Yesterday during devotions one of my books said, “I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward” and it got me thinking about that wonderful promise that God is our shield and I began looking up other verses about the shield. I thought I would share these thoughts and verses with you as they were such a blessing to me and it might be a good thing for one of your morning times.

Webster on shield- “A person or thing that protects or defends”/ defense- shelter

In Gen. 15:1 God said to Abraham “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward shall be very great.” Abram forgot these a couple of times just as we seem to forget  when it gets tough.

Psalms 3:3 “But thou, O Lord, art a shield ABOUT me, my glory and the lifter of my head.” (I love this reminder that he is a shield  all around us. And then as I enter these droopy to me months of January-February and March, that He can be the lifter of my head, my soul, and my spirits.

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield….” This one made me think of God holding a shield to protect us even from his brightness at times if it might be too much for us to take at some time. But more i think of the shield in front of me. It was an interesting thought though to me.

Psalm 119:114 “Thou art my hiding place and my shield”

Isn’t it great to remember on days when we wish we could just hide…. that we do have a hiding place and that is Jesus. We can come out from the hiding place refreshed and ready to face the world.

Eph. 6:16 “above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.” (Those darts of fear and doubt also- knowing that our God is greater)

II Sam. 22:36 “Thou hast given me the shield of Salvation, and they help made me great.”

Psalm 18:30 “…he is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”

Psalm 33:20 “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield.”

Psalm 114:2 “Blessed be the Lord… my rock, and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my SHIELD and he in whom I take refuge.”

Proverbs 2:7 (What a promise this is for us to take with us each day as we face a new day.) “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a SHIELD to those who walk in integrity.”

May the Lord bless you and be your SHIELD as you trust HIM each day.

(Continued from Part I)

I remember (much of this potpourri will begin with “I remember”)

I remember laying my hands on the children’s heads as they left for school and praying Numbers 6:24-16 over them. “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

I also remember Pollyann, who wasn’t in school yet, coming to the door with a couple of little friends behind her saying, “You forgot to bless me when I went out to play.” And the little children looking on wide eyed as I proceeded to give her the blessing.

I remember- Eating together every evening. Seven of us around the table. That was just the normal thing to do and we didn’t think anything about it. Now I realize that today that isnt normal and if a family eats together several times a week it is a big deal. But it also makes me remember Psalms 128 in the Living Bible which I claimed when my children all were sitting around the table, and which has now come true in its fullness.

“Blessings on all who reverence and trust the Lord—on all who obey him!² Their reward shall be prosperity and happiness. ³ Your wife shall be contented in your home. And look at all those children! There they sit around the dinner table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees.⁴ That is God’s reward to those who reverence and trust him.⁵ May the Lord continually bless you with heaven’s blessings^[a] as well as with human joys.* ⁶ May you live to enjoy your grandchildren! And may God bless Israel!”

I remember “Family Devotions”

I feel these times of family devotions were key and were the base and groundwork of raising our children. Yet, none of our own children have really followed this pattern, nor in the 24 years of teaching young women, I don’t know of any who have faithfully followed having family devotions with their children every evening. What about you? Will you step out- and clear the way- for the biggest blessing in your life and the lives of your children?

We started when Becky was very small (between 2-3 years old). I remember her sitting in a high chair in these early times. But those first times we sat around the kitchen table with a kerosene lamp lit in the center for atmosphere. We read scripture and prayed. It was the beginning of a wonderful adventure. I felt the atmosphere very important. Later often having it in front of the fireplace and at the outdoor fire at Wollochet Bay in the summers . We would read a chapter of the Laura and Mary book to start out time and went through all of the books, a chapter at a time. Then we would read a chapter in a devotional book. Then we would sing songs and choruses and we each would pray. Ending with singing “Now the Day is Over”. Singing one verse and humming one verse.

I feel led to talk to you about tithing. I first remember our first thinking seriously about tithing was in the early years of our marriage, and a man named Lloyd Jellum came to visit us from our church, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. We had been giving regularly to the church, but as Lloyd spoke to us about tithing a tenth of our income, this was new to us. We said, “Let’s try it!” And that was the beginning of “The Great Adventure”. I think tithing puts feet to saying, “Put your money where your mouth is”. You say you trust God. You say you believe what he says about tithing.

Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the rest, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you and overflowing blessing”.

