Labor Day

Labor Day is an American Federal holiday which is observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. Many friends and families will gather together for this last holiday that marks the end of summer. Celebrations today will include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays and other various activities. 

Although Labor Day is a day to celebrate workers, we must keep in the mind that we are co-laborers with Jesus Christ. “Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” – 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (NASB) We should always be ready to serve God in any situation, whether or not it is convenient. Be sensitive to the opportunities God gives you.“Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction.” – 2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB)

The word “Preach” also means teach, to share the love of Jesus Christ that is in you with others around you. 

Ponder today how you can tell them of how good God has been to you. Invite someone to church. Pray and ask God for the opportunity to offer someone the love of Jesus Christ for you are a co-laborer with Him. 

May you have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Seeing Things God's Way

Proverbs 3: 13 - 14 (AMP) - "Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences], For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold."

God appeared to Solomon in a dream and gave him the opportunity to ask for anything that he wanted. How many of us would love to have that opportunity. What would you ask for? Be honest. Money, fame, prestige, power, houses, boats...... The list could go on and on.

Solomon, faced with taking the throne of his father David, asked for a discerning heart. For wisdom. He wanted to be able to listen to the truth and apply it in his life and in his kingdom. He asked for wisdom, because wisdom understands what is true and right.

He received this gift from God, and then he used it. He added to it. He became legendary in his wisdom.

God has given each of us a measure of wisdom. What have we done with it? Have we let it sit and sour, or have we added to it? We have access to the fullness of wisdom today. Where? In God Himself. And this is available in His Word - the Bible. I have often taught and said - "Two things you need to do every day, Read your Bible and Pray."

Ponder today over how you have looked at life - through your thoughts and eyes, or though the thoughts and eyes of God? Get into His word today and see things His way.

Stifling the Spirit

Christians cannot commit the sin of blasphemy against the Spirit. Or, as is referred to as the Unpardonable Sin. And, one thing for sure - if you are worried that you have committed it - that is a good sign that you haven't. It is a conscious resistance and decision against the Holy Spirit of God.

However, we as Christians have all been guilty of "quenching the Spirit" as the Apostle Paul warns us against in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. I like the translation in the Holman Christian Standard Bible, it says, "Don’t stifle the Spirit." The Amplified Bible helps us understand this as it renders this verse as, "Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit...." As I was reading this last week, I came across this quote by Anglican Bishop Dr. Handley Moule. He said, "The difference between someone who is quenching the Spirit and someone who is allowing the Spirit to have free course in their life, is the difference between a well in which there is a spring of water choked, and a well in which the obstruction is removed so that the water springs up and fills the well."*

If we allow fears, self-centered expressions, self-centered thoughts, and self-centered minds to control our lives, then we will find that we are stifling the Holy Spirit of God. The danger today in our churches is not that we are going to be "Boiling Believers," but that we will be the "Frozen Chosen."  Let us today seek to find what obstacles are in our "wells" of life and remove them so that the "Water of Life" can freely flow through us.

*https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=473322746039175&story_fbid=612517978786317

Worship or Service

The Bible gives us the account of Mary and Martha - friends of Jesus in Bethany. In the account Mary set at Jesus' feet and Martha harried herself to prepare the hospitality. One was worshipping and the other serving.

We often find ourselves debating over whether a person should serve or worship - as if we could divorce the two things. They cannot be separated and still be of any value. If we worship without serving, or serve without worshipping - we are creating an ineffective belief system.

Some will pride themselves over their faithful service, they are there whenever the "doors are open." They attend to every committee and every call for a need in their church. They work and work and work..... Yet they feel deflated and "burnt out." Why? Because they are only seeing half of the picture. They are relying on their own power and ability.

Others will spend their time piously praying, singing, listening to the Word. They keep on acquiring more and more. They "sit, soak, and sour." They are like the Dead Sea in Israel - the water keeps coming in, but never goes anywhere. Jesus doesn't want us to just "sit, soak and sour" - He wants us to also "go, grow and glow" for Him. It is pretty well established that the Pareto Principle is alive and well in our local churches - 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. 

We need to find the balance between worship and service. Today, muse over whether you are lop-sided in your life. Do you run around busy, busy, busy or do you cram, cram, cram more knowledge What changes do you need to make? How can you start making a change?

