Hope in Despair

"As a shattering of my bones,

my adversaries revile me,

While they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God."

Psalm 42: 10, 11

Dear Father,

There are times when the words of my enemies seem to shatter my bones, my soul, and my strength. My adversary prompts them and my own voice is even tempted to join in.

Yet, I rejoice that I can stand upon the Rock of my salvation! In You I can stand unafraid and unwavering. No one can snatch me from Your hand!

I will wait on You today, LORD. I will not lash out in return, I will not fall into despair. I choose to praise You through no matter what comes today and the rest of my days. I not only trust You with my eternity, I trust You with my today.

I lift my countenance to You! I pray in the name of Jesus, with praise on my lips, and hope in my heart.

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Listen to the Word to Trust in God

Devotion - Listen to the Word to trust God

“Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And apply your mind to my knowledge;

For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,

That they may be ready on your lips.

So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I have taught you today, even you.”

Proverbs 22:17-19

Dear LORD and Father,

King Solomon asked only for a discerning heart, and You gave him both a wise and discerning heart, like no other man before or after him. In these words from this wise king, he instructs his son to listen to wisdom; to lean his ear toward the words of the wise and apply it to his mind.

Help me today to lean my thoughts and hearing toward wisdom. Help me to digest and apply Your words of truth to my mind. Let me be nourished in the truth over and over, that I will trust You more and more. Let Your Word of truth flow from my lips that I will be able to wisely advise others.

Let my hunger for Your Word and the wisdom in it never diminish. Let Your Word teach me, and fill me, and let It flow from me as a result.

This I pray in Jesus’ name.

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Sparrows, Surprises and the Sovereignty of God

Five baby sparrows in a three bedroom home!

There are “Welcome” signs in the form of birdhouses all around the yard. Some have vacancies others are occupied. None however, are located under our back porch. So, knowing there was housing available, I was a little surprised to find the beginnings of a bird nest tucked into a potting soil bag that was resting in our wheelbarrow. Mrs. Sparrow and I both did a bit of a squawk and a flutter upon our mutual discovery. I assured her she was welcome to stay; I could wait until she raised her brood before I scooped from “her” bag. I promised not to harm her family in any way. Indeed, I thought it was a brilliant location and was quite honored she allowed us to watch her little family grow.  

Equally brilliant Mr. Sparrow allowed his Mrs. to have complete control in the building and construction phase. It was a dandy little nest, just right for three little babies. The finely appointed cradle was finished just in time for the placement of three adorable light blue eggs. Then, surprise! When we came by for our inspection the next day, two more eggs had appeared! 

Multiple inspections later, some tiny “peeps” let us know some babies had hatched. With a gentle lift of their bag door, three naked babies were visible, so I made the proper introductions. Like any good neighbor, I checked in frequently and was pleased to see the remaining two safely hatched the next day.

In a bungalow built for three, I worried about the crowded situation. Naturally, the firstlings were stronger and stepped up higher in the nest over Babies Four and Five but it wasn’t the first rodeo for Mom and Pop. They organized a feeding plan of about one bug per minute alternating between Mom and Pop for all five hungry little mouths, uhm, beaks. That’s a lot of creepy crawlies!

After a steady diet from the critter smorgasbord for several days the tiny peeps turned into demanding screams. Precious little baby fuzz sprouted into baby feathers. My (well, Mrs. Sparrow’s) babies were growing up!

We didn’t have it marked on OUR calendar, but “Leave the Nest Day” came and we got to watch! This little guy started the exodus. He shot out but, didn’t know where to go, so he lit on this screen window until he could assess the situation. Mom and Pop called for him to come out into the yard, so he opened up his brand new wings and flew to them. That brought out Two and Three. They only made it up to the eave of the porch. They looked around for several minutes to get their bearings and finally heard their call from Mom and Pop and joined them (and One and Two.)

