Wilting, or Thriving in your Soul

My friend Vicki Jones took this nice picture of the plants I had on display at the retreat.

This past weekend the Ladies Spring Retreat at Camp Gilead in Carnation, WA gave me the opportunity to do a workshop on how to flourish in the daily time we spend with the Lord. Just four days prior to the retreat I purchased two beautifully thriving primroses that were as identical as I could possibly have found. One primrose was given everything it needed, like water and sunlight and perfect temperature. The other I sat in a dark room and gave absolutely no water. In just four days the neglected plant had turned into a pretty sad looking situation.

When we parallel the outcome of these two little plants with our own spiritual flourishing, or lack of it, I’m sure you can see the application. I presented to the ladies practical ideas about the mechanics of spending time with the Lord, and also, great resources to aid in adding depth and width to our study. However, my greatest emphasis focused on the importance of having a whole heart for God. Without this crucial heart attitude time spent reading the Word and praying can be just academic and ritualistic. Those two adjectives should never describe our interaction with the almighty God of the Universe! Neglect of time spent with God , as well as, a perfunctory attitude in the midst of such a time, both contribute to the wilting of our souls. In contrast, a wholehearted focus and devotion towards God and His Word results in great vigor of our souls.

In these days of Coronavirus and great changes in our social structure, vigor of soul becomes more and more essential. How are you doing during this Crisis? Are you drawing near to God with a whole heart? Is your soul more vigorous and alive than ever? May this be the case for all of us.

Psalm 119:2 “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart,..”

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Just four days after rejuvenating with water and light, the sad little plant above looks like this!

There will be no Ladies Bible Study until further notice.

Who is in Charge?

Have you ever ridden on a tandem bicycle? A couple of years ago while Mark and I attended a conference at Cannon Beach, Oregon we explored the back streets on a tandem bicycle. Once you mount these unique bikes you quickly realize they require a little different set of skills than your ordinary Schwinn. Actually, the official title of each rider gives you a good start on understanding their role. The person in the front is called the “captain” while the person on the back is called the “stoker.” You do know what “stokers” do, right? So the captain does all of the steering and braking, while the stoker just pedals. My most important role was to pay attention and sense if we were going to be leaning to the left or right, coming to a stop, or needing extra push for an incline.

In reference to our dependency on God (our Good Shepherd) Jennifer Rothschild uses a tandem bike comparison. It is pretty obvious in this illustration that our Good Shepherd should be on the front seat. Jennifer asks, “In reality, are you on the front of the bike, in charge and pedaling hard to get to that green pasture so you can rest? Or perhaps you’re in the right place but with the wrong heart. You’re seated on the back of the bike, but constantly shouting directions to your Shepherd and calling it prayer. Do you think you know better than Him where the green pastures in your life should be? Or are you content to sit on the back of the bike, safe with your Shepherd, knowing He is in total control?”

“Following is freeing.” This will be the main idea we work on settling into our hearts this coming Thursday morning during our Ladies Bible Study time. Won’t you join us as we encourage one another to live wholeheartedly and abundantly for the Lord.

What Do I Need?

If your were to make a list of what is lacking in your life, just how extensive would that list be? Maybe the desire for a better spouse, more obedient children, closer relationships with friends, a newer car, a better job, and innumerable other desires would no doubt be on that list. Something that has impressed my heart in the study of Psalm 23 has been the very first verse—”The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want .” The word “want” has the meaning of “lack.” Do I believe this, and is this real in my life? My observation of life and God’s Word causes me to conclude that contentment of the soul leads to contentment in the life. God has an incredible interest and detailed care for everyone whose soul He has rescued and given new life to—just as a good shepherd very attentively cares for each of his sheep. But God’s vigilance of us is so much more detailed than that of a shepherd toward a sheep because He knows our deepest pain, as well as, the greatest joys of our hearts and all of the physical needs we have as well. So, as Jennifer Rothschild says , “…we will only lack what we don’t need. We will never lack what we do need.” “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Oh that this would be the banner over my heart!

This Thursday morning we will be completing Week 1 with Days 3-5 in our workbooks on Psalm 23. Please join us for this encouraging, God-focused time and bring along a friend that could use some cheering on. Bring your little ones with you as Liesl and Anne will be waiting for them.