Tag: nurturing

The Growth, Development and Power of Our Faith

Matthew 13:32
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.

The mustard seed germinates from the tiniest of beginnings. Yet it blossoms into one of the largest plants in any garden. Its utility is quite impressive. As a tree, it provides food and shelter for the birds that it attracts. As an herb it provides its greater value as a savory delight for man. It is noteworthy that the true and highest value of the mustard seed is seen only after it has been crushed by the master of the garden.

The mustard seed parable was taught by Jesus in order to illustrate the growth, development and power of our faith. Our faith starts out as a seed planted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It starts out small at first, but when properly nourished grows into something so large that it changes how we live and how we serve God. In the early stages of our development as disciples of Jesus Christ, it is likely that we will draw others to us for peace and comfort. But our greater value to them will come later as we mature in Christ. When we have been pressed by our trials, perhaps even crushed by them, the best that we have to offer to anyone will be released. It will be then that those who have been drawn to us will receive the full power of who we are in Christ.

Let us turn to the nurturing care of the Holy Spirit as we are crushed by the trials of life. Let us surrender to the process of having the old man pressed out of our lives and having the new man in Christ released to the world around us. Let us strive to reach our highest value in the kingdom by our submission to the hand of the Master.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for planting the seed of faith within our hearts. We pray that the Holy Spirit will aid us the continuous growth of our faith. We humbly ask for the grace and the strength that we need to endure the trials in our lives which will press the best from us as we mature in our relationship with Our Savior. May the world be drawn to us to savor the fullness of Christ within us. We ask all these things in the name of the Lamb Slain, Jesus Christ.

The Enemy’s Divide and Conquer Strategy

Revelation 3:2
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

The message to the church of Sardis in the book of Revelation was, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” The people of Sardis were urged to wakeup and strengthen what remained of their relationship with God or they would see their relationship with God disappear.

Today we are often guilty of sitting back and watching as the enemy tries to destroy not only our relationship with God, but our relationships in our marriages, our homes and our extended families. We need to wake up and strengthen these relationships through Jesus Christ. These relationships were placed in our lives by Almighty God. Just as Jesus Christ should be the foundation for our spiritual lives, these family relationships should be foundational elements in our natural lives.

The enemy knows how important these relationships are to us. He knows that if he can destroy these relationships that he can weaken our relationships with Our Father in heaven. The enemy knows this well and does everything possible to “divide and conquer”.

Divide and conquer can be very subtle…at least at first. Divide and conquer appears as meals eaten alone because the family is so busy. Divide and conquer is going to bed angry with a spouse over a relatively unimportant issue. Divide and conquer is skipping the family reunion because of some prior squabble with one family member.

We cannot be passive. We must wake up and be constantly on guard to protect our relationships. Our marriages, our homes and our extended families are treasures. When conflicts occur, we need to move swiftly to repair the damages and rebuild what the enemy is trying to destroy. We must be proactive in nurturing activities that keep the relationships alive. We must build walls of protection that withstand the assaults of the enemy.

Let us seek first to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. With Him as our sure foundation, let us be resolute in our efforts to build and protect all the personal relationships that God has given us as treasures on this earth.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the treasures in life that You have provided through our marriages, our homes and our extended families. We pray that You will provide us with the armor that we need to fight against the enemy that seeks to take away our treasures. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to make Jesus Christ the foundation of our lives so that we can build indestructible walls of protection around our treasures. We ask all these things in the name of Our Sure Foundation, Jesus Christ.

God Promises to be With Us Through the Trying Times

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

The trials of fire and water can be in the context of natural disasters or they can be in the context of figurative calamities which come upon us rapidly and are immediately overwhelming to us personally. Whether our trials are figurative or literal, God promises that we shall not be consumed by any trouble or peril that threatens to distress us greatly. In fact, God assures us that He plans to turn our trials to our advantage. He intends to teach and instruct us through our afflictions as He delivers us out of them.

Suffering will come in our lives. It is not a matter of if, it is only a matter of when. We can be comforted in knowing that through all these trying times that God will be with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He promises to not only guide us and strengthen us through these things that are so troublesome to our flesh, but to use each of these times to nurture us and draw us closer to Himself.

When all is said and done, we will find that it is during the times of suffering that we see the greatest transformation in our lives. With our eyes focused on Our Savior and not our problems, we will see layers of self peeled away and the likeness of Christ rising up in us. Through His grace, we will see the fires of chaos burn away our uneven edges and the overflowing waters carry away our dross.

Let us find Jesus in the storms of our lives. Let us draw closer to Him as we receive the comfort, guidance and strength that He promises. Let us grow spiritually through His nurturing during our times of greatest trial.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the comfort of knowing that You are always with us. We bless Your name for the strength that You provide for us to wade safely through the storm waters of life. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will teach us how to focus on Our Savior Jesus Christ and not on the trials that are trying to overwhelm us. We pray that You will provide refreshing when we are so weary in the battle. We ask all these things in the name of Our Fortress and Our Protector, Jesus Christ.

Repairing and Rebuilding Relationships

Revelation 3:2
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

The message to the church of Sardis in the book of Revelation was, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” The people of Sardis were urged to wakeup and strengthen what remained of their relationship with God or they would see their relationship with God disappear.

Today we are often guilty of sitting back and watching as the enemy tries to destroy not only our relationship with God, but our relationships in our marriages, our homes and our extended families. We need to wake up and strengthen these relationships through Jesus Christ. These relationships were placed in our lives by Almighty God. Just as Jesus Christ should be the foundation for our spiritual lives, these family relationships should be foundational elements in our natural lives.

The enemy knows how important these relationships are to us. He knows that if he can destroy these relationships that he can weaken our relationships with Our Father in heaven. The enemy knows this well and does everything possible to “divide and conquer”.

Divide and conquer can be very subtle…at least at first. Divide and conquer appears as meals eaten alone because the family is so busy. Divide and conquer is going to bed angry with a spouse over a relatively unimportant issue. Divide and conquer is skipping the family reunion because of some prior squabble with one family member.

We cannot be passive. We must wake up and be constantly on guard to protect our relationships. Our marriages, our homes and our extended families are treasures. When conflicts occur, we need to move swiftly to repair the damages and rebuild what the enemy is trying to destroy. We must be proactive in nurturing activities that keep the relationships alive. We must build walls of protection that withstand the assaults of the enemy.

Let us seek first to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. With Him as our sure foundation, let us be resolute in our efforts to build and protect all the personal relationships that God has given us as treasures on this earth.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the treasures in life that You have provided through our marriages, our homes and our extended families. We pray that You will provide us with the armor that we need to fight against the enemy that seeks to take away our treasures. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to make Jesus Christ the foundation of our lives so that we can build indestructible walls of protection around our treasures. We ask all these things in the name of Our Sure Foundation, Jesus Christ.