” of faith, the guard rails of love and the road signs toward joy and fulfillment, or we can lay down layer upon layer of rock, rubble, nails and thorns from the bitterness, foolishness, enablement and even pain of our own lives, layers through which our children will have to fight and claw just to find those good decisions they long to choose.

 

When we live as good examples for our little ones, make good decisions for our own lives as we try to raise them the best way we know how, and strive to correct in front of them the mistakes we are sure to make along the way, their paths will be lined with the good substance they need to not only survive this life, but it also will build the foundation upon which they can thrive through this life!

If you realize your children may have a rocky road ahead, I have good news for you! You can begin TODAY picking up the stones of hatred and anger that have been thrown along their path. The rocks and rubble of foolishness and enablement can be pushed aside. The nails of spite which have been dropped and the thorns of pain which have been sown can be picked up, cut back and removed as you reach out with repentance, forgiveness, truth and love.

This process can only begin with a right relationship with God, a daily seeking of His Word and a continual reaching out to your child with loving kindness. It may not be an instant reconciliation, but with Christ, it can be an instant healing within your own heart and mind. He can help you to clear the path and to make things right again. He can guide you and your child to a better way.

Live For Today

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

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Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you USED to be, whether in the “glory days of sin” or the “past victories of spirituality.” That is all passed away, never to be grasped again. The important thing is where you are right now, this very minute, and where you choose to be tomorrow. 
Yesterday’s pain, nor yesterday’s manna will sustain us for today. His mercies are new every single  day for the washing of sin, the renewing of the mind, and the restoring/stirring of our spirit. His love runs deeper than all the heartaches of the past and His faithfulness stands stronger than any conquered ground you gained in yesteryears. 

So, why do we so often submit to the guilt of our past failures? Why do we so often take pride in our past spiritual encounters? 

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PROTECTION

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

My pastor gave this great description of like to share with you:

PRAYER + PREPARATION = PROTECTION

We were actually talking about security in our church when he gave this, but I’d like to take t a step further into our spiritual lives… Both of these steps are vital for our Christian walk. Too often, I believe, we find ourselves in a chaotic mess, because we’ve forgotten one of these two essentials.

When we are so much in prayer, but we don’t prepare for anything, we appear to those around us as spiritual IDIOTS. Please forgive my bluntness, but it’s true. If you are always proclaiming God’s greatness, and you’re speaking your praises wherever you go, but you can’t hold down a job, you can’t pay your bills and you can’t keep your mind and mouth in stability, you’re actually hurting the Gospel more than helping it. Now, I am NOT talking about those who have a tragedy or come on hard times, please understand. Everyone has their battles, and sometimes, we just have to hold onto Jesus a little tighter to make it through the day. However, if it’s a lifestyle of perpetual chaos and instability, you may be missing the mark somewhere. For the Word tells us, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  2 Tim. 2:7

On the other side of this spectrum, if you are so prepared, yet you never pray, your witness will hurt the kingdom, as well. We can be so earthly minded that we do heaven no good. Sometimes, faith isn’t going to look right to the world. Sometimes, prayer is going to seem a little crazy to the carnally minded, and sometimes, prayer is the ONLY thing that is going to bring about victory in your life! If we are so prepared, or maybe I should use the word WISE, in our own abilities and skill sets, we can do damage to our witness for Christ, because we fail to see our need for Him. We rely too much in our own strength and our own smarts. Or should I say, “…for in my weakness He is made strong.”

It takes both the prayer and the preparation to being about God’s full protection. When we have both, we walk in His complete authority. When we have both, we can storm the gates of hell and take back the captives, because it is no longer our own words and our own might, but HIS!

Let us be a people of preparation AND of prayer, and we will watch Him bring forth the victory!

When The Pain Sets In

/ The WheatandTares / 5 Comments

Sometimes, your heart is bound up with so much emotion, words are hard to find. Your mind is so consumed with an avalanche of thought that you can not grasp even one. It’s like water droplets over a waterfall. 

Sometimes, the pain is so baffling, it feels as if time is standing still. Your destiny is too far to imagine, and your past comes in like a flood. It can be overwhelming… Suffocating… Constricting and condemning.

Sometimes, in that very moment, is when you need the reminder of His love and His grace. It is comforting… It is reassuring… It is strengthening and redeeming… 

He will heal. 

Only believe. 

Trite Answers for the Broken 

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

mydestinysharinghope.com

Yesterday, we went to visit someone whose spouse is dying of cancer and then prayed with a lady whose mom is in the final hours of her life. A few moments later, we spoke with a set of parents whose 30-something daughter was admitted into the hospital with an aneurysm one month ago and who is, currently, knocking at death’s door.

