#nature

Poured Out

mistygulliesLeave a comment

I’ve often imagined myself as the Samaritan woman sitting with Jesus by the well. Putting myself in the story of the Bible. Listening to Jesus. Other times I just imagine sitting with Him on a park bench and, in my mind’s eye, seeing what is before me, fields or meadows or flowers. I listen to His still, small voice, which, in a quiet heart, is like a booming burst of love and hope!

As I sat with Him recently, I was pondering being called the temple of the Holy Spirit. What an incredible thought.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,

whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

1 Corinthians 6:19.

In my heart I could see clouds, like a mountain valley full of mist.

Jesus reminded me that I’m seated with Him in the Heavenly places and what I saw was a view from heaven, looking out at the clouds. It was beautiful – like seeing clouds beneath you when you’re in an aeroplane. That sense of awe.

Twice last week friends sent me Romans 5:1-5; such a powerful and wonderful chapter. (Really, they all are!) So, I knew there was a message for me in there. And I loved the new revelation that dropped into my heart. I always marvel at how the Holy Spirit highlights truths I’ve read before and I get to see them in a fresh and exciting way.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV)

One of these highlights was in verse 5, that God’s love has been poured out into our hearts. That really struck me. We don’t have to seek Him ‘out there’, far away. He is in us, right here. Close. When we seek Him, it is not us going somewhere, working at finding Him, slogging to see Him, sense Him, know Him. It’s so much more precious than that. Seeking Him is but a prayer, a breath, a turn of our heart to know He is there. He is in us. Of course, we want to pray and study His Word, to hear His voice, to seek Him. But it is from a place of ‘here’. God with us. How wonderful.

If you are His, bought by His precious blood and saved by His great love, if you are reconciled to Him through His own death on the cross, then know that God’s love has been poured out into your heart! And if you desire this love of God in your heart, you just need to ask Him. Give your life to Jesus and follow Him. It’s His promise to pour His love out to you.

Nepean River and Lakes March 2022

We certainly understand ‘poured out’ at the moment.

Rain! Constant, soaking, flooding, even destructive, as it builds and flows, taking over and building new water courses. Overwhelming.

War. Greed, evil, misunderstanding, fear and stubbornness in poor leadership (world-wide) causing such disaster, heartache, and unnecessary pain. Too much sadness poured out into our world.

But God’s outpouring of love is definitely not destructive or selfish like floods and war. Though the imagery is powerful. How immense is God’s love for us. So overwhelming that it can even wash away the biggest difficulties in our life, it can move our hearts to where he wants them to go, it can create such a shift in our world that we will never be the same. And who wants to be the same? I want to be like Him. I need to be changed, healed, victorious, courageous… These shifts are not usually instant, of course. ‘Suddenlies’ usually come after time and patience, trust and faith. But He is a good God worth all our faith, all of our life, all of our hope. More than a hundred years ago, Oswald Chambers said, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God.” It is still a saying that gives me courage and joy.

Here is a small glimpse of God’s character: His love is patient, kind, everlasting, unfailing, faithful, sacrificial, powerful, cleansing. On any page of the Bible you will see His goodness and grace, mercy and love. We have the privilege of receiving it.

“God is love”

1 John 4:16 (NKJV)

And so, I receive this love poured out. God Himself! That is worth pondering and believing. God, who IS love, lives in me.

This knowledge wasn’t new to me, but it was fresh. And it brought hope. This is the beauty of the Living Word of God.

Like many of us, I have found these last two years difficult. Covid, cancer, fires, floods, mandates, more floods, loss, war… Watching our world disintegrate around us has made me consider and question my place and purpose, my understanding of being God’s person in this world. In some ways I feel helpless. Will God answer my prayer? What can I do to make a difference? What evil is afoot? These questions are good to ask. They refine us, cause us to seek God for deeper answers and meaning. Doors have closed, so what’s next? How do I reconcile God’s goodness with such pain? How do I live a blessed life here while others are suffering? These are questions that have been asked since the beginning of time. And I certainly don’t have all the answers.

