Tag: #gardenfaith

Confused: Proverbs 3:5

PJM Rhodendron – Early Blooms

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not depend on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ISV)

Often when I find myself confused, trying to figure out why things aren’t going my way, or things aren’t following my well-laid plans. I realize that I am relying on my understanding. Currently, the PJM rhododendron in my backyard is blooming, because autumn sunlight and temperature have fooled it into thinking that it’s spring. The spring flower bud has opened and the blooms have appeared, but it’s autumn. Often, I also get confused, not allowing myself to seek God and ask for His direction, to let Him guide me to make my paths straight. My goal is to learn to trust the Lord with all my heart.

Where are you confused, and need God to set your path straight?

Prayer: Dear Lord, teach us to trust you with all our hearts. Like the PJM Rhodendron, with its red autumn leaves and unseasonal pink blossoms, we are often traveling a confused path. Lord, we acknowledge your loving guidance and wisdom and ask You to make our paths straight. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

Power: 2 Timothy 1:7

Orange Tithonia

6 I’m writing to encourage you to fan into a flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to you when I laid my hands upon you. 7 For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Paul is writing to Timothy to encourage. It is necessary to let go of fear to feel the mighty power of the Spirit of God. To fan into a flame, rekindling the fire of the Spirit inside of us. To grasp courage and let go of fear. To hold tight to self-discipline and follow God’s path for us. To feel and share God’s love.

What fear are you ready release to let go of and let God handle?

Prayer: Dear Loving Father, We thank you for your many gifts to us. Like the bright orange sturdy Tithonian flowers, help us to be strong and stalwart in our faith. As the flowers shine and reflect the sun, teach us, Lord Jesus, to shine bright. May your mighty power propel us forward in courage, strength, and love. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

I Will Praise You – Psalm 71:14

14 But as for me, I will always have hope and I will praise You more and more. 15 My mouth will tell about how right and good You are and about Your saving acts all day long. For there are more than I can know.

Psalm 71:14-15 (NLV)

Lord, we will praise you, more and more, for you are our everlasting hope. You are our light, our salvation, our stronghold in life. To you, we raise praises and songs of joy. We are thankful for your forgiveness, your love, and your abounding mercies. We proclaim and declare Your wondrous deeds.

How will you share the goodness of God?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for your many blessings. Like the petals on the wild sunflower, we aren’t perfect, but you love us with your everlasting love. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. As these petals radiate around the flower center, teach us to let our praises radiate up to you. Lord our hope rests in you. In Jesus’s name. Amen

Walk Humbly: Micah 6:8

Chrysanthemums and Coleus growing and blooming together.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Micah 6 verse 8 is a short and sweet synopsis of our job as Christians. We are to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Or as stated in The Message Bible, what the Lord requires of us is quite simple:
“… do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate, and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously – take God seriously.” All are great traits full of love and taking God seriously wisdom for us all.

What does it mean to you to act justly?

Prayer: Dear Lord, We praise you for your grace and mercy. Help us to follow your path and walk humbly with you. Like the chrysanthemum and coleus growing and blooming together, teach us to live together in peace and harmony. As flowers of all sizes and types are beautiful, help us to find beauty and act compassionately to everyone. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

Hope Within: Hebrews 10:23

Garden Mums – blooming now

3 So now we must cling tightly to the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! 24 Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.

Hebrews 10:23-24 The Passion Translation (TPT)

A while ago, I started a prayer journal. In the journal, I made notes of the people that needed prayer, personal requests, and worries I wanted to give God to handle. Looking back at the journal pages, what do I see? Hope! Hope from answered prayers, hope in God’s continuing protection, and hope within me to rely on God’s guidance through life’s storms. Yes, I am clinging tightly to hope, knowing that God always keeps his promises.

Where have you encountered hope?

Prayer: Dear Loving Lord, Like the mums in the garden, which faithfully bloom year after year help us to cling to hope and faithfully follow You. Let us be bright and beautiful like the blossoms. Teach us to have hope within and encourage and motivate others toward compassion and beautiful works as expressions of love. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

Compassion: Isaiah 54:10

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

My word of the year this year is compassion. Surprisingly, it pops up often, usually when I least expect it. When I think of Jesus, I think of compassion, for He is the model of compassion. One definition of compassion; is a feeling you have when you become aware of another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. God has compassion for us. He cares about us and gives us His unfailing love. He wants to help us. However, in turn, we need to take our worries and troubles to Him. To pray and to follow His path of righteousness.
How has dwelling on the word compassion changed me? I have tried to really listen to others and to view everyone as a child of God. Right now, however, I am still a work in progress.

When is it difficult to be compassionate?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for your unfailing, unshaken love. When a variety of flowers and grasses are grown together, color and beauty increase. Teach us, to grow together in compassion and love. As one flower may be stark, grouping with other flowers makes the results spectacular. Lord, help us, in turn, to work together to achieve harmony and compassion. We thank you for the beauty of our world. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

Poured Out: Romans 5:5

coreopsis blossoms

Now this hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5 (ISV)

Prayer: Lord, like these flowers glow in the sun, let your love glow through our actions. Let our hope remain open and bright like the coreopsis blooms. Let us blossom in your love. In Jesus name. Amen.

Devotional: Our God is awesome, He is a God of Love. He not only loves us, but He is Love. God loves us because of who He is not because of who we are. In the Bible, God showed His love for sinners. He healed them, ate with them, and forgave them. Jesus never turned away anyone who came to Him for forgiveness. When we confess our sins, He forgives us. We often put roadblocks into place by not feeling worthy of His love, but God is love!

What roadblocks are blocking you from hope?

poured-out-romans-5Download

Peace I Give to You: John14:24

Sunflower glowing in the Sun

John 14:25 (NIRV) “I have spoken all these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid.

Dear Lord, We give thanks to you for all you give to us. Thanks for the wonder of nature. Especially, the beauty of flowers that reflect and glow in Your light. Let us be like these flowers and glow with Your inner light. Let our light shine in the dark places that need illumination. Help us to have a strong foundation in Your Word. A foundation which upholds us like the straight strong stem supports the sunflower. Let us reach upward with prayers to you as the sunflower reaches for the sky. This we ask in Jesus Holy name. Amen.

Where in nature do you feel God’s presence?

Bless the Lord: Psalm 103:1

Crepe Myrtle – They are gorgeous this year

Psalm 103:1-3  of David

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,

As soon as I start reading this psalm, the song “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”* starts beautifully flowing through my mind:

Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up
It’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass
And whatever lies before me
Let me be singing
When the evening comes…

*”10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Lyrics.” Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2019. Web. 10 Aug. 2019. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/23889502/Matt+Redman>.

Prayer: Dear Lord, whatever lies before us today help us to still be singing to you and worshiping you when the evening comes. Like the crepe myrtle where many small blossoms gather together and make a stunningly beautiful flower cluster, help us to exist together in harmony and love. This we ask dear Lord, in Jesus name. Amen