Planting Your Garden: Sowing Seed

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Seeds are a wonderful thing. They contain everything needed for a plant to grow. All the nutrients that baby plant will require are contained in that tiny little seed. Plant a seed in the wrong place–like a crack in a rock–and that seed will grow into a plant that can break the rock apart entirely. The world is full of seeds. Plants come from seed. Animals come from seed of a kind. Even humans come from seed of a kind. Those seeds germinate and grow and produce. Not only are seeds important in the natural world, seeds are important in the spiritual world as well.

There are several parables in the New Testament that talk about sowing seeds. The most famous parable is the parable of the sower found in Mark 4. After telling the parable, the disciples ask Jesus what the meaning of the parable is.

“The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Mark 4:14-20

The farmer sows the word. The seed is the Word of God. Just like a natural seed is powerful, the spiritual seed of the Word is powerful as well. It has the potential to move the mountains and strongholds within us. All spiritual things are received as a seed. Luke 1:37 (AMPC) says: “For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” Just as a natural seed contains all the nutrients a young plant needs to grow. The word of God contains all the power needed for fulfillment of His promises. 2 Peter 1:3-4 confirms this: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” God has given us everything we need for a godly life in seed form. When we are born again, we receive the Holy Spirit on the inside of us. He plants the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit in our life. The seeds are there, but the fruit is not yet matured.

Sometimes when we plant seeds in our garden, they may not grow. Something goes wrong in a natural seed, and it doesn’t always germinate. But with God’s Word that is not an issue. 1 Peter 1:23 tells us that the seed of God’s word is incorruptible, or unperishable: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” The problem isn’t with the Word of God. It isn’t with the promise of God. If we fail to see mature fruit in our lives, the problem is in the ground of our heart or in our failure to cultivate the seed properly. Just as there are laws in place that govern the natural maturing process of a seed in our garden, there are laws at work in the spiritual word that govern the natural maturing process of the seeds we plant in our heart.

“He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

Your heart will produce whatever you plant in it. Your heart is just like the soil of a garden. It doesn’t discriminate against the type of seed planted. If you have good, fertile soil in your heart, any seed you plant will grow there. If you plant good seed, you will reap a harvest of good fruit, but if you plant bad seed, you will reap a harvest of weeds. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” It is not only up to us to make sure that the soil of our heart is good, fertile soil. It is up to us to make sure that we are only planting good seed in the soil of our heart.

Seed comes in the form of thoughts. When we plant the seed of the Word by reading the Bible and meditating on the Scriptures that we read, we plant good seed. When we plant the seed of the world by listening to Satan’s lies or meditating on all the distractions and negative thinking that the world offers us, we plant bad seed that will eventually produce a bad harvest in our lives. We my not always understand where the junk in our lives comes from, but the law of sowing and reaping tells us that some of that junk comes as a result of the bad seed we have sown in our lives. When we plant unforgiveness, we reap bitterness. When we plant lustful thoughts or images, we reap lust. When we plant fear, we reap anxiety. This is why it’s so important to be mindful of the things we are giving space to in our thoughts and mind.

Earlier I mentioned that there are natural laws that govern the growth of seeds. When you plant a seed in a garden, you need a few things. You need:

  • Good ground
  • sunlight
  • water
  • time
  • to leave the seed alone

As we plant the seed of God’s word in our hearts, we need the same thing. We need to make sure that the soil of our heart is good ground. We need to make sure we have tender hearts and teachable spirits rather than hardened hearts and prideful spirits. We need the light of the Holy Spirit to illuminate that Word within us. We need to water the seed of the Word. We water the seed through meditation. This isn’t meditation as most eastern religions teach it. Meditation in eastern religions is all about emptying your mind of anything and everything. Biblical meditation is about something else altogether. The Hebrew word for meditate is hagah. It means to moan, growl, utter, speak, or muse. It’s the idea of a lion who has taken a bite of meat and is growling over it as it chews. When we meditate on the Word of God, we chew it over. We roll it around in our thoughts. Proverbs 4:20-22 says: “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” Keeping the Word constantly before us, waters the seeds we have planted in our hearts. If you’ve ever worried, you understand the concept of meditation. Worry is meditating on the wrong things.

The seed planted in our hearts needs time to grow. You can’t plant today and expect a harvest tomorrow. That’s not how it works in the natural world, and it’s not how it works in the spiritual world either. Paul told the Corinthians: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” Paul may have planted the seed, but it took time for it to grow in the hearts of the members of the church of Corinth. Finally, the seed has to be left alone. You can’t keep plucking it up to see if it’s growing. So we need faith and obedience in order to grow spiritual seeds. That faith allows us to leave the promise in our hearts, to hold onto them, until we see the harvest.

It’s up to us to begin today by planting good seed in the soil of our hearts. First, we prepare our hearts to receive the Word of God. We carefully monitor the condition of our heart to keep it soft and teachable. Then, we plant the seed in our hearts by reading and hearing the Word of God. It’s up to us to keep careful track of the types of seed we are planting. If we’re receiving a bad report or someone is speaking negatively over us, it’s up to us to condemn that word, to rebuke it, and to refuse to think on it any longer. Next, we need to water that word through careful study and meditation. Faith doesn’t come from having heard the word. Faith comes by hearing the word. It’s a constant hearing process that waters that word in our heart and brings growth. Finally, we come to the day of harvest when we see mature fruit in our life! Just like the natural word, it takes time to reap a harvest. So let’s make sure we’re cultivating the right seed today.

