The Tender Plant—Isaiah 53:2

 I walked down the road on this beautiful, sunny, winter morning. The tree branches swayed in the breeze–empty and barren. While I see the green of grass, it's struggling to maintain its vibrance in this cold, dry season. As I look around, I see clear signs of winter—even though we don't often see snow. The squirrels are busy collecting things that have fallen from the trees and lay waiting for their consumption. The deer are on the prowl looking for something to eat and finding alternatives to fresh greenery, plucking dried looking leaves from low shrubbery. While the sun is bright, there is a lack of color.

In just a few weeks, my region of the world will begin to come alive. Buds will form on the trees, shrubbery will begin filling in, and lawns will begin to take on their fresh look of emerald green. Life takes on the colors of green—a deep, pleasing green as plant after plant sprout forth tender, new shoots. These are the thoughts that crowded my mind as I walked this morning, longing for spring and the warmth of sunshine on my face. But what quickly came to mind was another Tender Plant—the One we read of in Isaiah 53:2:

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of the dry ground (KJV) :

There is something so pleasing about a tender plant—soft, new and fragile. It's most vulnerable in this stage of newness and needs care for it to thrive and grow hearty. To think of our Messiah as this tender plant brought many thoughts to mind. I appreciated this quote from Wayne Jackson for christiancourier.com:

 "a “tender plant,” attempting to survive in “dry ground” seems like an unlikely situation. In reality, however, such was by divine design! The text is intended to emphasize that what appears impossible with men, certainly is not with God."

We can appreciate that our tender plant—Jesus, did in fact thrive and grow and complete the mission God sent Him to accomplish. How about us? As new believers, we also were tender plants—plants that needed intentional nutrients in order for growth, maturity and completing the purpose God has for each of us. Pouring in God's Word, prayer, fellowship with other Christians, using our gifts for the benefit of our local church, humble service and obedience to His leading help us to grow and mature. But I love the thought that while we are growing and maturing, we still want to remain tender—pliable to His molding and shaping.

In my area of the world, August is generally a dry month. The once tender plants of spring are now deprived of water and scorched from the heat of summer. They are no longer a vibrant green, they are more of a yellowish-brown. Brittle to the touch, they easily break from the summertime conditions of the South. I see lessons in this, too—that the pressures and temptations of this world can harden us. While there is goodness to a hearty plant, a plant that is dried up of needed nutrients is on the brink of death. We want to remain rooted in Christ—the only sure way to stay thriving and tender in the harshness of a sinful world. 

Maybe you're also in a place where you're longing for spring. Winter—while it has its own unique beauty—can seem long and at times, dreary. But God is faithful and the seasons will change as they do each year, cycling from spring to summer, then fall and winter. But no matter what life season you may be in, may each of us remain tender—unchanged by the harsh realities of the world. May we, like Jesus, remain rooted in the Father, seeking to complete the mission He has for each of us. May we stay strong and connected, allowing Him to work in us, and through us. And may we enjoy the blessings of each lesson learned—even those that caused us pain. May we be known by others as being tender, faithful, and actively thriving in the work God has for us. 

Lessons from Mistletoe

 What comes to mind when you think of mistletoe? It's likely your thoughts are  linked to a Christmastime tradition—a small section of greenery that's known as a kissing plant. Whoever passes beneath the mistletoe at the same time is supposed to kiss one another. It's a fun tradition (mostly) and one enjoyed during the holiday season. But mistletoe isn't just for Christmas, and it may surprise you to find out that it's a plant considered to be a parasite. Yep—that pretty bunch of greenery with white berries is a parasitic plant.

One day in November of last year, my husband and I were playing around in the front yard with our puppy when he noticed a new growth on our pear tree. He recognized it right away as mistletoe, grafted into the branch of our Bradford pear. I had never seen that before on the trees on our property, and it was discovered that two of our trees had a rogue growth of mistletoe. This encouraged me to read up on this plant and do a little research—having a landscaping business, it's great to know about these things. What I discovered had an astounding lesson—a great lesson for us as Christians. 

