A Farmer’s Faith Sown in Your Marriage, Part 2

“Those who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

 He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:5-6

By God’s grace, we do not reap what we sow in the same season – good and bad. We often sow in tears, believing in the unseen, clinging to faith. We keep our shoulders to the plow, moving with each step, sowing with belief that the seeds will flourish. And they will. It takes time. Be patient.

•  “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9
• "You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.” Psalms 65:11

“Take Away the Stone...Lazarus! Come Out!”

(Lazarus' Hebrew name: “Eleazer,” which means “God helps.”)

“When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:43-44

The story of Lazarus in the tomb is one of my favorites in the Bible. It cuts right to the chase and pierces every emotion within me.  The story is filled with miracle after miracle but my favorite takeaway from Lazarus is probably this: we need the power of Jesus to call us out from the dark and tell us to rise, and we need community to help unbind the bandages of sin to help us see and walk again. Where can you find such friends to help intercede?  For those of us in covenant community, they are all around us – in homegroups, support groups, bible studies and so on. You are growing and cultivating friendships whether you realize it or not. Lazarus is a great reminder that it’s not just about “you and Jesus.” It’s Jesus, you and community!

One of my favorite scenes in the story is when Martha meets Jesus on the road to Bethany. She was heart-stricken beyond belief! Part of her was mad at Jesus for not coming sooner, while another part was glad and relieved to see him. Basically, she was one mixed bag of emotions. She believed that if Jesus would have come sooner, this tragedy never would have happened. His response to this allegation brings me to my knees! In John 11:23-25 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus then said, “I AM THE RESURRECTION!”  Her response to Jesus wasn’t necessarily incorrect. But for a brief moment, she forgot who she was speaking with. The one who holds all authority (Rev. 1:17-18). Jesus spoke with power in his voice and was on a mission! He wasn’t just going to perform any miracle – he was about to display a mighty divine miracle from God Himself. (John 11:42)

Another crucial part of the story was Jesus’ disciples. When Jesus tried to explain to them that Lazarus was dead and he was going back to Judea, they weren’t exactly thrilled. You see, Jesus had Jewish bounty-hunters eagerly waiting for him. Despite the stakes being high, Thomas makes a huge statement in vs. 16: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”  

When Jesus finally reaches Lazarus tomb, he was deeply moved again. He told the bystanders in vs. 39, “Take away the stone.”  Who was He speaking to?  Anyone who believed! The crowd anticipating a great miracle to be performed included His disciples and, of course, Mary and Martha. Jesus could have commanded the stone to be rolled away with His voice. But instead, he chose to involve people in the process. Something holy was about to take place and he wanted them to be a part of it. He was also teaching us what faith looks like, which is His love working through action. It’s also great imagery of how our friends help carry our burdens for us. They don’t just pray, but get up and move! They help carry the weight of our trials when we can’t go on. They get dirty in the trenches with us.

Here comes my favorite part: In John 11: 43-44 he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”  I truly believe that if he didn’t call Lazarus by his name, all the dead would have risen! Again, Jesus is the resurrection.

Lazarus, in hearing the familiar voice of his Shepherd, arose and emerged. Another important message you cannot miss is this: “Unbind him and let him go.” Again, He told His disciples, Martha and Mary to unravel the stench of sin; to help unveil the napkins from his eyes so that he could see, and help untie the bandages on his feet so he could walk freely. It takes our community of friends to help take the scales off our eyes and to encourage us to keep walking in our faith. I often wonder if they saved Lazarus’ bandages.  I have to believe they did. Not just as an Ebenezer for them personally to remember what the Lord had done, but more so for others to see. YES, a miracle really did happen and here was the proof!

Having the honor to serve in the Recovery ministry (including Marriage Reconciliation) at The Village Church for eight years, we have seen it all. I can relate so much to Lazarus on a personal level and also as a disciple who has helped take the bandages off others. Christ is our Hope, He is our Redeemer.

Happy Easter everyone! Our great King has risen and lives!

A Farmer’s Faith Sown in Your Marriage…

"There is work for us to do. Before there can be a springing up
in the soul of any, there must be ploughing, harrowing, and sowing."
~Charles H. Spurgeon 

“Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground? When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border? For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it. This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.” Isaiah 28:24-29 

How much faith and expectancy comes with farming? It’s more than just throwing seeds in the ground and hoping for the best. It requires foresight, planning and timing. If the farmer hesitates in planting, he runs the risk of missing the window for opportunity that year. His whole livelihood and family is at a stake.

