Mysterious Fruit

“And the LORD God planted a garden…and there he put man…” Ge 2:7-8

Growing up I was burdened by insecurity and was chased down constantly by feelings of not belonging. In my family, I never questioned whether I belonged because my parents created a place that convinced me I did. But as soon as I would pull the front door closed, turning my focus to the world I was constantly pursuing places where I could belong…places where I could dig my roots deep…places where I would matter. Places are important in life and can determine the trajectory of our journeys, like the place we were born, the place we grew up, the place we went to college, and the place where our careers would take us. But isn’t it incredible that we forget who planted us in all these places over the course of our lives? ‘God planted a garden…and there he put…’ YOU and ME!

I believe our never-ending search for belonging is a futile search until we go back to the starting point…the heart of God. God planted the original garden on earth ‘uniquely designed as hospitality for humanity.’ Chasing Vines, Beth Moore, p. 28. He didn’t plant a garden and then decide to create man. He planted the garden with man in mind. God still plants specific gardens for His unique children. We will never experience a true place of belonging until we experience our purposed fruitfulness in the place God determines. He has been planting His children in places of His choosing since the beginning of time. The Bible gives account after account of the Father uprooting His children, redirecting them to a new place, and planting them for future fruit. ‘You [God] transplanted a vine from Egypt.’ Psalm 80:8. ‘God knew that slavery wasn’t the end of his people’s story. He knew the enemy wouldn’t get the final victory. He knew He would keep His promises in dramatic fashion. He delivered them before, and He would deliver them again. The same is true for you, whether you’re battling a vicious ruler or a vicious disease, whether you’re up against an occupying army or your own anxiety.’ p. 29. Amazing fruit can come from the transplanting of the Lord. Ge 41:52 states, ‘For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ The testimonies that flow from the challenges of being uprooted from one set of circumstances and transplanted into another will be our placeholders. Scripture reminds us that when we place our seasons of troubles in the hands of God, He will make us fruitful in that place…during the challenges. ‘And there we can bear mysterious fruit.’ p. 35.

Rushing the Yield

“The LORD God planted a garden…Out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Ge 2:2-9.

When I was a little girl living in Burlington with my family, Daddy planted this huge garden.  Well, it probably seemed huge to me because I was only 8-9 years old.  I can still close my eyes and visualize the patch of yard that ran along-side our house.  I would walk through the carport, turn to the right and on my left was Mother’s clothesline where I ‘helped her’ with the laundry.  I use the word help loosely since I certainly couldn’t reach the line.  With the clothesline to my left directly in front on me was Daddy’s beautiful multi-rowed garden where stakes were driven into the earth and tomatoes of all sizes hung from the plants.  There were rows of green beans and other vegetables.  There are such warm memories tucked into my heart when I think of Daddy’s garden. 

I have started reading a book called Chasing Vines, written by Beth Moore.  She brought up a question for which I have never considered.  She refers to our morning Bible verse.  ‘God made it to spring up.  It’s a wonder that God would choose to slowly grow what He could have simply created grown.  Why on earth would He go to the trouble to plant a garden forced to sprout rather than commanding it into existence, full bloom?  Because God likes watching things grow.’ Chasing Vines, p. 17.  What a marvelous revelation that helps us better understand why the important Christian principle of waiting is used so frequently by God.  It is for God’s pleasure that His eye stays on us every second of every day.  He doesn’t want to miss one moment of our growth from flesh to spirit...spiritual baby to spiritual warrior. Just think about how much you and I would have missed out on if God gave us grown children instead of infants.  We would have missed the joy and experience of the day to day growth and tender fellowship shared between parent and child.  I believe this principle is why God took the Israelite's around the long way to the Promised Land instead of the direct path.  I believe it is why God delays fulfilling every desire that lives in our heart.  I believe the waiting has to do with fellowship and divine revelations shared between the Creator and the created.  God could instantly give all of us every single desire ‘full grown’ but He understands the beauty of growth and the process of our shared pilgrimage with Him.