Mistletoe finds its way to a host tree from a bird who carries the seed of the plant after enjoying their white berries. Gross as it sounds, a bird passes the seed through droppings in the safety of the tree branch. As that seed lays, it may or may not grow and attach itself to the new tree. If conditions are ripe for the seed, it will successfully germinate and penetrate the bark of the host tree. As it grows, it steals nutrients from its host plant. While mistletoe grows relatively slow, over time, the host tree will be deprived of essential nutrients and loses its health.

Mistletoe must be removed completely from its host, or it will eventually destroy the tree it's attached to. The only effective way to remove it is to cut away the affected branch—cutting it off at least 12" under its attachment. Pulling away the mistletoe without taking the necessary steps will not destroy the parasite and regrowth can be expected. Now think about the lessons this plant can teach us as it pertains to sin.

Just like mistletoe, sin can destroy our "tree" if precautions are not taken. While we all deal with the daily wrestlings against temptation and sin, some are allowed to take root in our lives and while it's a seemingly slow process, Satan uses his  resourcefulness to allow that sin to penetrate us and slowly dismantle our testimony for Christ. He may whisper that it's okay—normal—and no big deal. And so it grows and removes the nutrients from our spiritual healthiness. It's in essence, a parasite of the worst kind.

Because of the prevalence of sin, we often become quite numb to its presence in our lives. I know I don't "examine myself" as we read about in the New Testament, as often as I should. And even when I do, I often fail to recognize the sneaky ways Satan filters into my mind with prideful thoughts and a need for control. If I don't realize its grip on me, that parasite grows and grows. The only way to remove it successfully is to remove it completely and allow Jesus to wash me clean. 

As my son sawed off the two branches with mistletoe growths, my heart was reminded of the need to purge sin from my own life at its root. If I fail to, it will grow and begin to take over the health of my "tree". I'll never look at mistletoe the same way again, and honestly, I think it's another amazing reminder from creation that teaches us godly principles and demonstrates our need for rescue from a holy God. 

May we be ever mindful of those seeds that come in the form of temptation—words we want to say, and things we want to do and filter them through what Scripture teaches us. Will they honor God, or will they take root and bring about spiritual decay or ruin that will bring dishonor to God? May we carefully guard our testimonies and prune any root of sin that we've allowed to germinate in our hearts and minds. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9, ESV).

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:2, ESV).

Extravagant Worshipper

 In my reading this week, I was touched by the act of Mary's extravagant gift to Jesus—the gift of perfumed ointment. She sat at the feet of Jesus and poured out a whole bottle of very expensive oil on His feet, weeping as she did so. She used her hair to wipe the oil from His feet, and here's the thing—she used the whole container on Jesus.

We read in Scripture that this ointment was costly. How much are we talking here? It says it was worth about 300 pence which would equal the salary for almost an entire year of wages. Now if we convert this into modern currency, depending on whose math you choose to go with (there are many opinions), you're looking at a price tag of somewhere between $15,00 and $56,000 for this alabaster box of nard. That's a lot of money! Which brings this Bible verse to mind:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21, ESV).

Our spending history reveals our hearts. This truth weighs heavily on me, revealing a lack in my heart for loving the LORD wholeheartedly. I hold back, and this is reflected in my spending which is why I know deep within my heart that I would only have used a little of that nard on Jesus and reserved the rest for another use. I'm unsettled by that truth and personally find it uncomfortable. I would love to think I would pour it all out on Jesus but I know myself well enough to know better.

What is it that may be holding you back from this type of extravagance? Maybe you would pour it all out, and if so, I want to be more like you. Or maybe like me, you would feel pretty accomplished and happy with yourself for giving a little bit of something so unbelievably expensive, thinking it was a sacrificial offering—but Jesus would know the truth. 

Mary's love for Jesus was evidenced in this act of worship. She didn't hold anything back from Him—she gave Him all of it. This shows her heart for Jesus, and how she properly understood His place in her life. Money wasn't greater than Him—she placed her own wants and needs under her worship of Him. Mary was a worshipper and this scene in Scripture gives us a front row seat to what that looks like.

