Holes

Little whirlpools form above the holes. It's easy to see where the water is seeping through the ground. Something has to be done to plug the openings so the water level of the pond can rise. The pond was designed as a place for the water to collect before spilling over a waterfall and into the creek. It was never meant to collect and stagnate. The holes have created a problem. The water has found an alternate path to follow, and is no longer flowing as it should.

Clay to the rescue. My husband, Steve, has spent countless hours digging clay out of the hillside, and transporting it by the bucketful to patch the holes. Beginning on the left side of the pond, and gradually working his way to the right, every visible opening has been filled with the pasty substance. Ever so slowly the level of the pond is beginning to rise. Once all the holes have been located and filled, the water will flow out of the pond as it was meant to.

My life as a believer often imitates my pond. Strange statement, but true. The Holy Spirit dwells in me as the 'living water' that's meant to point others to Christ and draw them to Him. This 'water' is alive and active. Jesus offered this description, "...the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life," (John 4:14b; KJV).

As long as I follow the Lord, and remain submitted to Him, the supply is bountiful and overflowing. He provides the power I need to complete each task, resist temptation, love others, persevere. And the list goes on. When I begin leaning on my own understanding, the 'holes' begin forming and I get into trouble.

In my own strength and wisdom, I forget to tap into God's power supply, and find myself looking elsewhere. I become consumed with the cares and insecurities around me, and my focus becomes self-serving. I stagnate and no longer fulfill the purpose God has for me.

I can't use clay to fill the 'holes' that have drained me, but applying the truth of God's Word provides the strongest 'patch' available. "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing," (John 15:4-5).

As A.J. Russell put it so beautifully, "For straying, My children, there is no cure except to keep so close to Me that nothing, no interest, no temptation, no other - can come between us," (God Calling, p. 168). To stay close to the Savior, the 'holes' need to be identified and patched. I need to submit my will to the Lord. And I need to stay focused on Him. Then that well of water within me will be able to spring up as it was meant to - bringing honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Are there 'holes' that need to be patched in your life? What will you do today to restore the well of water within you?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me the need to patch the 'holes' in my life. Help me to stay so close to You that nothing comes between us. Allow me to be that well of water that springs up and points others to a wonderful Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Who's Doing the Heavy Lifting?

Heavy rains have taken a toll on our creek and pond. The rain isn't really the problem. It's all the debris from upstream that washed into our creek, that has created the problem. Sizeable tree limbs, significant leaf litter, and sand completely clogged the pipes that run under our driveway into the pond. The churning water had no choice but to flow over the driveway. You guessed it. We were left with a mess!

We had a choice to make. Spend several days digging the debris out by hand, or rent a piece of equipment that could complete the job in a matter of hours. Hmmmm. Days of exhausting manual labor, or hours allowing a piece of equipment to do the job for us? Not a difficult decision. We opted to rent a track hoe.

Operating the track hoe still required work, but was far easier than digging the creek out with shovels. There was no comparison between the amount of sand and debris the bucket could handle in one scoop, and what our small shovels could hold. Thank goodness for a piece of equipment designed to do some heavy lifting!

'Heavy rain' affects my spiritual life as well. Difficulties of all shapes and sizes touch me and those around me. Financial struggles, rebellious children, and death can all wreck havoc in our lives. Fortunately, I don't have to muddle through on my own. I have a choice. Instead of doing things in my own strength, as a believer, I can lean on the power of the Lord. He is well-equipped to help me through any situation, doing the 'heavy lifting' for me.

My tendency is to try to fix situations. The result? I end up exhausted. When I follow the Lord's leading and apply His Word to situations, He provides the solutions and I remain energized. The book of Matthew shares the reason, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light," (Matthew 11:29-30; KJV).

He never intended for me to carry the heavy stuff. In fact, He instructs me to cast all my burdens on Him because He cares about me (1 Peter 5:7). When I'm obedient and get in the yoke with Him, He acts as the track hoe doing the hard work. I can't simply sit back and do nothing, but He gives me the easy part. He doesn't require that I fix any problem on my own.
Look at His amazing credentials: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding," (Isaiah 40:28). He's everlasting, the Creator of it all, has all wisdom, and he never gets tired! Sounds like Someone I can trust with EVERY ONE of my problems!

As I lay my troubles before Him, His Word assures me, "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength," (Isaiah 40:29). As I wait on Him, instead of burning out, my strength is renewed!

How will you deal with your problems? Do you find yourself trying to fix them on your own? Take the Lord up on His offer - allow Him to do the heavy lifting. You'll be amazed with the outcome and your strength will be renewed!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You that I can cast all my cares on You. You know the struggles I face and never intended for me to fix them on my own. Help me to get into the yoke with You, and allow You to do the heavy lifting. I know I can trust You with the outcome. Thank You for Your promise to renew my strength when I'm obedient to do things according to Your plan! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Perfect Provision

For days our pond was 'disturbed' by humans. Humans we had paid to fix a multitude of problems. Once finished, with the final boulder in place and the spring-fed creek raising the pond back to its normal water level, it didn't take long for 'them' to come back. Literally within hours, the wildlife we were accustomed to, had returned.

