Category: faith

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Derailed by A little Acorn

For who hath despised the day of small things? Zechariah 4:10

Walking back from the mailbox today, I took a little

tumble. As leaves and mail showered down on me, I

stared up at the blue. My driveway is littered with little

brown acorns. When you pull in the drive, the sound of

them popping under the weight of the tires is almost

deafening. Unfortunately, I stepped on one of the little

nuts just right and my foot flew out from under me.

I have thought about that little acorn a lot today. Something so small yet it was able to change my path. Often, we

think of small things as unworthy and ineffectual.  Yet God uses the power of small things to accomplish great things.

The Bible is full of examples of how God used seemingly small objects and people to do great things.

Nothing is too small for God to use.

Manna, Exodus 16:14-15 God used fine flake like things to feed the Israelites in the wilderness. No one knew what it

was, but Moses did, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.” (Exodus 16:16) The Lord used this tiny

substance to sustain his people for 40 years. God sustains his people.

Five little stones 1 Samuel 17:40 Saul’s armor was too big and heavy for David. So, he used what he was familiar.

David gathered up five smooth pebbles from the brook and faced Goliath. It took one stone to defeat the Philistine

enemy. What amazing power in an insignificant rock. Never doubt that you are enough, and God wants you just as you

are. You do not have to act like someone else or compare yourself to someone else.

Moses, meek and humble delivers a nation, Exodus 14. Moses was an unlikely and reluctant spokesman for the God.

Moses was a fugitive with a speech impediment, yet God used him to speak. Often, we feel that we have nothing to

offer in God’s service, however God will use you. All that is required is that you yield to his request. He can and will

use those that are willing.

A small pot of oil, 2 Kings 4:1-7. The widow in the book of Kings was in a pickle. The creditors were going to take her

two sons to satisfy her debts. She had nothing of value in the house but a small jar of oil. Elisha by God’s command

instructed her to go and borrow all the empty jars she could find. Once all the empty vessels were lined up, she was told

to fill those jars with what she had. That small little bit she had filled all the jars she had borrowed. She was able to sell

that oil and pay off every debt and redeem her children. God will use what you have. (Every time I read this, I am

reminded that Jesus was poured out to cover our sins and redeem his children.)

Feeding 5,000 with 2 fish, Luke 19:10-17 Jesus had been teaching the crowds all morning and as he looked out over

them, he knew they hungry and unprepared. The disciples only had five loaves and two fish. Jesus had the people gather

and he blessed the meager food, it was multiplied, and the multitude was fed with twelve baskets left over. God can and

will supply your needs.

God blesses the common, the ordinary, the small and insignificant to accomplish his will. Don’t despise the small

things, in the hands of God they have great potential.

Typist for Jesus

I Just Got New Glasses and I Don’t Like ‘em

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Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:31

I waited patiently as the lady found my glasses. I was excited to have them, it’s been a while since I had new ones. She cleaned them, made some adjustments, and then slipped them gingerly onto my face. I turned to look into the mirror and my excitement floated away.

“Is there something wrong?” She asked.

“I don’t like them.”

“Why?” Her voice rising in concern.

“Because I can see all my wrinkles.” I answered with obvious disappointment.

When I put on new glasses, I was able to see a few extra lines that I was unaware of. Because I was looking through an old prescription, I was blissfully unaware. I had an image in my head of myself that was now changed. We all are guilty of being content with the vision we have of ourselves. However, we need to take another look through the lens of Christ.

Self-examination is not fun. Anytime we take time to examine ourselves it proves to be an uncomfortable lesson. More importantly it is an opportunity for personal growth and a deepening relationship with Jesus. Though out the Bible we are reminded that we must look inward. Many of us work very hard on polishing the outside. We want to present that we are in charge and above reproach, however most often a well-coiffed exterior hides an ugly inside.

What lens do you use to examine your heart and your motives? Do you have clear sight?

It may be time for a pair of new “spiritual glasses”.

Typist for Jesus

Seasons Change

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“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

I was standing at the sink this morning and a gust of wind sent a shower of golden leaves down.  They were so

beautiful tumbling in the early light.  I love Fall!  Fire pits, pumpkins on doorsteps, comfy sweaters, and hot chocolate.

There is something very reassuring about the changing of the seasons isn’t there? Spring becomes summer, summer

cools into fall and finally the sleep of winter. God’s seasons continue despite all the craziness around us.

There are also seasons in our lives. I have had seasons in my life that I hope to never repeat. I bet you have too. In

fact, some of you may be going through a season right now. I have been for some time now. You may be dealing with a

loss, financial issues, relationship problems or health. Whatever it may be, be certain God is still very much in charge.