Babies Four and Five were desperate to not be left alone and came out of their comfy apartment but were unable to fly as well as their older siblings. Southern hospitality requires that I do what I can to help, so I did what I could to usher the clumsy siblings into the general direction of their family.

Bless their itty bitty hearts, they were perfectly fine in their nice little home (complete with room service) until someone got the bright idea to go explore the world and left them behind to fend for themselves. Not only that, a giant was following them and making all sorts of funny faces and motions to them, and Mom and Pop were nowhere to be found. They hopped around and stopped from time to time to “cheep” but there was no reply. They couldn’t see what I saw. Mom and Pop were taking care of One, Two, and Three. They were not far away, they just didn’t answer right away.

With some encouragement, I was able to guide Four to the rest of the gang. Little Five, the baby, was heartbroken. He didn’t even have the heart to try. He wouldn’t hop or chirp. He just sat all alone, his head down in despair. He appeared to accept his fate of life alone and abandoned and probably eaten or squished (Southern for crushed) by this giant woman. I told him his “family is only a few yards away and a new and wonderful life is ahead of him – different from life in the nest, but wonderful just the same. Just hold on” but, he couldn’t understand.

It was only a couple of minutes, but finally Mom chirped his name and his little downcast head

popped up. I got behind him and prompted him to hop a half-hearted hop toward his family. Another chirp from Mom led him to take another baby hop in the right direction. Finally, Mommy Sparrow came out from under a bush and chirped loud and clear, and Baby Five saw her. He ran with all the strength his little baby-bird legs could muster straight to her and they disappeared under the bush amid lots of congratulatory chirps, peeps and flutters.

I thought about what I had just witnessed in terms of God and life and His plans for us. Life has certainly thrown me some surprises, maybe you have experienced that too. When life takes a turn that sseems unfair or I don’t understand much less know what to do, these are some thing I try to remember.

• I remember that He knew me before I was born and knows the number of days I will be here. “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance and in Thy book, they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Psalm 139:16
• I remember (whatever it is) it is not a surprise to God. “Oh, LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” Isaiah 25:1 “…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..” Ephesians 1:4
• I remember God is there whether or not I can see or hear Him, and I need not be afraid. “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 “…The eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him…The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him. Psalm 33:18, 34:7
• I remember I can trust Him even when things don’t seem fair. “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1 Peter 4:19
• I remember He has a plan that is for my good. “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:11 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
• I remember I can count on God to lead me in the right direction.  “For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me. You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth…I trust in the LORD. I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, Because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy.” Psalm 31:3-8

Dear Father in Heaven,

Thank You for demonstrating over and over how much You love us.

When life surprises us with changes and difficulties for which we see no way out, help us see You and trust in Your mighty hand to guide us. Thank You for being our “refuge and strength a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) I rejoice in Your provision for me even when I can’t see it.

I pray the person reading this at this moment will also seek You and find You and rest securely in Your loving hand.

   

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My hupomeno umbrella tree.

It is a short and somewhat unimpressive tree with a distinctive shape. The Chinaberry tree naturally grows with a rounded top and densely layered leaves on a multitude of branches, thus earning the common name of Umbrella tree. I can testify to the effectiveness in blocking out the oppressive Alabama summer heat. It is 15-20 degrees cooler under this tree than under the Maple trees twice its size!

This particular tree is a direct descendant of an Umbrella tree that grew at my grandparents’ home. Their children played under the shade, protected from the scorching heat. A sweet uncle gathered seeds and shared as a reminder of that precious memory.  

At this time of year, not only does it provide wonderful shade, it also has lovely and fragrant blooms. When visitors come into our garden area, it only takes a few seconds for them to look around to try to find the source of the sweetness permeating the air. They usually expect to find honeysuckle or lilac. When they follow their nose, they arrive under the umbrella tree and are rewarded with the full effect of hundreds of little purple and white bloomers mostly visible from beneath, looking up.  It is a heavenly aroma; entirely worth the search.  From a distance, the dainty blossoms are almost invisible, but from under the tree, they hang in clusters of purple striped beauty. A double blessing from under the tree!