He also understands the importance of knowing when to stop and rest. Not just for his own soul but also the soil – time to take a break, time to wait upon the Lord. Despite all the hard labor involved, without the Father’s showers from heaven the seeds will remain dormant. Marriage is the same way. We are dependent on Christ not just to lead our marriage, but to continue breaking up the hardness of our own heart. We pray that our words and actions bring blessings, not curses to our spouse and home. James 3:17-18 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

A farmer’s faith brings hopeful expectations and optimism. The sprouting of seed cannot exist without prayer. When the farmer meets with God, he waits eagerly to share what is on his heart. He is confident that the Lord is moving on his behalf and hears him. He believes the Lord will answer him according to his purpose. He also acknowledges the importance of worship! Through singing and dancing, his soul is being renewed. He can face tomorrow with new hope and mercies. Psalms 121:1 A Song of Ascents. “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”

A farmer also has to prepare himself for disappointment. Regardless of all the investments he has put into his crop, trials will come. They come in the form of storms, droughts and insects. Bottom-line, it leaves acres of devastation! Even though he may feel abandoned by the Lord, the truth is he’s being threshed. The Lord is separating the wheat from the chaff. The Lord is zealous to pull those he loves further away from evil and harm. Although painful, it is necessary for our survival.  To distill Charles Spurgeon’s Farm sermons, there are three important things to remember when being threshed:

1.  All seeds need it;
2. Threshing is done with discretion;
3. Threshing doesn’t last forever.

The farmer relies completely on the Holy Spirit to give him courage to face the day. The Lord‘s providence measures out precisely the amount of threshing needed for the day. Just like the seeds, He doesn’t beat too heavily so as to prevent injury. Nor does it crush it when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horse. The Lord’s mercy knows just the amount of weight needed to break and separate. 
Isaiah 28: 28 “Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.”

The farmer also is forced to depend on his neighbors to help bear the suffering. He finds strength through their encouragement and also depends on them for daily needs. The Lord has already prepared people to enter into our lives during trials. Their love gives us the hope and strength to keep persevering.
In marriage, we are a sinner living with a sinner. Which means we have been wounded or have inflicted wounds upon our spouse. We have two choices: we can either run away or we can dig our heals in and prepare ourselves to be transformed.  Joel 2:25 “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.”

Finally, after months (maybe years) of tilling in tears, the joy of the harvest has come. This is a time of expressing our gratitude to the Lord with celebration and rejoicing!  Sharing in the bountiful harvest with our friends, worshipping and thanking him for bestowing his favor on our marriage.  He has been faithful to his promise and covenant, even we were not. He has come back to restore what belongs to Him.

In the joy of waiting with expectancy, not only can your marriage be restored, but Jesus finds you! Salvation has been imparted; your heart is being renewed daily. The laboring in prayer has been answered with a faith only the Lord can plant. Your life is now being displayed as salt to others. The salt of our faith is what gives people hope. It’s what brings people to humility, repentance, leading to a life of joy.

Regardless of what season you are in – whether it’s the gloomy winter or damp spring, autumn promises to display its golden fruit in due season. Only by his everlasting love does God determine when the harvest will come. We must not give up but keep persevering!  Do your part as a farmer, trust in the Lord and his timing. I Cor. 3:6 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”

This post inspired by the Farm Sermons by Charles H. Spurgeon.

He Will Quiet You with His Love...

Are you searching for peace in the midst of panic?  Find rest here...
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

Over the years, one of the most profound ways the Lord communicates with me is through baby owls. Usually when this majestic creature appears, it’s when I’m walking through a difficult season in life. 

The Lord uses the baby owl to get my attention and console my soul. You may be wondering, “How do you know it’s from God?” Well, for starters, it doesn’t happen every day. The timing of when this precious bird pokes its head out is special and perfect. Romans 1:20 reminds us the Lord does communicate through his creation: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” 

Also, the location of where the owl usually appears has deep significance. Right by our driveway, we have a large Oak Tree that is growing. It just happens to have a decent sized knot in the middle of it. That’s where the baby owl emerges and makes his presence known. Whenever I’m pulling out of the driveway or taking a walk, I’m forced to “look up” in anticipation of it possibly being up there today. Most of the time it’s not, but I still look for it with expectancy. The rare times it’s there, I’m in complete awe! I’m totally captivated that I can’t help but stop and listen. The baby owl sits there perched, basking in the sunlight, with it’s big eyes squinted. It looks so peaceful. It’s what the Lord uses to quiet my soul. I’m completely mesmerized by its beauty, and usually a specific word or scripture is whispered to me. It’s the hope that I needed hear at that very moment - it’s His love. 