But another fresh revelation from Romans 5 also gave me great hope. Even a bit of grunt and excitement to keep trusting God.

“…knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV)

As I journalled, I called it the ‘Harvest of Suffering’. I love a harvest, seeing the fruit (or vegetables) of my work in the garden, the dust over the plains as the combine harvesters do their job, the loads of sunflowers growing by the edge of the road. This is what our suffering produces – something worthwhile.

Suffering produces perseverance, making us strong and resilient, which then produces character – faithfulness, being trustworthy, compassion, kindness, courage… Making us like Jesus. Character produces hope – the confidence we have in God’s Word and His faithfulness. Trusting that God will come through for us at the right time. What a joy to know that God uses all of our hard days, all of the trials, our developing perseverance, and our growing character to bring about a harvest of hope. Hope, like faith, is not seen. It is used, like a muscle. It is a foundation to stand on. It is strength to our circumstances.

“And hope does not put us to shame…” (v5 NIV) We don’t have to carry shame – wondering if He will answer us, doubting His love, thinking we are not good enough for his attention and love because of our mistakes. Hope, instead, will wash away any inferiority, fear, disappointment. Verses 6-10 reassure us that God knew full well who we were when He died for us. “Christ died for the ungodly” (v6) “While we were still sinners…” (v8)

This is His great love.

And it is this great love that is in me, poured out through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. So we can stop striving to find, earn or even feel God’s love. Child of God, He is already here. He is in me. He is in you. What an honour. What a privilege. His love, poured out into this temple of the Holy Spirit.

Actions: Read these verses to see some of God’s incredible character: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Exodus 15:13, Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 100:5, John 15:13, Romans 5:35-39, Ephesians 316-19, 25-27

In which circumstances will you hope in God? Tell Him. Write your vision and thank Him.

Blessings. Jenni xx

The Big and the Little

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Big vistas are spectacular, filling our hearts with joy and wonder, drawing us closer to our Creator. Things in our heart just seem to settle when we see the big picture, giving us hope for the things that trouble us. Times of beauty, inspiration and rest help our minds let go of tension. Creativity is sparked, peace gets a foothold, relationships can grow. Many of us in lockdown are appreciating the beauty in our own backyards as we escape the four walls to find some balance to our unnatural circumstances.

Then there are the little things. They give perspective to the large. I mean, what is ‘large’ if you have nothing to compare it to?

I was wandering in my garden looking at the winter flowers, the dainty, yet so intricate beauty. It gave meaning to the whole. It taught me to honour the ‘small’ in its place, giving contrast and dimension. There’s power in the small things.

“If you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”

Luke 16:10 (NLT)

When I was unwell in 2016 I was so encouraged by all the little things people did for me. Flowers, visits, gifts, meals, cards, even a hand embroidered gift. And of course, all the prayers and encouraging words sent to me as people surrounded me with faith. It taught me that the little things we do are so valuable in touching another’s life.

“And to one he gave five talents… So when he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'”

Matthew 25:15-21

Talents were amounts of money, in this case entrusted to his servants to use for his benefit. In this parable, the lord is just as pleased with the faithful servant of two talents as he is with those who had five talents, v22-23. It’s not how much we have that is important, but what we do with what we have been given by God, to use, invest and work with, for His Kingdom.

I was changing the battery inside a clock recently that had been given to our family by two young men from America whom we had hosted. They had come to bring the Gospel to young people through music. Kurtis and Chris had inscribed inside the back, thanking us and reminding us of our small part in changing the lives of many young people. They performed eighteen concerts in eleven days reaching hundreds of students. 271 of those precious young people gave their hearts to the Lord. Our part was small – some bedding on the floor, meals around the table, the craziness of our large family and marshmallows around the fire pit. And yet our small part was important. It was part of the whole picture so that young people could hear about Jesus.