Body facts

Continuing to think about our body - yesterday I mentioned I am on a rigid diet - unity in the body.think about three vital things dealing with the body of Christ (the Church). First, because it is Jesus' prayer (John 17:20 - 21), there should be unity in the body. He prayed that we would be one the same as He and the Father are one. That is a lot of oneness. Paul spoke about it in 1 Corinthians 12:12 - 13 (HCSB). Read what he says, "For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

Paul also reminds us in the writing of this chapter, that we are one - yet diverse. Each of us are gifted to be what God wants. As we use our gifts in our local church, we see the body work in a healthy way. Finally, the third point in this chapter is that of maturity. We are to use our gifts in the bonds of love. We need to remember today that the Fruit of the Spirit is more important than the Gifts of the Spirit.

So, let us ponder whether as a part of the body of Christ are we: in unity, understanding our gift, and using it in love. As we each do our part, we will see the body of Christ represented to the world as a healthy, mature group.

Comfort Food

Everybody here knows that I am on a strict weight-loss program. And, one of the things that I have had to let go of is pure "comfort food." I can have some, but not like I used to. But, one source of "comfort food" that I have been able to keep and increase in quantity is ------ the Word of God. Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3 - 4 (HCSB) speaks of this comfort when he says, "Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

We all need comfort at some point in our lives. We often are faced with afflictions. This word in the Greek carries the meaning of pressure, tribulation, dire straits, distress. It is at these times in our lives that we need to remember and lean upon God - "who raises the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:9, HCSB)

The word used for comfort here is the same as the word Jesus used when referring to the Holy Spirit. It literally means one called alongside of. When we are faced with the issues of life, we need to remember that God has sent the Holy Spirit to walk us through these times.

Today, ponder what are you going through? Maybe the issues seem more than you can handle - realize that the Holy Spirit is there to walk through them with you. He is comforting you and delivering you. Count on Him. He is the ultimate in "comfort food" in your life.

Top Ten Fears

I was thinking about fear. I had just opened an older book of mine that I had written notes in, and there was a list of the top ten fears of people. Curious, I thought I would Google this idea and see how the lists would compare. I was surprised to find that in under 30 seconds, Google had produced 12,600,000 different selections.

One sight called the Phobia List - listed over 530 different identified phobias out there. People are afraid of a lot of things. I hope that none of you have Didaskaleinophobia. 

God has often in His Word encouraged us not to fear. (The following sampling is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Psalm 56: 4, 11 - "...in God I trust; I will not fear."

Psalm 112: 7 - "He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the LORD."

Isaiah 35: 4 - "Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God"

Isaiah 41: 10 - "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God."

Zephaniah 3: 16 - "Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak."

1 John 4: 18 - "There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear."

So, God wants us to live a life free of fear. Stand up, step out, and trust Him who cares for us.

By the way, that fear I mentioned earlier - is the fear of going to school.

Have a good day in the Lord.

[The website for the Phobia list is - http://phobialist.com/index.html]

Decide for Spiritual freshness

Romans 6:2b (Philipps) - "We, who have died to sin—how could we live in sin a moment longer?"

I read a story of a gardener who worked at an Evangelical conference center. He told of how during the first two or three days of a conference, Christians obeyed the signs that said,"Do not Litter." They would go out of their way to carry unwanted paper, etc. to the trash bins. After four or five days had passed, they grew tired of looking for the bins and hid their unwanted paper under the bushes. They had enough conscience to hide the paper, but not enough to get rid of it.

We need to be careful not to compromise upon the concept of removing sin from our lives. We need to daily look deep inside and see if there are any sin that we are harboring. They will seek to "hide under the bushes," but we need to bring them out and get rid of them. 

Ponder today over what is in your heart and life - the biggest hindrance is procrastination - start now. Decide now for a spiritual freshness in your life.

Story from Every Day With Jesus Bible 2004. Nashville:Holman Bible Publishers. Pg. 941

Duct Tape?

1 Corinthians 3:7 - 9 (GNT) - "The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow. There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done. For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field. You are also God's building."

Do you ever feel like duct tape? You wind up doing all sorts of tasks, but you never really feel like you know what it is that God wants you to do?

Paul told the Corinthian church that God has created each of us with specific roles in His kingdom. He then supplies us with the talents and gifts to achieve what He has designed us for. So, how do I narrow down what He has called me to do?

Take some time to ponder what ways you most impact other people. I had a friend who used to say after thinking on this - "I know what God has called me to be - the hangnail of the Body." He always seemed to manage to  irritate others. I can guarantee you - God does not create "hangnails."

Ask yourself some questions today - where do you find the most pleasure in serving God? Who do you most like to be around? What skills do you know you possess? What gives you energy to do? Answers to some of these questions can often define the direction that God has called you to.

Giftedness

"Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service; if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching; and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the man who is called to give, give freely; let the man who wields authority think of his responsibility; and let the man who feels sympathy for his fellows act cheerfully." Romans 12: 6-8 (Php).