God doesn't ask us to give gifts with a certain price tag, He just asks for our hearts. Not in part—but our whole heart. He is truly worthy of my heart and it saddens me to think of how often I reserve parts of it for other people or stuff. I don't do it intentionally, but when I stop to evaluate my own heart alongside the heart of Mary, I see myself falling far short. It's not wrong to love other people—in fact, as believers, we certainly should. But God should have the place of priority in my life and should be on the throne of my heart.

As I've thought of Mary's gift this week, it's humbled me. It's made me realize how far I fall short in my worship of Christ. I want to be more like Mary, yet the temptation to indulge myself often stands in the way. Jesus doesn't deserve being pushed down the totem pole while I place lesser things above Him. He is the Everlasting LORD—the King of kings. And all He asks of me is to love Him wholeheartedly. May that become more a more a reality in my heart and may it be reflected in my worship. 

If we want to be worshippers, we will have to remove the gods we place above Jesus—gods that have familiar names like money, comfort, materialism, sexual pleasure, food, and other worldly temptations. None of those will bring us the joy and satisfaction found in worshipping the only true God—Jesus. May our hearts be touched with how great His love is for us, and in return, may we worship Him with our whole hearts—hearts like Mary's. 

 

New Mercies

 Maybe you have a special place where you love meeting with Jesus to talk and just spend time together. For me—it's our neighborhood gated boat ramp. It's generally empty during the day so it's the perfect place to be outdoors, enjoy His beautiful creation, and have a good visit. If people saw me, they would likely think I'm crazy because I love to talk out loud—it just feels more real that way for me. And sometimes I sing—also good I'm alone down there. But this week on one of our visits, I enjoyed the truth from the book of Lamentations. The book title itself sounds negative and oppressing—but there are some really beautiful truths we don't want to gloss over. Like this well-known one which touched my heart this week:

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV)."

This is a truth I know in theory from reading Scripture, but it often slips my mind as I rise another day, unsure or sometimes anxious at what may lie ahead for me. But as I strolled through our boat dock I saw the truth of it all around me—and in me. This is what I saw:

There was the sun—same as yesterday, giving light for us to see. And it'll be there tomorrow as well. I crave the light and He gives it faithfully each day.

I saw deer scurrying through the woods in search of a tender leaf or fleeing from the disruption from my intrusion into their world. This happens day after day, and there they were again—doing all things deer. There are new opportunities in this day—new adventures and new food choices. He provides for them because He cares for His creation.

I saw my favorite blue heron—Baby Blue is what I like to call her. She's in search of fish as she soars above the waters surface scanning for one to rise close enough to swoop it out of the lake. She's been there for months and I plan to see her again tomorrow. She's not worried today that she won't have food tomorrow. She's enjoying the hunt of today without anxiety or worry.

And there's me. The past is behind me and I've made plenty of mistakes for sure. There's no reason He should want to meet with me here in this place, or any place for that matter. But I know He craves this time with me and He won't hold yesterday against me—He beckons me to start fresh today with repentance and appreciation for the grace He liberally bestows on me. New opportunities are in this day and He faithfully provides for me in ways I often fail to notice or give thanks for. 

What kind of God does this for us—for me? What is it in Him that gives me a chance, day after day, to start fresh? It's His love for me—a love bigger than I can understand. These times spent with Him are precious and special and I think the most awesome part of it all is that He enjoys this time with me! He loves giving me new mercies every morning and His very character is one of faithfulness! My thoughts aren't deep or complicated this week, but I hope that they may encourage any who have not met with Him as much lately to make some time for a really good visit. May your hearts be warmed by His new mercies and His faithful love—they are such precious gifts and give us the opportunity to lay aside the burdens and mistakes of yesterday, and embrace this new day! 

Looking Ahead and Standing Guard

It's a New Year—2022! It seems hard to believe we are where we are, and that we've come through some really difficult years and face a new one with all its challenges ahead of us. While we've closed out 2021, we still have some of the same issues staring us in the face as we begin 2022. And yet among all of the challenges, we still serve the same Faithful God. But as we look ahead, it's great to take stock of where we are today, where we've been, and how we can do better tomorrow.  

