Having None Meets Having Plenty.

Character log:

A widow with two sons.  Fears the Lord, but also fears she may fail in providence for her family.

Here in 2 Kings 4 we see a widow, as seen above, and her two sons struggling with the looks of what they have.  Nothing seems to be enough for this widow, she takes small consolation in a small jar of oil that subsides in her shame…also known as the pantry. When she cries out to Elisha she is not crying out for him to give her more, but that he would be able to fix what she already has.  Jesus healed a blind man…He gave him new sight to his old eyes…not a brand new set of eyes. He gave new meaning to what was blind…and that is what Elisha, with God, is about to do to this widows one jar of oil.

“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”   – 2 Kings 4:1 –

This women sees the future in the hands of a creditor.  She reached out to Elisha because Elisha reaches out to God….resulting in true hope that goes beyond a creditor.  Jesus is the only creditor that takes away sin and gives hope.  Where this lady was putting her hope, was now taking away her hope.  She continues to say…

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” – verse 2 –

What she thought was nothing turned out to be something.  The word “except” can get us in trouble more times than not.  It puts a spotlight on what we don’t have, and puts the small amount we do have in the darkness.  The boy and his fish and bread  was offered up to Jesus. Before there was even a “Jesus feeding The five thousand”, there was five thousand people without a dinner to eat. That little boy knew who Jesus was, and he knew what God could do with the little he offered.  How much are you offering God even when your pantry seems bone dry?  By reaching out to the small amount you have you are reaching into the abundance that God gives.

“ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.  Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” – verses 3 and 4 – 

Elisha asked this women to  do something that put her in a place of vulnerability.  Asking others to give up something that could put them in a place of need can be hard.  This women’s vulnerability to ask for more ended up providing her with the “more” she needed.  The best we could do in time of need is to reach out to God in complete vulnerability.

“She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.  When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

-verses 5 and 6 –

“she kept pouring” and that is the key.  She didn’t look at how much oil was left she kept looking at the jar that was put in front of her…and they kept coming.  Blind folded faith looks at how God is providing for one in the now, knowing that God will provide for what’s to come.

“She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” – verse 7 –

She had “something” the whole time, it all came down to how she viewed having plenty.  Not only were they able to pay of the debts, but they were also able to live on what was left.  Having plenty can come in the small day to day blessings…how do you view having plenty?

With Christ we always have another jar coming and even more oil to fill it with.

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

 

 

Why Can’t I Talk To This Person?

No, not that one person.

How they have made me feel, and the emotional pain they bought me…there is no way I could talk to that person.

These are my thoughts on talking to someone that I find it oh so hard to.  How can I show love to this person when their intentions for me seem so opposite?

It’s funny how it all turns out.  Sin tells me that it is true….you don’t have to show kindness to that person, they deserve the cold shoulder.  Christ says...so, you want me to give you the cold shoulder?

In conclusion you end up feeling worse for your actions in the end.  Why can’t I talk to this person?  Here is what I have concluded….

• You look at them through your strained vision.
• The plank in your own eye has grown too big.
• You highly dislike them, but yet you haven’t prayed for them.
• You don’t want to see them the way God sees them.
• You can’t get over what they have done to you in the past.

Wow, I have accumulated quite the list…like I been here before?  Yes, yes, and again yes.  Too many times.  Showing Christ like love cannot come to a flourish, if we first don’t let God sprinkle His specialty miracle grow on these areas of our hardened hearts.

Strained Vision

A vision strained by the past and the sin that still lingers now and then.  Throughout the Bible and from your own life, we can all testify and say complaining about everything around us is way easier than complaining about yourself.  It’s easier to pick out someone else’s flaws then pick out your own.  We do this so much that instead of clearing up our vision like we thought it would, it strains it and makes it even more painful to see our own mistakes.  Don’t strain your vision, straighten you vision so that it is set on Christ.

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Big Plank

Chances are the plank of your own eye has grown to big.  So big that you become blind to your own character.  In reality, in the time it has taken for your plank to grow the person that was showing you hate is now showing you love…and you are now the one showing hate.  God’s Word says…

“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  – Matthew 7:5 – 

Have You Thought To Pray for them?