Passing the Test

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2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

There are all kinds of tests in life. We have tests at school to see if we’ve adequately learned the material presented in a given class. We have driving tests to see if we meet the qualifications and skills necessary to receive a permit or a license to drive. We may have tests at work. Tests tell us if we’ve met the criteria necessary to perform a certain skill. Paul tells the Corinthians to test their faith. How do we test our faith? That’s a good question.

When I read the words “examine yourselves,” I think back to Psalm 139:23 which says: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” We have to be open and honest with ourselves when we consider where we are at currently in our walk with God and where we have come from. We may not be where we want to be in life, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t made progress toward the goal. Examining our hearts, asking if we truly know that Christ lives within us, looking back to see where we used to be can all give us an answer as to whether or not we are making progress in our walk with God.

Paul challenges us to examine ourselves. To test our faith. If we pass the test, we know that Christ is inside of us. If we don’t pass the test, then we know exactly what to change in order to pass the test the next time. It’s a constant journey to get closer and closer to the person that God created us to be and the person that Christ redeemed us to be in Him.

Father, I thank you that you created me for a purpose. I thank you that you sent your son to redeem me out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of your Son so that I could fulfill the purpose that you created me for. I thank you that you have given me a path to follow to get closer and closer to you. Search me, God. Show me any areas where I am still lacking and help me to change those areas to come into agreement with who you say I am. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Growth Is Seen From a Distance

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Living things are supposed to grow. It’s in the design. Doesn’t matter if we’re talking about plants, animals, or people. All living things grow. The rate of growth is different for each living thing. Some things grow incredibly quickly. Some things grow incredibly slowly. Sometimes we barely notice any growth at all. Sometimes we can’t help but notice! Take children for example. When you’re with your baby every single minute of every single day, they don’t seem to be growing very quickly, but go for a night out or look through old photos and the rate of growth that you see is amazing. It’s easier to see that growth when you’re not right in the thick of things. I think the same is true spiritually.

We know that God wants us to grow. In his letters, Paul talks about the Christian life as a growth process. When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are born again. We become spiritual babies. We feed on spiritual milk. The idea is that we’re supposed to continue to grow as real babies grow, moving from those infant years to toddlerhood, childhood, adolescence, and finally to adulthood. In fact, the book of Hebrews rebukes those believers who refuse to grow up.

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Hebrews 5:11-14

God expects us to continue to grow up spiritually as we walk with Him. We start by learning about who God is and who we are in Christ. As we grow closer and closer to God and come to know Him better we begin to learn discernment about right and wrong choices in our life. We gain wisdom. In fact, Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When we realize who God is and we reverence Him as we should, we are just starting on the path to wisdom! 2 Corinthians 3:18 says: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” The goal as we grow is to become more and more like Jesus. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:18 that we need to: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” It’s an ongoing process.

How do we grow? Well, we begin with the fundamentals of learning about God’s plan for us.

“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.”

Hebrews 6:1-3

These teachings about the gospel form the foundation of our faith, but they are not the end of the road. They are only the beginning. We have to add to that foundation. What do we add? Well Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:5-8: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are to build from faith to goodness and from knowledge to self-control, and from perseverance to godliness, and from affection to love. As we see these qualities increasing in our lives, we can be sure that we are growing.

We have to be careful not to rely on our own works, though. We might be able to produce small changes in our behavior, but true spiritual growth requires our cooperation with what God wants to do in our lives. In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul tells us: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” We didn’t receive Christ Jesus as Lord through our own power. We didn’t receive salvation by our own works or our own merit. We received Him by faith–by complete and total reliance on Jesus to do the work of salvation in us. Paul tells us to continue to live our lives in Him. That means we have to continue to trust and completely rely on God’s work in us to do the job of growing us into spiritual maturity.

When we watch our own children grow, we are looking for them to move from dependence on us as their parents to independence or dependence upon themselves as they move to adulthood. But God’s Kingdom is an upside down kingdom when compared to the way the world works. In spiritual growth, we aren’t moving from a place of dependence to a place of independence. We’re doing the exact opposite! God wants to move us from a place of independence, where we don’t think we need Him at all, to a place of complete dependence upon Him, where we know we can do nothing without Him. Jesus’ words to His disciples give us a clearer picture of this movement from independence to dependence on Christ.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5

If we want to grow spiritually, we must rely on Him. We have to abide in Him in order to be fruitful. When we see God’s fruits in our lives, we can know that we are growing spiritually. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” So if we look at our lives, do we see fruit? I have to tell you from my own personal life, it’s sometimes easier to see all the times I didn’t show fruit than it is to see all the times I did. Just like it’s hard for me to see how quickly my children are growing when I am with them everyday, it is hard for me to see the growth in myself. If we are truly growing in the fruits of the Spirit, we should be able to see small improvements in our lives, but beyond that others should be able to see fruit in our lives. If you think you see fruit, but no one else does, you may want to seek God to find out if you are truly growing or if you’re being deceived.

This past year has been a serious time of trial for our family. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better. We don’t have an end in sight. There are times when I think I haven’t made any progress at all. After all, if I’m making progress with what God wants to do in me, if I’m growing in faith, etc. why can’t I see His promises come to pass? I look around and I see all the places where I still miss the mark. I get discouraged with my progress. But the other day, I was messaging with a friend of mine on Facebook. I was giving her an update on our situation and lamenting that there was no real change and things seemed to be moving so slowly. She surprised me by saying, “I see how much your faith has grown in this past year, and I want you to know that you’re an inspiration to me.”