I read the story of a farmer who was plowing his field one day, and he looked up and saw the letters PC in the clouds. Assuming this meant "Preach Christ," he left the farm and enrolled in seminary. After many struggles and frustration in his studies, he turned and told his advisor about the vision he had. The wise advisor looked at him and said - "Son, did you ever think that the PC might have meant "Plant Corn?"

God has gifted and created us differently to do the work He is calling us to. As Paul said to the Romans, some are called to preach, some to serve others, some to teach, some to encourage others, some to give generously, some to manage, and some to comfort. each gift is important in the body of Christ. Each gift is necessary in the body of Christ.

God has gifted you with special talents, insights, wisdom and passions. He created you to accomplish something special, exactly as he desires. Today, ponder over what has God gifted you with - and are you using it for His honor and glory.

Commitment

Joshua 24:15 (NLT) - "But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775 made the now famous statement - "Give me liberty, or give me death." He had come to a decision that would shape the remainder of his life, and the history of our nation. His fiery statement still rings out in the ears of Americans today. 

Joshua had come to a similar place in his life. Israel had reverted back to worshipping the false gods around them. He reminds them of God's central position in their nations history, and in their lives. He challenges them to throw away their idols and to return to their god. His statement not only challenged the Israelites, but also millions since to rededicate their lives to following God's will and ways. No matter what it might cost.

An idol is something that man has created in his mind that stands between him and the one true God.

Today, muse over the concept of any idols that you have created in your life. Now pause and destroy them and their hold over you. Return to God, and commit to him.

ICTC

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) says: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "

I have taught many young people a shortened form of this - "I Can Through Christ" or ICTC. It is a reminder that we are capable of doing a lot. We are capable of doing more that we do. It reminds us that this is through the power that Jesus Christ living inside of us allows us to do. His power is far greater than mine, and when He is doing it through me, I am more powerful than I think I am.

Saint Francis of Assisi tells us a way to accomplish more than we might otherwise. He challenges us to "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

So today - do what is necessary. Then challenge that which is possible. In no time you will be doing the impossible.

Hey, let's become the possible people doing the impossible. Are you up to the challenge?

Right worship

John 4:22 - ""You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know....""

I recently read a book (comes as no surprise does it) in which the following statement is made.

"You cannot have good doxology without good theology."*

I believe one of the fallacies of today's churches is that we have substituted man's idea of worship for  a real knowledge of God. Some Christians really do not know much about God. And because of this, they are quick to adapt any teaching that is out there. They worship - but who or what are they worshiping? Do they have any idea of the grandeur of God? Do they have any concept of the infinite nature of the One they are worshiping?

Our God is personal, He is transcendent yet immanent, He is creative, He is holy, He is -- well He is!

Begin today to study God. Go past the basic relationship phase and seek to have an intimate knowledge of who He is, what He likes, what He hates, and you will be moving into true worship.

*From Why Churches Die by Mac Brunson & Ergun Caner. © 2005 B&H p.182.

Where's your luggage going?

Paul in Romans 12: 10b (HCSB) says "Outdo one another in showing honor." We need to give respect to everyone we come in contact with.

I read of a man watching a well-dressed businessman berating a Porter at an airport. The businessman kept getting louder and and more irate. The Porter kept his cool and was very professional. The businessman left in a huff, and the man watching told the Porter how impressed he was with his actions.

The Porter responded, "Oh it was nothing. You see, that man's going to Miami and his baggage - well they're going to San Francisco."

When we show disrespect to others, we often only hurt ourselves. God calls for us to show respect to others - they are created in His image - although it may be tarnished.

If we want to earn respect ourselves, go out and show someone else what it is like. Try it, it might just make you smile.

Praise the Lord!

"Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord!" Psalm 135:1 NLT

Psalm 135 begins with ""Praise the Lord"" and it ends with ""Praise the Lord."" I have read about a man named Billy Bray, and that was the way that he started and ended things, too. Let me share some of his story with you today.

In the early 1800's Billy Gray was known as a no-good drunken miner in the village of Twelveheads in Cornwall, England. Then, through the reading of a book by John Bunyan, Billy was converted to Christ, and he was never the same again.

"I can't help praising God," he once said. "As I go along the street, I lift up one foot, and it seems to say, 'Glory,' and I lift up the other, and it seems to say, 'Amen.' If they would put me into a barrel to keep me quiet, I would shout, 'Glory' out of the bunghole. Praise the Lord."

Billy would often say about the Lord, "He has made me glad and no one can make me sad; he makes me shout and no one can make me doubt; he makes me leap, and no one can hold down my feet."