I get so busy complaining about them that I forget to pray for them.  Jesus said to “pray without ceasing”.  If you are ceasing to pray for this person…then pray that God will give you the heart to pray for them first.

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute them.”  – Matthew 5:44 – 

Yes, the person that angers you needs prayer….but sometimes we forget about the condition of our own hearts.  Ask God to forgive you.

See them The Way God sees Them

God has put you in a situation with someone you may dislike, because God is teaching you to love them the way He does.  As God’s hands and feet sometimes the only love they may physically and mentally experience is you!  How will you accept this and apply it to the people around you? Seeing them the way God sees them, is seeing that person the way you want God to see you.

1 Corinthians 12:27 – “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 

Get Over the Past

The past tends to make sure you remember it.  If Christ looked at us based on our past….then we would be far from free.  Yet, God chose to look past  our past so that He may propel us to do the same to others.

1 Corinthians 15: 5-  “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Keeping no record of wrongs will help us to see this person with a fresh perspective.  You will never look at your room the same once it has been cleaned….we now just need to focus on keeping it that way.

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Loving those who are hard to love is hard.  No doubt about it!  But when we think about how much God CHOOSES to love us despite our sin….in return we need to show love to others.  Love that doesn’t wait for the right time, but creates the right time to show it.   How will we act on this today?

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

Dear Heavenly Father, Hard equals loving those who are difficult to love.  Help me to see them the way you see them.  Show me ways in which I can be your hands and feet to those who never feel love.  show me areas in my life where I have fallen short, and help me grow tall in your truth.  In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.  

 

Besides All Of The “Cool Stuff”.

Encouragement plastered my walls, but none of it seemed to encourage me for this situation. Sin. I felt horrible and guilty, and all that was around me were dream encourages, passion drivers, and so on….nothing to help me remember that I am forgiven. “The Cool Stuff” was what my room was full of. Encouragement to not give up, but nothing that reached out to the nitty gritty. Nothing that said…”His mercies are new every morning” or “put off your old self!”

Why?

Because, frankly, it’s not the real “cool stuff”. The tummy tickling stuff. Sometimes we get so caught up in the Christian trends. Finding your purpose, and building dreams, that we forget about the “not so cool stuff”. Character. You could have a dream to change the world for Christ, but you may be the rudest person. Building character comes first… so that you can take what God has shaped you to be, and pour that into your calling. Your attitude, how you show love, humbling yourself, not being prideful, all of these things and more are the “not so cool stuff.” No one ever wants to be set down and talk about how they are being rude….no….you want to talk about achieving dreams and doing work for Christs kingdom!

Yet, we are missing some huge parts of the puzzle! The “not so cool stuff” leads to the “cool stuff.” Jesus never told his disciples about chasing dreams and having a name for themselves (cool stuff), He told them about….

• taking the plank out of their eye (Matthew 5:7)
• Put others before yourself (Phili. 2:3)
• Turning your cheek so they may hit the other (Matthew 5:39)
• Obeying your parents (Ephesians 6:1)
• Obeying the ten commandments (Exodus 20)

And many more…..

Putting all of these things into practice will put your purpose into more of a reachable goal. Start with the basics, then start building upon your purpose with better understanding these basics.

God wants you to build up the small things so that He can trust you with the big things.

Maybe you are struggling with sin? Maybe you are in the same boat as me and you need some character reflecting, yet encouraging truths….here are some….

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• “ to put off your old self,which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22- 24 –

• “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:20- 23 –

• “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
  his mercies never come to an end;
  they are new every morning;
  great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23 –

God is greater than the sin you committed. How you go about learning and growing from the small things will determine how much the big things will count. The “big things” haven’t happened yet? Because God is growing you in the small things.

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to see the small things as a bridge and not a barrier. Help me to see the small ways in which you are shaping me to be more like you. AMEN

God’s Little Breadcrumbs- Jeremiah 31:22

Breadcrumbs show the leftovers, the “look-overs”, and much more.  We are re-purposing breadcrumbs. In Hansel and Gretel their intentions for using breadcrumb’s were to lead them back home….and that is exactly what God’s Little Breadcrumbs are!  “Breadcrumbs” of God’s Word made to lead us back home to God’s truth!  So, to kick of this series we are starting with Jeremiah 31:22!

“How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth— A woman will encompass a man.”

