Wheelbarrow

This wheelbarrow was a gift from my husband a few years ago.

One might think it a strange thing to give, but I was thrilled to receive it.

I’d been hauling things in five gallon buckets since our last wheelbarrow broke beyond repair.

We’d been doing some digging in our yard and had uncovered so many rocks.

If you can imagine the time and effort it was requiring for me to move rocks with a five gallon bucket, you should have an understanding of the blessing of a wheelbarrow.

I’m even more thankful for it here as I clean out pens or cages and haul the refuse to the compost or into the garden.

A wheelbarrow is a simple tool which makes my life easier everyday and I’m so thankful to both my husband and the Lord for His provision.

As I was thinking about the blessings of being able to use my wheelbarrow it occurred to me that it’s such a blessing because I use it.

If I were to ignore the benefits of using it and continued to haul everything in five gallon buckets, I’d not appreciate the gift.

But it’s ridiculous to try to use five gallon buckets to move soiled hay or manure when the wheelbarrow is available.

God’s Word, salvation, and the Holy Spirit are the most incredible gifts.

Yet, how easy is it for us to return to the “old ways” of doing things rather than avail ourselves of these precious gifts?

For those who have yet to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, they are missing the most important gift anyone was ever offended: forgiveness from sin.

For those who believe and have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, if they are not in the Word their maturing in Christ will be extremely slow and difficult, for without the Word their spirit is starving.

For those who have both believed and are in the Word, it is folly to ignore the Holy Spirit and His place in our lives, for He was sent to Comfort and convict of sin, righteousness, and judgement.

John 16:7-8 NKJV — “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

To be truly grateful for these gifts of God we must regularly be recognizing the importance of each and diligent in our application of God’s blessings.

If I never used my wheelbarrow I’d not be blessed by the benefits it offers to my day.

As a believer if I forget the sacrifice of my Lord Jesus, or put off time in His Word, or grieve the Holy Spirit by choosing to live counter to the Word, I’m missing the incredible blessings God has bestowed.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for salvation. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit. Lord, please continue to hone my heart that I might not forget these glorious blessings in my life. Lord, cut down anything that might eat away my time and waste my attention. Lord, please reveal my heart, that when I fall into sin I’m might repent of it quickly. Lord, please continue to grow my through Your Word and direct me. Thank You for teaching me so much. Thank You for Your wonderful gifts! I love You, Lord. Amen.

Walking in righteousness

He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Proverbs 21:21 KJV

For those who have accepted the blood of Christ Jesus as a cleansing from sin, we have the incredible gift of right standing before God through no merit of our own, it’s a gift.

And when we realize the costly grace bestowed upon us we look back at our sinful nature with horror of continually finding it ensnaring us into the old ways, old habits of ourselves before Christ.

To look upon Him whom we have pierced with our sin is to recognize the truth of never wanting to choose that again.

Our hearts long to walk in righteousness before God.

Thus we were given another incredible gift, the Holy Spirit.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
John 16:7‭-‬8 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.16.7-8.NKJV

Romans 14:17 NKJV — for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 NKJV — Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Walking in righteousness is being led by the Spirit and choosing to follow God’s Word.

For He gave us so much to guide us, especially about being righteous.

Proverbs 13:5 NKJV — A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.

Proverbs 20:7 NKJV — The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

Psalm 37:16 NKJV — A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.

These are only a small taste of the wealth of guidance God’s Word supplies.

It’s a beautiful pairing of God’s Word and God’s Spirit.

The Holy Spirit teaches our hearts and guides our steps, while we immerse ourselves in the Bible.

Psalm 1:6 NKJV — For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word, the Bible. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Helper. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice that cleanses our souls. Please help us to shine evil and do good, to walk in the way of righteousness. Lord, please continue to purify our way before You, cleansing us of false ideas, freeing us from lies, exposing the trucks of the enemy. Lord, please help us to honor You with our attitudes, our actions, and our words. Lord, please shine through us to those who have yet to know You. May the whole Earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Amen.

Peace

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13-18 NKJV

These verses make it clear that peace is a fruit of living daily in the wisdom from God.

God’s wisdom brings peace.

The shear weight of this truth should be enough to cause one to pause and meditate.

How would the world look if everyone followed God’s wisdom?

If every person, for all of time simply “loved your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18b), how much more peaceful would our world be?

The facts are easy to see if one simply looks at history.

Whether it is one’s own history or the history of a nation, the wisdom of God makes a incredible impact on the peace of the people.

Unfortunately, those who walk in God’s Word, practicing His wisdom each day are rare.

But that does not discontinue the fact that God’s wisdom brings peace.

He also gives us a pattern of conduct to follow when we are feeling anxious.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

It is through Jesus Christ we find the answer to the lack of godly wisdom around us and in us.

Jesus said:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 27-28

Through the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can find the understanding, we can find comfort, we can be reminded of God’s Word.

Daily time in prayer and in God’s Word is where God’s wisdom is planted in our hearts and where peace will grow.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for Your Word and for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the help we can find. Lord Jesus, please continue to teach us Your wisdom, let our hearts never grow weary of seeking after it nor our eyes tire of looking into Your scriptures, but instead let our minds be receptive and our hearts fertile ground. Please continue to open our understanding that we might discern the times and seasons we are in and look to You for the answers we seek. Lord Jesus, please help our lives to bring forth the fruit of peace, that others might see that Your truths are true and Your ways are best. Thank You, Jesus. Amen

Because it takes diligence

Although, I had wanted to learn how to crochet lace for many years.

Nothing could have prepared me for the diligence it would take.

Like the moment I realized I’d put together three Celtic Flowers and I’d used the wrong number of stitches.

Which meant pulling it all out and starting completely over.

Now, that might sound like a little thing, but it feels very disheartening.

Crocheting lace takes tiny little stitches.

I’m always surprised at how much thread I wind back around the spool as I unravel stitches.

But it’s worth it.

The diligence in doing it over correctly means the end result will be something worth keeping.

Not necessarily the item, but definitely the lesson.

There is so much self discipline in diligence.

The lesson is so vital to those who follow Christ.

It takes a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment, choice to die to our own wants, desires, and ideas.

Following Christ means we don’t make our own agenda, we are servants of the Most High God.

A servant doesn’t plan their day, they wait upon their master.

Jesus is our example in all things and He laid down what serving God means.

John 5:30 NKJV — “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

John 15:10 KJV — If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

These are just a tiny slice of the depth of being a Christ follower.

For a servant to do the will of the Master they must know what He says.

Therefore, constant and continued prayer and Bible reading are the follower’s direction.

And the Master is so gracious and loving.

He understands each one better than that one knows themselves.

He even has sent the Holy Spirit to walk with His servants, to comfort them in their efforts.

He also supplies all the provision required.

I’ll be honest.

I’ve not always understood all this.

My efforts have often been warped by my own selfishness or my blindly trying to force circumstances into what I thought God was directing.

I’ve learned that when things go sideways, it’s time to seek God’s face.

Often, the error is in my understanding of the direction He gave.

Other moments it’s been a call to stop charging ahead of Him, but to do things as I’m lead, side-by-side with the Lord.

On some occasions, He allows things to catch my attention.

I’ve been known to “get things done” while missing the people God wanted me to minister to.

His heart is for the individual, not the project, and He has used circumstances to redirect my focus.

No matter the situation, it should be God who directs us, hones our character, and gives us the pattern to follow.

Then the Christ follower can diligently seek Him as they serve.

We can’t always see the beautiful and useful creation God is making.

But I’m certain that His crafting will produce a fair more valuable treasure than any crocheted lace.

May God bless you, dear Reader, as you diligently follow