What?! Wow! Here I was, looking at my life and seeing no change, no movement at all, but my friend could see what I couldn’t. Outside the immediate trial and struggle I was dealing with, she could see changes in me for the better. She could see more fruit in my life at a time when I was beginning to think nothing would ever grow! It made me more thankful for the work God was doing in my life. Many times, we seek to grow in God and to have more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, but we want God to wave a magic wand and just make it magically appear. Unfortunately, that’s not how things work. When we ask God for more faith or more patience or more joy, He often answers by putting us into moments of trial where we have no choice but to practice what we wish to have more of in our lives. James tells us: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4). Trials and tribulations help to make us mature and complete. They fill in the gaps in the places where we are lacking fruit by putting us in a position to rely more heavily on God. God steps in in our place of humility and trial and fills those gaps in us, our brokenness and our weakness, with more of Himself. That’s when we see growth.

If you’re looking for spiritual growth in your life, follow the admonition of Jude: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,  keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21). Pursue God. Get to know Him better. Stay in the word. Pray. Build relationship. Have an accountability partner, someone who can tell you when they see growth even at the times when you doubt it most. If you want some additional resources, consider checking out Christian ministries that specialize in discipleship. Like this one: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth.html. And remember that as long as you abide in Christ, He will be faithful to complete the work that He began in you.

Don’t Drift From the Truth

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Hebrews 2:1-4 (MSG)

It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

The Word of God is an anchor for us. It is the standard by which we can measure truth. We know that if the message agrees with God’s Word, then the message is true and good; but if the message does not agree with God’s Word, then we know that that message is not from God, is not true, and should be cast down. In the book of Hebrews, the author admonishes us to keep a firm grip on the truth that we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. With so many messages coming at us from every direction, it can be difficult to stay on track. We can so easily find ourselves distracted and unsure. What about that new teaching? Is it from God? If we don’t hold firm to the truth of God’s Word and stay anchored in that truth, we will find ourselves adrift, going this way and that way in search of every new word instead of walking straight and steady in the center of God’s will.

Many people believe that if God wanted us to know something He would send an angel to tell us like He did in the Old Testament, and the author of Hebrews addresses this to. After all, if any message delivered by an angel was true and binding to the person who heard it wouldn’t a message from the Son of God be more so? After all, Jesus is more important than an angel. Jesus told us that He came to seek and save that which was lost. He told us that He was the way, the truth, and the life. When we deny that truth, we go against the Word of God Himself. If ignoring the message of an angel was bad, how much more so ignoring a message from God?

Finally, the author tells us that we can trust the message of Jesus because God the Father validated that message with signs and miracles and with the Holy Spirit. The ultimate validation of Jesus’ message was His resurrection from the dead. By raising Jesus from the dead, God proved that what He said was true and from God. As we move closer and closer to the last days, there will be an increase in false teachings and false prophets. The Bible even tells us that some of them will be able to perform signs and wonders and would lead the elect astray if such a thing were possible. We know that they will not be able to lead us astray if we are anchored to the Word of God because we will recognize the false teaching and false word. It won’t align with God’s word.

Father, I thank you that you have given us your Word as a standard. It is a firm anchor. We don’t have to be tossed and turned by the storms of life or the waves of every new doctrine or teaching. We can hold firm to the truth of Your Word and know what is from you and what is not. Thank you for the gift of your son and for proving that Jesus was your Son by raising him from the dead. As we encounter more and more “new” teachings and more and more “new” ideas, help us to measure each and every word against your Holy Word to know whether or not we should accept it or cast it down. Thank you for keeping us secure in your hand. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What’s in a Name?

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There’s just something about a name. A good name is memorable. It has an image to it, a power. As important as names are to us, they are just as important to God. We barely get into the Bible without coming across the concept of naming things. In Genesis 2:20 we read: “So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.” We also read the name that God gave to the man: Adam, meaning ground or dust. Isn’t it amazing that almost from the beginning, God shows us the significance of names! Later on, we read that Jesus has the name above all other names. Names are clearly important, and I’d like to take some time to look at names and naming.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” We know this relates to reputation. It’s important to have a good reputation, but I think it also can apply to a literal name. How many of us dislike the name we were given by our parents? Parents give their children names for all kinds of reasons. They may want to honor a family member. They may like the meaning of the name and desire that meaning for their children. They may just like the way the name sounds. The name may have some kind if significance for them. Whatever the reason behind the name, there’s something fascinating about studying the meaning of names and knowing why our parents chose that particular name for us.

I can remember when I first became interested in the meaning behind names. It was the Christmas after I turned 8 or 9. My aunt had plaques made for each member of our family. Each plaque had our first name and middle name at the top with their meanings underneath. My father’s name, George Thomas, means tiller of soil and leader. My father loves to garden. He enjoys cultivating and watching things grow, and he possesses a quiet leadership about him. My mother’s name, Karen Deniece, means pure and dedicated to God. I wonder if my grandparents gave her those names with those meanings in mind. My sister’s name, Erin Michelle, means peace and gift from God. Since my sister is very high energy and always seemed to be getting into trouble as a kid, we often joked that my mom gave her that name in the hopes that she would become more peaceful as she got older! When I was in highschool, I dated a guy named Lawrence. His name means bright. He joked with me at the time that we must be meant to be because my name, Laura (victory/strength), is a feminized version of his. We go together. Of course, that didn’t keep our highschool romance going at the time, but many years later, when he walked back into my life and we got married, I took it as a sign that this was God’s plan for us.