Phil. 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Dick was getting started in his business in the early 50’s and was paying himself $80 per week. So we began tithing $8 per week. This doesn’t sound like much, but in the early 50’s wages were much different. When I was working for an attorney in Tacoma I was paid $150 per month, and for the FBI in San Francisco a whopping $250 per month. We began raising our tithe $1 each year “before” the Lord gave us the increase. He always met the increase and it was very exciting to us. Then as his business grew and he began making a profit we would tithe from that. Often allowing the children to be a part of those decisions as to where that extra should go. We had many opportunities to talk to the children about finances and about tithing. As they began working in the summers at 16, they also began to tithe their wages.

I remember meeting Rev. Bob Penton at a funeral of a mutual friend. He is dear pastor who works with the inner city. He told me at the time, that he always remembered Cindy with great fondness because during her summers working at the Pine Cone restaurant, she would send him $20 per month and he said that meant s great deal to his family at the time, and they looked forward to that check.

I want to share with you some very special verses that I clung to while raising my children.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.”

Oh, my did I cling to that verse and the Lord was faithful in every instance. These two verses I think of as companion verses and I say they are my life verses for my family.

Romans 8:28 “We know in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”

Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstance; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

We would pray these verses often “when the bad things happened”. Such as, losing an election, our dog dying, many little hurts. I think it prepared them for life and helped give them the ability to thank the Lord “for everything”. We would pray, “Thank you Lord for allowing this to happen and help me to see the blessing in it”.

I think the most important thing we can do as mamas and as wives and women, is to begin the day with the Lord. Claiming these verses in particular.

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.”

Proverbs 16:9 “A mans mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight.”

Now, I love this verse to tell of the morning adventure with the Lord. In fact, one line of the verse is running across my computer screen. Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. MORNING BY MORNING HE WAKENS, HE WAKES MY EAR, to hear as those who are taught.”

Oh, we as mothers and grandmothers need to “hear as those who are taught”. I think this is all I will say with the first “Potpourri”. There will be more as I have 51 years of blessings to tell about.

I have Dawn Jiminez to thank you for being able to give this lesson. For more than several years I have not felt the freedom to give lessons on “Children”. To be truthful, I have felt threatened by today’s young mamas. They seem to know so much regarding the raising of children and they have such strong opinions and go to so many classes, such as MOPS and Growing Kids God’s Way, etc. And many of the things that were important to me are now felt to be archaic or even bad. Such as using playpens, baby powder, and spanking children. So I had decided to avoid the subject, even though I claim to base my teachings on Titus 2:3-5 and it says the older women are to train the young women to love their husbands and “children”.

Then I went to a class Dawn was leading at the Women’s Retreat, and she made this statement that changed the direction of my ministry. “I cannot talk about parenting, but I can talk about the faithfulness of God”. Oh, my that struck me in the heart. I could do that. It really didn’t matter what “I” did or what “I” didn’t do, what was important was that God was faithful in helping me raise those 5 children and I could talk about that.

I was sharing this new breakthrough in my thinking with a friend who is a nurse in the delivery unit of a hospital. She said she sees young women coming in to have babies, having the same strong opinions and knowledge of how they are to have that baby. Then something changes and they need to have a “C” section, or they need an epidural and they are crushed and sad that it hadn’t gone as they had planned. She says, “I try to tell them the process isn’t the important thing, ,that dear baby you just had is the important thing.”

And I say that to you. The important thing is asking God for wisdom, and not the process. He may show you a different way to raise those children than he showed me. But the important thing is the results and I pray your results will be just like mine. Children raised, loving Jesus, marrying Christian men, raising their children for the Lord.

So now I shall proceed to tell you some things that were important to me while praising those 5 special gifts from the Lord. I shall call this part a “Potpourri of Lessons Learned”.

I want to start by showing some pictures of my family at different ages (not included) and reading you some poems that have been a blessings to me. The poems are by Ruth Bell Graham and from a book called “Sitting By My Laughing Fire”. She also had 5 children and I love this poem….

“Five I Have”

“Five I have:

Each separate,

Distinct,

A soul bound for eternity:

And I

blind

leader of the blind

groping and fumbling,

casual and concerned, 

by turns….

undisciplined, I seek

by order and command

to discipline and shape;

(I who need 

Thy discipline 

To shape

My own disordered soul). 

