Category: Faith

Growing Season: Seed to Fruit

Faith in Me shall allow you to bend gracefully through the storm.

Meditation Thought: “Blessed is the man
    whose… delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1: 1,3)

You cannot look at the seed and call it fruit. Yet within the seed is all that is needed for the fruit if the proper environment for sprouting, for growing, for maturing is provided.

The environment has been provided. Now you choose to sprout, to grow, to mature. And do not give up when storms rage, and drought comes: your obedience to My law waters your deep roots in the righteous water of My Spirit, and faith in Me as Loving Father, Powerful Father, Grace-filled Father, shall allow you to bend gracefully through the storm, and not rigidly oppose the force of the wind by your insistence upon doing things your way.

To the degree that you absorb My principles, to that degree do you find nourishment to shorten the time between seed-planting and fruit-bearing. If the time is shortened, so are some storms avoided during the growing season.

Now do you understand? “He has shown you, O man, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Hope? Really? Yes!

God uses all varieties of people, experiences, times and conditions as circumstances for one purpose:

Meditation Thought: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

We cannot possibly understand the workings of life, the workings of the universe. But we need not be at the mercy of every passing event, with no recourse, with no influence. For God has created us to work in us, through us, and around us to be a crucial part of His plan for the universe.

We must respond in harmony with His workings, however, if we are to be of great influence in them, and if we are to accomplish His work as He desires as our loving and proud Father.

And so ‘rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer’ is the key to living the resurrected life. We have been shown the way – graphically, as well as in the words of the centuries through God’s chosen people: prophets, kings, shepherds, a carpenter… God uses all varieties of people, experiences, times and conditions as circumstances for one purpose: to reconcile the world to Himself. How?
By hope in Him.
By faith in Him.
By communion with Him.

Praise be to Him!

Promises Kept: at the Pace We Choose

If we rebel and complain of trials, we keep ourselves from the peace and joy of the Spirit of the Son.

Meditation Thought: “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’.” (Numbers 10:29) “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)

As God sought to lead the Israelites to the good land He promised them, so He seeks to lead us who know of the Son to the Spirit of the Son.

As the land existed, but the Israelites were not yet in it, so the Spirit of the Son exists, and we must make the journey of faith in order to dwell in the place of the Spirit of the Son.

As the Israelites, through ignorance of what significance lay behind the trials, rebelled and complained and thus kept themselves from the Promised Land, so we, too, if we rebel and complain of trials, keep ourselves from the peace and joy of the Spirit of the Son.

If we approach trials calmly, realizing that they are an opportunity for God to reveal new truths to us and to more completely fulfill His purpose through us, then He is able to speed us along through our lessons and move on into more and more possession of the place of the Spirit of the Son.

Grow & Thrive

In giving is the growing; in seeking is the growing; in trusting is the growing.

Meditation Thought: “…let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.” (1 John 3:18-22)

Sprout, sprout! Only put out a tentative little growth by your own choice, and great movement of growth will take place. Such a little movement of faith is needed on your part, for all of the rest of the maturing process comes naturally.

To the extent you seek to express your faith in deed and truth, to that extent do you grow.

To the extent that you live out the commandments expressed by the Father and more fully and accurately interpreted for you by Jesus, to that extent do you thrive and grow.

As a plant will thrive if it seeks the direction of the sun and seeks the depth of the earth to find moisture, so shall you thrive if you seek truth in the commandments, and seek to fulfill the commandments with your deeds.

Plants do not grow by stagnant inner concentration, but by thrusting both upward and downward, and so it is with you.

Seek to find the Light of God and the depth of love in fellowship with others. Both are necessary for your proper growth: too much neglect of fellowship and you grow top heavy; too much neglect of God and you cannot find enough to nourish the fellowship.

If you are to grow to the maturity of blooming, you must absorb both the Light and the nutrients found in fellowship and ministry to each other.
In giving is the growing.
In seeking is the growing.
In trusting is the growing.
To neglect these is to shrivel and die missing the purpose for which the seed was made, was planted, was given a place where all that was needed for growth was there.