Why is it easier to remember the past then to have hope for the future?  Why is it easier to see pain in the places that now promise new hope?  Easier? More like natural!  The past brings pain, but more often times then not it brings false purpose that prevents us from seeing what God has in store.

Have you ever done something the same way for a long time?  Something so routine that creating something new is less exiting then just staying in your own ways?  As we come across this breadcrumb we come across Israel….being, well Israel.  “we love you God”….”We despise you God”….”You are great God”…”How could you God?” That is just a small taste of what the Israelite’s felt as they walked through the wilderness experiencing both high times and low times.  Can you relate?

The Israelites were stuck in the old days.  A love and hate relationship with Egypt is a better description.   God would show them a new thing, but the new thing would be dimmed in comparison for what the “new things Egypt” had given them.  God’s “new” doesn’t always dim our old ways. God’s “new” doesn’t always make sin feel less fun.  But when our desires are focused on pleasing God, what God gives us will always put our old ways and desires to shame.

The Israelite’s were holding onto something new that had been created in Egypt, God was encouraging them to take faith because He was CREATING something new in the now.

Newness can be both exiting yet fear inviting at the same time.  Sitting in front of a fire can create both warmth but also a fear that it might spread.  When God creates something new in your life there is always a chance that it includes some sort of impossible…but that is exactly what God wants to create in our hearts.  A newness so big that without Him it is impossible to take on it without Him.

God was creating something new out of their journey….it was-and in your life is- a long process to create a new thing that is so different from the newness that you once knew.  God’s new puts the past behind, the newness that we create for ourselves only covers up pain and the past with a shabby piece of dry wall.

God was creating something “new in the land”, but what He accused the “daughter” of having a lack of…was faith.  The Israelite’s may not be able to see the “new” thing that God was creating, so God was asking them to have faith in His vision.  You think you have a big vision for your life?  Imagine what vision God has for your life.

Our visions for the future only go so far as daydreams…God’s vision for us goes far into eternity.

How long will we  wander away from God’s plan for us thinking that it isn’t as big as our own?  How long will we think that the past will never measure up to God’s plans for us?

Have faith.

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

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Dear Heavenly Father, 

Sin is more appealing than I thought.  But when I desire to obey you the newness of sin will subside.  Help me to keep my eyes on you, and to have faith in what you are creating….not what the past has created in me.  AMEN.

Reach Out Instead Of Reaching In.

It’s always easier to reach in to where our secrets lie, instead of reaching out to expose our pride.  It’s always easier to hide away, instead of give away what has been gnawing at our hearts for so long.  Reaching in means looking through the leftovers, reaching out means reaching out to something new and unknown.

Why are leftovers so more appealing?  Second day pizza is still good sometimes isn’t?

Elijah was in the process of reaching in…yet God gave him a reason to reach out…and eventually reach up to grasp what God had in store for him….take a look…

“So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there…” – 1 Kings 19:2-3 – 

When Elijah reached into his heart instead of to God he confused definitions.  Jezebels “con artist claims” for a god made Elijah forget the clear strength of the One true God he served.  We cannot confuse where our strength comes from.  Physical strength is not a source that reaches towards our weakest parts…only God can do that.

Elijah was more afraid about the empty words from Jezebel, than God’s strong promises.  Confusing definitions can make us confused about what’s being defined.  If God is what is being defined we can’t put the definition of weakness underneath Him.

“while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”  Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.” – verses 4 & 5- 

The state of having nothing left, is where you realize that you actually had everything you ever needed.  The very bush that Elijah was sleeping under was provided by God, and the very words he said to bash God was a gift God gave to humankind long ago.  My, how many times one can use what God has given us as a gift…and turn it into a weakness.

Elijah was in a state we have all been to.  The state of fear overcoming our faith.  Fear making us close our eyes to what God has in store.  Elijah left God with those words…”Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors…”, but he was awakened by refreshed hope….

“All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.” – verse 6- 

This verse is proof that God is not effected by fear, but He cares about the way it effects us.  Fear ate up Elijah to the very core his life was based on.  when God becomes our base, fear becomes a failed asset.   “Get up and eat” was what God needed Elijah to do while God worked out the rest.  Reach out to God for help.

Reaching in will only stir up old emotions, reaching out to God will stir up faith in Him. 