If you find yourself waiting on something from God which most of us are, fully embrace the journey.  It is marked with daily blessings, tender moments, divine dependence and the marvelous movement of a miraculous God acting on behalf of each of us.  Don’t rush the yield!  ‘God is not looking for a store-bought tomato.  He wants the real thing, raised by His own hands, hard won as it is.’ P. 19

Attending to our Tunnels

“…for God had given him very much…Hezekiah topped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel.” 2 Chronicles 32:29-30

King Hezekiah really was brilliant, and although his heart had become prideful, one of the greatest accomplishments in his reign was the Tunnel of Siloam. As king, he had to consider the constant threat of attack from the leaders of other regions. As described above, King Hezekiah commissioned workers to begin digging an underground tunnel where water would flow. With the carved tunnel being accessed only from underground, there would be no water supply for any army who besieged them above ground. ‘How the Israelite engineers dealt with the difficult feat of making two teams digging from opposite ends meet far underground is still not fully understood, but some suggest that the two teams were directed from above by sound signals generated by hammering on the solid rock through which the tunnelers were digging.’ Tunnel engineering in the Iron Age: Geoarchaeology of the Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem". Journal of Archaeological Science. 33 (2): 227–237.

When I saw an aerial visual of the stretch of tunnel, it triggered a spiritual snapshot of the importance of moving towards God. For so much of my adult life I was at the mouth of one side of the tunnel not even listening for the sounds and signals of God. The Trinity was at the mouth of the other side of the tunnel hammering on the rocky places of my heart. I was digging channels of the world which never freed up the flow of true satisfaction, joy and contentment. But in 2006, I began hearing the faint calls from the Spirit and turned my chisel towards the call from above instead of the noise of the world. Over the next 14 years the ‘two teams’ have been moving towards the middle. I still have much chiseling to do for the full flow of the Living Waters to move in complete abundance but the sound signals from above are more audible and I know the direction I need to be moving. Only when I take my last breath will I pound that last solid rock loosening the final barrier.

We are all under the constant threat of attack in our own kingdoms. God has given us all so much for which to be thankful. But we must protect those blessings with which God entrusted us by carving out paths to Him. We must attend to our tunnels by setting aside time with Him and listening for His voice for guidance and wisdom. We must continue to dig into His word to know His heart on all things and recognize His character showing us how to treat others. We must be willing to help others at times dig their tunnels and accept help when we need it. One sweet day…a day that was ordained by God Himself before we were even born…we will meet Him in the middle and experience the ongoing flow of eternity.

Heaven Gained

“He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” 2 Kings 18:5.

A few days ago, I was honored to be able to watch a celebration of life service for a family member of one of my best friends. I didn’t know him, but it is clear from the speeches and service that this was a beloved man of God, respected by everyone whose life he touched. Although only Jesus has ever lived a perfect life, this man seemingly ranked in the top tier. As a matter of humor, the wife of the family member joked that when she crosses over, her obituary will simply inform the reader who she was married to and point them to her husband’s accomplishments.

I’ll be you are wondering why this verse is so precious to me this morning. The reason is simple and fills me with hope when looking at my own life. As written in yesterday’s devotional, King Hezekiah began his reign strong as he was one of the first kings to focus on the things of God. He followed decades of evil kings and ruled in stark contrast of their idolatry worshiping, greed and sinful ways. King Hezekiah had an incredible love for and devotion to God, but he didn’t end well. The last of his life was plagued with one of his greatest failures as king. He revealed the worth of his kingdom to the enemy and took the glory away from God. By his prideful choices, He made vulnerable the lives of his family, friends and kingdom. He lived under the curse of God’s prophesy of future attack, devastation and heartache. And yet, since all Scripture is God-breathed, and God-inspired I am overwhelmed that God saw the heart of this man instead of his failures.

