Ask for the Rain

Here is something that I am beginning to understand: anything that wants to grow is going to need two things: water and dirt. Dirt so that it could take in the nutrients from the ground, and water to provide moisture to the nutrients so that in due season, it will sprout into its intended shape. Here is what else I am beginning to understand: people do not want to go through anything. If a situation arises, we feel that it is because we have done something terribly wrong and we are being punished for it. Forget Hebrews 10:32-35 which talks about remembering that in the days of you struggling, you were illuminated.......and to not cast off your reward of confidence.

We know that with the economy the way it is now, that struggling is inevitable. Unless you were taught in the ways of finance, born into a wealthy family, or stumbled upon a prosperous idea, you are going to struggle at one point or another. Now it is one thing to be the victim of decision, but a totally different thing to ask to be put in a precarious situation. It takes having the mindset of a gardner to fully grasp the concept of taking a seed, planting it in good soil......then covering it in dirt and then watering it FREQUENTLY........knowing that the outcome of the seed will be good and that it will not only grow, but produce fruit after its own kind. Everything that has ever grown has gone through the process of being in dirt, water, and being assisted by the other elements that are not only essential for growth, but survival.

So don't be afraid to ask for the rain, and when you ask for it, leave the umbrella at home. It is the rain......not necessarily the sunshine........that is the most important element of growth.

A Mind to Work

As I sit and ponder about life’s dealings, I am reminded for one reason or another about the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall. One particular scripture sticks in my mind, and it is the one that declares that the people “had a mind to work”. Now we speak of the state of the mind all the time. We are quick to declare that one must not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Now the question becomes what will the state of the mind be after it is renewed? One of the tricks of the enemy is to remind us that though we may have a new mind, we are still in the same world, that our location has not changed, and he tries to convince us that it is a mere feeling and not an actual event. Paul’s encounter AND conversion happened in one place, at the same time.

The state of the mind is critical to the salvation of the saint. If the saint does not develop the attitude of a worker, then the life that they profess to live will be vain. Remember that salvation is not just the act of baptism, but the decision in the mind that this life is not the life that the price was paid for. Remember what we said in the beginning of this blog, that the people had a mind to work. What that says is that the decision was made that no matter what the cost, the sacrifice, there was work to be done and only a COLLECTIVE effort would ensure success. The mind wills the body to do so many things, to endure challenges, to defy the odds. Why? Because it was in the mind that the limitations were set, so what better place to destroy that which was established than the source of its existence? Once the mind is convinced that it can accomplish the task, the body has no choice but to follow the commands and instincts of the mind. The state of your mind depends on how bad you want to survive, and having the mind to work can only increase your chances of doing just that.