There's much to be said about being committed and faithful to fulfilling our spiritual purpose, and yet Satan is no less interested today in manipulating our spiritual demise. The fact is, he's very good at what he does, and if we don't guard ourselves, we will fall spiritually. When we fall, every other area of our life will suffer. Our families will suffer, our marriage will suffer, our relationships will suffer and we will not be an employee or employer that exemplifies integrity or godliness. In no way is it true that as believers, we are promised an easy ride—that's called prosperity gospel, and is unscriptural at its core. But when we fail to guard ourselves and give in to Satan's temptations when life gets tough, it will dismantle us spiritually—affecting us and those we love. 

Perhaps one of the most powerful sermons I recently heard spoke of how it's a good practice to walk yourself mentally through a fall. Imagine yourself sitting down those you love and respect the most, confessing your failure to them—eye to eye, one by one. Imagine their response as they hear news that will disappoint them or break their hearts—and how it will break yours to see the pain caused by bad choices. It's an exercise that's sobering and frightening and helps us visualize the damage that comes from bad choices. And here's the honest truth—it's a possibility for every single one of us no matter our age or how long we've walked with Christ so we must be on guard. 

As we embark on a new year, it's a good time to reflect on our priorities. Where is the biggest chunk of my time spent? Who am I focused on the most? Am I being obedient to God's call on my life, and living to serve and please Him? Somedays, the answer may look much better than the next. And somedays, I feel pricked in my heart that its primary focus isn't first on Jesus. We don't set out to rearrange our priorities, it happens little by little and day by day in the choices we make. If we are too busy, we often cut out the most vital part of what we need spiritually—unhurried time with our Father in heaven. 

It's true that we've maneuvered through some pretty challenging years—years we couldn't have even begun to imagine. We've faced physical challenges, social challenges, emotional challenges and when you group all of those together, it can spill over into our spiritual health, crippling us and making us vulnerable to Satan's attacks against us. But I think one of the most precious truths we can hold on to is this: Jesus is the same—He never changes no matter what our circumstances may look like today. He's the same compassionate, grace-filled, loving Savior He was yesterday, last year, and even 1,000 years ago. Whatever we face this year, He's with us and He's for us.

As I think of 2022, I want to see my priorities balance out a little more than they've looked like previously. I want to stop living as a believer on auto pilot, going through the motions at times yet lacking spiritual fervor. I want to lay out further groundwork to protect my marriage, my family, my local church and the relationships I enjoy with family and friends. I want to acknowledge the propensity each day for slow steps in the wrong direction, and make corrections that will keep me on a path that pleases Christ. And should I live long enough to close out 2022, I pray that I'll see growth, development, enhanced relationships and harmony and joy in my home as I look back on the year. I pray I'll be committed to continually loving and better serving my husband, my family, my church family and most of all Jesus. And then I also pray that I'll strive for even more the following year so that each year, little by little, I'm starting to look a lot more like Him and a lot less like me. 

The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9, ESV).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17, ESV).

A Different Christmas

 The thing about Christmas celebrations are that they are often deeply rooted in tradition. I love traditions—especially Christmas traditions. I am a sentimental girl at heart and nothing pulls on those heartstrings like the things that make our Christmas unique and special to me and my own family. Just hearing Ray Conniff's version of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" conjures up memories from the time I was a little girl. It's a tradition we still have as a signal that it's time for Christmas festivities to begin.

But sometimes, traditions change. It's hard to part with those we held dear for so long, but life changes, so naturally, traditions change too. And there is good in that mixed with a little sadness as well. And because life changes, we often find ourselves with empty chairs at the Christmas table. Maybe our loved one is spending Christmas somewhere else this year, or maybe they've passed away.

This has been another difficult year for so many. Personally, I have lost friends of mine this year to Covid19, and it's been hard to come to grips with. Families will be celebrating, but with huge, gaping holes in their hearts. Some may not even be able to conjure up a Christmas plan—their pain is too deep. My heart aches for them.