This verse comforts me in a way that nothing on earth can comfort. It encourages me that in spite of what I have done in my life, God has seen the times that I have trusted Him. It lets me know that any future failures or sin I may experience will be met with the grace, love and forgiveness of a Father who never turns away. Can you even imagine that our names are on the lips of God and the mind of Christ? It’s too much to comprehend! With all my mistakes, past sins and future failures that I know could define my life after I’m gone, the only opinion that matters will the One who can truly see my heart. Words cannot express the love we all have for God, but God knows the depth of love we carry in our heart. I don’t know about you, but I am hopeful that our stories, as our life on earth wraps up and life in Heaven begins, will point to Christ’s accomplishments and His life. Because of Him, death only resides on earth, but real life is gained when we awake in Heaven.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Allegiance with Babylon

“There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.” 2 Kings 20:13b

Just when I think we are going to find a king who ‘ends well’ the crown slipped, the robe fell, and God’s glory was snatched away by King Hezekiah. God answered the king’s dying plea with an additional 15 years after he had fallen ill to the point of death. He preserved the king’s life and continued his reign despite Hezekiah’s drifting away from God. At some point, Hezekiah took credit for all the treasures that had been taken into the Lord’s treasury. When he received a gift from the king of Babylon after he had recovered, Hezekiah reciprocated and went on a ‘look at me’ tour, showing the king of Babylon everything of value he had. He exposed not only the value and worth of the treasury, but he continuously touted the treasury as his. Isaiah’s prophesy from God came with the swift response that they would be attacked by Babylon and everything accumulated would be carried off by them to Babylon.

Where did the king go wrong? How did the gratitude for an extended life dissipate? The answers are the same answers that we can give for our own drifting away from God. A crisis occurs and we drop to our knees with promises and negotiations with God. We crown Him with our undying allegiance and watch His movement in our circumstances with attentiveness we haven’t had in quite some time. Finally, God moves in a way that only He can move, and we are so grateful. And for a while we have this unparalleled devotion to Him. The days get calmer and seem to make more sense and we settle into the rhythm of life again. Our prayers get shorter and our Bibles get dusty and gradually we forget the value of what God accomplished on our behalf. We get a little bored and we look to the world for satisfaction. We begin building our treasury through pride, material objects, and service to self instead of others. We make an allegiance to ourselves and with the world. We purchase things to make us feel better and we tout the accomplishments that God has done on our behalf. We build our up our own palaces forgetting that God gave us our kingdoms. I learned a new phrase today called ‘counter steering.’ It is used when talking about maintaining balance on a bike or motorcycle. It is the practice of leaning in the opposite direction when making a turn to maintain the balance of the ride. ‘When we start to drift away from trusting God, we can counterbalance our turn by intentionally leaning back toward God. Think of how differently we might read the end of Hezekiah’s story if, instead of using the kingdom’s treasure to elevate himself, he elevated the presence and provision of God. There is power in leaning into the presence and provision of God.’ Trustworthy, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 153. When we counterbalance God against the world we view God as our greatest treasure in life and will protect our relationship with Him above all things.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights

…” James 1:17

Expecting God

“Thus says the LORD, ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will…’” 2 Kings 20:5

At first glance, I find it interesting that just one chapter over we find God reassuring King Hezekiah again with the words, ‘Surely I will.’ God has proven over and over that He is faithful by delivering the king from the attacks of Sennacherib.  The king has seen miracle after miracle when dealing with his enemies.  But when Hezekiah was struck on a personal level, his health, his prayers shifted to a self-focus plea.  You would think that he would look at all the ways God had saved the king’s people and applied that same faith to his own circumstances.  But instead, his prayers were desperate…his prayers focused on what he had done for God instead of what God had done for him. 

But then I pause and remember times when doubt was easier to default to than confidence in God.  We see Him answer the prayers of others and we secretly wonder why our prayers are going unanswered.  ‘It is easy to believe God when everything goes according to our plans.  But what about when we assume we know what a good God would do and He doesn’t do it our way?  That’s when things can start to get a bit complicated.  It’s the place where doubts are formed and disappointment grows.  The place where we can be tempted to distance ourselves from God with a heart of distrust.  Will God really be who He says He is?’ Trustworthy, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 144.