I like to call it my “hupomeno tree.”  If that sounds like Greek to you, it is!  Hupomeno is the Greek word transliterated “endurance, patience and abide under”.  It is used in the first chapter of James as we are told to “consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”  These trials come in the form of suffering, pain, and difficult situations. During these times it is common to feel alone, abandoned, and weak. That is where the hupomeno comes in!  Enduring the situation may be impossible humanly speaking, BUT God provides a covering, a place under which we can abide, in order to get through the trial and prove (grow) our faith in Him.

Asa was an Old Testament king “who did good and right in the sight of the LORD, his God.” 2 Chronicles 14:2. When his army of 300,000 was outnumbered by an opposing army of a million, he called out to God and God shattered the opposing army. Asa had an insurmountable problem in front of him, and responded by calling on and trusting God. God proved He is worthy trust, Asa’s then and ours now. “The eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9. 

Asa was reminded “the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake him, He will forsake you…in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him…be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.” 2 Chronicles 15:2,4,7. Even after he relied upon God and saw Him work, and he was reminded to continue to seek God, yet he didn’t. Some years later he was in a situation and tried to resolve it with silver and gold and a treaty instead of seeking God. He did not rely on God, acted foolishly and he did not win that battle.  

In the New Testament, the book of 1 Peter echoes the theme of James in that we can “greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1Peter 1:6,7.  Did you catch it? The result of the testing of our faith will be when He returns will be praise and glory and honor! Now that is worth rejoicing about! Like a woman in the midst of childbirth looks forward to the outcome – a child – she eagerly endures the temporary suffering.

Some lessons I have learned under the hupomeno/umbrella tree;

• God is able to help me endure every trial in my life (just as this type tree sheltered my ancestors) because He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

• God (like this tree) is near the ground to be close to you and surround you and protect you.

• God will provide blessing during the trial if you look up to Him.   

• When you look up, focus on the blooming blessings rather than the storm around you.

• The storm will come to an end.

• Other storms will come. Remember to seek God (stay near the tree).

• Invite someone to join you there.

• Share some seeds for more trees to be planted.

• Abide and endure to the end – there is a reward.

Father in Heaven,

How thankful we are for the reminders all around us of Your faithfulness. We pray that You will help us abide under Your love to persevere and endure with patience the times of testing in our lives. Help us remember the rewards that await at the end, and of the blessing of Your presence during these difficulties.

I pray that the person reading this right now will seek You and find You and rely upon You as their stronghold for the rest of their life.  

Thank You for using this little tree to teach me. Spread the seeds of truth as You will.

Have you been through a trial when God saw you through? Are you in one now? Your comments are always welcome and encourage us!

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Baby Bluebirds When Prayers Are Unanswered

Indigo and Baby Bluebird, ready for food.

My first prayer was that they were still alive and they were. The second was that God would send Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird (either the birth parents, or willing adoptive parents) to take care of these remaining two babies that became known as Indigo and Baby. I prayed with full faith that He could answer. I waited but, no Bluebirds came.

I had already rescued the unconscious and nearly dead babes (see Blue Birds and Worm Soup blog here) from certain death, gave them some protection and nourishment but, they needed parents to teach them bluebird things, a mentor for bluebird life. I continued to pray several times with full expectation of Mr. and Mrs. B showing up while I waited and watched. Watching and waiting even with full faith doesn’t force God to act. He acts according to His will and according to His purpose and I am thankful He does. My job is to be obedient, even when He asks me to go out of my comfort zone and into the Bluebird zone.

One prayer answered, another one not – at least not the way I wanted. That leaves me in the Bluebird raising business. As their temporary mentor, I have to brag on them a bit. Yesterday they were unable to hold up their own heads and about to give up on life, but today they are eager to live and can raise their heads and chirp big, strong chirps that would make a Bluebird Mom proud.

