Good morning, beloved,
There are sometimes when I would like to just jump over passages in the Bible and not wrestle with them in my life. Yet, if we allow the Word to do more than just be nice words in our life then we grow..(actually the first time I typed this I typed groan…not to far from the truth, or shall we say Freudian slip..).
As we dug out our garden plot yesterday, I was amazed at how my first impressions of the plot were so wrong. When we had visited the plot weeks ago, the dirt had looked so rich and beautiful and easy to work with…now as my hands were in the dirt, my shovel was making contact with the six inches underneath, it was hard clay. Yet, I know that we can still do much with this soil and we can add things and crumble stuff..(scientific terms, don’t ya know..) We have to stay with the garden. I could up and leave the plot. It’s too much work, but I want a garden this year. So we put in a fence, plotted out the squares and are getting going. Will it be work? Oh yes, but I judge it absolutely worth the time and effort.
And I know my God feels infinitely more about His beloved children than I do about my silly little garden. We are worth His time and effort. We are sent into each other’s lives to love and care for one another, even with our weeds and thorns. We aren’t meant to build fences that don’t allow others into our little plots of life. Yet when we spend our time looking into each other’s gardens criticizing the layout, the plants, the structure, the plan…good grief, I am criticizing another brother or sister of God!
Romans 14:10Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise].
12And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to God.
I look at these two flowers. They are not long for this world and I realize that truly, neither am I in God’s economy. (No, I”m not proclaiming anything..) I am dust. I have one life to live and what I do with my one life is crucial, it is critical and God forgive me for the times I have been critical of my brother or sister. When I have held them in judgement, as we are made in the image of God, we are not beautiful, we are marred by the sin of judgement or attempting to run around being God. That never works very well for me.
13Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.
Only one thing I would add, I can be an example for this world in my treatment and care of my brothers and sisters or not. I believe a good example is this Hands On Originals company, standing with this man and his defense of his faith. We have a chance to show the world to be the encouragement he needs in the fight ahead. He is our brother.
Another thing, before I finish, we will beginning the book of Daniel as a family soon and I wanted to share some resources we have found with you. First of all, we will be studying Daniel with Kay Arthur and have found her teaching on TuneIn Radio. Now you can get the app on your Ipad, Ipod, Android, etc or even through your computer…just google search: TuneIn Radio. Then once you have the “radio” type in the search box, Kay Arthur: Daniel. And yay! 50 or so 1/2 hour teachings on the book of Daniel! 🙂
Then if you would like to follow along with a free study guide from Precepts…here’s a link for that!
Then if you would like your kids to have their own study…Kay has written a study of Daniel…:)
Just thought I would mention it…she’s done so many books of the Bible like this. She’s an amazing teacher…
Pray on. Pray on!!
2 Comments
I sooooo wish that was a picture of our plot! Mom
Yes, I know…I know. 🙂