O Thou

Who seest the heart’s

True, deep desire, 

Each shortcoming, 

Each sad mistake, 

Supplement

And

Overrule, 

Nor let our children be the victims of our own 

Unlikeness unto Thee.”

Now they are grown with children of their own and this poem is so true…

“Oh Time Be Slow”

Oh, time! Be slow!

It  was a dawn ago

I was a child

Dreaming of being grown;

A noon ago

I was 

With children of my own;

And now

It’s afternoon

–and late–

and they are grown

and gone. 

Time, wait!”

Oh, do enjoy those little ones you have. Until they are grown you often don’t realize how fast time goes. I love to tell mama’s of 7 year olds that I know how quickly that child became 7 and that it seems like only yesterday you brought him/ her home from the hospital. But then in 7 short years again that child will be 14, and seven more short years, 21, and you could be a mother-in-law or a grandmother and you wont feel any differently or any older than you do now.

I love the poem called “It Seems But Yesterday” and at the top of the page I have written “For Jane”. For at that time she was my only daughter with little boys. Now I have 3 more who have boys, Berta, Cindy, and Pollyann. But when I first read and loved this poem Jane’s boys were preschool age. Now those boys are 6 feet 3 inches or more and two in college and one a senior in high school. Oh, yes, time be slow.

“It Seems But Yesterday”

“It seems but yesterday

You lay

New in my arms. 

Into our lives you brought

Sunshine

And laughter- 

Play

Showers, too, 

And song. 

Headstrong, 

Heartstrong, 

Gay, 

Tender beyond believing, 

Simple in faith, 

Clear-eyed, 

Shy,

Eager for life–

you left us 

Rich in memories, 

Little wife. 

And now today

I hear you say

Words wise beyond your years;

I watch you play

With your small sons

Tenderest of mothers. 

Years slip away–

Today

We are mothers

Together.”

Now I shall begin my “Potpourri” of thoughts on being a mother.

When I entered the world of motherhood I knew absolutely nothing about babies. I mean nothing. I was raised an only child, in what today would be called a dysfunctional home. My parents were separated when I was 2 until 6 1/2 years, at which time I lived with my mother, and was around mostly adults. I did not have the example of a happy family with brothers and sisters. I began working in a store in downtown Tacoma on my 13th birthday, again with adults, working on Saturdays and after school.

I married at 19 and had my first baby at 22. I was absolutely clueless as to what to do with this baby, who cried all the time, slept 45 minutes a day, was colic, had volatile vomiting, got her first tooth at 4 months, beginning a long session of teething. I remember crying out to the Lord, “What did I ever do to deserve this?”

Then as this beautiful child, Becky Ann, grew, the Lord began to amazingly mold her into “His” child. She became  my helper and little mother to the other 4 children. She was a positive example to them. She studied hard, got good marks at school, made good choices of friends, exhibiting kindness to them and others. Following Jesus, positively and strongly all through school. Going two years to bible college before higher education. Then I remember saying to the Lord, “What have I ever done to deserve this child!” May it be so with you.

I am going to share with you some highlights of things the Lord has showed me during these 51 years of marriage. I can remember there was a time when the children were small when “everything” seemed perfect. The children were healthy and happy as were Dick and I and the business was going well. Then suddenly I began to get paranoid, thinking that something bad was going to happen. This couldn’t last. Thoughts such as “Rose Kennedy’s children began dying after they were grown” or “Dick is going to die” or “One of the children is going to have an accident”.

Then the Lord showed me an aspect of Phil. 4:11-13 that I had missed. It says, “Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”

I had always taken the “in whatever state I am” to mean trying to be happy in adverse situations. Now the Lord was showing me that “In whatever state I am” also means when things are good to be happy. And not spoil that joy by worrying about what “could” happen. This is a wonderful lesson for me, and helped me to enjoy every moment with my children.

(Continued in Part II: The Faithfulness of God and Our Children)

2 Kings 5:  Read the wonderful story of Naaman.  I think there are many applications to our lives and to thoughts on simplicity that God can show us through this story.

The story tells how Naaman had leprosy and went to the prophet Elisha to be healed of this disease.  But when Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house Elisha himself did not even come to greet him, but sent a messenger with the message, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.”

That was very easy, but was Naaman excited?  We read, no way, he was angry.  That was in fact too simple.  He was angry because, “Behold I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper.”  He thought he had better rivers at home than the Jordan that he could have washed in if that was the cure.