When I chose names for my own children, I made sure they had a good meaning behind them. We have Gillian Amberle, whose names mean little girl and precious jewel. Amberle was the name of the heroine in one of my favorite books The Elfstones of Shanarra by Terry Brooks. The character, an elf, sacrifices herself to become a protector against the dark forces set on destroying the world. I wanted my daughter to have that kind of strength, determination, faith, and goodness within her. We have Arwen Rian, whose names mean Fair one and royalty. Obviously, we took our inspiration from The Lord of the Rings on that one! We have Inara Ravyn, whose name means illuminating light and wisdom. We have Kaia Jade, whose name means from the sea and purity/precious gem. We have Avalon Lily, whose name means mystical/magical and humility/devotion. We have Enoch Coghlan, whose first name means devoted and whose middle name is a tribute to my Irish roots. We have Ezra-James Marcach, whose name means second helper and messenger on horseback. Enoch and Ezra-James’ names were given to my husband in prophetic dreams and visions.

What purpose do names serve in the Bible?

  • They record something about the birth–like Jacob, grasper, because he was holding on to the heel of his twin, Esau.
  • They record something about the parent’s reaction to the birth–like Benjamin, whose mother named him Ben-Oni (son of my trouble) because she was dying in childbirth, but whose father changed his name to Benjamin (son of my right hand) because he was so delighted in him.
  • They secure family ties–like Eve, whose name means mother of all living
  • They communicate God’s message–like Simon (he who hears) whose name was changed to Peter (the rock).
  • They establish a connection to God–like David’s name which means beloved. He was called a man after God’s own heart.
  • They indicate a new beginning or a new direction in a person’s life–like when Abram (exalted father) had his name changed to Abraham (father or nations) to declare God’s purpose for his life.

But sometimes our name is something we’re not proud of. I thought of this when I read the story of Jabez.

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

A lot has been made of this little prayer of Jabez. There’s even a book about it by Bruce Wilkinson. What struck me most about this verse and about Jabez’s prayer was how he used the meaning of his name in the prayer itself. Jabez’s mother named him pain. Can you imagine? All your life you go around with a negative name that reminds people that at the time of your birth, all your mother could think of was the amount of pain she was in. This is not a name of blessing! This isn’t a name that calls forth a higher purpose. This isn’t even a name that states the obvious (like Esau’s name which meant hairy because he had a lot of hair). This is a name that brands you for life as the cause of someone else’s pain.

Jabez could have let his name lead him to his destiny. He could have said, “Well, my mother named me pain, so I guess that’s all my life will ever be.” But he didn’t. I believe that even though she named him pain, Jabez’s mother taught him the story of God. He knew who God was. He knew that he could pray to God and that God would hear him. Jabez knew God. He must have known the story of Abram and his name change. He must have known the story of Sarai and her name change. As a descendant of Judah, he must have known the story of Jacob and his amazing name change from deceiver/grasper/usurper to one who wrestles with God and overcomes! I think Jabez’s knowledge of the character and nature of God guided his prayer.

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” Some translations say “that you would keep me from evil, that I might not cause pain!” Wow! We aren’t told whether or not God actually changed Jabez’s name, but we are told that God answered his prayer. Whether or not Jabez continued to go through life with a name that meant pain, it seems clear that God kept him from pain and kept him from causing pain to others. How amazing is that!

In doing research on this topic of the significance of names in the Bible, I came across this commentary by Rabbi Andrew Davids:

The rabbis caution us, however, to use the power of our voices and our words wisely. We must make certain that we use the divine gift of naming in a moral, appropriate, and thoughtful manner. We must also reject the feeling that we are destined to live with and exemplify only the names given to us by others.”

Rabbi Andrew Davids

We have power in our voices. We have power in the names we give to others. Not just in the names we choose for our children but in the attributes we call out of others. When we speak life over other people and highlight their good qualities, we are using the power of naming. When we speak death and insults over other people and highlight their failures and their shortcomings, we are using the power of naming. It is our responsibility to guard our tongues and make sure we are using our power of naming for the right purposes–to call those things that are not as though they are. It is also our responsibility to take the negative names that we have given ourselves, that we have given others, and that we have received from others back to God. God can change those names, too! Allow Him to speak His truth about who you are over you each and every day.

The Armor of God

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Ephesians 6:11

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.“

We are in a battle. It’s a battle to see if we will trust the character and nature of God, or if we will listen to the voice of the enemy and doubt Him. Our enemy is constantly on the offensive. He roams about as a lion, looking for weakness so he can launch his attack. We’re in a battle, and when you’re in a battle you need armor and weapons. If you read farther into Ephesians chapter 6, Paul lists the weapons that we have been given. These are spiritual weapons to use in spiritual warfare. They are the only weapons that can defeat the enemy, tear down the strongholds he has erected in our life, and take back that territory for the Kingdom of God.

But what you might not know is where that armor came from. In Ephesians, Paul uses the armor of the Roman soldier as his model. He talks about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit. Many of us are familiar with these pieces of the armor, but in Isaiah 59:17, we get a different glimpse at this armor. Isaiah 59:17 says: “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.” There we have it again: the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation. Who is wearing this armor? It is God Himself.