Whether our prayers are self-focused, or God-focused He hears them all.   Whether our tears are the result of things we’ve done, or the results of things done to us, He sees every drop.  No ounce of pain goes wasted in God’s eyes as He uses every bit of heartache to orchestrate His best plan for us and to grow our faith.  We must shift from a self-centered mindset to a faith-centered mindset understanding that God is working for us and with us in all situations.  A faith-centered mindset helps us to focus on the magnitude and goodness of God.  Just because we cannot see Him working doesn’t mean that He is not.  Waiting expectantly on God is one of the most faithful acts of worship.  Waiting says that we trust Him, that we don’t need to wring our hands in worry and anxiety.  It says we are expecting big things from Him in our circumstances.  When it is time for Him to show us His movement, He will.  ‘The very essence of true faith is believing in what we cannot see.’ P. 149.  

Surely He Will

Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard…Surely I will…’” 2 Kings 19:6-7.

Words are very powerful when it comes to dealing with people and their circumstances. Words have power when they are released…they even have power when they are withheld. They can build a person up or tear a person down. They have ended relationships and started relationships. Some of the most destructive words spoken are those we speak to ourselves. God understands the power that words can have over our lives. Since the creation, He has been urging humanity to stay strong against words that frighten us no matter what threat it brings. God has given the final words on our fear: ‘Surely I will.’

I can remember the words when Bruce first told me he loved me. I can remember the words when the doctor told me to meet my first-born child. I can remember the words when my daughter said she was leaving home. I can remember the exact words when the doctor told us the test results regarding my family members. I can remember the last words spoken by my dad as he closed his eyes to this world. But in every instance, I can faithfully say that God came through for me with His ‘Surely I will’ response. He has sustained my marriage through tough times and good times. He has protected my children when they made dangerous decisions. He has carried my family through illnesses delivering them into the perfection of Heaven. He has surely comforted me in my grief and sadness during those times. Whatever fear is brought on by the words surrounding you this morning, take heart in knowing that ‘Surely He will…’

For the person who got the word ‘terminal’ on the other end of the phone, surely only God knows what the future holds and He has a plan. For the person who got the word ‘death’ spoken in their lives, surely God will comfort every heartache and hold your loved one tightly until you are reunited. For the person who received the word ‘unemployment’, surely God will provide for you every step of the way. In all these instances God already has the solution before we ever experience the problem. We do not have to be afraid of whatever words are spoken in our lives when we remember God’s words over everything. ‘Do not fear’ is most certainly one of the most repeated commands in the Bible. God fully understands how powerful fear can be. It can take hold of fickle faith and strangle the life out of it. It can convince hearts that God isn’t loving enough…capable enough…powerfully enough to give us the means to the get through the heartache. We must believe in God’s promise of ‘Surely I will’ more than believing what fear says. He is our Deliverer…our Refuge…our Shield against all fear and our faith will bring in His blessings of comfort and peace. God always rewards faithfulness by giving us the abundance of His comfort, wisdom, patience and healing.

‘Do not be afraid…I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’ Genesis 15:1

More Than Mere Words

“What confidence is this in which you trust? You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust?” 2 Kings 18:19-20

My Bible study Trustworthy by Lysa TerKeurst is the study of the kings of the Bible. Many kings started their reign with the intention of leading their people in the ways of the Lord. But most of them very quickly after taking the throne failed to stand up for the things of God. Finally, I was encouraged when I got to King Hezekiah who seemingly chased hard after the commands and statutes of God for most of his reign. Just when I thought I would see his life played out in spiritual victory his fear spoke louder than his faith. He gave the treasures of the Lord to the king of Assyria in exchange for safety from an attack from their army. At a later time, another threat came from the same king who had previously been shown King Hezekiah’s weakness and fear. When I read our morning passage above spoken by the king who had sent the threat, I immediately thought of Satan with a similar taunt towards Eve. ‘Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, You must not…?” Ge 3:1. Eve gave Satan a small opening for him to make a big impact. All he needed was a small spirit of distrust to make her confidence in God ‘mere words.’

