We Reap What We Sow

"Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."  Galatians 6:6-8
 
We reap what we sow -good or bad -sooner or later. This applies to all areas of our lives - spiritual, financial, friendships, relationships, work, etc...  So why is it that we sometimes find ourselves on the wrong side of this promise?  Perhaps it's because of our own pride.  Perhaps the reason is because we have not wholly submitted ourselves to the Lord.  We still clutch tightly to control, asserting our will over His.  Perhaps it is because we are too weak to overcome some issue that causes us to continually stumble, yet we've not sincerely repented and sought God's help.  Perhaps it is because we simply don't want to change.  Or, perhaps we are blind to our own sins - either we choose to ignore them or we justify them to ourselves, making it okay in our minds.  Whatever the case, we do reap what we sow.
 
And when we sow good seeds, we reap good in return.  Those who sow that which is good will : 

• receive everlasting life (Galatians 6:8)
• receive a sure reward (Proverbs 11:18)
• receive rain of righteousness from the Lord (Hosea 10:12)
• bear good fruit when sown on good ground (Mark 4:20)
• gathers fruit for eternal life  (John 4:36)
• will reap bountifully  (2 Corinthians 9:6)
• reap peace because they sow in peace (James 3:18)

However, this is what Scripture has to say to those who sow what is bad.

• They sow discord.  Perversity is in their heart.  They devise evil continually.  (Psalm 6:14)
• They speak lies and sow discord among the brethren.  (Proverbs 6:19)
• They are deceptive.  (Proverbs 11:18)
• Sows strife and destroys friendships.  (Proverbs 16:28)
• Will reap sorrow.  (Proverbs 22:8)
• Will be judged as wicked and face eternal consequences.  (Luke 19:22)
• Will reap sparingly.  (2 Corinthians 9:6)

Unfortunately we often don't learn from the bad and repeat the same mistakes over and over again. We may not even recognize our own 'bad seed.'  However, we can ask God to reveal these things to us.  We can turn away from these things, ask for His forgiveness, and for His help.  We can overcome when we give our lives completely over to Jesus Christ!  We don't have to allow our bad sowing to ruin our eternal lives!  We can sow good seeds, spiritual seeds, righteous seeds - ETERNAL seeds!  We can have the VICTORY over ALL SIN through JESUS!  His help is just a prayer away.  It's our choice.  What will you choose?
 
Grace and Peace, friends!
In His Love, Cathy

The Matyr Syndrome

"The prophet Jeremiah gave a message to Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoaikim son of Josiah, after Baruch had written down everything Jeremiah had dictated to him, He said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch.  You have said, 'I am overshelmed with trouble!  Haven't I had enough pain already?  And now the Lord has added more!  I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.'

  Baruch, this is what the Lord says, " I will destroy this nation that I build.  I will uproot what I planted.  Are you seeking great things for yourself?  Don't do it!  I will bring great disaster uon all these people, but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go.  I, the Lord have Spoken!""

Jeremiah 45:1-5

Baruch was the assistant to the prophet, Jeremiah.  Baruch has served Jeremiah for years.  Jeremiah wasn't popular.  He preached doom and gloom to the people of Jerusalem and Judah due to their disobedience to God.  God told Jeremiah what to say and do, and Jeremiah obeyed.  He didn't prophecy good things, like the other (false) prophets did.  He prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Judah because of their disobedience and refusal to repent. And because these prophecies went against the popular prophecies of the day, he was arrested and threatened with death.  As Jeremiah's assistant, Baruch's life was on the line as well.

At the point in time of this passage, it's apparent that Baruch seems to have had his fill.  He felt that he had sacrificed so much in his life that he deserved something for all of the troubles he'd endured.  Baruch is suffering from the Matyr Syndrome.  He was more concerned about his sacrifices and what he felt he deserved more than serving God.  He felt he was entitled to something more.  But here is where God steps in and reminds Baruch of the bigger picture.  You see, Baruch took his eyes off the real prize - God - and as a result, lost his joy in serving God.

Like Baruch, we too sometimes lose our focus - focusing on our sacrifices or what we've missed out on.  When our focus shifts from God and His purposes to our own sacrifices,  we become frustrated.  We've all worked with people like this before...they work super late and long hours - not be cause they have to but because they want to - sacrificing their family for the job...feeling a sense of entitlement because of their sacrifice.  And when their reward doesn't come or they aren't recognized by others, they become resentful.  And can I be frank?  There were times, as children's pastor, when I did resent the fact I was not home with my family late on a Friday or Saturday night because I was at the church vacuuming the children's wing or wiping down dirty tables.  I felt I deserved to be home with them! But this is where the problem is...our focus shouldn't be on what we feel we lost out on or what we think we deserve, it should be on God - first and foremost!  It ain't about us, anyway!