You see our armor isn’t just the armor of God because God has given it to us to use in battle. It is the armor of God because God Himself wore it first! We aren’t being given some standard issue armor from the general store. We are being given God’s own armor! The best of the best! Costume made for His children. Wow! What a blessing! God’s own armor to destroy the works of our enemy. No wonder it is powerful and effective in our spiritual battles. So put on the whole armor of God, the entire armor that God Himself wears, and take your stand against the devil’s schemes!

Father God, I am so very thankful that you prepared a way of victory for me in any battle I might face in my life. You knew the devil’s tricks and schemes, and you gave me your Word to serve as a battle plan so that I could recognize them as well. I needed a battle strategy, so you supplied it. When I needed armor and weapons, you gave me your own! How blessed am I to be wearing the same armor that you wear when you go into battle against the enemy! Thank you, God, for your best. Thank you for your care and your plans and your preparation. Thank you, God for your victory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Virtuous Woman: Proverbs 31

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The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10-31. We love her. We hate her. We all wish we could be her. We feel condemned and ashamed because we aren’t her. And most of us don’t understand her at all. For many of us, this passage serves as a high bar of womanhood we can never achieve. We think of the virtuous woman as a real person, the ultimate model of a woman who leans in. This is a woman who has her life together! We look at these verses as a check list of the things we’re supposed to accomplish in our life, or even in our day!

If we’re single, we may not think about this passage at all because it’s clearly about a married woman, or worse, we feel as if we don’t measure up before God because we’re not married yet. If we don’t have children, we may not think about this passage at all because it’s clearly about a woman with children, or worse, we feel as if we don’t measure up before God because we don’t have children….or we can’t have children….We let Satan use these verses to condemn us and add to our pain. If we’re feminists, we may think this passage represents an outdated version of womanhood–an oppressed woman who spends all her time taking care of her husband and children. We may believe that this passage is irrelevant in our enlightened, modern times.

And we would be so totally wrong! We have bought into some myths about this woman, and we have ignored some of the great principles of what she represents. This woman seems so completely out of touch with our reality that it seems easy to just write her off and ignore her, but I think there are principles here that not only will improve our daily lives but will also encourage us that we can be virtuous women ourselves!

The Virtuous Woman passage of Proverbs 31 wasn’t written to women. It was written to a son. In fact, in Jewish culture, Proverbs 31 is a song of praise known as the woman of valor. Rachel Held Evans in her blog post Three Things You Might Not Know About the Proverbs 31 Woman says:

“I first learned this from my Jewish friend Ahava who told me that in her cutlure, it’s not the women who memorize Proverbs 31, but the men…. They memorize it, Ahava said, to sing it as a song of praise to the women in their lives–their wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and friends. Ahava’s husband sings Proverbs 31 to her at every Sabbath meal.”

King Lemuel was instructed by his mother on the kind of woman he was to look for to marry. This isn’t an actual woman. The virtuous woman is a mother’s ideal image of what it means to be a godly woman–a woman after God’s heart. She knows that if her son can marry a woman who is whole-heartedly seeking after and serving God, then he will have round a rare and precious treasure in his wife.

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

Proverbs 31:10
  1. The virtous woman is strong. The words translated in the NIV as “noble character” are translated in the NASB as “an excellent wife.” In the original Hebrew, though, the word used is chayil. The word chayil is pretty interesting. It means “strength.” The virtuous woman is a strong woman. But the word chayil means much more than that. It means strength, efficiency, wealth, and army. This is a woman who possesses physical strength. She is a strong woman. She is efficient–meaning she has ability and moral worth. She is seldom alone. She attracts others to her. She has wealth, whether spiritual or material. She is blessed. She is like an army–a force to be reckoned with!

“Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

Proverbs 31:11-12

2. The virtuous woman is trustworthy. Her husband has full confidence in her because she is trustworthy. He knows that she is on his team. She is an encouragement to him. This isn’t a woman who goes around complaining about her day. This isn’t a woman who looks to her husband to solve all her problems. No, she has her faith in God, and because her needs are met by God, she treats the good things her husband does as a blessing–an added benefit. If we’re married, we can seek to have all our needs met by God instead of our husband. This isn’t something we’re going to be perfect at, but it is something we can reach for. It’s a goal to pursue. What if we’re single women? Well, we still get our needs met by God. The virtuous woman isn’t seeking fulfillment in her marriage. She is already fulfilled. Because she is fulfilled by God, she has the ability to pour out into others, to build relationships with those around her that are healthy and satisfying.

“She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.”

Proverbs 31:13-14

3. The virtuous woman is resourceful. This is a woman who doesn’t sit around waiting for things to come to her. This is a woman who knows what she has at her disposal and how to use it! Do you know where to go to get what you need? Are your resourceful? There may be ways we can improve our resourcefulness. We can be on the lookout for better places to shop or ways we can support causes that are important to us. We can learn the resources in our area, not only to benefit our own families, but to pass along those benefits to others in need as well. This is a goal to pursue. We don’t have to be perfect, but we can look for ways to grow in resourcefulness. Again, this is a principle that applies to us whether we are young or old, single or married, and whether we have children or not.

“She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. “She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grabs the spindle with her fingers.”

