Now What? ...Week 5

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness”
–2 Corinthians 9:10 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is contingent upon what seeds we sow.

We have been using this Lenten journey to focus on our seeds-what are we sowing?  We have also examined our behavior by questioning ourselves "water what"?  We dug deeper with the question "prune what".  Now, it is time to pause and answer the question:

Now WHAT?

It is tempting during the Lenten season to celebrate our ability to surrender.  We get excited about accomplishing 5 weeks of fasting and intentionally seeking God; however, this is the critical part of our journey together with Jesus to the cross.  As we grow closer, we can become anxious and almost count down to our return to restriction-less eating and behaving.  But where is the glory for God in that?

Since we spent last week giving God something to prune, the question is what will we do now OR Now What???  I believe Paul helps us with this question through his assertion of God's glory and power for those who practice Biblical sowing.  Paul says:

NOW[God] supplies seedto the sower

This lets us know that once we give God something to prune, God will give us something to sow.  It is through our pruning/walking through this Lenten season that God is able to place the right/righteous seeds in our hands, hearts, and minds to sow.  

...and breadfor foodwill also supply

As God gives us seed, God will meet our needs as well.

...and increaseyour store of seed and will enlargethe harvestof your righteousness.

It is in our obedience that God brings about increase and promises to enlarge our harvest.

Now What?  Expect your seed to change.  We began by questioning what to sow; however, you should feel the transformation.  Your seeds are shifting as you avail yourself more and more to the will and move of God.

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  As we continue in this journey, we thank you for the promise of seed that will indeed produce an enlarged harvest.  We admit that sometimes we may fall short or doubt you, but we stand prepared for you to place seeds of confidence, faith, patience, love and much in our hands and hearts so that we can full receive the victory you have in store for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prune What? ...Week 4

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
–John 15: 1-2 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is contingent upon what seeds we sow.

We have been using this Lenten journey to focus on our seeds-what are we sowing?  We have also examined our behavior by questioning ourselves "water what"?  Now, it's time to dig deeper in this journey with the question:

Prune WHAT?

Jesus begins the 15th chapter of John in a very pointed way by allowing us as believers to face a major fact.  Now, this fact is helpful and sobering...we are NOT in charge!  Whew.  Major weight lifted right?

For those who juggle the control gene like me...this is often challenging.  We trust God, and we want to maintain control.  However, in this Lenten season, we must relinquish control.  We are not in charge.  Jesus is the vine.  The Father is the gardener.  We are the branches.  Period, sis.  Period, bro.  

So, what will you do with this reality?
We must give God something to PRUNE!

The option is simple: cut off OR pruned.

To be pruned means that we will endure seasons where we are trimmed back and parts of us are cut off.  This means the strained relationships, job challenges, tough decisions are all from the Gardener.  God is pruning!  As God prunes, we will become even more productive...even more fruitful. And that's our goal for the Lenten season...Sow righteous seeds so that we can produce fruit of righteousness.

This week, I challenge us to give God something to prune.  Surrender your control.  Surrender your worry.  Surrender your STUFF...so that the Gardener can prune your branches and make you even more productive in season.
 

 

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  As we continue in this journey, help us to give you something to prune.  God, we do not want to be cut off from You.  We do not want to be seen as fruitless.  Help us to relinquish our control so that You can get the glory in us.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Water What? ...Week 3

“A good [person] brings good things out of the good stored up in [their] heart, and an evil [person] brings evil things out of the evil stored up in [their] heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
–Luke 6:45 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is contingent upon what seeds we sow.

During the first and second weeks of Lent, we worked to answer the question: Sow What?  What will you sow this Lenten season?

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us begin to water the righteous seeds that we have purposed to sow.  How do we water?

While speaking about "Tree and Fruit," Jesus said:  A good [person] brings things out of the good stored up in [their] heart...

This affirmation about sowing and reaping offered by Jesus reminds us that we can only water what we have placed inside of us.  Additionally, what we place inside of us BECOMES US!  Hey, I didn't say it.  Jesus did!

A good[person] brings goodthings...
an evil[person] brings evilthings...

This is the time in our Lenten journey to question:

Water what???
What am I watering?

Prayerfully, we are watering "GOOD":  that which is acceptable and approved by God.  The truth of the matter is we know what we are watering, so let's fix it.  Fix the areas of our lives where we are tempted to water "evil": that which is not acceptable or approved by God.  If we are unsure about whether we are watering good or bad, just listen to what comes from our mouth:  "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

Water what???

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  As we continue this Lenten journey, please make us sensitive to the seeds we are sowing/the person we are becoming.  As we pay more attention to our seeds, we pray that You will give us the strength to water them daily and to demonstrate it in what we say.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sow What? ...Week 1

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.”
–Proverbs 11:30 NIV

This Lenten season is about intentional "seed sowing".  As children of God, we are promised a harvest from God.  This harvest is continent upon what seeds we sow.  During this first week of Lent, I challenge us to answer the question: Sow What?

What will you sow this Lenten season?
 

The proverb affirms that when we sow righteous seeds, we prepare for fruit.  These fruit are made of seeds, and these seeds produce a tree of life.  It is somewhat of a full circle that never stops giving...never stops producing...and we never stop reaping!

So....sow what?  What will you sow this Lenten season through your fasting? What will you sacrifice?  What will you plant inside your heart and spirit?

Spend this week contemplating and writing intentionally about your Lenten "seed sowing".  Next week, we will work to water them.
 