Can we sometimes be just as vulnerable as Eve when faced with a question of God’s goodness or promises? We too speak in our times of calm of having plans to trust God and depend on His power, but are they mere words when the hard and disparaging times come? And when the harsh winds of life blow in attacking us, do we begin to question God’s character and power? ‘I need to remember the enemy is vicious, but he is not victorious. Therefore, I can sometimes feel afraid, but I don’t have to live afraid. And even more importantly I can remember that fear doesn’t have to pull me away from trusting God. Fear can actually be the catalyst to me choosing to trust God more than ever.’ Trustworthy, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 139.

We cannot have a faith that doesn’t fail without a faith that doesn’t include our fellowship with the Lord. We can give all the lip service about having plans to trust God in all things, but without putting the time in to intimately know Him, they will be mere words when the challenging times move in. ‘Half-hearted trust is still distrust.’ p. 45. Putting our faith in God in all seasons doesn’t mean everything turns out the way we want, it means that in spite of what happens we fully know that God will give us the grace and peace to get through it.  

Multiplication that Matters

“So God created man in His own image…male and female. ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth…’” Ge 1:27-28

Like you, I have read this verse so many times over the course of my life. I have never really given much thought to the deeper meaning until my Bible study offered clarity to the passage. I believe I have always thought that God wanted us to understand that physically we are patterned after Him. If we look at ourselves…two arms, two legs, ten fingers and ten toes …we can at least catch a likened version of God. Also, I felt this verse was His command for us to work hard and fill the earth with future generations. But digging deeper today, I realize that it encompasses so much more than my surface understanding. ‘Because all people were made in the image of God, we reflect His brilliant glory. As Adam and Eve were supposed to multiply and be fruitful, in essence they were to spread the brilliant glory of God throughout the earth…Because we are made in the image of God, when we make disciples [fruitfulness], we are spreading [multiplying] the glory of God across the earth." (Parenthesis mine) Trustworthy, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 131.

Exodus 34:34-35 records that anytime Moses went to communicate with the Lord, his face reflected a radiance that others could see. ‘But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence…they saw that his face was radiant.’ I believe when God told us that we were born in the His same image, He was telling us that when we live a life walking and communicating with Him, we will reflect His glory, not the world’s. If the Israelite's could see the impact of Moses’ time with God, why can’t people in our world? I believe they can, because God says it is His desire that we multiply His image…His radiant glory. So, I’m left wondering this morning, do we have the God glow 7 days a week or only after church on Sundays? Do our actions reflect His heart image, or does it reflect our heart of flesh? If we truly believe the Bible, we must believe that we are created in every part of His image instead of just the physical. We only need to look at His spirit to see the fruit that is available from walking in His image. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.’ Galatians 5:22-23. We cannot walk in the fruit of His spirit and image without His help. I’m thankful to know that any of these attributes that I lack, God will provide. I pray that we will be a radiant people multiplying God’s glory and bringing others to Him.  May people see us coming from a mile away!

