As I look out my window this morning our grass needs mowed very badly. Grass grows quickly doesn't it? If we do not take care of it, mow, weed eat, and keep everything trimmed we will quickly have a forest filled with many trees overshadowing all else.There are many who love to work in the garden, the yard and just being outdoors in the sunshine makes them smile. We have about two acres that we keep mowed, and yes, it is a chore to stay with it. Many sweaty hours and work on those Saturdays when we would rather be doing something else.
If we are not careful our walk with Jesus can become the same. We no longer are excited to be in the Son, and enjoy the work before us. Our walk and work now feels like a chore more than anything else. The Lord wants us to enjoy all that is before us. Is there sweat? Yep. Is there hard work? Yep. Are there attacks from satan and the world? Yep and Yep!
If we don't keep up with Jesus in our walk soon our walk is over shadowed with all those big worldly things trying to push Him out the way so they can soon take over and root in our lives. We can find ourselves walking along another path alone and lost before we really know we are. Soon we have lost the warmth of the Light as we have cast it away, so we could go off the trail on our own, only discovering how much needed to stay the Light.
Corrie Ten Boom said: "When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy."
What a wonderfully, blessed woman we have before us to share her wisdom. Look at the life of Corrie Ten Boom and the time she spent during the Holocaust. The evils of the this world tried to steal everything from her. Satan tried, but he could not steal her faith. And her life has been a living testimony to thousands upon thousands. She kept her eyes upon her Savior.
We need to surround ourselves with other Christians who are lifting us up.We need to keep the weeds out, so all before us is getting the Light it needs. We need to be in God's word and study all He has before us. The more we study, the more we find Him. We need to be in prayer before Him, humbly upon our knees. The more we pray, the closer we will find oursleves to Him. We need to live in such a way the world sees Jesus through us. Our lives should be living testimony just as Ms. Boom's life is. We should be rooted in Jesus in such a way that our blooms only point upward and blossom with only the beauty He can add.
We often put so much more before God, and just take Him out when we need Him. Corrie Ten Boom also shared: "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" Are we allowing God to lead us through everything in life or do we just get Him out when we are have a flat? When all else has failed is that when we get Jesus out? Our lives should be lived before God as though we are a relection of Him. We should be allowing Him to steer our lives and we should be sitting in the back seat, learning the way, focusing in on the road before us. Too many times we fall asleep and we have missed all the beauty before us.
I have heard others say including myself, "All we can do is pray now." No, prayer should always be our first move. Our conversation with Jesus should be one lasting all throughout the day. He should not be there after all else has failed. He should be called upon before we move to anything else.
Our bibles can get dusty. Those lessons we intended to do get half way finished. That prayer time becomes prayer after I have done all else I want to do. Jesus gave so much for us and most of the time we are not willing to do for Him. He gave all, and I must look at my life and ask myself, "What am I giving?"
Not only should I be giving, but I should be giving up much. Including my past, my worries, and all those things before me causing me to stumble and move away from Him. I need to put those temptations away, keep sin far my life, and keep Jesus at the center.
As my Pastor has often said, "Check yourself, if you are not closer to Christ today than yesterday, there is a problem." Can you relate to this? I can. Too often I catch myself living for me, and not living for the One who came for me.
Just as I look at to my grass this morning, growing and needing attention. I too can look into my heart, my walk with Jesus and see it needs my attention. The more attention I give to Him the more I will grow. The more I grow, the more attention I will give to Him.
Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long."