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, we thank you for the opportunity to walk with Jesus before the cross.  We recognize that we need preparation for the glory that You will reveal in our lives.  Help us to daily seek you over the first 7 days of this Lenten season.  Help us to hear you as you reveal the seeds that we should sow in our lives. Help us to trust you while we wait.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Harvest & Blessings ...Week 6

The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.  May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
 -Psalm 67:6-7

Week One: harvest and manifestation
Week Two:  blessings and shiningWeek Three:  known and spread salvation 
Week Four: praise and presence Week Five:  joy and guidance
Week Six: harvest and blessings

As we close out this Lenten journey together, we end where we began:  harvest!  I truly believe that this last week of our Lenten journey should be the most transformative.  It is during this week (including Holy Week) that we should feel the manifestation of God's promises over our lives.  We are getting closer and closer to the cross.

This week, I challenge you to journal.  It does not have to be formal.  Start a note on your phone or device.  Examine the promises and expectations that you have developed and heard from God in this season and leading up to it. Intentionally pray for the harvest of those blessings.  I believe this final week of Lent will remind us that God will indeed "bless us still".  God is not done in our lives.  God is not done in your life.  No matter how long you have waited on God to do something different OR make a change OR show you the way...God is not done.  Not only is God not done, God intends to bless you still!  So write it down now.  I mean really...take note of it.  I truly believe this Resurrection season is going to bring glory to God in such a major way that we will not even be able to remember praying for some of the things we have been praying for.  So, take note!  That testimony is going to be powerful!!!

Bless us still, Lord!

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:

What harvest am I expecting from God?
Why am I afraid to wait?
Why am I afraid of God's blessings?
What is keeping me from receiving, fully, his grace?

 How can I help to make God known through what I do?
What has God done that provokes me to praise?
How can my praise inspire others to praise?
What song reminds me that God is guiding me?
What areas do I see God moving in my life already?
Am I ready for the harvest?

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord, for the promise that you are not done.  Bless us still!  We await the cross with expectation of the Resurrection harvest.  There are so many things that we have to be thankful for, but we are ever clear that you are not done yet.  Humble us on the journey to write so that we have a testimony that brings you glory.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Joy & Guidance ...Week 5

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. -Psalm 67:4

We began this journey to the cross with the goal of harvest and manifestation.  We realized that the benefit is blessings and shining, but the reason is because of the need to make God known and spread salvation.  Last week, we affirmed that this shifts us into praise and presence. Now, it is time for us to receive joy and guidance!

Verse 4 says:

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.

The Lenten journey reminds us, as we walk with Christ to the cross, that we are never alone.  In fact, God is not only with us-God is guiding us. This week, I challenge us to find a song of joy that we can sing and/or listen to whenever we get distracted by what is going on around us.  Even in the deprivation of the Lenten season, we can be assured that God is guiding us with equity.  Our name, background, educational status, or church affiliation cannot keep us away from the kindness and consistency of God's guidance.  Therefore, let us be glad and sing for joy!

Look around and see how God is guiding those who you meet along the journey or even those who are serving as accountability partners for you.  Guess what? The same way God is guiding them, God desires to guide you.  So, let's yield and accept God's guidance in this season and the seasons to come.

Thank God for the joy in knowing God is guiding us!

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:

What harvest am I expecting from God?
Why am I afraid to wait?
Why am I afraid of God's blessings?
What is keeping me from receiving, fully, his grace?

 How can I help to make God known through what I do?
What has God done that provokes me to praise?
How can my praise inspire others to praise?
What song reminds me that God is guiding me?

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, thank you for directing our path.  We are so grateful that as we journey with Jesus to the cross, You are walking in front of us just as you did for Jesus.  So, we receive the joy that comes in knowing we are never alone.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Praise & Presence: Week Four

Praise & Presence ...Week 4

May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you. -Psalm 67:3

Now that we have made our way through week three, we must continue to press our way into the presence of God during this Lenten season.  It is tempting at this point to either get slack or completely fall off.  As a matter of fact, I challenge you to check in with some friends to make sure they are still with us on the journey.  Read and re-read the past week's devotions and begin to piece the messages of encouragement together.

We began this journey to the cross off with the goal of harvest and manifestation.  We realized that the benefit is blessings and shining, but the reason is because of the need to make God known and spread salvation.  So, week four shifts us into praise and presence!

Verse 3 says:

May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

Our Lenten journey should bring us to a place of praise and presence.  Ok, let me say it a little differently.  If we have been earnestly seeking God during this Lenten season, then God has assured us that He is with us.  It may be as subtle as waking up just before the alarm clock or as grand as avoiding the car accident.  God has been present!  God has not only been present in keeping us safe, but if we have been listening...we will agree that God has been speaking!  The acknowledgement of God's presence can provoke us to praise (say thanks) to God!  In our praise, the Psalmist then says "May ALL the peoples praise you".

This is another week of inspiration!  Our praise of God will inspire others to do the same.  As I said last week:  As each of us seek to be an inspiration, someone will also inspire us.  This will then become the scripture living before us that all people will praise God.

Remember, the Lenten season is not just about our individual growth but corporate growth as well.  Let's praise in God's presence!

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:

What harvest am I expecting from God?
Why am I afraid to wait?
Why am I afraid of God's blessings?
What is keeping me from receiving, fully, his grace?

 How can I help to make God known through what I do?What has God done that provokes me to praise?
How can my praise inspire others to praise?

CONSECRATION PRAYER:

Most Holy God, thank you for the assurance of your presence in our daily lives.  As we journey through this Lenten season, we could get discouraged or distracted; however, we truly want to walk in your will for our lives.  We seek you for the inspiration to praise so that we can be an inspiration for others to do the same.  We honor you and thank you for everything that you continue to do in our lives.  In Jesus' name, Amen.