Proverbs 31:15-19

4. The virtuous woman is a good manager. This woman has management skills. She knows how to handle her business at home and abroad. She makes wise decisions about how she’ll invest her time. She invests where there will be a profit. This is a woman who isn’t sitting around being idle, wondering what she’s going to do. She has a plan! She thinks things through. She considers. She doesn’t make rash choices. She isn’t impulsive. Whether our household is big or small, whether we have a lot or a little, we can work to manage it wisely. I used to get upset at the “gets up while it is still night.” I’m not a morning person. I thought that I would never measure up to the Proverbs 31 woman if I couldn’t find a way to be a morning person, but God knows who we are. He created us! I don’t have to be a morning person to please God, but I do have to manage my time and household wisely. I do have to make sure that I have time to spend with God first and foremost, so that I can pour out to the others in my household out of the full bucket of God’s blessings. When my cup is filled, I can freely pour out to others. If I’m sleeping in and missing time with God and rushing through my day with a crabby attitude, if I’m failing to plan and flying by the seat of my pants, I’m living well below God’s best for me. I need to do whatever it takes to get time with God first, and then I need to manage the rest of my day so that I am investing my time where God wants me to invest it–where it will produce a harvest. “Her lamp doesn’t go out at night” doesn’t mean that she never sleeps. It means she has plenty. She has managed her resources so wisely that she can keep a lamp burning at night so that no one is stumbling around in the dark. She is not lazy or idle. She is careful and considerate about what she does with her time and her money.

“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”

Proverbs 31:20

5. The virtuous woman is a blessing to others. This is a woman who thinks beyond herself. Because her provision comes ultimately from the Lord, she recognizes that a portion of that provision is not for her. This is a woman who fills the needs of others in whatever way that she can. She is not selfish. She is outwardly focused. She is mission minded. Young or old, rich or poor, married or single, we can all cultivate a giving attitude. Giving to the poor doesn’t always have to be about money. You can volunteer your time. You can donate your used goods. You can give of your talents. It’s about being focused on how to be a blessing to those around you.

“When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.”

Proverbs 31: 21-23

6. The virtuous woman is prepared. This is a woman who has prepared for the future. She supplies the things her family needs before they have need of them. She thinks ahead. Her hope is in God, so she casts any cares she may have on Him. This is a woman takes care of things. What about the part about her husband? Well, behind every good man is a good woman, right? The virtuous woman is able to help her husband. Because she fears the Lord, she conducts herself in a manner that gives her a good reputation and extends that reputation to her family. Her husband is respected, in part, because of her good reputation! This isn’t a woman who has perfect children in matching outfits on Instagram. It isn’t a woman who has a ton of Pinterest boards that she actually uses. But it is a woman who conducts herself well and handles the needs of her house. We all go through seasons of life where this goal seems completely out of reach, but we rest in the knowledge that God has good plans for us. He is in charge of our future, so we have no need to worry. If we obey His commands and look ahead, we will make wise choices and have what we need.

“She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchant with sashes. “

Proverbs 31:24

7. The virtuous woman is active in her community. The virtuous woman doesn’t sit at home all day doing nothing. This is a woman who is known in the community. She is engaged and active. Maybe she volunteers for local causes that she believes in. Maybe she just knows her neighbors. No matter how the virtuous woman chooses to live this ideal out, the heart of the matter is her outward focus and giving nature.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”

Proverbs 31:25-26

8. The virtuous woman has experience. This is a woman whose walk with the Lord allows her to know that she is blessed. This is a mature woman of faith. She knows that the joy of the Lord is her strength. She has wisdom because she fears the Lord. Proverbs tells us that the reverential fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is a woman who carefully considers her words. You won’t find her mouthing off. You won’t find her gossiping with her neighbors. You won’t find her making caustic remarks to others. Instead, you will find a woman who allows God to guard her lips. She thinks before she speaks. She honors God with her actions and her words.

“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Proverbs 31:27-31

It should be clear by now that all of us can aspire to the ideal set by the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. It’s a goal we can reach for no matter our age, no matter our marital status, no matter the size of our family, no matter our economic status. Instead of saying, “How does this wonder woman do it all?” we can ask ourselves, “Who is this wonder woman?” The answer is that she is a woman who fears the Lord. She is a woman who knows her identity is based on who God says she is. This is a woman who prioritizes her relationship with God because she knows that He is her only source. This is a woman who guards her heart because she knows that all the issues of life start in the attitudes and thoughts of her heart. This is a woman who seeks to please God in every single detail of her every day life. Because her focus is on God, she accomplishes much more than she may even be aware of. That’s why her children arise and call her blessed and her husband praises her…because she allows God’s blessings to flow through herself to others.

I’m going to stop looking at the Proverbs 31 woman as some checklist of attributes I need to posses. I’m going to stop seeing her as the Martha Stewart of the Christian homemaking circle. I’m going to quit pretending that she’s some robotic Stepford wife that I can never aspire to be. Instead, I’m going to see myself as the Proverbs 31 woman. I’m a woman after God’s own heart. I’m a woman who seeks the Lord and tries to please Him in the every day details of my life. I AM a virtuous woman, even if I don’t always feel like I am.

