Tag: water

You’ve Got to Get the Kinks Out for the Blessings to Flow

Posted on by Evangeline

In an attempt to save a bush in my front yard from the scorching heat wave we were having, I pulled our water hose over to it to give it a good soaking. It did not turn out to be a quick and easy task. The hose had knots that I had to untangle (a sign that my husband was the last one to use it since he hates to neatly coil it when he’s done). The hose also had kinks in it, places along the length of the hose where it was bent and would restrict the flow of the water.

I tried to get as many knots and kinks out of the hose as possible, but it was 110 degrees outside and I was not going to take the time to make it perfect! When I turned the water spigot, water came out of the hose but not at the free-flowing rate I expected. The remaining kinks in the hose were restricting the flow to a trickle.

Life can be like that hose. Distractions and hardships in life (for example, infertility) can make us think that we have to do all we can to make something happen. They cause great stress in our minds and bodies.  Even our muscles can be like the hose and get kinks and knots in them when we are stressed. When we’re focusing on the problem and looking to ourselves or other people as the source of our solution, the resulting stresses can close off the supply of what we need, even though the supply is still freely flowing from the source, or should I say Source.

God really wants us to be blessed abundantly and He, as our Source, has made provision through Jesus to give us every good thing.  The Bible instructs us to look to Jesus– to move our attention away from the troubles and fix our attention on His love and provision (Hebrews 12:2). His supply is always flowing from Him but the kinks that we allow in our lives can restrict the flow to a trickle, or even just a drop, by the time it gets to us.

water hose kink

What would happen if we just relax in God’s arms and trust Him? What would happen if we rest in Jesus’ work as being sufficient? Could we more fully receive and enjoy His peace, faithfulness and provision? Surely the kinks in our lives would relax, opening up the channel of supply from our Source so that we can receive abundantly!

What kink will you remove from your life today so you can enjoy the blessings that are already freely flowing in God’s pipeline to you?

One is Barren, One is Fruitful

Posted on by Evangeline

Barren and Fruitful

As I was reading Jeremiah 17 this morning, I was struck by the contrast of barren and fruitful that’s mentioned in verses 5-8 (Message Bible):

God’s Message:

“Cursed is the strong one
    who depends on mere humans,
Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone
    and sets God aside as dead weight.
He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie,
    out of touch with the good earth.
He lives rootless and aimless
    in a land where nothing grows.

 “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,
    the woman who sticks with God.
They’re like trees replanted in Eden,
    putting down roots near the rivers—
Never a worry through the hottest of summers,
    never dropping a leaf,
Serene and calm through droughts,
    bearing fresh fruit every season.

Can you see the dry, desert ground where nothing but weeds can flourish? This scripture is an astounding picture of the barrenness that comes in life while we don’t trust God’s love and His willingness to bring good things to us.  The tumbleweed doesn’t rely on anything to keep it stable and growing.  The hot winds that blow through the desert serve only to push the plant that has no roots; bouncing it up and down, carrying it without any real destination, giving it no purpose. That’s how life can feel in various seasons when we choose not to trust God’s love.

But wait…there’s HOPE! This passage also shows us the wonderful blessings that come our way when we choose to believe God’s Word and confidently trust His very personal love. His Word acts as water from an eternal stream or river that keeps the nearby soil moist and full of life-giving nutrients.We can be serene and calm, as if we were a tree in the Garden of Eden, when we trust God’s promises found in His Word.  Like that tree, even as drought conditions come, we are not prone to be anxious because we’ve sunk our roots deep into the soil that’s been watered by the Word. As our roots spread, they gain more and more strength and the Word promotes life within us. The Amplified Bible says that trusting in God is so powerful that we may not even see, notice, or be swayed by the heat and the drought conditions surrounding us. I believe it’s all because God’s Word provides supernatural nourishment for our parched souls and His provision is always more than what we need.

An additional point of good news is that as a believer in Jesus, you have been delivered and forever set free from the curse mentioned in verses 5-6. No matter what circumstances you may be dealing with right now, you are no longer under the curse (Galatians 3:13-14)! God is a giver of good things and has a good plan for you. Because of Jesus’ love for you, you can choose to confidently trust God’s promises that apply to your situation and experience the serenity and fruitfulness that He had planned for you all along.

What do you do to increase your trust in Jesus’ love and His promises?

Focus Friday – Forever Cleansed and No Condemnation

Posted on by Evangeline

Focus on this scripture about how Jesus cleansed you because He loves you.

Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth.  Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day.

Focus Friday -cleansed