In order to establish some sort of communication, I rehearsed my all my best Bluebird chirps, and found one they recognized. They didn’t even laugh at my practice tries, at least not to my face – there were some unexplained and quite suspicious peeps back and forth - but I never brought it up, and they were far too polite to mention it.

When I whistled my amateur chirp, they opened their eyes, raised their little heads, stretched their skinny necks four inches upward and opened their beaks wide enough for me to see their plum down (Southern for “all the way”) to their gizzards with expectation of  delicious mealworm snacks. Somehow they were able to chirp with open beaks. I haven’t tried that one yet, but these talented little birds are experts at it, another proud moment. Of course, I got the message and rewarded their gizzards.

They now recognized me as “the chirper” who gives them food. I could walk by them, talk to them, the dog could bark, and thunder cold rumble but, until I chirped my special little chirp – they stayed down low with heads down, eyes closed, dreaming little bird dreams until mealtime. They trusted me to feed them and protect them.

With my prayer unanswered, I was given a marvelous opportunity to be a part of two little lives. I didn’t give them life, but I helped them find a way to live. I found a way to meet their needs and earn their trust.  Leaders do that. They look for new opportunities to meet needs and build trust, giving without expectation of reward, but finding reward in the development of another life.

Christ was like that. He left heaven, and sought us in our needs. He found ways to teach us so that we could understand His ways, and have life. How grateful I am that He took time to reach out to me, while I was lost and dying without a means for life. How grateful I am that He desires me to have life enough to give of Himself in order for me to have it. How grateful I am that He has made Himself known to me as the “giver of life and the giver of all spiritual nourishment.”

Many are lost and dying from lack of spiritual nourishment. As a follower of Christ, (“Christian” = little Christ) it seems that we should imitate Him. We might pray that He send someone to help the lost, but He might answer instead that we are who He wants to send. We might have to step out into unknown territory to those who don’t look like we do, or speak the way we do, or live the way we do. Often we will need to develop a relationship of trust before they are willing to accept what we have to offer. A good way to start is to speak words they understand instead of “churchy” language that may not be easily understood, or may be misunderstood. Building relationships like that allows for a mentor to lead with the kind of leadership that changes lives.

What can we do? I'm so glad you asked! I just happen to have some ideas.

1. Pray before you act and be willing to accept the answer, it may become a great blessing.
2. Recognize that you can make a difference – even if you think you can’t.
3. Establish good communication and engage frequently.
4. Building trust takes time, invest.
5. Be known as the giver of spiritual nourishment, and dish it out with joy and compassion.
6. Give thanks to God in all the small steps, they can be the beginning of a great journey.

Father in heaven, we are so very thankful to be able to know You hear our prayers. We thank You for answering in our best interest, whether we understand or not.

Help us to recognize the opportunities You present for us to help others. Give us the courage to step into the world of someone who needs to see You. Strengthen us so that our hearts will always be grateful in every circumstance and that we can share the life-giving Word of Truth with those who so desperately need it.

I have learned that instead of asking God why He doesn't do something, to consider that He placed me here. Maybe that was His answer. Maybe I am to do something...Listen to this song and ask God what He wants YOU to do today.

Read part 3 of Baby and Indigo's story here.


Matthew West 
"Do Something"

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Introducing Oscar The Extraordinary Hummingbird

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This little book is a collection of stories which includes the chronicle of a tiny hummingbird and the unlikely friendship he and I shared. Through the time we spent together, God used Oscar to teach me many things about

life,

suffering, and

joy in the midst of it all.

I remain amazed that He chose this itty bitty bird and so many precious, yet seemingly insignificant, things within His Creation to demonstrate such profound spiritual truths to me, and I am delighted to share these simple stories with you.

May you always take time to see God

 in the little things.

They may become your

biggest treasures!

