Discovering what love is one day at a time
Have you ever heard the phrase, ”bloom where you are planted?“ It makes me think of a flower that has been transplanted into a garden. Sometimes that transplant is rough on the plant and sometimes the place that it is planted does not look like the best spot for the plant to thrive. That of course, is just a picture. Obviously in real life, we can relate, right? We are all human beings, and not plants, but we all can relate in the sense that we have been planted into this life, and circumstances around us, from our own choices and from others can create a little wear and tear on us. Let’s just face it; life itself in this world subjects us to loss, injury, stress, and just normal depreciation. (If you are over 40 like me…you can totally relate…yes?)
I love that God promises to us in Christ, not just patching and mending, but renewal and restoration. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.2 Cor 5:17 Christ, by His death and resurrection, made a way for us, that in Christ our sins are not imputed to us, and we can become reconciled to God. Born again… new creation…AMAZING GRACE…. Just like that flower, we can be transplanted into the Kingdom of God and seated in the heavenly places in Christ, when we put our faith in Christ Jesus by turning from our ways and receiving the free gift of salvation from God… Yet we are still human, and we live in this world…where not everyone lives by God’s standards, and still sin is present; crud still hits the fan. We still experience wear and tear, loss and injury. Have you ever heard that song by the Byrds…? To everything turn, turn, turn, There is a season, turn, turn, turn, And a time for every purpose under heaven. The lyrics, except for the title which is repeated throughout the song, and the final verse of the song, are adapted word-for-word from Ecclesiastes:3. It just brings more light to the Scripture where it says …and in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. God knows every situation that we will encounter, and He has provided the means for us in Christ, not just survive, but to bloom where we are planted. His Word says that He is transforming us into the image of His Son; for that to happen, we need to allow Him to strengthen us with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that He may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we , will be rooted and grounded in love, and may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge; that we may be filled with the fullness of God. Our God is so faithful, not only does He provide the way for us, but He gives us warnings, direction, and His Holy Spirit to lead us. We, by God’s mercy are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service, and not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. He has sent His Holy Spirit to help us. When we renew our mind according to His Word, obedience to Him makes sense, and is our heart’s desire. It is a humble heart response to the amazing grace we have been given. We submit to His kingship and the leading of His Holy Spirit. We always have a choice in how we respond to the place or circumstances that we have been planted in. If we choose to partner with what God has for us, we will be rooted and built up in Christ. If we choose something else, we will not be able to stand when the crud hits the fan, and we will take others out with us. What can it look like if we do not respond to God? Take a look at Genesis 18 & 19, and Ezekiel 16... How important is it for us to remember why Sodom was destroyed… Ezekiel 16:47...They had pride, fullness of food and idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Pride is simply arrogance…a way of thinking or behaving that comes from the belief that we are better, smarter, or more important than others…(putting ourselves in the position of king…or not recognizing and submitting to the Kingship of Christ. Fullness of food, is pretty self explanatory…spiritually speaking...we have been given all things that pertain to godliness in Christ…so not sharing or offering of ourselves in that way when someone is in need would be like that…and idleness…is not working or being used, not moving forward with purpose… (For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.). Knowing that pride, exists in our hearts in one form or the other, we repent for our pride, and turn to you God, we repent for withholding the fullness you have given us, and we repent from not moving forward in your purposes that you have set for us. We desire to bloom where you have planted us…that we may grow up in all things into You, who is the head-Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love…We want to be changed, we want to mature in our understanding of You, we want to see as You see. Thank you that You follow after us all the days of our life with your goodness and mercy. May we cling to you with everything we have got, and by Your grace, may it be evident in our lives, for Your glory...
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AuthorI have been married to my wonderful husband for 29 years. We have two young men ages 25 and 20.. This blog is somewhat of a journal and attempt for me to remind myself of my purpose and invite others to join me in keeping an eternal perspective as we move through each day. Archives
May 2023
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