But then his servant came to him and said. “My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much rather, then, when he says to you, wash and be clean?”

So, apparently Naaman reconsiders and does what Elisha had told him to do, and his flesh was restored and he was healed.

I think this is such a wonderful story of the simplicity of God.  All through the Bible, New and Old Testament this theme is carried through.

How can this apply to your own life.  Think about this story when you are pondering and memorizing the verses we have had in class each week.  It is too simple to take them at face value.  Would you be more willing to DO them if they were just a bit more complicated.  Perhaps not so “childlike”.  We are told to be “childlike” not childish.  There is a big difference.

Matt 18:3 “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become LIKE children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Think about this and also these other thoughts and verses that stress the simplicity of God.

The world wants a show of power, and might and wealth but God wants to do things the opposite in a simple childlike manner.

The Jews were looking for a king to come in power and glory but God sent the Messiah to a virgin and he was born in a stable.

When the angels announced his birth they did not do it to the rulers of the land but to the shepherds on a hillside.

Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of thy words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

I love the words in 1 Cor 1:19-31.  Read it, it says it all as to God’s feeling of simplicity verses the wisdom of the world.

When you hear the word “gossip” what do you think of?

• Someone telling you a juicy bit of news?
• Is the bad thing listening or passing it on?
• If I only tell the truth is it gossip?
• If I only tell good things is it gossip?

Lets look at each of those…

This is what the dictionary says about gossip. First it is used as a noun, calling a gossip person- an idle tattler, a news monger. Also as a noun, to spread gossip. I guess I always thought of gossip as a verb, as something someone did, not “a gossip” as a person. The verb use was gossiping.

I began thinking…. are the above the real sin? It came to me more that my struggle had to do with conversation and words. That is why I added that to the heading of the lesson. Psalms 19:4 says, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, of Lord my strength and my redeemer”.  Am I able to defend someone- if it is awkward, or unpopular in the moment? Do I regard the feeling of the person “telling” me something, more than the person spoken of?

Two Sundays ago Pastor talked about “ego enhancement” when talking to others. When someone says to me, “so and so is the best Bible Study teacher I have ever known”…

or to Jody- “so and so is the best Young Life Area Director I know”

or to Kristy- “so and so’s family is the most wonderful I know”

or to Tina- “so and so in a Gig Harbor church is the best Youth Pastor I have every known”

What do we say?- Something subtle that puts down the person they are speaking about? Or agree and say something good about the person?

If we dont give it up completely to the Lord, a root of bitterness will grow between us and the person talking. Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled”.

The Lord can help us to get this habit of not defending ourselves and building up other people. Remember Matthew 23:12 “whoever exalts himself will be humble and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

I had a friend who always used the words “the greatest” or “the best” etc. when talking about other people to me. I soon accepted that that was her and not to be offended and see the funny side of it. We need to think before we answer a gossiper, or someone who is just putting down someone else.

Proverbs 16:28 “The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

Ask the Lord to give the words for the right answer.

Proverbs 15:23 “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man and a word in season, how good it is.”

Proverbs 15:26b “for the words of the pure are pleasing to him.”

Proverbs 15:4 “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

Ecc. 5:2 “Be not rash with your mouth not let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you upon the earth, therefore let your words be few.”

There are some people who have a knack of getting things out of us that we wished we hadn’t said. Then we know the truth of James 3:5,6 “So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!”

What can we do to prevent this from happening?

What is the difference between being interested and being snoopy? When do we cross the line?

The earthly winter season has always been hard for me- because of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which I finally self diagnosed, after many years. I then began using Agro light from December through April. I recently came across a lesson I had written in November of 1979, over 21 years ago. I had forgotten the details of that time and glad now that I wrote them down. I want to share with you what the Lord taught me during that time…

Thoughts from Jack Hayford:

The previous February Jack had been going through a full colorless time spiritually (Now I think he was suffering from SAD too). He had the spiritual blahs. I felt I was in good company if he, the Psalmist and David has a Winter season in their life too). The Lord led him to Psalms 42:

“As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.” (continued)

When not feeling joy, peace, and exuberance, often the first reaction is: “God is mad at me for some reason”. Condemnation sets in. When this happens check first obvious means of overt sin, wrong relationships, or things that need to be righted.