We see this in the Bible: women following Jesus, taking care of His needs, and Joseph of Arimathea risking his position as a member of the high council to ask Pilate for Jesus’ body so he could lay Him to rest – Mark 15:41-46; the Shunamite woman who created an upper room for the prophet, Elisha – 2 Kings 4:8-10; the financial support given to Paul by the Philippians, as he taught them the gospel and then travelled elsewhere to continue in ministry – Philippians 4:5.

Sometimes it feels like there is little we can do. The problems of our world seem so big. We don’t feel we can make a difference. But we can. No one could take away the cancer in my body, but they could surround me with love and care and encouragement. The impact of all those little acts of kindness was so profound. Our small acts of love, generosity, obedience, forgiveness, acceptance, help, and hospitality are vital in these days!

You have been given something from God to work with, to invest, to make a difference in someone’s life here on earth. And such joy that brings. To the person you bless, to Jesus, to you. Your little adds to the beauty and wonder of the big picture.

“Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.”

Philemon 1:7 (NLT)

Blessings. Jenni x

The Path

mistygullies5 Comments

“Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.”

Proverbs 4:26

I’ve been contemplating how we see ourselves, how we see God. Why we walk the path we’re on. Do we get our perceptions from our experiences, our upbringing, our own self-talk? Do we interpret God through the eyes of pain, anger or doubt, or wonder and creation, the birth of a baby? It’s important to know why we think what we think, in case it’s wrong!

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.“

Psalm 14:1

I don’t personally know many people who really don’t believe that God exists, and yet not all are following Him. Some complain about Him, or ask curly questions. Some have been hurt and so doubt His love for them. Others feel God is too distant to need to be in relationship with Him. Some feel you shouldn’t be too serious about religion, while others have just forgotten, or never knew, that they truly need Him, and He truly wants us!

Jesus speaks to us in the parable of the Sower about the ways we hear and respond to His Word. It gives us some clues, too, to know how we can help others receive the Good News! I’ll start with the path. I’ll look at the other places in later posts.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.”

Luke 8:5

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

Luke 8:11-12

Whenever you speak, live, or express God’s love and His word to others, it is planted in their heart (even the path-seed which is then taken ‘from their hearts’ by the devil). This is encouraging to me. Whatever I do to tell people about Jesus is a seed that gets planted in their hearts. We know that when seed is sown into good soil, and is tended with sun and water, plants grow and produce fruit, vegetables, flowers, crops. So, how do we turn path-seed into productive seed?

Paths are walked on, over and over, making the soil hard under foot, creating a way forward that is easily followed by many. Hearts that have been trodden on, hurt or broken become hard. Hearts that choose rebellion and stubbornness toward God become hard. Some hearts are just walking the path they’ve always known, not thinking if it’s the best way. Some hearts don’t like change, fear the unknown. Sometimes I have a hard heart.

God gives us choice. He is a kind, loving God that doesn’t force our hand.

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life…”

Deuteronomy 30:19

We can’t make people choose Jesus, but we can help them with their decisions. We can pray that their broken heart is healed by the God of love. We can show them a better path by living our best life, in being kind and forgiving, loving our enemies, not judging, being generous, lending without expectation, trusting God to take care of our every need. (See Luke 6:27-42) We can encourage the down-hearted, supporting them with our love and care. We can pray protection over them and over the word planted in their hearts so that the devil can’t steal it. We can pray that people find a new path to walk, free of the routines and habits and brokenness that lead away from life. We are called to be like Christ –

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…”

Isaiah 61:1

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

How we think about ourselves, and how we think about God makes all the difference in the path we choose to walk, and in the fruit we produce. Let’s make God’s Word our first priority, choosing His Truth as our source of hope, strength, direction and life.

“When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13

“You visit the earth and give it rain…You saturate its furrows, and soak its plowed ground. With rain showers you soften its soil, and make its crops grow.”

Psalm 65:9-10

Blessings, Jenni xx

Actions

  1. Pray for the people God brings to mind, that He would soften their hearts to hear the Gospel and they would receive it.
  2. Perform a random act of kindness – or not too random! Who can you bless today?
  3. Choose to make the Word of God a priority in your life. Read and enjoy what God speaks to your heart.