Flooded With Grace

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1 Timothy 1:14-17 (TPT)

“I was flooded with such incredible grace, like a river overflowing its banks, until I was full of faith and love for Jesus, the Anointed One! I can testify that the Word is true and deserves to be received by all, for Jesus Christ came into the world to bring sinners back to life—even me, the worst sinner of all!  Yet I was captured by grace, so that Jesus Christ could display through me the outpouring of his Spirit as a pattern to be seen for all those who would believe in him for eternal life.  Because of this my praises rise to the King of all the universe who is indestructible, invisible, and full of glory, the only God who is worthy of the highest honors throughout all of time and throughout the eternity of eternities! Amen!“

If we’ve been saved for a really long time, we can forget how far we’ve come. We can fall into the trap of diminishing the grace of God in our lives. We can forget how bad our sin really was. Paul is telling Timothy here how great God’s grace truly is! We are flooded by grace when we realize how much of a sinner we really are and how God loved us, even when we were in this state. It was all grace. We did not do anything to deserve God’s love. We didn’t do anything to deserve salvation and redemption. We didn’t do anything to deserve restoration or relationship.

But God loved us when we were still His enemy! He poured his grace out on us until it flooded us and drew us to Himself. When we truly take the time to contemplate all that God has done for us for no other reason than He loves us, our praises should ring out like Paul’s. We have reason to rejoice and to praise the Lord because of His great love for us, His grace, and His unmerited favor. He is the only God worthy of the highest honors throughout all time and all eternity!

Father, thank you for your unmerited favor and your outpouring of grace! You loved me even when I was a sinner, even when I was your enemy. You looked through eternity and saw me. Thank you for pouring your grace out on me until it flooded every part of me and made me realize how desperately I need you! I do not deserve your favor. I don’t deserve your kindness, your mercy, your blessings or your grace. But you give anyway…not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are! You are a great God. You are a kind and loving heavenly Father. You deserve all honor and glory forever and ever! No other God loves the way that You love. Thank you for it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Freedom from False Responsibilities

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We all have responsibilities in our life. Some of them come as a result of our stage of life. We have more responsibilities as an adult than we do as a child, for example. Some of them come as a result of the season of life we are in. The responsibilities we have when we are single are different than the responsibilities we have when we are married. No matter what stage of life you’re in, you probably have something that you are responsible for and someone that you are responsible to. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word responsibility means: “1) the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone; 2) the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something; and 3) the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization.” It’s clear to see how responsibilities play a role in our lives, but are we handling our responsibilities correctly?

Sometimes our responsibilities seem to be overwhelming. When this happens, it could be a result of taking on false responsibilities. False responsibilities occur when we allow our God-given responsibilities to become unbalanced and take on worry or anxiety over things that are no longer in our purview. Today, I want to look at false responsibilities and how we can gain freedom in the area of our responsibilities.

Just to review: Freedom is not the absence of something; it is the presence of Someone. In seeking freedom, we aren’t trying to remove something from our lives. Instead, we’re welcoming God into that area and allowing Him to take over control. When we do that, the things that glorify God remain, the things that don’t bring glory to God fade away, and we are able to get a balance in our lives. Freedom is when I can fully respond to God as the person He created me to be. Because God created each of us to be individually unique, my freedom might look different than your freedom. That’s okay. It’s all about how we respond to God. It’s about what God wants to do in our lives and about surrendering ourselves to His authority and Lordship.

God has given each of us certain responsibilities. Here is a generalized list of our God-given responsibilities (again, this is going to apply to different people at different times in their lives):

  • To be a child of God
  • To/for our spouse (if we are married)
  • As a parent
  • As a child
  • As an employee
  • As an employer
  • As a friend
  • To pray
  • To give
  • To fast
  • To serve
  • To study God’s Word

These are all responsibility God has given us, and these are all responsibilities that can become unbalanced at times.

Matthew 6:33 tells us to: “seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When we put first things first and seek God’s Kingdom, we are less likely to become bound by false responsibilities. That’s because in seeking God first, we are listening to what He has to say about the events of our life. We are allowing Him to direct our path. We are following His directives. That level of obedience protects us from things that would draw us away from God. In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus tells us that there are two great commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

So what does false responsibility look like? Here’s a more obvious example: Let’s say I have a friend who likes to drive extremely fast. They ignore the speed limit. They see no issue in doing so, and they often brag about how much faster they can get from point A to point B by doing so. Naturally, I am concerned about my friend’s safety. I’m concerned because they are taking risks by speeding. They could have an accident and get hurt. They could get a ticket or lose their license. As a result of my feelings of concern, I feel compelled to have a conversation with them about their speeding problem. I go to them and express my concern, and they promptly ignore me. They make excuses and brush off my attempts at reproof. The continue to speed. I continue to worry. I go to them again and express my concern, and again they brush me off. They pattern can repeat itself ad nauseum. When I feel that I have got to do something about my friend’s speeding problem, it has become a responsibility for me. The truth is that it is not really mine. The problem is my friends, and the responsibility for the problem lies with him/her. But I have taken it on as my own; it has become a false responsibility.

There are other things in life that we may look at and take responsibility for that are not really ours. Some of these are far more subtle than the previous example. I might take responsibility for:

  • the past
  • wrongs that have been done to me
  • the sins of others
  • future events
  • my children (beyond the age where God expects me to be responsible for them)
  • my parents (beyond my responsibility as their child)
  • someone else’s happiness or emotions, in general

Sometimes knowing our purpose can help us avoid taking responsibility for things that we really have no control over. Our purpose is what God wants me to do with my life. Our purpose is not our occupation. Our occupation may help us to accomplish our purpose, but if our occupation were our purpose then when we retire or we no longer have that occupation, we would have no purpose. Our purpose is life long. It doesn’t end when we retire or leave a particular job. It’s much bigger than that.

