Grass: It grows everywhere. We use it to feed our animals; to help stop erosion; to make our lawns pretty. It's something soft to walk on. It's pretty.
Ever think about how the grass grows?
We walk on it. Yet it springs back and still grows....
We cut it continually. Yet it grows...
The wild winds blow over it and lay it flat. Yet it stands up tall again as if nothing happened...
The wild fires burn it. Yet it always grows back... grows better, and greener...
When we walk on it, it gets crushed flat. Goodness, can you imagine the weight issue there? It's so much smaller than us. When it gets crushed, I mean, it's crushed. But it always comes up again...
So should we when trials come. We get crushed flat... but God still wants us to grow. We still have to spring back, and keep growing.
We cut the grass... the tips we cut off go down by the roots and go back into the soil. The nutrients that went into the tips now go back into the soil, and make growing conditions better. But that's not to say getting cut so often doesn't hurt...
God is always having to cut off our "tips" so we'll grow right. So we'll be fit for His purpose. It hurts!! But it has to be done. Those things help us to grow in Him.
The wild winds blow over the grass... yet after each gust, it stands up tall again. Just to be knocked over with the next... The wind lays it flat. Sometimes even cracks it off at the base. But what's left always stands back up... Some stems stand tall no matter how hard the blast... they just stand there and quiver.
There is no protection from the wind when it's out on the prairie. It stands fully exposed. When the wind hits it, over it goes... but it never stays over. Never.
When the winds of sorrow, and trouble sweep over us, we're laid flat. It looks like the end... but through God's strength we can stand up tall again, and glorify Him.
Whatever gets cracked off was meant to be. It wasn't good for that to stay. It hurts! But what's left of us needs to pick ourselves back out of the dirt, and praise Him anyway.
Some of us just stand in the "wind and storm" and quiver... some are just stronger that way. But there will come a time of calm after the storm when the quivering stops, and there is rest.
God doesn't always shield us from the "winds" or sorrow, or trouble. But He always sees us through. Always.
The fires come raging through the field, and burn up the grass. There is nothing left... but roots. And it always grows back better, and greener. It comes back healthier.
The fire burns off the dead, and dry. The unneeded, unwanted stems. It burns off all that is visible of the plant. But when the fire comes it burns all that to ash, which goes back into the soil and helps the grass to grow better.
When the fiery trials come, it burns off the dross. All the unneeded, icky sins, unwanted impurities. All the faults and foibles... and all the energy and hard work that has gone into "growing" those, goes back into our "roots"....... we grow better because of it. We learn from it.
All that the grass goes through... yet it's silent. It never screams out at God for making it that way. It never screams out at God for allowing it get walked on and crushed. It never complains about the wind and the fire. It never complains about being trimmed. It just silently grows, and continues to serve Him with everything in it.
So, back to the title... Oh to be like grass!
To go through trials and testings, and never complain.
Never worry.
Never falter.
Just stand up again.
And Keep. Growing.
Hallie
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Day 1 - 2013 A New Year
Daily Reading: Proverbs 1, Romans 1, Psalm 1
Proverbs 1
Reflection: Proverbs 1 can be broken into three parts. The intro (v1-7, the first warning parable (v8-19) and a street preacher named Wisdom (v20-33). The intro descrbes the outer seal, molded to impress into the reader of the proverb a key of understanding and using the insights, to reveal true insight, which is fear of the Lord. The second part of this first proverb, serves as a warning, a story of sinister characters and the associations of the wrong crowd. In the third part, the writer points us to a street preacher proclaiming truth and admonishing those who choose not to listen.
Discussion Topic: Examine your life, and the year ahead of you. Are you using God's word to guide your life in all things? Are you wrongly associated with certain people or perhaps entrapped by ungodly habits? Where does the solution to this dilemma come from? Is there relief to be found in the text?
