Truths Reviewed

We have learned and been reminded of so many amazing truths this week from such a little critter – the caterpillar.  Let’s review what God has taught us this week:
 

* We need to continually renew our minds!  Be in His word today - renew your mind so that you can grow, be encouraged, strengthened.... be TRANSFORMED!

* Be hungry for God.  Be hungry for the things of God..... constantly.  Be persistent.  Make time for Him.  Get full on Him.  CRAVE Him.

* We should evaluate our lives before God and get RID of the things that are hindering us from growing; from growing in Him and in His plan and purposes for our lives!

* Not only does God see you, He delights in every detail of your life!  He holds you steady in the palm of His hand.  Isaiah reminds us we are actually ENGRAVED on the palms of His hands!  He is taking care of you.  GOD IS THERE - do you see Him?  .... Do you?

I pray that these incredible truths will challenge your walk with Him and will cultivate your heart, preparing for a deeper walk and relationship with Him.  May you have a blessed and wonderful weekend!

Can they see Me?

The other day my son peered through the little containers that hold his newly beloved caterpillars.  Inquisitively he asked me, "Mom, do you think they can see me?" 

What a great question!  Let's apply it to our ongoing analogy that God has given us.... Do you think God ever wonders, "Can they see Me?  Do they know I am here?  Do they know I am watching them every moment?  Don't they know I am holding them in my hands?" 

"From heaven the Lord LOOKS down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he WATCHES ALL who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."  Psalm 33:13-15 

"But the EYES of the LORD ARE ON those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love"  Psalm 33:18

"The Lord WATCHES over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night." Psalm 121:4-6 

"So do not fear, for I AM WITH YOU; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I WILL UPHOLD YOU with MY righteous RIGHT HAND."  Isaiah 41:10 

"I will not forget you! See, I have engraved YOU on the PALMS of MY HANDS" Isaiah 49:15b-16

Let me encourage you today that not only does God see you, He delights in every detail of your life!  He holds you steady in the palm of His hand.  Isaiah reminds us we are actually ENGRAVED on the palms of His hands!  He is taking care of you.  He is there - do you see Him?  .... Do you?

Get Rid of It!

The caterpillar is growing.  Growing quickly.  "As it eats, the caterpillar's skin gets tighter.  It will shed this tight skin four times before it is fully grown, emerging larger and with new skin underneath."


I love this analogy!  Kinda gross, as we can actually observe our little caterpillars already beginning this process.  They have already shed their skin one time.  There sitting behind them is this little ball of black skin - it looks like the caterpillar, just a little ball of caterpillar skin, peeled off and left behind.


What layer are you ready to peel off an leave behind?  What is hindering you to grow?  What has wrapped so tightly around your life that you are feeling the restriction?  Are you ready to rid yourself of that hindrance?  Are you ready to get rid of it and grow?  Ready to move to the next stage of life and blessing?

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that HINDERS and the SIN that so easily ENTANGLES. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1


We have to throw off that sin.  That entangling and hindering sin, so that we can RUN! 

Not only do we have to throw it off, we need to get rid of it.  Let me share just a few of the places God calls us to do this in His word.
"GET RID of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  Ephesians 3:31-31


"Put to DEATH, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You USED TO walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also RID yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have TAKEN OFF YOUR OLD SELF with its practices and have PUT ON THE NEW SELF, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."  Colossians 3:5-10


"Therefore, get RID of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."  James 1:21-22


"Therefore, RID yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." 1 Peter 2:1


Rid:  "to clear, disencumber, or free of something objectionable, to relieve, to deliver or rescue; to eliminate or discard"   


Such a little word with such a big meaning!  May we evaluate our lives before God and get RID of these things that are hindering us from growing; from growing in Him and in His plan and purposes for our lives!  Just as the caterpillar has gotten rid of that skin, we too can look back at our "dead skin" and see how gross it is.  Actually see that we in fact don't need it any more - we are actually better off without it. 

Much love to you from me who is too, getting rid of those entangling things that are hindering me.  Remember it is a process and God promises to help you - but the point today is realize we do in fact have something to get rid of.       

Constant Cravings

As we continue on with the process of observing this transformation of these little creatures, today we will look at what the caterpillar is doing right now.  According to the information guide in our butterfly garden kit, "the hungry caterpillar uses its strong jaws to munch through leaves, eating constantly and growing quickly."

Interesting.... the caterpillar is hungry.  It has to work hard and be strong to consume its food.  It is constantly growing.  Constantly.  Are you hungry?  For God's word that is.  Are you working hard to make time for Him?  Have you gathered resources to "eat" from?  Are you getting your fill?  Are you constantly in the state of growth?  Growing in Him?  His word?  His wisdom?  His love?  His deeds?  Are you constantly craving these? 

Hunger: "a strong or compelling desire or craving"

Crave:  "to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly, to require; need; beg or plead for, yearn or hunger for"

Do you have an intense desire to know Him?  To grow?  Or do you think you have arrived... arrived to the best it is ever going to be?  Done what you've needed to do and need to do no more?  I bet not.  If you are still here, there is more to be done.  More to learn.  More room to grow. 

"Blessed are those who HUNGER and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."  Matthew 5:6

"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, CRAVE pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."  1 Peter 2:1-3 

May I encourage you today to be hungry for God.  Be hungry for the things of God..... constantly.  Be persistent.  Make time for Him.  Get full on Him.  Crave Him. 

Transformed!

My son just received an alive butterfly garden from his grandparents for his birthday - I am not sure who is more excited (him and his brothers or me)  as we watch the transformation of these little catapillars as they turn into beautiful butterflies!  There are so many thoughts and scriptural applications I can relate to our lives from a butterfly, but today we'll just look at the process of what is going to take place.... a transformation. 

Transform:  to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose, to change in condition, nature, or character; or convert.

These little guys began as an egg, the size of a pin head.  They are now at the stage of the larva or caterpillar.  They have already gone through one stage of their transformation. 

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being TRANSFORMED into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."  2 Corin. 3:17-18

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:1-2  

Note the words "being" and "be."  There is an action required.... a process.  Transformed into HIS image.... how can we do this?  Renew our minds!  I want to encourage you to be in His word today - renew your mind so that you can grow, be encouraged, strengthened.... be transformed! 

More to come on this beautiful illustration God has provided us with to understand the process of being born again; being a new creation, and the process of growing in Him.