Author Archives: Marie

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About Marie

Happily married to the same awesome guy for many years. Love God, reading, cats, and travel. Avid crafter especially counted cross stitch and crochet.

In The Garden

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How many times is a garden pictured in the Word?   Whether it is in the Garden of Eden or the Garden of Gethsemane it seems gardens are a popular place to meet our Lord.

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Meeting Him in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 2:6-7   Before God even planted the garden He put man in it.  What might be the reason for this?  I think God wanted Adam from the very start of his life to know that God is THE CREATOR.  That everything needed for life is from Him.  Look at what God did on the sixth day of creation.  He created Adam and Eve, the flora and fauna, the animals of the land, sky and sea…everything that exists He created.  Later on in Genesis we are told it was common for God to walk in the garden and commune with Adam and Eve.  Every day they could meet Him in the Garden and create a relationship with Him.  Oh, my, what they gave up for an apple.

Andrea Mantegna's Agony in the Garden, circa 1...

Andrea Mantegna’s Agony in the Garden, circa 1460, depicts Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Travel with me through several centuries to another Garden.  This time at Gethsemane (on the Mount of Olives).  The story is in Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42 and Like 22:40-46.  Jesus had asked James, John and Peter to go with Him while He prayed.  What was His expectation?  I think He wanted them to support Him physically and spiritually.  Physically because He knew what was about to happen and He wanted those He loved around Him.  Spiritually because He was about to spend serious time in prayer and He wanted the support of their prayers also.  But, guess what?  Once again God (Jesus) is disappointed.  Each time He returned to them they were asleep.  He says pretty much what He said in the Garden of Eden…What are you doing/What have you done?  Oh, my, what they gave up for a nap?

hanginggardensofBabylon

These are the two most well-known gardens in the Word, but there are others.  One the Ancient Wonders of the World was the Hanging Garden of Babylon built by Nebuchadnezzar.  The entire book of the Song of Songs takes place in a garden.   I think I can safely say, God really likes gardens.

Worship Him with song:  In The Garden/There is None Like You

Abba, there is None Like You.  Let me join You in the beauty of my garden.  The day lilies, ferns, and hanging planters are just a bit of the beauty You created.  Praise You and thank You for the colors, the smells, the blooms…Grow me as You grow them, set apart, sanctified for Your purpose only.  Make it so!

Living Water

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waterHave you ever noticed how many times water is used to describe a Biblical concept throughout the Word?  The Old and New Testament use this metaphor.  I’m going to focus today on a few of the ways water is connected to Jesus, the Living Water.

Turn to John 1:29-34 and let’s take a look at Jesus’ Baptism.  John makes a clear distinction between baptizing (The Greek word here is baptizo and means getting totally wet) with water and the Baptism of the Spirit.  Water baptism is obedience to the Lord’s call with a public affirmation of faith.  The symbolism here regards the complete washing away of our sin and rising to eternal life from the watery grave.  The baptism of the Spirit is what we receive when we acknowledge Christ as our personal Savior.  The Spirit completely indwells and covers us, never to leave.  It represents us to the world as God’s own.

The first miracle recorded in the Word is His turning the water into wine.  This account is found in John 2:1-10.  Mary tells Jesus the wine has run out.  Not a good thing to happen in a wedding celebrations.  It would have been very embarrassing because hospitality was a very big part of life in that time.  It is interesting that He appears to say no to His mother.  In reality He followed through.  On the surface of this miracle it would seem that turning water to wine is the main issue.  I think Jesus was starting the pattern of signs that would lead to our understanding that He is the Jehovah Jirah, the God who provides.  He wanted us to understand that as the Living Water He alone will provide all our needs.

Wedding-Feast-at-Cana-Carosfeld

Jesus uses water again to show the Woman at the Well that she needs to turn away from her sin and start a new life.  (Hm-m-m-m-m I see hints of our Baptism concept.)  John 4:5-26 tells the whole story.  Water is the true fountain of life.  One can live longer without food than they can without water.  As Jesus speaks to the Samarian Woman she understands and asks where she can get some of this Living Water.  Jesus explains His place in the metaphor and she gets it!  If you read the next few verses you find that she left her waterpot (a physical manifestation of the need for water) and went into the city to tell the men.  They came to see Him.  She filled Christ’s desire for us to ‘go and tell’.  (Perhaps she is the first missionary…)

There are many water metaphors.  Consider Luke 22:10 – You will see a man carrying a pitcher of water….John 19:34 – Water poured out of the wound left by the piercing of His side…Revelation 22:17 – The invitation to freely take the Water of Life.

Water is a visible representation of life from Genesis to Revelation.  Such a simple commodity, such an eternal function.

Heavenly Father, Giver of Eternal Life, I have tasted the Living Water.  Give me more.  Let me feast at your table…Let me drink of the Water.  Make it so!

Worship Him with song!   Let The Living Water

 

My Quiet Place

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383051_345381925473491_226839817327703_1380963_749406284_nWhere is your quiet place? Do you even have one? It seems that men have workshops and garages, children have their own rooms, and women… It is hugely important, for personal and spiritual growth, release of stress and just plain relaxing, that everyone would have a place that is their own. (Even Cinderella had one – – In My Own Little Corner (video) – – Enjoy the memory!)

Jesus modeled the importance of quiet times.  Mark 1:35 (NLT) says – The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.  Jesus had been working very hard the day before, healing many people.  I imagine He was exhausted and when he woke up He needed silence and time alone with His Father.  He choose to go into the wilderness because He knew He wouldn’t be bothered there.  Well at least until someone came looking for Him and of course they did.