The bottom line is this, we don't need to be a Baruch.  As we serve God, let us not focus on our own sacrifices or what we think we deserve.  Instead, we should redirect our focus on the incredible privilege of serving a most wonderful and awesome God!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

God is Faithful

As I was reading through the book of Jeremiah tonight, I was struck by how unfaithful the people of Israel had been to God.  God had chosen them to be His People, a People through whom He would bless the world.  A People who were to be a living witness and testimony to His Glory.  The People through whom He would send His Beloved Son.  Yet these very ones that He had chosen - had shown favor to, had been patient with, had rescued time and again, and who had witnessed His miracles - chose to worship other gods over Him.  Yet, God remained faithful to Israel.

The Scriptures are a testimony to God's faithfulness to Israel and to mankind.  He made certain promises to Israel and God remained faithful to each and every one of those promises.  He promised Israel would be a great nation as long as they remained faithful to Him.  He promised that a descendent of David would always rule over Israel, as long as they remained faithful to Him.  But He also promised to send destruction and scatter the people of Israel the if they turned from Him.  So, when they did stray from God, God sent other nations conquer first Israel, and later Judah.  All but a remnant were carried off into captivity.  Yet, He also promised that if they turned from their wicked ways and called out to Him in true repentance, He would hear them and rescue them.  He is faithful.

God is faithful. 
His faithfulness and unfailing love
...endures forever (Psalm 117:2). 
...continues to each generation (Psalm 100:5). 
...reaches beyond the clouds (Psalm 108:4). 
...protects (Psalm 40:11). 
...rescues (Psalm 57:3).      
...watches over us (Psalm 61:7)
...makes atonement for sin (Proverbs 16:6)

God is faithful - to you and to me.  He is faithful to keep His promises.  It is up to us to determine which side of those promises we are going to fall on.  Those who rebel and reject Him will face destruction in the end.  Those who chose Christ and follow Him will receive eternal life.  He is faithful.  It's His Righteous Nature. He is faithful - always has been and always will be. 

God is faithful.  The question is, are we faithful to Him?

In His Love, Cathy

When Your Spirit is Crushed

My spirit is crushed,

and my life is nearly snuffed out.

The grave is ready to receive me.

2 I am surrounded by mockers.

I watch how bitterly they taunt me.

3 “You must defend my innocence, O God,

since no one else will stand up for me.

Job 17:1-3

These are the words Job cried out to God when he lost everything.  Job had it all - a beautiful family, wealth, fabulous home, land, flocks, servants - and he lost it all in an instant.  Job didn't understand why.  He knew he'd been faithful to God throughout his life and though others accused him of having unconfessed sin, Job proclaimed his innocence.  Needless to say, his spirit was crushed.   

Have you ever felt crushed by life?  I have.  I can vividly remember feeling so desperate and so crushed that I honestly didn't believe I would survive.  I felt like a tiny insect whose life was squashed right out of it.  The mire and the quicksand of this life had sucked me so far below the murky depths, I felt as though I had no hope.  So,  I did the only thing I could - I cried out to Jesus, hoping against all hope that He would hear me.  But I didn't just 'cry', I screamed out to Him from the depths of my soul.  Though my words inaudible due to my heartwrenching sobs, I reached out to Jesus with all that was within me - praying that He would find me and rescue me from this horrid pit of despair I found myself in. 

And you know what happened?  Amazingly, He heard me!  In an instant, I felt Him reaching for me.  I felt His overpowering presence enveloping me, grabbing my arms, raising me out of the depths of that nightmare.  His presence was so strong, it was as though I could almost see Him there with me, reaching for me, pulling me out of that pit.  My sobs of despair turning into sobs of joy with the realization of what was happening in my soul.  Then, just like that, a peace like I had never known overflowed from the very core of my being.  For as much turmoil that had been in my heart just moments before, there was even greater peace and joy.  He shored up my crushed spirit with His Holy Spirit- invicincible and victorious!

When Your spirit is crushed, there is only One who can restore.  Like Job, we can reach for Him today.  Cry out to Him!  He will hear you and He will answer.  He so wants to give you life!

In His Love, Cathy

Happy Birthday, Mama!