Join the Discussion:
Prayer: Father in heaven, Holy is your name and worthy to be praised. Lord we give you honor and glory as we celebrate in the joy of a new year. Lord guide us this year to a closer relationship with you. Draw our hearts to your heart so that we can begin to understand the fear of You. Teach us to make this year about You and Your resolutions. For its Your Will, Your Kingdom, Your Power and Your Glory! Jesus name, Amen!
Acknowledgements: Text - Biblegateway.com Image - http://streetpreacher.tv/
Proverbs 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are;
for understanding insightful sayings;
3 for receiving wise instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,
knowledge and discretion to a young man—
5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning,
and a discerning man will obtain guidance—
6 for understanding a proverb or a parable,
the words of the wise, and their riddles.
2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are;
for understanding insightful sayings;
3 for receiving wise instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,
knowledge and discretion to a young man—
5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning,
and a discerning man will obtain guidance—
6 for understanding a proverb or a parable,
the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and discipline.
is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,
9 for they will be a garland of grace on your head
and a gold chain around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.
11 If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush and kill someone.
Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,
still healthy as they go down to the Pit.
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.
14 Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share our money”—
15 my son, don’t travel that road with them
or set foot on their path,
16 because their feet run toward trouble
and they hurry to commit murder.
17 It is foolish to spread a net
where any bird can see it,
18 but they set an ambush to kill themselves;
they attack their own lives.
19 Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;
it takes the lives of those who receive it.
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,
9 for they will be a garland of grace on your head
and a gold chain around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.
11 If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush and kill someone.
Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,
still healthy as they go down to the Pit.
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.
14 Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share our money”—
15 my son, don’t travel that road with them
or set foot on their path,
16 because their feet run toward trouble
and they hurry to commit murder.
17 It is foolish to spread a net
where any bird can see it,
18 but they set an ambush to kill themselves;
they attack their own lives.
19 Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;
it takes the lives of those who receive it.
20 Wisdom calls out in the street;
she raises her voice in the public squares.
21 She cries out above the commotion;
she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
22 “How long, foolish ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?
23 If you respond to my warning,
then I will pour out my spirit on you
and teach you my words.
24 Since I called out and you refused,
extended my hand and no one paid attention,
25 since you neglected all my counsel
and did not accept my correction,
26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the Lord,
30 were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,
31 they will eat the fruit of their way
and be glutted with their own schemes.
32 For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be free from the fear of danger.”
she raises her voice in the public squares.
21 She cries out above the commotion;
she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
22 “How long, foolish ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?
23 If you respond to my warning,
then I will pour out my spirit on you
and teach you my words.
24 Since I called out and you refused,
extended my hand and no one paid attention,
25 since you neglected all my counsel
and did not accept my correction,
26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the Lord,
30 were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,
31 they will eat the fruit of their way
and be glutted with their own schemes.
32 For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be free from the fear of danger.”
Reflection: Proverbs 1 can be broken into three parts. The intro (v1-7, the first warning parable (v8-19) and a street preacher named Wisdom (v20-33). The intro descrbes the outer seal, molded to impress into the reader of the proverb a key of understanding and using the insights, to reveal true insight, which is fear of the Lord. The second part of this first proverb, serves as a warning, a story of sinister characters and the associations of the wrong crowd. In the third part, the writer points us to a street preacher proclaiming truth and admonishing those who choose not to listen.
Discussion Topic: Examine your life, and the year ahead of you. Are you using God's word to guide your life in all things? Are you wrongly associated with certain people or perhaps entrapped by ungodly habits? Where does the solution to this dilemma come from? Is there relief to be found in the text?
Join the Discussion:
Prayer: Father in heaven, Holy is your name and worthy to be praised. Lord we give you honor and glory as we celebrate in the joy of a new year. Lord guide us this year to a closer relationship with you. Draw our hearts to your heart so that we can begin to understand the fear of You. Teach us to make this year about You and Your resolutions. For its Your Will, Your Kingdom, Your Power and Your Glory! Jesus name, Amen!
Acknowledgements: Text - Biblegateway.com Image - http://streetpreacher.tv/
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