Mark 6:31-32 (NLT) tells of another incident but this time it includes the disciples.  Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.”  There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His disciples didn’t even have time to eat.  They left by boat for a quieter spot.  Of course we know the rest of the story…they found them again.  However, while they were crossing the lake there was certainly quiet time in the boat.  They could simply be silent and heal their minds.

Those are just two examples of the places in the Bible that God speaks of the need for a Quiet Place.   2 Kings 4:10 tells the story of the wealthy woman from Shunem who created a ‘little room’ for Elisha the Prophet.  It was furnished, on a cool roof top, a quiet place of his own.  Or, how about Psalm 46:10.

A quiet place can be anywhere as long as it is your place.  It can be indoors or out, it can be furnished or not, it can be at home or away…  I find it interesting that even a piece of cloth can even provide a spot that is quietly yours, evidenced by the prayer shawls of the Jewish believer’s that were specifically designed  to be placed over the head during prayer.

In my quiet spot I have books, music, a warm afghan, silence and above all the respect of my family to leave me alone unless it is a dire emergency.  I encourage you to find a place and make it yours. 

Here are a couple of videos that speak to the idea of a quiet place:

Jesus Is a Quiet Place for Me                 In The Secret

Heavenly Father, You have given me so much, I can’t thank You enough.  Keep me always aware that I have Your attention, always.  Bring me to the quiet place and let me know You more.  Make it so!

God’s Plan

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View of ancient Babylon, Description de L'Univ...

View of ancient Babylon, Description de L’Universe (Alain Manesson Mallet, 1683).jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have been pondering Jeremiah 29:11-13 a lot lately.  God keeps putting it in my mind.  We have to read more of the story to understand the meaning of these verses and let me say IT IS POWERFUL.  Read from verse 4 through verse 14. Here’s what I have discovered so far… 

  • I believe we live in a modern Babylon.   Ancient Babylon represented all the excesses it was possible to have at that time.  We have much the same in the US…money, stuff, sex, lack of morality, little regard for others, worship of all kinds of other gods…
  • God tells the Israelites to do these things to model who He is:  Build homes, plan to stay, plant gardens and eat the produce, marry, have children, find spouses for them, have grandchildren, multiply, work for peace and prosperity where you are, pray for the city, do not be tricked by other prophets or mediums – they lie
  • God’s plan for me is His plan.  No one else can interfere.  He knows my future.  He knows what He wants.
  • He wants me to know His plan and even gives ways to discover it.  He says if I earnestly seek Him I will find Him and He will listen. 
  • He promises to end my captivity in this modern Babylon and yes, restore my fortune.
  • He promises to give me hope, a future, and will bring me home again.

God is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do!  What more could I want.

Ah, Lord God, Giver of all there is, was, and ever will be.  Your plan for me is more awesome than anything I can imagine.  I am claiming prosperity, a future, hope, and anything else You have for me.  Make it so!!

God’s Resolutions

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Happy New Year

At this ending of the year many are making resolutions to bring in the new.  Things like lose weight, exercise more, learn more, read more and on and on and on…  Interestingly these re-solutions to old problems last for only a few days, perhaps weeks at best.  As I thought about this it crossed my mind that God has SOLUTIONS and has spelled them out very plainly for us in His Word.  We only need to believe that He can and will do what He says He can.

10 Solutions from God (I have capitalized the solution.)

  1. DON’T WORRY, because I am with you.  DON’T BE AFRAID because I am your God, I will make you strong and will help you: I will support you with my right hand that saves you.          Isaiah 43:1-3
  2. The LORD’S LOVE never ends; His mercies never sop.  They are new every morning;  LORD, Your loyalty is great.  I say to myself, “The LORD is mine, so I hope in Him.”  The LORD is good to those who HOPE IN HIM, to those who SEEK HIM.     Lamentations 3:22-25
  3. COME TO ME, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you REST.  Accept my teachings and LEARN FROM ME, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find REST for your lives.   Matthew 11:28-29
  4. God will show His MERCY forever and ever to those who WORSHIP and SERVE HIM.    Luke 1:50
  5. The LORD your God is with you;  the mighty One will save you.  He will REJOICE over you.  You will REST IN HIS LOVE; He will sing and be joyful about you.   Zephaniah 3:17
  6. WAIT and TRUST the LORD.  DON’T BE UPSET when others get rich or when some else’s plans succeed.  DON’T GET ANGRY.  Don’t be upset; it only leads to trouble.   Psalm 37:7-8
  7. I tell you the truth, whoever HEARS what I say and BELIEVES in the One who sent Me has eternal life.  That person will not be judged guilty but has already left death and entered life.    John 5:24
  8. In Christ we can COME BEFORE GOD with freedom and WITHOUT FEAR.  We can do this through faith in Christ.  Ephesians 3:12
  9. Anyone who speaks should SPEAK WORDS FROM GOD.  Anyone who serves should SERVE WITH THE STRENGTH GOD GIVES so that in everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ.  Power and glory belong to Him forever and ever.     1 Peter 4:11
  10. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly.  Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by SINGING psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with THANKFULNESS in your hearts to God.  Everything you do or say should be done to OBEY JESUS your Lord.  And in all you do, GIVE THANKS to God the Father through Jesus.       Colossians 3:16-17

There are so many solutions in the Word it was hard to choose just 10.  That really is the gist of this short article…the solutions are in the Word.  I hope that every believer will spend more time this year, in the Bible, searching for God’s Solutions.

Heavenly Father, my One and Only, You alone are worthy of my praise.  How can I ever give thanks often enough for the Words You have breathed on every page of the Bible.  Oh, Lord, help us all have an uncurable passion for You and Your Word.  I lift these words before the Throne in the Precious Name of Jesus.  Make it so!

Scriptural passages from The Holy Bible, New Century Version