A family of four deer stepped gingerly down to the water's edge to get a drink. A red-shouldered hawk kept his gaze fixed on the pond, watching for even the slightest movement from something edible. A brown water snake glided effortlessly through the pond from one side to the other. Once again, our yard was teeming with God's creatures. I hadn't realized how much I had missed them. The pond acted as a source of life for these 'friends,' large and small alike.

Just like the pond provides for the wildlife in our yard, God's word provides for each one of us. Although the needs of the animals are different, the pond clearly meets each need. Our individual needs vary greatly, yet God's word provides for each and every one of them. From our greatest need for salvation to our daily need for wisdom and guidance. From our need to be loved, to our need for assurance of God's presence. The Bible holds life-giving words that provide nourishment for our souls.

Even as I am able to see my reflection in our pond, the law of God acts as a mirror, reflecting my sin and showing me my need for a Savior. I'm reminded of a certain Pharisee, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He was a deeply religious man, yet, unlike the other Pharisees, Nicodemus was convinced that Jesus was a teacher come from God. For fear of the Jews, Nicodemus approached Jesus at night. Jesus responded to him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3; KJV). Seeing Nicodemus' confusion, Jesus explained further, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Nicodemus believed these life-giving words of Christ and later we see the difference they made in his life. He and Joseph of Arimathaea boldly approached Pilate to ask permission to bury the body of Jesus, following His crucifixion. Honoring Christ was now more important to Nicodemus than honoring the Pharisees.

As I seek wisdom and guidance in my daily life, God's word reminds me of our spring-fed creek. Much like a spring, His word bubbles over with verse after verse related to these topics. The book of James encourages me to ask for wisdom, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). If I'm to be wise, I'm to begin with reverencing God, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever" (Psalm 111:10). God promises to guide me, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psalm 32:8). He shares a characteristic of those whom He is able to guide, "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way" (Psalm 25:9).Valuable words of life.

On those days when I question God's love for me, His word is replete with precious truth. King Solomon writes, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me" (Proverbs 8:17). When I'm feeling all alone, scripture reminds me otherwise. "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5b). Again in the book of Matthew, "...and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).

Whether your need is similar to one mentioned here, or totally different, you can be assured that God's word is a treasure trove waiting to be mined. Take time to search the scriptures today, the life giving words you need can be found within the pages of God's holy word!

Heavenly Father, Your word is truth and light. Thank you that the answers to all of life's questions can be found within the pages of the Bible. In the words of the Psalmist, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psalm 42:1). Quench my thirst, O Lord. Amen.

Clogged 'Pipes'

The project is daunting. Over the years, we've continued to make modifications to our creek and pond in an effort to prevent erosion. In the process, we're hoping to create something beautiful. With the generous rainfall we've had this past year, we've also had to deal with large deposits of sand in our pond that radically change the water flow.

It's not unusual for us to have to remove that irritating sand three times a year. This year we decided on a different strategy. Fix the problem. Sounds like something we should have done years ago, right? Just one small problem. When cost is factored in, I remember why we've preferred to just have the sand removed time after time. But with a graduation party just weeks away, we decided the time was right to make the sacrifice. A catch pond and some huge boulders are part of the solution!

The creek flows under our driveway via two large pipes. As the rains come and the run-off from the adjacent neighborhood fills our creek, sand is deposited in both the creek and the pond. The pipes also fill up with their fair share of the grainy material. I've stared in amazement at the things that pass through the pipes and into our pond: logs, toys, plastic bottles, to name just a few. Eventually, the sand and floating objects get lodged in the pipes, and the water boils madly and spills into another stream designed to relieve any overflow.

As the workers spent hours digging out both creek and pond, they weren't surprised to find that the pipes were completely filled with sand and debris. Little if any water was flowing into the pond, rather it had re-routed itself to the secondary stream. With a bit of trepidation, one of the workers accepted the challenge to crawl into the pipes and remove everything that had obstructed the water flow. Once clear, the water was again able to flow from the creek into the pond.

My heart is a lot like those pipes. It is what allows God's word and the Holy Spirit to move freely between me and my Savior. Little by little, if I'm not careful, over time my heart begins to get clogged with 'debris.' Not surprising when I consider the words of Jeremiah, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, KJV).

It may begin with an attitude - "I can handle this problem, God." I ignore His wisdom. It may continue with a choice - "Too much to do today, I don't have time to read my Bible." The Holy Spirit can't speak to my heart. As the days turn into weeks, the poor decisions compound until I'm completely dry, no longer saturated with the Living Water. The 'debris' in my life has cut off the flow of the "fountain of the water of life" (Revelation 21:6b).

Time to get serious. Time to 'dig out' all that's clogged my heart. With each piece of 'debris' that's confessed and removed, the trickle of Living Water gets stronger. I no longer struggle to take control, I leave my problems in the hands of the One who is in control of it all. I realize my total dependence on His wisdom and make my quiet time a top priority. Not willing to miss anything He has for me. Pride is stifled, humility takes its place. The 'pipes' of my heart have been cleaned and the Living Water is free to flow and bubble over into every aspect of my life.

How are your 'pipes'? Is there a spring of Living Water rising up within you, or has the flow been cut down to a trickle? It's springtime, the perfect time to get busy removing the debris that stands between you and the living God who loves you and desires the best for you!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You that You desire to lead, guide and direct me. Forgive me for the 'debris' that I've allowed to clog my heart. Help me to have a restored relationship with You, that I can point others to the Fount of Living Waters. Amen.