The verse for this week is out of Genesis and is part of the covenant God made with Noah after the Flood. Just like the

sign of the rainbow, the cycle of seasons testifies that God will preserve and redeem his creation. Most of us however

probably do not think of the seasons in this way and never in the covenantal symbolism. Until I researched seasons in

the Bible, I did not know either. This promise in Genesis reminds us that though the world maybe in turmoil, God is in

charge and will remain in charge. It is a promise he made to all of us, and he demonstrates it the changing of the

seasons.

Just like the seasons change, this period of your life will change. If you are presently in a difficult period in your

life, please know it is not forever.  These periods in our lives help us grow and mature in ourselves and most

importantly our relationship with God.  Remember the seeds wait patiently under the cover of snow for spring.

Spring is coming,

Typist for Jesus

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Be a Beacon for Christ

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Cairns along Route 1 Iceland. Photo by Melissa Levi
Cairn along road in Iceland. Photo by Melissa Levi

While traveling through Iceland, I saw several stacked rocks that dotted the landscape. It fascinated me to see them running parallel to the highway I traveled.

These stone stacks are known as cairns. Some of the cairns are 1200 years old.  Originally, they were built by Vikings on their explorations of Iceland. Some of these monuments were burial markers and others held messages and food.  However, their most prevalent purpose was as guides to help the Vikings navigate back out of the highlands and to lead others into the land that followed them. The cairns are still used today, Iceland built their main road that encompasses the island nation by these ancient highways.  Travelers today are still following the same route the Vikings established.      

               Unfortunately, tourist over the years have built their own cairns as monuments to their travels. Cairns are still used as landmarks and Pathfinders in Iceland by the residence. These added stacks could make someone lose their way. In some areas the tourist cairns litter the landscape. These false beacons not only confuse the path, but they also damage the mosses that grow on the rocks and the ground.

As I stood next to one of the weathered cairns, spotted with moss and lichen, I thought about how the Vikings built these markers to guide travels and now even 1200 years later they guided me on my journey through the land.

Five thousand years ago, Moses wrote the first chapters of the Bible. Two thousand years ago, the disciples of Jesus wrote of his teaching and healing of the masses. Paul wrote to the churches to encourage and teach. So even today, God’s Word is guiding people, generation after generation to the truth. Teaching the wonderous gift of salvation through Christ’s sacrifice. However, just like the tourist cairns, adding to or taking away from God’s Word can lead people a stray. Be careful what you share with believers and non-believers alike. You must always refer to the Word of God and never change it to fit what you want it to say or a point you want to make.  We are beacons showing the way to Jesus and redemption through Him.

Unfortunately, there are many other markers that lead to paths of destruction. Do not be distracted and stand firm in God’s Word. Many will try to lead you away and on paths that lead you further away from God.

Be a beacon for Christ.

Typist for Jesus

Wait with Expectation and Enthusiasm for God

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Haukadalur Geothermal Field, Iceland Photo by Melissa Levi
Haukadalur Geothermal Field, Iceland. Photo by Melissa Levi

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:25-27 NKJV

I stood poised waiting on the next geothermal eruption. My phone in one hand, my GoPro in the other and a camera around my neck. I wasn’t about to miss the moment the earth would belch boiling water into the sky. Of course, I was not the only one. Lined up around the site was roughly 120 people shoulder to shoulder, silent, focused, and expectant. Every time the water rose or fell, a collective gasp traveled through the onlookers. The chilly air was charged with excitement and expectation. As the moments drug on, the spectators did not waver, they had every faith that the geyser would soon erupt and so they waited, patiently. And that patience paid off because the geyser exploded, shooting hot boiling water into the sky and steam engulfed the onlookers.  Laughter replaced the hushed voices as the crowd began to disperse. It was an amazing encounter.

As I stood as close as I dared, I thought about all those people standing on a dirt slope on a cold drizzly day, bundled up against the Icelandic wind, waiting.  Willing to face uncomfortable weather for a moment, literally less than a second to experience the explosion. I also thought how we are taught in the Word to wait expectantly and patiently on the Lord. More interestingly I thought about how few of us would wait in the elements for God. Much less in expectation and with patience.

Why is it that we have so much faith in a water filled hole in the ground and so little in our God? It may seem a bit harsh you think me saying it in such a way, but if we are honest, it’s truth. When we pray to God, we want him to answer immediately. We want the answer to be exactly the way we have envisioned it. Our way, in our time.

God is not a genie. He the author and creator of all things. He does not throw things out there and work on our whims, but rather our lives, those before us and those that will come after us, are meticulously orchestrated to bring glory to God and for the good for those who love him.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV.

I know that it is hard to wait. I know that in our minds we think we know what is best for us, our children, where we live or work, but ultimately is only God that knows what is needed. He knows what is better for us in our journey of growth and in our walk with Jesus.

Trust God and his timing. Wait with expectation and enthusiasm to see what God has in store for you. God can and often does things you never could have dreamed on your own.

Typist for Jesus