Today, I read of a husband who is living in the house with his wife who desires a divorce, and I thought of a wife who faced the choice to stay and ignore, attempt to pick up the shards, or simply walk away from years of holy matrimony. Tonight, I read stories of children with leukemia struggling to thrive and more who deliberately survive day to day with debilitating diseases and conditions. There’s so many who need to be reached.

I read my Bible. I pray, and I send an encouraging word, hoping to bring hope in those places where, sometimes, I wonder if change will come. I believe His Word to be true. I really, really do; yet, I fear my answers seem so trite and contrived as I pray desperately to have the faith to believe for the miracle.

It’s so easy to give into the doubt. My flesh longs to feel the relief of my faith. My carnal mind fights against reason to grasp for Hope. My heart wars on the battlefield of Spirit vs. flesh…

Yet, in that very moment, I can feel my spirit rising in indignation. I can feel my heart leap for the Comforter’s arrival. My eyes swell with tears as I know without a shadow of doubt that He has stepped into that chasm of space and time. As the old song declares, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow… Because He lives, all fear is gone… Because I know, I know, He holds the future… And life is worth the living just because He lives!” 

I cannot tell you how He does it. I cannot even tell you how He makes it possible, but I am eternally convinced of His promise: when you place your hand in His, and you simply trust and believe, He gives you grace in the very moment you need.

He gives you Hope…for He is Hope. He is Love. He is everything you could ever need.

kingdavid.wordpress.com

To Set You Free

/ The WheatandTares

“Standing up for what is right is a key to freedom…A chain of bondage is placed upon a person link by link each time she turns away from the Truth or refuses to voice what is right.” – Jesus Freaks

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You speak lies as if they were rays of light.

You spew anger and deceit like rain.

Untruths pour out of your lips like rivers flowing to find higher ground.

Yet, you never see the chains that have wrapped around you link by link.
You stand proclaiming your stories.

Believing this will bring you fame and glory.

You hold onto your belief that slander will bring you the power you seek.

Yet, you never realize the pit in which you have thrown yourself is destined only for disaster.
You cannot see the chains that bind you.

You cannot see the miry pit in which you tread.

Your release lies within the Truth.

Your liberty is bound within your fight for rightness.

Your freedom is enslaved to the veracity of your words.
There is Hope for this prison in which you dwell.

There is a Promise for these chains that hold you still.

Just turn toward Him to see your redemption.

Let His Truth wash over you and make you clean.
Penned – 7/27/16 – MG

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“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

 

Where Are the Davids?

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment


I saw this post today, and it made me think of another “battle” David faced… I wonder if this statement could also be made, “Sometimes, God will put a Saul in your life, for you to find the David within you.” So many times, we are reminded of David’s battle with Goliath and how he had the courage to face the great giant, relied on the strength of the Lord and defeated that foe with a simple, smooth stone and a sling. 

Yet, what about the battle he faced with Saul for so many years? It has been said it took 13 years after Dabid was anointed king for him to receive the crown, and most of that time, he spent in service to King Saul who hard him and who, eventually, tried to hunt him down to kill him! How often do you and I stay in service to someone who actually hates out guts? Have you had your “boss” try to throw a spear at you or have his soldiers on a manhunt for you? I doubt many of us have had to flee for our lives, hide out in a cave, and yet, when that same evil king shows up, alone in that cave, David refuses to take revenge on the guy who has made his life so miserable!

Too often, as Christians, we may get upset over the petty little stuff posted by our “foe” on Facebook, and we sling words around like firey darts to all who will hear. We’ll run that person’s name in the dirt just because they hurt our feelings or said an unkind morsel of gossip. 

Yes, I know these situations can be bad, and I know, sometimes, unkind words from someone we believed to be our friend can feel hurtful enough to make our heart ache, but we’ve not been to the point of shedding blood! We’ve not been to the point of losing all we have for the sake of the battle we face! Yet, too often, we respond in kind rather than responding as David did. 

He gave us a great example to follow. When he had the chance to kill King Saul, to put to death the very man who had destroyed his peaceful living, and who could possibly destroy his hopes of becoming king, he refused to touch God’s anointed. After all, he had been anointed King by the prophet. Understand, he had an army of men surrounding him, he had the ‘popular vote’ to do what his flesh desired. He had a right to take his throne, even by force, right? Yet David said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” 

Then, listen to what he said to King Saul when he confronted him, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’? Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”

He decided to speak truth yet allow God to judge between he and the king. He never tried to hide his feelings of injustice, but he didn’t raise a hand of violence against King Saul. He decided it best to allow God to fight his battle for integrity and justice! How often do we do that?? 

We can learn so much from David, the man after God’s own heart! 💗
Scripture references: 1 Samuel 24