Do not despair when you must seek the Light with pain of difficult turning from your present direction; do not despair when you find hardness and resistance as you seek the depth of loving relationships and ministry.

To make greater effort is to strengthen you – to make you even more the best you can be.

It may not be a pleasant way, nor the way you would choose for proper growth – but it is the only way.

The Light is constant and you must turn to it.

The consistency of the human experience is varied – there is sandy soil and clay as hard as brick. The only way for you to get your roots set firmly where they should be to find the nutrients you need is to persist in pushing through each layer of resistance by your roots of love.

If little plants crack boulders, cannot your love crack the hard ground of resistance of envy, bitterness, jealousy, and apathy? Of course it can – for the strength from the Light pouring into your spiritual ‘tap’, making it strong, thrusts down to your roots of love and causes them to grow: slowly or rapidly, visibly or invisibly, they grow – and in doing so, aerate the soil that others may grow too.

Climate Change

If we have the choice to love or not love Him, obey or not obey Him, then our choice to please Him is magnified in its significance.

Meditation Thought: “…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

When we are cleansed from sin we are being images of the Father, Who is
loving,
good,
kind,
forgiving,
righteous,
willing to give free choice.

Furthermore, He respects our individuality and realizes that if we have the choice to love or not love Him, obey or not obey Him, then our choice to please Him is magnified in its significance. We must allow others the same choice – and as the Father does, by our words, principles, and actions, prepare a climate which encourages others to love – to act rightly – to find closer fellowship with God and with all.

To Know and Make Known

If you stay close to your Guide, then you are within his protective Presence, and need not fear.

Meditation Thought: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:6-9)

Only with a humble attitude are you able to learn; be grateful for what you have already learned, acknowledging that you possess the knowledge because of your Father who has shared it with you. You have not received it merely to use for yourself, but to use it to do His works – to make known His love and will to the world.

Do not worry. Only believe, only pray, only listen to the wisdom of the Word and the prompting of the Spirit, acting upon these instructions – trusting your Lord to clear the path before you, and to lead you by the hand around any obstacles.

When you see “the roaring lion” in any form, recognize him for what he is – and then use your sure defense against him: “He that is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Confront him with faith in your Guide to protect you. If you stay close to your Guide, then you are within his protective Presence, and need not fear.

A Lover, Giver, Healer

Hate flees from love.
Selfishness flees from grace.
Sin flees from mercy.
Doubt flees from faith.

Meditation Thought: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18(

When a man turns to the Lord there is freedom from doubt, from guilt, from selfish, barbaric instincts. There is the freedom to become like that which we see: The Lord. We are not bound by the restrictions of our human condition, of that which is feasible only by the efforts of men.

We behold a new vision – live by a new hope, and become a new creature: not be our own will and power, but by God’s will and power.

The glory of the Lord
Shines into our contrite hear.
Our dark intentions, our despairing
Souls become transformed:
The warmth of Love,
The light of Truth penetrate:
Healing, purifying, beautifying.

As we are changed into His likeness
We once again reflect His image,
As He made us.
The ravage of the rebellious years
Is removed – remembered no more.

As a father’s glory is enhanced
By his child’s true reflection
Of his father,
So the glory of the Lord
Is enhanced
By our reflection of Him.

We reflect Him when His Spirit
Is within us,
Giving us His qualities
In such abundance
That all alien forces take flight:
Hate flees from love.
Selfishness flees from grace.
Sin flees from mercy.
Doubt flees from faith.

His righteousness
Takes possession of us.
Not the righteousness
Of a Pharisee is this,
But the righteousness
Of a Christ:
The righteousness of
A lover, a giver, a healer.

How Things Work

The world calls this “miracle”, God calls it “standard operating procedure”.

Meditation Thought: “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)

(Message perceived to be from Jesus.)


