Spring is upon us and new plants and things are blooming! My allergies hate it but it’s beautiful to see happen nonetheless. In this season, I’m excited for new beginnings like a lot of plant lovers are!
Lots of gardeners are ecstatic to start their gardens and potted plants and probably already have. I’ve had the fever too so I get it. Super exciting! I was reminded of the plant growth process. It starts with small beginnings right, just as a tiny seed. Well, those tiny seeds have to break open and completely transform to grow into a beautiful plant that produces good things.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
With us in new beginnings comes growth that sometimes, okay, most times hurts. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger right? Maybe you’re coming out of a season like that or in the thick of it. Either way, hope and joy are coming your way! The dark of night can’t hold us back and last forever!
What I want to challenge you with today is this: what is the Lord leading you to do? Carve out just 5 minutes to get alone with the Lord and ask Him what He wants of you. Sneak away to your car, hop in the shower, get up early, or go to bed 5 minutes later just so you can make time to ask this simple question.
We ask the Lord all of the time for things and He’s a good Father who listens are cares for us. He works on our behalf, many times behind the scenes when we can’t see it. But when was the last time you asked Him what He wants from you?
The Lord is gentle with us and isn’t going to scream or force us to do anything. His still small voice is hard to hear if we have so many other noises drowning Him out. That’s why it’s important to carve out 5 minutes and tune our hearts to His voice.
Instruments can play wonderful tunes but if they aren’t tuned correctly, it’ll sound awful. It won’t be a joyful, beautiful noise. It’s the same when it comes to hearing the Lord. I’m not any more special than you are where I can hear from Him and you can’t. I make time to be STILL and QUIET to hear what He was to say and He will speak if you’re listening. Jesus left us with His Holy Spirit, that still, small voice to guide us and help us to not be alone.
For example, I’ve had gentle nudges to stop listening to certain types of music before. I’ve asked the Lord what word He wants me to focus on in a new year and He’s put on my heart, FEAR. Fear is something I struggled with for years and He helped me make strides in addressing the issue and working towards overcoming it. Some other examples I’ve heard: “Go with the flow” along with the word JOY one year. Joy is a choice and state of mind that I learned that takes a lot of effort, at least on my part for me!
Look I know we can easily get overwhelmed or intimidated with all the things we need to work on or change. Our failings are sometimes very evident to us even when others may not know or see it. We are all flawed but the good news is this: The Lord’s mercies are new every morning. I need His mercy and grace daily to choose joy, to have peace, and to focus on the good things in life. He won’t overwhelm us with a billion things to change. He will give you most likely one thing to focus on.
You might have already been feeling a tug to quit doing something, a guilty pleasure maybe. Watching something you shouldn’t be or listening to music that really doesn’t produce any fruit in your life. Maybe “I’m a Christian but I cuss a little” shouldn’t be your slogan anymore. Whatever it is, surrender it to Jesus. His blessings are around the corner and will benefit you more than any guilty pleasure or thing you do that doesn’t bear fruit.
He wants to bring a new wine and build a fire within you that will help you get through anything. His sufficiency makes us sufficient in Him. The strength and peace He infuses us with will help us weather any battle or storm. When we surrender to Him, so much beauty and joy can be unlocked in our lives. I hope that you will continually seek Him above all else and be encouraged today, knowing that He’s got our backs and has good things in store for us.
A Prayer For You
Lord Jesus, help me to make time for 5 minutes with You to get real. Lord, show me what You are leading me to do. Help me to fine-tune my ears so I can hear Your beautiful guidance and direction in my life. Infuse me with strength, peace, and quiet confidence in You. I give you my whole heart, my whole life, everything. I won’t hide or keep anything from you anymore. Bring new wine and a fire that burns so brightly that it consumes everything I come into contact with. Let Your will be done in and through me. Thank You Jesus for the joy that is rising up, let it flow and overtake any anxious thoughts that try to overtake my mind. Praise You Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Stay hopeful!