However, these blahs were not that for Jack. It was just the ordinary life type. He was simply walking in God’s direction and the blahs hit. In Psalms 42 Jack found a description of himself and how he was feeling. The 2nd part of verse 5 was wonderful to him and also to me: “I SHALL AGAIN PRAISE HIM FOR HIS HELP.”

His heart began to stir with hope. There AGAIN would be a time full of joy of the Lord. Full of thanks for bringing him out of this.

How should we handle uninspired days?

Mountain top experiences are great. Retreats are great. But people don’t live on the mountain tops. We go there for scenic views, cool breezes and times of refreshment. But we live in the valleys. It doesn’t mean we live in depression but in the valleys were everything grows.  Rivers don’t flow on the mountain top… but instead in the valleys. The growth takes place in the valleys and fruit is grown in the valleys.

We live in valleys. Not in depression, but there life carries on from day to day.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, why are you disquieted within? Hope in God.

What could be some of the reasons?

• not taking care of your body?
• not eating properly?
• not getting enough sleep?
• Overweight?
• Not getting enough exercise?

What did God tell Elijah to do when he was depressed? I Kings 19:1-8

“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² 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.”

³ Elijah was afraid^[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ 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.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

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.

⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”

How often do we feel like Elijah? That we are the ONLY one who has every gone through a certain thing. But in reality many have gone through the same things and have survived. Elijah though he was the only one left who was true to the Lord. But in vs. 18 we read that seven thousand had not bowed to Baal. You may be a threat to darkness and Satan is attacking you. Jesus’s light may be penetrating the darkness in some area.

The Lord gave Jack Hayford the example of reentry of a space ship into earths atmosphere after being in “darkness”. Jack said that when a space ship re-enters there is a time of no communication for 2-3 minutes. The astronauts know where they are but don’t know what is happening. Sometimes we feel out of communication just like the astronauts.

This makes me think of Pollyann saying to me on the phone while I was in Springfield, “I am lonesome for you. I haven’t had a mama for three weeks. For 2 weeks you were sick and now you are gone for a week. This is much like how I felt with God. He was there but wasn’t in communication.  This was also true for Jack when he says, “There is no spiritual advance in your life without a corresponding period of questioning in your own soul as to what is wrong.” God is putting a shield around you for a time. But it feels like isolation. But it’s for your own good, as you go through the period of penetration.

Why are you cast down? You need a period of rest. Flowers cant stand 24 hours of sunshine. Many need to close up for the night. There are times of night for us too. To be closed up for rest.

Psalms 42:8 “At night his song is with me”. For Jack, his “song” was “Jesus filled my empty life” and it became the song for me too!

(See “Empty Pots” entry)

Why are you cast down? It is just winter/ night and it could go on for weeks.

It’s hard when friends are UP. All excited about what the Lord has done for them and you feel like saying. “Oh, shut up!” It would be nice to have all your seasons together but it doesn’t work that way.

Could it be that you are overloaded and not sharing your burden? Galations 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We need to be ministered to as well as ministering to others. Be able to say “I am going through a winter season- will you stand with me?

Psalm 131 is helpful to me during winters. Don’t fight them, just rest in them on your Father’s chest.

“My heart is not proud, Lord,

I think that often May is the second busiest month of the year for mamas, next to December that is. So many end of school activities for the children plus graduations, and many extra things coming to a close.

But this a good time to think about Over Commitment and Pruning as we are beginning to think about and make decisions for the year. This has been an on-going procedure for me each year and I have often thought that I was “all pruned up” and my life was “down to handle size” when I realize that I am again over committed and burdened down with too many things. I used to think something was wrong with me but then I realized that Dick does not prune just once and that is it. It is an every year procedure and so it is with God’s pruning of our lives and activities.

This is a time of year to look over your schedules and what you are considering for next year. What “extra baggage” are you carrying that perhaps you picked up unaware during this past year. Something the Lord didnt give you.

Good words from God Calling on February 10th: “Think of my trees- stripped of their beauty, pruned, cut, disfigured, bare, but through the dark seemingly dead branches flows silently, secretly, the spirit-life-sap, till, lo! with the sun of Spring comes new life, leaves, buds, blossom, fruit, but oh! fruit a thousand times better for the pruning.”

I think sometimes we add something to Phil. 4:13 that is not intended also. It says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He gives us the strength for what He gives us to do. Not all we plan on our own and ask him to bless is His plan. Don’t put God on your “Ways and Means” committee. Ask Him first, for the plan, then do it and He will give you the strength.