All the tales within this book are true. The simple parable-type lessons offered here about life in my Father’s world have touched my soul, and I pray that your heart will likewise be enriched by reading them. Inside you will become acquainted with Oscar, the sweetest little hummingbird you ever could meet, along with some fishy characters, and you will stroll with me through the beauty and splendor of the garden. Together we will explore patterns and truths found in Creation which point us to a deeper understanding of our Creator. 

Chapter 1 - A Tiny Treasure

When I first spotted the mysterious wad, immediately I had grand hopes of discovering some sort of little treasure. I am familiar with the ending of the curious cat but was compelled to investigate nonetheless. By the size and shape it could have been an owl pellet! Because owls have no teeth with which to chew their meals, they swallow them whole. They also–uhm–“release” the undigested portion whole, in a pellet form, just about the size of this suspicious little gem. I drew closer to the twisted glob and realized it wasn’t what I hoped for at all.  

Oh, no! I thought. Horrified, I instantly reached down to him. We have hosted many hummingbirds throughout the spring and summer, and this appeared to be one that met an untimely demise. His little body was twisted in an unnatural position. His poor, tiny head had been stripped of all feathers on top and on one side, revealing only raw, purple and blue skin. There appeared to be fishing line tangled all around his mouth. His condition suggested he might have been run over by a lawn mower. I gingerly lifted up the bruised and limp little bird and cradled him in the palm of my hand, amazed at the beauty of the tiny creature and sorry for the suffering he must have endured. 

Against all hope, I became aware of a faint, rapid thumping of a little heartbeat against my hand. Thankful for the opportunity to comfort him in his final moments of life, I ever so gently stroked his broken little body and brought him close to my face while whispering, God knows when a sparrow falls[i], and He knows all about little hummingbirds, too. Realistically, it was more a prayer to comfort me than an expectation that he actually understood what I had said to him. Fighting back tears, I blew softly into his face to let him know he was not alone.  He blinked his eye - the one that wasn’t swollen shut. Yes, he heard me, and he knew I was there with him and perhaps he understood that God was as well. 

I don’t know how much animals understand. I do know my responsibility, according to the Word of God in the book of Genesis, is to “rule[ii] over (or have dominion over) the creatures of the earth.” Surely this would include taking care of one who has fallen. God spared him long enough for me to comfort him a bit, and for that, I was grateful. I just absolutely love the way God works and have found that His timing is perfect, always.

Continuing to bathe him with my warm breath, I slowly and as tenderly as possible, began to untangle him from the fishing line in and around his mouth. My desire was to give him as much comfort as possible. He blinked again and tried to lift his poor, bruised, and bald little head.  

As the untangling progressed, it became apparent that the “line” was his tongue! Poor little fellow! Bless his sweet little heart! He must have wondered, Why is this woman pulling on my tongue?  He was having a bad enough day already without me tugging on his tongue, of all things.  I chuckled at the absurdity and apologized, Sorry about that, little guy!

Gradually, he regained consciousness and his tongue retracted into its proper place. He looked at me, with his one good eye - not with fear but rather with curiosity.  I continued to examine him for injuries and found that one wing was not in the correct position, and a tiny spot of blood was on the front of his neck. So, still holding him in one hand, I took a paper towel with the other hand and dampened one corner, folding it over to make a swab to lightly sponge his wounds. I stroked and tucked the tiny wing back into the proper position. 

By now, he was more conscious than not but still too weak to resist my “mothering.” He didn’t have the strength to fly, but he did seem content to rest in the warmth of my hand. 

Because most acquaintances begin with an exchange of names, I, not knowing his hummingbird name, decided to call him Oscar.  You know, the Grouch.  Both are green, a mess, and more than a little grumpy.  It seemed to fit.

Because of the severity of his injuries, I feared he would perish before I could document this precious moment so, while he was still alive I took a few pictures of Oscar in my hand. I marveled at the opportunity to hold such a small, magnificent creature. I continued to assure him of my intention to help him to the very best of my ability. He was truly a pitiful sight - tiny, helpless, bruised, and bald - but alive!