As the root thrusts deeper in search of life-giving water, so must you thrust your life deeper into Mine. You cannot live, let alone bear delicious, outstanding fruit, if you do not have the nourishment to grow it.

You must come to know Me as if you were one of My disciples who could see Me, hear Me, touch Me. The Holy Spirit will be your sight, your hearing, your touch. As My words penetrate into you, you must be receptive to their nourishing power, using that power as I teach you through the Holy Spirit. I have promised that whoever believes in Me will do the works that I do. Believe the healing works into reality. You are My eyes, My ears, My hands to the world. Let Me activate them by turning your will, your brain and your heart to Me to activate for you. In this manner do I live in you and you live in Me, and the Father dwells in both of us. His creative power is released anew – the world calls this “miracle”, God calls it “standard operating procedure”. The process was intended to run smoothly, but through free will misused, sin clogged it. I will clean out the dirt of sin and allow the process to run smoothly again – if you will move out of the way so that I can get to the machinery of the process.

From Without Rather than Within

There is nothing to fear, except the fear of forgetting to turn to Me. And so long as you are weak, you will remember to turn to Me.

Meditation Thought: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

My grace and My power – if you go under your own power, I will not violate your choice not to yield to Me – therefore, I cannot pour My power into you unless you ask for it, unless you yield your own will to receive it. The weaker you are on your own, the more witness of My power as accomplishments are made through you.

Rejoice that you are timid and fearful, for that is what turns you to Me – and it is what will turn others to Me. If you have no dynamic power of your own, then it becomes evident that the power surging and moving and changing in your life is from without: and when results are good (measured by love engendered, My commandments fulfilled, peace and joy abounding) – then the glory comes to Me; the joy of more hearts opening to My love comes to Me, and life in the Spirit is strengthened for My believers. Stand strong – in My power. Armed with My Word, My guidance, My power, My will, nothing can prevail against you – there is nothing to fear, except the fear of forgetting to turn to Me. And so long as you are weak, you will remember to turn to Me.

Celebrate Your Uniqueness

Discover the wonders of the world as a child: open, awed, delighted, entranced, humbled by the vastness and grandeur – and eager to share discovery.

Meditation Thought: “Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2-3)

Inspire others to My love and grace and forgiving nature by spending so much time, energy and thought, concentration and commitment, to our relationship that you are transformed by the Presence of Myself influencing you moment after moment, day after day, year after year.

When you are weak, call upon the Word, the Name, the Spirit. Never will I leave you or forsake you. The enemy cannot conquer you, for you are mine by your faith and trust and commitment to Me and My cause, and I am Lord over all of creation. Seek to know this in new ways, in new areas.

Allow your imagination to run free in accomplishing the tasks set before you. You are unique – let Me use your uniqueness to be an example to inspire others to remove shackles of prejudice, preconceived ideas, stubbornness and inertia.

Raise your eyes to see the overall vista often that you may enjoy your journey more, and be inspired to move more rapidly and energetically.

Each day you move toward your goal – toward a more complete view of your eternal purpose. Treat each day as a gift given for new opportunities to learn and grow – and rejoice, realizing that learning and growing in any knowledge, because of your trust in My teaching, is also automatically learning and growing in knowledge of Me and My Kingdom and My purposes.

Keep all of these things in mind as you travel lonely, boring, difficult parts of the path. And rejoice in the “downhill” parts – the easy, happy times when the memory of difficult uphill struggles enhance the delight of the effortless movement forward.

Gain a sense of rhythm, of ease of movement – as if riding the crest of a wave. Do not be discouraged nor confused when you tumble from the crest as you gain experience, for I am always working to help move you again to the crest.

Do not be intimidated by the vastness of knowledge but delight in each part that you recognize and absorb into your being.

Discover the wonders of the world and the Kingdom as a child discovers the world: open, awed, delighted, entranced, humbled by the vastness and grandeur – and eager to share discovery.