War of Words

“But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, ‘Why is your spirit so sullen?’ ‘Because I spoke to Naboth…and said…Give me your vineyard…And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’  Then Jezebel his wife said to him, ‘I will give you the vineyard of Naboth.’  So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 1 Kings 21

What a disturbing story that seems unlikely that it would ever repeat itself.  King Ahab reigned over the entire region and most likely had everything he wanted as he and his wife lived as royalty.  One day he decided that he wanted the neighboring vineyard which was another man’s inheritance from his family.  The king wanted to plant a vegetable garden, so he approached Naboth, the vineyard owner with an offer which was immediately turned down.  Ahab stormed in the door, sent himself to his room and refused to eat.  He was mad, sullen and disappointed.  Jezebel his wife entered the room and inquired as to what was wrong.  He proceeded to tell her, and she immediately began feeding his ego, reminding him that he was king and had all authority over everything.  She assured him that she would take care of everything, and boy did she.  She devised a plan to have Naboth wrongly accused of blasphemy against both the king and God in front of the people.  He was taken outside the city and stoned to death.  She went back to Ahab with a resolution to his problem regardless of the circumstances.  Ahab got up, suddenly got his appetite back and took over the vineyard to plant some lettuce!  What a weird story that we could easily feel has no relativity to our lives.  But then I think of the alternative that might have happened if Ahab had someone in his life that spoke right instead of wrong into his circumstances.  Ahab’s disappointment would have passed, he would probably have found another parcel or land, and Naboth would still have been tending to his vineyard.

“Who we listen to is who we are influenced by and who we are influenced by is who we are placing our trust in.”  Trustworthy, Lysa TerKeurst, Video Session 4.  What a powerful statement that each of us should use as a measuring stick when listening to those around us.  Dilemmas of all kinds will find every one of us.  There will be times that we feel entitled to something only for the door to shut.  There will be times when someone angers us, and we need help processing our feelings.  There will times when we are wounded and have feelings of retaliation.  To whom will we turn?  To whom we will give power to with their words when we are vulnerable?  ‘Whatever words have access to our hearts will affect our actions.’ Video Session 4.  God has placed people around us to help guide us in the right responses when faced with issues.  When we open our hearts to people who are not God-centered we open our circumstances to secondary challenges.  If you do not have someone around you who will speak life and truth into your life, pray for God to raise one up for you.  Most likely, we all know of someone like this in our lives.  We must have the courage to reach out, open our hearts and minds and receive their Godly perspective.

Who has access to your heart?

Rebuilding the Temple

“Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple?” 2 Kings 12:7

At first glance this question isn’t that extraordinary but the one who spoke it was.  This was King Jehoash who had reigned since he was crowned king at the tender age of 7.  He had grown up in the temple and had seen the condition of its existence.  It was in disrepair, neglect and crumbling around its foundation.  But what was a 7-year-old king to do with a job so big?  He was but a child with a heart for the devoted things of God.  Years into his reign he formulated a plan of how to repair and rebuild the temple.  He handed it over to the priests to accomplish his goal.  But 23 years later, King Jehoash discovered that the project had not even started!  No doubt the young king was disillusioned and discouraged that a group of people had not repaired the temple.  He embraced the project and came up with a plan from which there would be no deviation. 

 As I was reading this story today, I was struck with images of being a 7-year-old running around the church halls of my Granddaddy Miller’s assigned church.  He was pastor of that church and I can still remember some of the rooms.  I can’t imagine revisiting that church and seeing it in disarray and disrepair.  It would sadden me and leave me wondering how a group of people could allow the neglect and care for the condition of the church…the temple of God.  But then my heart turns to a Bible verse and reminds me of a time when I wasn’t paying attention to the temple in my own life…my heart.  “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Co 6:19-20.  There were times when I allowed the walls of my heart to be eroded with bitterness.  There were times when the windows of my soul remained broken from past adversities.  We harbor so much in our hearts against life experiences and other people’s choices that affect us.  We don’t pay attention to the condition of our heart but then discover the chaos and lack of peace that resides there. 

So, as we ask ourselves, ‘Why aren’t we repairing the damage done,’ we can take comfort and hope in the same response King Jehoash took.  We can acknowledge that our temple needs attention.  We can put in place a blueprint for rebuilding and restoring our heart.  We can fix our mind and heart on Jesus allowing Him access to the temple again.  Together, there is no wall that cannot be rebuilt with the Lord, and no heart that cannot be restored through His plan.  No one but God can rebuild the temple for us.