Our purpose helps us navigate the responsibilities we have been given by God to do. These help us recognize responsibilities that might change over time, like our responsibility to parent our children or our responsibility to our employer. Those things will end when our children are grown or when we leave that job. If we are trying to take responsibility for something that has no place in our purpose, we may be out of God’s will. We may be pursuing “good” ideas, but not “God” ideas. All of this comes back to allowing God to have sovereignty over our lives. If we’re really seeking God first and following His instructions, we aren’t going to be trying to take control over things that have nothing to do with us.

Here’s an example: Let’s imagine that God has blessed me with $20 dollars. I know that God wants me to give that $20 to my friend to be a blessing to them. My responsibility for that $20 dollars when God gives it to me is to do what God says to do with it–to be a good steward of that money. So my responsibility in this instance is to give that money to my friend. Does my friend deserve the money? Well, not really. It’s a gift. I’m not giving it to my friend in exchange for something else. I’m giving it as a gift. What if I now expect my friend to owe me something? What if I want to know how this friend intends to use my gift? Does this person owe me something? Do they need to answer to me about what they do with this money? Can I put expectations on them because of this gift? No! Once I have given the gift, my responsibility for that money is ended, and I no longer have the right to have expectations about that gift.

Ultimately it comes down to this question: Do I trust God to handle whatever situation I am taking responsibility for, or do I think God needs my help? If I trust God, I’m going to turn the ultimate responsibility over to Him and only do what He asks me to do. If I think He needs my help in a situation, I’m more likely to cross over into the realm of false responsibility. I’m going to try to control things that I have no right to control. I’m going to violate boundaries. I need to trust God to handle things and not try to play God or to take on the role of the Holy Spirit in someone else’s life.

When we assume responsibilities that aren’t ours, we lose focus on what God is calling us to do. So how can we recognize when we are taking on false responsibilities? We need to ask ourselves: How much time am I spending thinking about someone else’s activities? Is this “responsibility” or worry that I’ve taken on keeping me from focusing on God and what He wants me to do? 1 Peter 5:6-7 says: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We need to come under God’s authority, submit our lives and our responsibilities to Him, and humble ourselves. When we cast our cares on God, we are trusting Him to handle things without our help. We are letting go of worry and anxiety. We are allowing God to have dominion and authority over our lives. We are allowing Him to set our priorities and our responsibilities to be in line with His will.

ACTIVATION

Ask God the following questions, and wait for Him to respond. Remember that God speaks to us in a variety of ways. You may hear an audible voice. You may get a picture in your mind. You may just have a persistent feeling or impression. God is an incredibly creative communicator. He speaks in a variety of ways, but He always speaks in a way where you can hear and understand.

Ask God:

  • Father, am I holding on to some responsibilities that are not mine?
  • Am I holding onto responsibilities that are really Yours?
  • Are there responsibilities in my life that You want to talk to me about?
  • Are there some ways that I’ve been not trusting you fully in these situations?
  • Are there some ways that I’m thinking that You’re not enough to do what needs to be done?

Father, I choose to trust You. I repent from not trusting You. Forgive me. I give you control right now over the responsibilities I’ve assumed in my life. Show me how to lay those things down at your feet and give control back to you. I release back to you (insert here whatever God has shown you). I release back to You Your Kingdom. Father, show me today how I can trust you. Show me today how I can live in your peace, knowing that you are smarter than I am. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Seeds of Love

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1 Peter 1:22-23 (TPT)

“Now, because of your obedience to the truth, you have purified your very souls, and this empowers you to be full of love for your fellow believers. So express this sincere love toward one another passionately and with a pure heart.  For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this “seed” that He planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever.“

The parables of the seeds tells us that our hearts are like gardens. We plant seeds there all the time. Whatever we sow, we also reap. When we sow discord, unforgiveness, sarcasm, or selfishness, that’s also what we reap in our relationships with others. When we were born again, God planted in us the “seeds” for all the fruits of the Spirit. We have a seed for each characteristic. It’s up to us to cultivate that seed so that it can grow.

Peter tells us that we have developed good soil in our hearts for the seeds of God by purifying our soul with our obedience to God’s truth. Because we have hearts full of good soil, the seeds that God has planted their can grow and produce a harvest. We have enabled love for others to grow in our hearts because God has planted the seed of love in the good soil of our hearts. We cultivate that by actively loving others from a pure heart. That means we can’t just act lovingly toward others when we directly benefit from it. We have to love others, even when they can do nothing for us in return.

The good news is that as we get better and better and loving others, the seed of love will grow bigger and stronger with in our hearts. It’s an “incorruptible seed.” Nothing can make it fail to grow. Nothing can damage it where it will not produce a harvest. It can’t rot. The seed is good. It has everything required to produce good fruit. The rest is up to us.

Father, I thank you that the seeds you plant in our hearts are incorruptible. If we are faithful to cultivate those seeds by obedience to your word and by spending time with your word and the Holy Spirit, then that seed will produce fruit. It is up to us whether or not we cultivate the seed. Once again, Father, you have provided everything we have need of and given us free will to choose what we would do with what you have provided. Thank you that you have taken care of what we need. You have given us the seeds we need to be full of the fruit of your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.