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Andy gave a sermon on Abiding in Christ and the pruning process. One thing he said was that in a dormant tree, often a wound (pruning) brings the tree back to life. Perhaps you are so busy doing things FOR the Lord but are not taking time to be WITH the Lord. Perhaps the Lord needs to give you courage to prune something from your life or schedule. It might be painful or fee like a wound. But it might bring your dormant spiritual life back to life- as you take time to listen to Him regarding your schedule.

I am going to be sharing some thoughts on Over Commitment and Pruning from an old lesson on the subject that I think has some thoughts worth remembering.

First a quote from Dr. Dobson: “I want to evangelize: “I want to evangelize to the world. I want to reach as many people as I can for the Lord. I want to strengthen families. But my number one responsibility has to be my family. And if I lose it there folks, I lose it. There is not substitute for my responsibility within my own family.”

He also says a little bit of how he is doing this. He gives the example of Gallo Wine Co., that they not only prune dead branches but also a certain amount of fruit off the vine in order to have a larger crop. This is backed up in John 15, which says, “I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce and he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.” Dobson continues, “It is necessary forks, in the Christian life to eliminate some good things from your schedule and from your effort so that the other things you do are done better- so that you get better quality in what is remaining.”

Think about your own life. There probably are many areas in which you are doing “good” things for the Lord and seeing results. Be willing to give all areas of your life to Him, for inspection and control. Perhaps by pruning off some “good work” you would have more time for a child who needs your guidance and help right now in a particular area. Would it be exciting to see great fruit come in that needed area?

This is crucial to remember:

It is key to remember that WE are not the pruners. We don’t just start saying no and loping off activities as we see fit. The FATHER is the vine dresser. HE does the pruning. If we allow Him to do the pruning, there will be no over-pruning or under-pruning and no roots will be cut only branches. Col. 2:6-7 says, “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord , so LIVE in him, ROOTED and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Our roots, our time with Jesus and time in the Word are never pruned- they must increase in order to listen to what the Lord is directing us to do.

The three things we must do in this pruning process then are:

1. Commit to Ask
2. Listen
3. Obey

COMMIT AND ASK:

In Proverbs 3:6-7 we are told, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” And then in Proverbs 16:3 it says, “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” HOW do we do this? By laying out your day, your week, your schedule to the Lord, saying, “Lord, this is what I have planned for my time. Is that pleasing to you? If not, will you show me what to add or eliminate so that I can be a fruitful vine? As some look at the list, they might realize that yes, they are over committed and they need help from the vine dresser. Others might have to say, “God, I am not serving you in any way right now. What would you have me do that I might bear fruit for you?”

LISTEN

Then we must LISTEN to God for direction. There is a long study in itself regarding “KNOWING GODS WILL”. But there are many promises in the Bible that say WE CAN be directed by the Spirit of God and that we CAN hear His voice….

• Isaiah 30:21
• Proverbs 20:27
• John 10:27
• John 10:4
• Galatians 5:25
• John 8:47
• Romans 8:14
• Isaiah 48:17
• Galatians 5:16

When we accent Christ as Savior and Lord all parts of us become under his control. As we give ourselves all to the Lord we can use all parts of our body, soul, and spirit to speak to us. Feeling is the voice of the body, Reason is the voice of the Soul, and Conscience is the voice of the Spirit. The secret again is in the ROOTING and being with God, so you can hear and know that still small voice when it comes to you. Allowing Him to help you make a decision and experience “the peace that passeth all understanding.”

OBEY

When you get the direction- having the courage to say “Yes, Lord” or No to some things and following his orders.

• James 1:22 “But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
• Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
• Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

May the Lord bless each one of you and direct you in how He would prune your life.

DON’T LOOK BACKWARD

Phil 3:13-14 RSV  “Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Same verse in Living Translation.  “No dear brothers, I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear in this one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.”

DON’T LOOK FORWARD

Matt 6:34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”

BUT LOOK UPWARD

Isaiah 26:3-4  “Thou dost keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee.  Trust in the Lord for ever for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

What a wonderful promise to take with us into the new year.  That Jesus is our rock, in whom we can hide, who will protect us and in whom we can take refuge.

Psalm 92:15b  “…he is my rock”

1Sam 2:2b  “…there is no rock like our God.”

Psalm 18:2  “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge…”

Psalm 71:3  “Be thou to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.”