Our own Christmas table has dwindled through the years—some from change, and some from death. And yet as we may feel a sense of disappointment or sadness, we must remember that Christmas isn't about tradition or even who is seated at our table. And while it doesn't necessarily erase the pain or the adjustment we face with change, it does prompt us to reflect on what this season is all about.

When I think of Christmas, what are my first thoughts about? I confess it's so easy to get caught up in the traditions and the commercialization of the holiday. I also confess to love those aspects of Christmas, but they don't touch my heart the way the greater story does—the birth of our Savior that long ago night in a stable in Bethlehem. I've spent perhaps more time reflecting on that story this year than any year prior, and I think one of the reasons is the story remains the same. Nothing about it will ever change, and that's a beautiful thing.

Change is inevitable. People change and life changes. We move on from certain things and never look back. We may change locations or career paths or find ourselves facing family changes. Empty nests and new babies—marriage and sadly even divorce—falling in love and feeling brokenhearted and alone—these are also everyday realities for us. And while some may feel joyful this Christmas season, some are also depressed, discouraged, lonely and heartbroken.

If you're facing some changes you may not feel happy about this season, maybe the unchanging, faithful story of Jesus birth can fill you with joy. His birth is the very hope the world had waited for—the hope for a Savior to rescue and redeem a broken world. That child was the fulfillment of promises made from the beginning of time, and the promise I still hold to for my own redemption. 

Christmas is Jesus—it's not in all the things we try to make it about, even as they may enhance our celebrating. And so whatever your Christmas looks like—different or the same—the reason behind it will never change. She brought forth her newborn Son and called His name JESUS—because He would save His people from sin. That's an unchanging truth worth celebrating with great joy.

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21, ESV)."

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8, ESV).

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it (Numbers 23:19, ESV)?

You First

 Today was my errand running day in a nearby town. I wanted to go to Target, Best Buy, and Bath and Body for those $10.25 3-wick candles. If you're reading this on December 3rd, the sale is still on! Everywhere I went was busy and crowded. I found myself rushing from one place to the next and on my drive home, I felt uptight and a little irritated for no real reason at all. 

That's the worst mood to be in if you're going to have a tailgater bumping along behind you—am I right? It seemed everyone was uptight along with me, and as much as I love the Christmas season, it seems to make us a little short on patience (or is it just me?). I behaved myself and didn't give in to extreme aggravation because the words I heard from a sermon lately rolled right across my heart. Those words were "you first". 

Not easy. Not natural. Not what usually first comes to mind when I feel stressed or under pressure, but there they were, plain as day and meant specifically for me in that moment. Instead of head shaking and cutting looks and maybe even the teensiest bit of slowing down on purpose, I simply heard those words over and over and over again.

This got me thinking about how this phrase should be my posture every day, all the time. A busy line filled with cranky people? Allow the mom with the screaming toddler to go first. One sought after toy of this holiday season sits there staring at you and one other mom that looks menacing and slightly threatening? Politely say, "please—help yourself." The last piece of apple pie all warm and gooey and delicious—give it to the person behind you.

I've got to say, this will need to be a discipline we must continually learn because it asks us to deny ourselves. I don't know about you, but when it comes down to it, I can be pretty selfish—especially to a stranger I know nothing about. But can you imagine how much less stress, and more joy we would feel if we simply chose to serve others by saying, "you first"? 

This posture of serving is one Jesus taught us Himself in the life He displayed for us in Scripture. To the hungry people—He met their need, even though He was surely tired and hungry Himself. To the disciples He loved and spent His days with, He washed their dirty feet. To the towns He visited—although He would be going out of His way for just one person, He went anyway so they could be healed. He taught us the discipline of "you first" by His own example. 

As is my habit, I am often rushing from one thing to another, feeling short of breath from stress as I move through my busier days. These are the moments I'm most likely to display character that is selfish, rather than selfless. I pray that this season—as I enjoy so many things about it, I'll be able to remove hurry from my life and feel more at peace. I pray that I'll be less uptight and more gracious. And that any time I begin to feel irritated from the rush, I'll remember those words once again, preserving me from an attitude that would not please the Lord. "You first". . .that's my Christmas motto.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35, ESV)."

Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28, ESV)."

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35, ESV)."