Shortly before his death, Billy was asked if he was afraid, and he answered, "My Savior conquered death. If I was to go down to hell, I would shout, 'Glory, glory' to my blessed Jesus until I made the bottomless pit ring again, and then old Satan would say, 'Billy, Billy, this is no place for you; get out of here.' Then up to heaven I should go, shouting, 'Glory, glory, praise the Lord.'"

Today - seek to ""Praise the Lord"" with every step and action you do.

Shoot for the Moon

The last few days I have been thinking about shaping the future. God has given us a wonderful opportunity to make a difference. However, often this entails working through situations we would rather not face. One of my mentors used to say, "God gives us beautiful opportunities brilliantly disguised as problems." We just need to take the time to unwrap them and find the present inside. This takes faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) says: "Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." And a few verses later, the author states: "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him."

God gives us the opportunity to serve Him, and when He does, He challenges us to stretch to our full potential. We often need to challenge ourselves to reach beyond what we think is our limit - so God challenges us the same way. Are you up to the challenge? Are you ready to reach farther than you have before? As the writer says - "I would rather shoot for the moon and hit the streetlight, than to shoot for the streetlight and miss everything."

So---- go ahead and shoot!

Lessons from a Dead Lawn - Wait

We are musing over the dead lawn that I have. We saw in Job 12:7 (HCSB) "But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you." We then compared this verse with learning spiritual lessons from a lawn that had "winterkill." And in this, we considered the fact that when we allow the frost, snow, and ice of life, and the variance of being hot or cold for Jesus, we spiritually can experience winterkill. Not loss of salvation, but the loss of relationship and the beauty of it. We discovered to restore the lawn it would take me doing some things - rake, aeriate, seed, water, and wait. We have considered that the dead needs to be removed before the joy can be restored. The hardened ground (heart) needs to be aerated (plowed), the right seed applied, a need to water, and finally today the last step - wait.

Yes, after all the work up to this point, I will need to wait for the lawn to be totally restored. I can have the confidence that the grass will grow and my lawn will once more be beautiful. Of course, it is the confident expectation that the yard can and will be beautiful again that will push me to do what is required to make it happen. The Bible speaks of waiting on the Lord - consider these verse -

"It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD." Lamentations 3:26. (NASB)
"I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His word." Psalm 130:5 (HCSB)

In the verse from Lamentations, Jeremiah uses a Hebrew word yâchı̂yl that means to wait or hope with great expectation, it is in the imperfect tense which means we are to wait and keep on waiting. The Psalmist uses a different word, he choses the word qâvâh which means to wait, look for, hope, expect, however this is in the perfect tense and means a completed action. The word hope in this passage is the word that Jeremiah used, only again it is in the perfect tense.

My favorite verse (also my life verse) is "But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind."  Isaiah 40:31 (The Message)

Isaiah uses the word qâvâh meaning to wait, expect, look for the same as the Psalmist did. We need to expectantly look to God to fulfill what He has promised. And Isaiah tells us that we will get fresh strength by looking to God. That Hebrew word is châlaph - to change, substitute, alter, change for better, renew. When we seek expectantly from God, we will exchange our feeble strength for His strength. We will have the joy of our salvation restored.

Just as I expect that following the steps above will bring me a beautiful lush lawn again, I can expect that following God's design will restore the joy of my salvation. While it will take a period of time for my grass to green and grow, by doing the above God will quickly give me a relationship that grows and encourages me daily.

Spend some time today with God. Exchange your frailty for His strength. Your finite for His infinite. Your weakness for His wealth. "Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey!" Psalm 51:12 (NET)

Lessons from a Dead Lawn - Water

We are musing over the dead lawn that I have. We saw in Job 12:7 (HCSB) "But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you." We then compared this verse with learning spiritual lessons from a lawn that had "winterkill." And in this, we considered the fact that when we allow the frost, snow, and ice of life, and the variance of being hot or cold for Jesus, we spiritually can experience winterkill. Not loss of salvation, but the loss of relationship and the beauty of it. We discovered to restore the lawn it would take me doing some things - rake, aeriate, seed, water, and wait. We have considered that the dead needs to be removed before the joy can be restored. The hardened ground (heart) needs to be aerated (plowed), the right seed applied, and today let us muse over the need to water.

To see the grass germinate and grow, I will need to water the lawn. Not once or twice, but often until it begins to grow. I thought of this being like the need to meditate upon God's Word. It is not enough for a joyful beautiful relationship with God to just spend a few moments reading His Word. We need to spend time throughout the entire day in communication with Him. We need to water the seeds He has planted when we read His word.