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The fingers on my hands could not add up to the many times I have “reached in” instead of “out”.  When you get out of the shower and then turn the water off…staying in the shower is always warmer than getting out.  Yet, when Jesus died on the cross He reached out and extended His arms across the radius of the wood.   Even before His death on the cross He REACHED OUT and took the cup…

“saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” – Luke 22:42 – 

In doing so He was reminded of the bigger purpose amidst such pain….eternal life for all of us.  How will you reach out today?

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

What Propels Us.

What limits us is nothing compared to what propels us. 

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5 –

“Money, money, money, must be funny in a rich mans world.”  Mama Mia aired this song and I find myself singing this sing to myself often.  While my piggy bank, yes piggy bank,  sits lonely in it’s place with quite a small burden of no more than ten dollars.  The “piggy” gets the light life while I, the spender and keeper of money, sits low in the heavy life…..the burden of money, and being limited by what pays to get it.

If only I had more money I could….buy a new camera….buy editing software…..etc., etc., and so on.  What is something that limits you?  Health issues? Perhaps money too?  Lack of determination?  Limits may limit us, but they don’t limit God. Hebrews 13:5  talks about the limiting allusion of money.  It says to “keep your lives free from the love of money..” yet why?  Money is what makes a bridge to what we need.  BAM!!  Our immediate response has now become our immediate downfall. Money wasn’t there when God created the world, and money wasn’t there when God created you!  God was there….and if God wants something completed he will “complete” you with what you need!!

He tells us to “be content with what you have”…if that means redeeming old things than so be it.  If it means redeeming your relationship with Christ….then that will make a huge difference in what you are taking an inventory check of!   Being content with what you have, is knowing that God has given you everything He wants you to have.  The ingredients have been laid out!  It’s time to get cooking!

The quote at he top of the page says, “What propels us is nothing compared to what limits us.” If we are depending on God to propel us than we will not be limited by money or lack of contentment.  Yet, if we let money (health, material items) propel us limits will become a daily occurrence.  Money is not on a limitless supply like God is.

When God propels us, nothing limits us.  

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

The “Three Day” Difference.

Making a difference is not always measured in the day, but in the time spent in a day. Jesus’ resurrection from the grave is marked by three days. Why three days? That is something that we will have to ask God ourselves. These three days were unlike any other. Suspense…maybe….”son coming home kind of party”…that’s more like it! The three days between the death of Jesus and His Resurrection are marked with heavy doubt yet trivial faith. What is the “three day difference”? And what does it have to do with me?

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Hard times are never really ones we want to remember. Yet when the Resurrection occurs, would you believe that Jesus remembers both the death and resurrection ?  The three day difference creates an eternal life difference for all of us. The three day difference was Satan’s last smile…even he knew what was coming. Like the first sentence of this post….the concept of days are less than the time spent in those days. Three days had nothing on the things God was working out in the time span of those three days. Faith was being put to its most vital test. That ended with the choice of eternity for all mankind because of one man…Jesus. Wow! Just that name. Makes all chains break…even chains and imprisonments know the name of Jesus. If the tomb that Jesus stayed in that day had feelings what would it think? Forgive me Lord!…or…Lord let me not get in your way!

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” – John 20-

Mary Magdalene…a dear friend of Jesus…cannot believe what she is seeing.

“Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.” – John 20- 

Simon Peter and the other disciples have no words…his understanding of a concept had triumphed over his belief.  We may not understand what God is doing, but God doesn’t ask us to understand His plan…but to believe in His plan.

The three day difference is displayed through days of grief being turned into days of celebration. Three days created doubt for some, but the risen King created eternal life for all mankind.

Here is what Jesus says to Mary Magdalene…

“He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.” – John 20- 

When our mind is “on the tomb” our hope will be there too.  When our minds are on Christ, our hope will abide in Him.   All of the disciples questions were centered around the death of Jesus…not His Resurrection.

The three day difference is the Jesus difference. In three days Jesus rose from the grave creating a chance for all of us to receive eternal life in Him. That is why the three day difference is so vital to you.

This difference represents eternal life for you…it represents what Christ did for you. Will you accept the “three day difference”?

With Christ like bubbling love,

Julia

Happy Easter!