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[i] Matthew 10:29

[ii] Genesis 1:26, Psalm 8:6-8 

Grape Vines

Are you as smart as a grape vine?

Just last year these were mere sticks in the mud, branches trimmed from mature vines and shared with me to start my own little vines. They were carefully nurtured all last summer. They had times of sunshine and rain then, much to my delight, little pink buds sprouted from the sticks early this spring, assuring me they had indeed endured and grown roots over the brutal winter!

My job as tender of the vines is not just to watch them grow but to give them what they need to grow properly.  That includes a brutal task of trimming. It was agonizing to break off tender little limbs that were growing at the wrong angle or in the wrong spot. It was necessary, and painful for me and for them. I don’t know if they understood it was for their good, but the result was healthy plants that have now grown (in the right direction) over six feet long in just a few weeks!

Grape vines like to grow, but they need support. Naturally, I was happy to oblige and used some stakes to give them the help they needed to stay upright while they got their “feet” under them.  Now they are able to stand firmly where they were planted because their root system is established – giving them a sound footing. Because I want them to bear fruit, I also attached some old clothesline at the top of the stakes for horizontal growth and support for the fruit that is to come.

Grape vine. Holding on to the straight and narrow.

Can you see those sweet tiny tendrils wrapped around the line? They are holding on with all their strength, and thus following the straight and narrow path laid out for them! Not being tossed to and fro with the wind, but securely anchored in a perfectly straight line! What smart little tendrils they are, protecting the vine from damage and allowing for fruit to be born at the proper time!

I can only worship God for His marvelous provision for the simple grape vines because, in many respects, it is a picture of His love for you and me. 

• We must have a good root system to live and grow. While we are the branches of the vine, He is the root, the very vine itself.  Staked to Him and spending time with Him in His Word, we establish a firm and steady root system, without which we wither like the seeds from the parable of the sower…Firmly rooted, we will be able to grow, putting out leaves and stretching out our little branch of His vine.
• We must grow up and grow out. Growing in Him we will be richly nourished and able to grow but, that is only the first part of our job. We must also grow out toward others in the world. In order to do that, we must stretch away from Him a bit, out into the world, while still holding on to and drawing from the Root.
• Holding firmly to the line is essential. Growing up from the Root we are established but, growing outward we become vulnerable to winds and breaking. The Master has given us a guide wire, a path to follow. This path will be the means by which you can be of useful service. Hold on to it. Hold on to it with all your might. It will keep your path straight, especially when the winds of false doctrines blow against you. With your Root established, and your path straight, you will flourish.
• Bear fruit in season. Being fruitful and multiplying is part of the job description. It will come after being firmly grounded in the Truth and seasons of growth (including sun and rain) leading to maturity. Leaves are nice, but the fruit is the goal.
• Trust the master to prune the right things at the right time. Just as my new little plants were cut from a mature vine, the Master will need to prune you from time to time. It may hurt a bit, but you can know that He is pruning away that which you do not need. Only at the proper time and the proper place will He snip. He is worthy of our trust, whether you understand why or not.

Grape update! July 2016!

This picture is in 2016 bearing fruit. In what season are you? Is it time for you to bear fruit? Do you need to be pruned?

Dearest Father in heaven, we thank You for giving us so many examples of Your love and our responsibilities. Thank You for being the root of all our strength. Thank You for guiding us with Your wisdom along a path perfectly chosen for us. Help us to grow, nourished in Your Word. Thank You for loving us enough to give us both sunshine and rain, and to prune away the things that draw us away from You and Your will.

Help us to recognize the time to grow, the time to bear fruit, and the time for pruning each come from Your hand. May we grow in maturity, firmly holding to Your hand, and bear much fruit for Your kingdom! May our delight always be in following the path You have set before us.

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