Joshua was instructed by God in Joshua 1:8 (NLT) - "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." Meditate on it day and night - water it constantly to see it grow. The Psalmist in Psalms 119:97 says, "How I love Your instruction! It is my meditation all day long." We need to take time to water the seeds of relationship that Christ plants in our hearts from His Word.

So, how do we meditate? Isn't that some mystical eastern religion thingy? No, mediation is simply a continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation on the subject or matter at hand. We need to take what God has planted in our hearts and spend time thinking and rethinking what He has said. An example would be found with Psalm 119:97 above. Spend time thinking on the words love, instruction, meditation, etc. Then consider the ideas of "your instruction," "my meditation," and "all day long." By taking time throughout the day to think on this one verse, we water the Word (seeds) that are planted in the raked and aerated soil (heart). Today, mediate upon Joshua 1:8, and be prepared for the final step that we will muse about on Monday.

Lessons from a Dead Lawn - Seed

We are musing over the dead lawn that I have. We saw in Job 12:7 (HCSB) "But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you." We then compared this verse with learning spiritual lessons from a lawn that had "winterkill." And in this, we considered the fact that when we allow the frost, snow, and ice of life, and the variance of being hot or cold for Jesus, we spiritually can experience winterkill. Not loss of salvation, but the loss of relationship and the beauty of it. We discovered to restore the lawn it would take me doing some things - rake, aeriate, seed, water, and wait. We have considered that the dead needs to be removed before the joy can be restored. The hardened ground (heart) needs to be aerated (plowed) to receive the seed.

The proper seed needs to be sown in my front yard to produce the beautiful lawn that I once had. To grown centipede grass, obviously then centipede seed needs to be sown.

To restore the joy of our salvation, obviously the proper seed needs to be sown in our lives. To have the proper relationship with God, we need the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We received His righteousness when we accepted Him as our Savior. But, the cares and iniquity of the world crept in and removed our joy. So, the correct seed is the Word of God. Jesus teaches this in Matthew 13: 3-9. Let us listen to Him -  “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Jesus explains this later, and in Luke 8:11 He says, "The seed is the word of God."

If we want to have the joy of our relationship restored, we need to be re-seeded with the Word of God. We need to daily spend time in God's Word receiving the facts, truths, and lessons that will bring us into a closer walk and relationship with Jesus. 

Today, begin (if you haven't already) to make it a daily habit to spend time in God's Word. Study it, read it, seek out Him who loves you to the fullest. Get the right kind of seed today to find the right kind of beauty in your life.

Tomorrow we will look at the next step - Watering, and on Monday we will consider the last step - Waiting.

Lessons from a Dead Lawn - Aeriate

We are musing over the dead lawn that I have. We saw in Job 12:7 (HCSB) "But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you." We then compared this verse with learning spiritual lessons from a lawn that had "winterkill." And in this, we considered the fact that when we allow the frost, snow, and ice of life, and the variance of being hot or cold for Jesus, we spiritually can experience winterkill. Not loss of salvation, but the loss of relationship and the beauty of it. We discovered to restore the lawn it would take me doing some things - rake, aeriate, seed, water, and wait. We then spoke yesterday about raking the dead things that come between us and the Savior. The dead needs to be removed before the joy can be restored.

The next step in the process to restore my lawn is aerating. When you aeriate the lawn, you puncture or cut slits in the soil to allow the air and nutrients to sink in. One definition for the word aerate that I found said it is to expose to the action or circulation of the air, so as to purify. For the new seeds and grass to germinate, it needs the water, nutrients, and air to reach the roots - to allow the grass to feed and grow strong.

The Bible in Hosea 10:12 states - "I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.'" Plow up the hard ground of your hearts. God says that we sometimes need to be aerated - to have our sinful, hardened hearts plowed up, softened, and prepared to receive the seed. Just as the ground can become hardened and keep out that which is good, our very beings can also become this way. Consider that the Holy Spirit is compared by Jesus to the wind (John 3:8). The Greek word for spirit and wind are the same. The Hebrew word for spirit and breath is the same. So, we need to have the Spirit (Holy Spirit, air) allowed back into our life - to as the definition above says to purify. Just removing the dead stuff will not automatically bring in the joy. Jesus warns in Luke 11:26 about not filling the person with the Holy Spirit in place of our own sinful ways.

So, ponder that we need to rake the dead out and aeriate our hearts to prepare for the next step - seeding. Today, seek to be sure that your hearts have been plowed and prepared to receive the seed - and join back tomorrow to muse over the seed.