Another unusual incident happened a couple of years ago. My husband and I have struggled with infertility for years. I was sitting on the back porch when out of nowhere, a baby owl landed right by feet! It just sat there staring at me with those big brown eyes. In complete shock, all I could do was cry and thank the Lord! I cannot overlook the fact that the baby owl continues to reveal itself near my house – the message is for me and it’s personal. 

How often do we let circumstances skew our view of life and God? Our vision is extremely limited by design. We rely solely on faith, walking and believing in the unseen. Did you know that owls have binocular vision? Just like the Lord, he sees everything from afar. Acts 17:27 says “that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” 

Owls also have unbelievable hearing. They can determine the location of sound by turning its head until it reaches both ears. The last sound perceived determines the location of the prey. If the prey moves, the owl is able to adjust its flight pattern in mid-flight! How many times have I cried out to the Lord and felt as if He didn’t hear me? How often do I take matters in my own hands and run with it? Only to find out later, his steadfast love was hovering over me the whole time. Nothing is too far from God! Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear.” 

At times when I’ve felt like giving up, the Lord always surprises me with his timing. He doesn’t just show up – he swoops down and rescues me! Similar to the owl’s hunting strategy, it’s based on stealth and surprise. The dull coloration of the owl’s feathers can render it almost invisible under certain conditions. Its wings are designed to muffle the sound of their movement, allowing the flight to be practically silent. Part of the Lord’s tactic in fighting our battles is to remain incognito. Even though I couldn’t see him through the thick smoke, his shadow was ever present. Psalms 91:4 “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” 

Finding rest for your soul includes shutting down the noises we create within ourselves. The Hebrew word for peace is “Shalom.” Seek and be silent...Let the strength of Jesus carry you today! 

“Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16

“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”

Matthew 4:16

(spoken from the prophet Isaiah)

“the people dwelling in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,

on them a light has dawned.”

Completely in awe of this verse…For starters, it has nothing to do with you and me but everything to do with God’s providence and mercy…

• Those that are without Christ, are in darkness itself; as the darkness that was upon the face of the deep...Gen.1:2 ~ “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” 

This is the same face that hovered over your own life...By his power, transfused the Holy Spirit into your own heart that was void. 

  

• They were in the region and shadow of death…Which denotes not only great darkness, as the grave is a land of darkness, but great danger. A man that is desperately sick, and not likely to recover, is in the valley of the shadow of death, though not quite dead.  The poor people were on the borders of damnation, though not yet damned-dead in law. And, which is worst of all, they were sitting in this condition!  They chose to stay there…They were in the dark and despairing to find the way out. But, choosing to stay in this contented posture, they loved darkness.  They chose it rather than light, and were willingly ignorant.

Three important things to note:

1. It is just with God, to take the gospel and the means of grace from those that slight them, and thrust them away.  Christ will not stay long where he is not welcome.
2. If some reject Christ, yet others will receive him, and bid him welcome.
3. When the gospel comes, light comes; when it comes to any place, when it comes to any soul, it makes day there, Jn. 3:19; Lu. 1:78, 79. Light is discovering, it is directing; so is the gospel!

• It is a great light denoting the clearness and evidence of gospel-revelations, not like the light of a candle, but the light of the sun when he goes forth in his strength…Great in comparison with the light of the law, the shadows of which were now done away. It is a great light, for it discovers great things and of vast consequence; it will last long, and spread far.  And it is a growing light, intimated in that word, It is sprung up.  It was but spring of day with them; now the day dawned, which afterward shone more and more.  The gospel-kingdom, like a grain of mustard-seed or the morning light, was small in its beginnings, gradual in its growth, but great in its perfection…

• Observe that the light sprang up to them…They did not go to seek it, but were prevented with the blessings of this goodness!  It came upon  the time appointed, by the disposal of him who commandeth the morning, and causes the day-spring to know its place, that it may take hold of the ends of the earth. Job 38:12, 13.

The Gospel is such good news for those who live in hopelessness…We have a savior, he is the Sun, and his name is Jesus… Even the moon and stars are lost when the sun rises!

We rejoice and celebrate this freedom with others. Those who have experienced this kind of love and grace, want to be transporters of this light.  This is shone in our marriages, homes, neighborhoods and workplace…We run and bask in the light, even when we fall.  

Are you ready to take a small step of faith, to lead you to the light?  Today is your invitation!

Matt. 5:14-16  ~ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

(Matthew Henry's Commentary)

"From Lying to Living Lazarus"

Lazarus

(Larazus = Hebrew name “Eleazer,” which means “God helps…”) 

 

Life is hard. Pain is real. Loss is inevitable….