The year 1946 marks the first year of the Baby Boomer generation.  My Mother is one of them.  She was born on Jan 2, 1946 - the SECOND DAY of the FIRST YEAR of the Baby Boomer generation.

So, I decided that it was time to learn more about Baby Boomers.  Some interesting facts I learned about this historic generation:

• Seventy-six million American babies were born between the years  1946 to 1960.  This generation is called the Baby Boomer generation. 
• This generation grew up in a time of dramatic social change.
• The social changes created a great political divide in this generation between conservative and liberal ideas.  This great divide still has influenced modern day politics.
• As for religion:  42% of Baby Boomers dropped out of formal religion;  1/3 never strayed from the church; and 1/4 are returning to religion with a caveat - they are more liberal than those who never strayed from church, they are less loyal to church, and less regular in church attendance.  (According to Time Magazine article citing Wade Clark Roof, Sociologist at University of California at Santa Barbara, 1993).
• This generation was the first to grow up to the sounds of Rock and Roll.  Many pioneered this new musical genre.  My Mom's personal favorites were Elvis, and of course, The Beatles.  (She still has ALL of the original albums - every last one of them!)
• There are two divisions among Baby Boomers - Cohort #1 (1946 to 1955) and Cohort #2 Generation Joneses (1956 to 1964).
• My Mom is a member of Cohort #1:  She witnessed JFK's assassination on live TV, she said it was the most upsetting thing she ever saw.  She remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis, the first walk on the moon which was aired on TV, Vietnam, Civil Rights & Martin Luther King's assasination, Woodstock, Women's Rights Movement, and antiwar protests. 
• Baby Boomers have left a huge impact on history.  "An indication of the importance put on the impact of the boomer was the selection by Time magazine of the Baby Boom Generation as its 1967 "Man of the Year." As Claire Raines points out in ‘Beyond Generation X’, “never before in history had youth been so idealized as they were at this moment.” When Generation X came along it had much to live up to and to some degree has always lived in the shadow of the Boomers..."

So,


Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mother!  Mom, I love you and I am so thankful for you.  I wish everyone could know your generousity, love for others, and the sacrifices you have made through the years for your family, your students, and for others.  You have always looked out for the best interests of others before your own.  You have given so much to your family and your community.  You have spent your life investing in the lives of others, helping them to achieve what they never thought they could achieve.  You dedicated your life to teaching your children and the children of others so that they, too, could succeed in life.  You are such a strong, courageous person and I hope to be just like you when I grow up:-) 

I pray that today, on your special day, you are blessed beyond measure!  May God continue to use your giving spirit in serving Him.  Know that your family loves you so much and we are so thankful that you are our Mama! 

In His Love, Cathy

2010: A New Year, A New Set of Resolutions (Or Are They?)

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19



This morning I received my daily devotion from Proverbs 31 Ministries.  In it, the author explained why she quit setting resolutions at the beginning of each New Year and instead wrote a prayer.  As I read her post, I too considered whether setting resolutions, only to fail at most of them, was simply a vain attempt to gain control over my life.  After all, God knows the real plans He has for us.  Our plans  often go awry because we don't consider His will nor can we see the future as He does.  Although writing a prayer for the New Year is a wonderful idea and well worth doing, I still think it is good to set up some prayerfully considered resolutions for 2010.  Why?  Goals give us something to work toward, and, if they are set up under the will of God, then we can make progress on areas that need improvement and even conquer them.  But again, the key is to ensure our resolutions are in line with His perfect will.  A New Year gives us opportunity for a fresh starting point, a point of reference to reflect over the past year and renew our minds and spirits.  A New Year gives us new perspectives and can help us reassess where we stand both spiritually and in our lives.

God has been dealing with me, especially the last month or so, on some areas that I believe He is calling me to focus on.  So without further delay, here are my personal resolutions for 2010.

10.  Eat right and excercise. Take better care of my health.
9.  Become less of a perfectionist (yep, repeat of last year!)
8.  Worry less. Stress less.  Rejoice in the Lord - ALWAYS!
7.  Simplify.  Simplify.  Simplify.
6.  Spend more time with friends.
5.  Be more giving and generous.  Be a better steward of all God has given.
4.  Spend more time with my husband and my children.
3.  Spend time with God daily in worship, prayer, Bible study, and meditation.
2.  May my lifesong sing to You, Lord!  (Yep, the same as last year!)  

And my #1 Resolution for 2010:
1.  More of Him and less of me! (John 3:30)

Praying for God's abundant blessings and provision for you and your loved ones in 2010!
   
In His Love, Cathy