To be a vine in our Father’s garden means that we fall under His watchful eye, and the constant attention of His pruning. Nothing is gained unless something is left behind. No vine branches out and bears more fruit without the careful pruning of the vinedresser. How conceited we are to think that the vine, and its branches, are God’s sole focus, no, it is the fruit, and the beautiful flowers that the gardener desires; Passion fruit, Grapes, and the sweet taste of love.
Do you feel that your faith is insignificant, and that what you do day after day is of little consequence? Is your prayer life a quiet one, and unknown to anyone except for you, and God Himself? Are the good things you do for others done in secret, and go seemingly unnoticed? If this is true then you are a saint whose faith is known by God, precious in His eyes, and He is holding you close.
Are you broken in some way today? Perhaps your heart cries out, and your spirit longs for relief from the troubles of the world that have ravaged your sense of wellbeing? The world can do great harm to us physically, but its greatest damage is inflicted against us spiritually. Ask yourself this... Has pain found its home in your soul today, and if it has are you calling out to God for spiritual healing?
The stock markets may crash, and the influences of COVID-19 might bankrupt our businesses, but God remains with us, and will always be our strength. The trust we place in the things of this world is like walking on thin ice... we never know when it might give way, but God is true, and strong, He is with us always... even when the ice gives way, and our life is ebbing away.
Do you long to be in the presence of God? When you pass by a church do you admire the cross that crowns it, and think of Jesus Christ, and all He does for you? Do you dream of being in God’s presence, standing with Jesus before God the Father with your face aglow, and your heart nearly exploding with the joy He brings you? If so, you are not alone, and your soul is singing in unison with so many others.
We are given life in seasons, and as we go through them our bodies grow to maturity, then are diminished, and our energy is abated, but our spirit grows and is encouraged within us; ever strengthening. How wonderful it is to dedicate the years of our youth to the Lord, and to follow after our faith with strong legs, and sharp eyes. Our lives are like the tide that rushes in, and swells to reach its peak, only to recede once again, until it has gone completely out.
This morning I was reading about commonplace religion, that religion which is shaped around what is easy, formed around what others say and not by intense prayer, God's word, and self denial. We live in a feel good society "if it feels good then it must be good and right." But that isn't what the bible teaches us. So I read Titus 2 this morning, and as an aging member of my church, the scripture convicted me, but whatever your age, and whether you are a man or woman, I believe it will convict you as well.
Our God is Holy, and his holiness is majestic, so much so that the angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy to Him. We too must realize Him to be Majestically Holy, and to worship Him with the same emphasis as the angels... Holy, Holy, Holy. Yet, we too are told to be holy, but how is that possible for us? It can only happen if we are made so through our faith, and belief in Jesus Christ... by His blood.
How deep is our desire to be a child of God? Does knowing He is near cause us to breathe in short breaths, and rush to welcome Him home with loving arms? So often we see God served as if He were an honored, but never before met, dinner guest, and Jesus as His distant traveling companion who we don’t really know, just as He was unrecognized on the road to Emmaus. Do we greet them with formality, a handshake perhaps, instead of a holy kiss, and a seat at a side table instead of with our close friends? Is this our relationship; cordial, but not personal... at least until we need a miracle... some wine perhaps?
Are we ready to follow Jesus, or do we think we are following Him now? If so, then where is our cross, why are we carrying it, and where are we going with it? The cross is a powerful symbol of our Christian Faith, and as such it is a very personal emblem of suffering, obedience, and ultimately death. When we think of “The Cross” we see Jesus hoisted up upon it with nails through His hands and feet, and the image is horrific to our mind’s eye, but that is Christ’s cross and not our own. Jesus didn’t tell us to pick up His cross and follow Him, He told us to pick up ours.
Are you suffering in some way today? Have you been in prayer concerning it? If so, how do you perceive the agony you are enduring, and in what way are you asking that it be lifted from you when you pray? Is your prayer a selfish one as you pray “Father heal me!”, or do you pray A righteous prayer... “Father heal me that you might be glorified, and I might serve you better!”. How do you view the pain you suffer; is it punitive, or an opportunity afforded you by God to bring glory to His name?
How is our faith affected when we face physical suffering, and how about the times when we are tormented spiritually by people who don’t want us to speak the gospel to those who need to hear it? All of the apostle’s faced rejection and trials as they carried the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, but even though they faced great physical and spiritual abuse, they continued on... even to horrific death and martyrdom. Can we hold to our faith in the face of such persecution?
When we fear the Lord and seek after Him, we receive His blessings throughout our journey, but even this doesn’t mean we will not be without pain and suffering. We can strive to obey the commandments of our Heavenly Father, but in doing so, we pay a price in sacrifice. Before iron can be reshaped into something useful, or beautiful it must enter the furnace, and before clay can become fixed in its new shape, it must be fired. So it is with us as Christians... our redemption comes with a price, and our rebirth into a new creature requires an often uncomfortable transformation. So we rejoice in our trials, and claim the blessings they make real in us.
As we dwell on the Word of the Lord we are made to pause in awe, and with raised hands declare, in tears, His greatness. O the wonder of who He is. O the grandeur of His creation. O how our Souls are thrilled by knowing the least of His thoughts, and our hearts warmed beyond measure by the slightest touch of His hand. Do you search God’s Holy Word for a glimpse of Him? Do you see the creator in all of His creation, and Come to know anything about Him?