5-Minute Friday

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Marie

I am joining the flash mob of writer/bloggers for 5-Minute Friday. Today’s word is – fill. If you’d like to join in the fun head over to Heading Home, Kate Motaung’s blog and join in.

Immediately my mind goes to the Professor who brings a glass jar filled with rocks to a lecture and asks the class if they believe the jar is full. Of course, the class says yes. He then proceeds to fill in the empty areas with small gravel. When asked if the jar is full the class says yes. After adding sand he asks again and gets yes. He then adds water and asks is the jar full. Well of course it is, so he asks what is the significance of this exercise…

Unless we put the large rocks in first we won’t be able to fit them in later.

I have found this to be true in so many areas of life but nowhere more so than in my relationship with Jesus. The basics have to be put in place each day to be filled to the brim with life nourishing water.

Look at it like this;

The rocks are the early morning times of prayer and praise.

The gravel is reading and studying the word.

The sand is asking for His help, encouragement, love, and forgiveness in all of the day’s situations.

The water is His response to my request…filled to the brim…overflowing…adding more as necessary…never letting the jar (me) run dry.

My 5 minutes has run out but …

Wonderful words from His Word – John 4:4-14

Fill My Cup, Lord

Heavenly Fill me to the fullest with Your Living Water. Let it wash over not only me but everyone I come into contact with. Hear my prayer, Lord, in the Precious Name of Jesus.

Follow Me

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Marie

Peter was with Jesus from the beginning to the end…yes, we know that. Did you know that his beginning started with “Follow Me” and ended with the same words?

When I was a child we often sang a delightful song with the words,”I Will Make You Fishers of Men”. Even today, so many years past childhood, I can still sing the words and hear the melody in my mind.

Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon Peter and his brother Andrew fishing in the lake. He said to them, “Follow Me and we’ll fish for people.” And so they did. Further on down the road he came upon James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were in the boat with their father. Jesus said the same thing to them, “Follow Me” and they did. That little story, in my own words, is found in Matthew 4:18-22.

Let’s travel three years into the future. The four have followed Jesus faithfully, fully immersed in His journey. They have watched Him closely, learned from Him, shared His words with others, been at the Cross with Him and He is about to return to the Father. In this scene we find them once again by the side of a lake. Jesus has cooked them breakfast and when they done eating He says to Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter answers, “You know I love You!” This went on two more times, each time Peter answered positively and Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep (or lambs)”. It was very important for Peter to understand what his future was to be about, but something even more important is said at the end of this conversation. Jesus tells him what his death will be like and then He says, “Follow Me!” (John 12:15-19)

Why did Jesus say these words again? He knew Peter so well and knew that he needed reminded that it’s not about him, that to follow Him, Peter would have to take himself out of the picture. It’s the same message for us. We are are to follow Him and forget ourselves. From the beginning to the end of our relationship with Him it has to be all about HIM.

Heavenly Father, teach us to make this life all about You. Teach us to put others first. Teach us to serve those around us. Oh, LORD, teach us!

In The Garden

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Marie

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.

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 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?

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!