A Cactus Flower Faith

     On our walk today, we saw the most beautiful sight.  A mature cactus plant had large white flowers with many more ready to open.  They only bloom once a year, but they are magnificent to behold.  I thought to myself that this seemed to be an oxymoron of nature.  Here is a plant with large needles that hurt if you come in contact with it; however, it produces the most beautiful flowers.  Then, I thought how life is not unlike a cactus plant.  We have our thorns that inflict great pain physically, spiritually and/or mentally, but when placed in God's hands, these painful circumstances can blossom into beauty as we are formed more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
     If anyone was acquainted with the thorns that life could bring, it was the Apostle Paul.  In his second letter to the church at Corinth (chapter 11:24-30) he writes:  "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one.  Three times I was beaten with rods.  Once I was stoned.  Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  And apart form other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I am not weak?  Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."

     As Paul goes on to describe his current thorn in flesh beyond all these other trials, he tells the believers that when he is weak, the power of Christ rests upon him.  He concludes in chapter 12 verse 10:  " For the sake of Christ, then, 'I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong'".  What a powerful testimony from someone who has been through the cactus patch and is now blooming as a result of Christ's power in him.  Not many of us would welcome all the trials that Paul endured, but his life produced a lasting fragrance in the service of His Lord.
     God's purpose in having us face hardships is not always clear.  However, we know "that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  The key two words in that verse are "His purpose".  And what is His purpose?  If we read verse 29 in Romans, we see:  "For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers."  God's purpose
for us is to be conformed to Christ, and this does not happen unless we learn to lean on Him.  When life is easy and untroubled, we take things for granted especially our relationship with God.  However, when the storms come, we run to His arms of strength and shelter.
     Paul understood that without the thorn in his life, the trials and tribulations he would have tried to do things in his own strength rather than leaning on the Lord.  It was through his weakness that he found the power of Christ.  The same is true for us.

     God's purpose is to conform us to His dear Son.  As a master sculptor, God must chisel away at our attitudes, sin nature and self confidence.  This process hurts, but the remedy is resting in the power and strength of Jesus Christ.  Remember the lesson of the cactus.  The needles hurt to touch just as our trials hurt, but from this painful plant comes a beautiful flower representing what God can do when our lives are fully yielded to His molding and remaking of our lives.  Selah!


I welcome your thoughts.  How has God been working in your life to conform you to His Son?  How can you encourage others from what He is teaching you?

The Consequences of Looking Back

     Over the years, I have met so many people that cannot let go of the past.   I have a dear family member who has this malady.  She complains about the way she was raised and all the things which she missed.  Her mantra always contains "If only".  "If only" she had been treated differently growing up her life would be so much happier.  "If only" so and so had treated her better she could forgive them....etc.  With a focus only on past difficulties and disappointments, it is hard to be optimistic and move ahead.
     Genesis 19:15-26 tells the story of Lot and his family.  Read this entire passage to get the complete picture.  In the story, two angels had been sent by God to retrieve Lot and his entire family out of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for God was about to bring judgment on these places.  Lot was a man of great wealth and had many comforts even though the city was a depraved place to live.
     Lot did not want to depart so he lingered for a moment looking over the city he was leaving.  However, the angels took his hand, and pulled all the family members out of the doomed city telling them not to look back.  In spite of this warning, we know what happened.  Verse 26 tells us that Lot's wife looked back and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt.
     Certainly, it was not easy for Lot and his family to leave wealth, comfort and a familiar way of life behind them.  Yet God was sparing their lives and this certainly was far more important.  Sadly, Lot's wife could not let go of the past even though the cities were wicked.  As a result, she paid with her life.

A famous Lake Placid Caladium

     Throughout scripture, we are told to let go of the past.  Isaiah 43:18 reads:  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."  Jesus told us to put the past behind us in Luke 9:62:  "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  In Philippians 3:13-14, the Apostle Paul reminds us:  "forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which re ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Over and over again, God admonishes us that if we want to get ahead in our walk with Christ, we need to put the past behind us.  Now, that does not mean we should forget the good lessons we have learned along the way.  However, it does mean that we are to keep our eyes focused on the goal of becoming more like our Savior.
     When we dwell on past hurts, defeats, failed businesses, unsuccessful plans or other broken dreams, we are a good deal like Lot's wife.  We are immobilized and kept from being what God wants us to be.  We cannot change the past.  We can only move ahead in the future with the Hand of God upon us and His presence going with us.  Like Paul, we need to press ahead.
     Is there anything holding you back today?  Then, take a moment in prayer and release the past casting your burdens upon Him who holds our times in His hands.  Freeing ourselves from the past will allow us to run the race with our eyes properly focused on the goal ahead.  We will run better and faster by looking to Christ than by looking back to see what was behind.  Selah!




I welcome your thoughts as always.  Please feel free to share your encouraging comments here.

"When I Get Big and You Get Little"

     When I was growing up on a farm in Napoleon, Ohio, my older sister (eight years my senior) would inevitably do her best to tease me.  Since I was smaller and younger, she could run faster and seemingly get away with "pushing my buttons".  I was powerless to stop her.  So, in response, I often yelled after her, "When I get big and you get little, I will catch you!"  My parents thought that was funny as did my sister.  However, as I got older, I did end up being taller and bigger.  I grew to be 5'8" and my sister stood 5' 3" tall.  One day she forgot about my size and teased me.  When I chased her, I caught her and held her down on the floor and tickled her till she gave up!!  It took me a while to get to that point of being able to catch her, but I finally did and that ended the extra teasing.
     All this came back to my mind as I was reading Psalm 34:17-18:  "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
     Now what does this have to do with my sister teasing me?  Well, at the time, I wanted to get even with her and make her stop.  But it took a number of years before I grew big enough to catch up with her.
     How often when we are crushed by circumstances, brokenhearted by people or overwhelmed by troubles, do we want an instant answer?  Scripture tells us that the Lord is close to us when we face pain and troubles.  The Word promises that God will ultimately deliver us from all our troubles, but the Word does not say how or when.  That is God's great prerogative.  His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not ours.  So we cannot dictate to our Lord just when or how we will be delivered.  If we know and trust God, however, we can depend on Him to be near us and to deliver us.
     I didn't know as a small child that one day I would, indeed, get bigger than my sister.  She didn't either However, I did and was able to stop the teasing.  Likewise, we do not know how or when God will bring about our deliverance, but we know that He will because His Word says so.

     Many of us are suffering with physical, spiritual or mental problems that we need to roll upon our Lord and claim this scripture taking encouragement from it.  He is bigger than all our troubles, and He will deliver His own.  Selah!

I welcome your thoughts and insights.  How has God delivered you?