Seems like this year, Spring has definitely emerged early for us Texans! How can you not help but smile when looking at the beautiful bluebonnets?  Or listening to our little wren friend who greets us every morning?  Yep, the season is upon us…and it all points to what has been transpiring over the past month – the resurrection of life.

The past few weeks, I have been soaking in John 11. Can’t seem to get enough of it, and can’t wrap my mind around the power of this story.  Lazarus, a person of distinction within his community, was resurrected from a decaying dead corpse to a real live breathing person!  “Dumbfounded” doesn’t begin to describe how I feel!

Every time I read it, I find more and more that this story isn’t so much about this mind-blowing miracle that went down (However, I can’t think of a better way of getting my attention). No, it’s all about a portrait of Jesus displayed for us:  this is what Faith and Belief looks like!

 

The most crucial part in the story is when Jesus prays to the Father….(verses 41-42), “And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’”

Martha’s role in the story actually brings great comfort to me. I often relate with her “wishy-washy” responses. I don’t debate whether or not she actually believed. Rather, I believe that she thought she believed, and knew how to believe, with what beliefs she had been given!  LOL!

But just like her, my faith tends to wobble off-and-on the fence as real doubt sets in. Instead of looking up and believing in the unseen (Hello? Jesus!), I tend to focus on what I can see, thinking I’m in control. Here are a few examples of what I like to call:

“Martha’s Mixed Bag of Moodiness”

•    The famous “If Only….” Looking back in life with regret. 
  In John 11:21, we see the significant impact Jesus played out in Martha’s life...“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  How many times do we often go down the same rabbit trail trying to get answers?  Thinking if we could have changed the past, we wouldn’t be in these circumstances.  This gives us a false sense of control, and even worse, leads us to blaming others.

• Typical text book response when we “think” we already know the answer…
  In verses 23-25, Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha responds back with, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION!”  Talk about getting schooled!!!  How often do we get caught up in our own “mania” of logic and totally miss the point. Not only that, but we tend to makes things much more complicated than they already are.

• Resisting change when hard work is involved!  I just want to stay in my comfort zone...
  In verses 39-40, Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, (love how God keeps reiterating Lazarus is dead, just in case you got up for some popcorn!) She said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you  that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”  Ouch!!!  Sometimes it takes the stern words from people we love and trust to wake us up to reality! Jesus is done with hearing the petty excuses of it will “smell” and “too much time has gone by.” 

How often I can relate to all of  this. Why is it so hard to trust? But thank God, our loving Christ already knows! Check out verses 33, 35 and 38.  He wept, mourned, and grieved just like we do. Even though he already knows he’s won the victory in the war, it’s amazing to see the details of emotions in each moment along the way.  He remembers, and hears us….

Stay tuned for Part II, of this incredible story! “From Lying to Living Lazarus.”

"Faith Found in the Dead Bones of Joseph"

It's getting to that time of year again!
Spring has definitely sprung with all the beautiful white & purple blooms on the trees...Thick patches of green grass along with the bright tulips & daffodils making their presence known! Slowly but surely, life is starting to stir again...Even our bunny friend from last year (Thumper) has returned! He loves eating the clovers in the backyard.

It won't be long before The 10 Commandments will be aired, along with "The Days of Unleavened Bread" being observed.... (That's a whole another blog within itself!)

All these sights & smells have stirred emotions within me of our great ancestors, the oppressed Israelites. I've been pondering on the story of Joseph's death and the incredible faith he had... One of my favorite scenes in the 10 Commandments is when they carry Joseph's bones out of Egypt (as Moses fulfilled, Exod. 13:19.) Joseph believed his God would deliver him into the Promise Land ~ whether this life or the next...Also a great foreshadow that he believed in the resurrection as well.

The strong oath he made with his brothers, also gave them hope to believe in the divine promise that "some day" this was going to happen! Just a quick snapshot of the faith & promise...Joseph died at the age of 110. His brothers embalmed him and deposited him in a room (as the Egyptian custom.) The coffin with his bones became a standing exhortation to Israel, to turn its eyes away from Egypt to Canaan, the land promised to its fathers, and to wait in the patience of faith for the fulfillment of the promise.

So when was Joseph's bones actually carried out of Egypt??? A whopping 360 years later!!! That is faith my friend...

I can only imagine the joy the Israelites must have felt as they were being delivered out of Egypt...The song they play in movie is so powerful, but probably doesn't hold a candle to worship they were singing in Exod. 15! Love the first three verses...


Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a man of war;
the Lord is his name.


Gen. 50:24-26 "~ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus 3:7-10 ~ The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Exodus 13:19 (NIV) ~ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place."