Living in Northwest Ohio means that flowers are just beginning to blossom. Each year I am totally amazed to watch the green shoots push up from where they've been dormant all winter. Our hyacinths and daffodils are in bloom, and by next weekend, the tulips should be displaying their colors to the neighborhood. Not far behind will be the tree blossoms that create a tunnel affect over our sidewalk.
New life......I'm seeing signs of newness in every yard that surround our house. It takes certain conditions for the plant to renew themselves and display their beauty.
What brings about "new life" in me? It's obvious that there are points in my life where I crawl into a dark place and become "dormant". Let's look at what brings new life in Spring flowers because the two are very similar:
* warmth
* fertilizer
* water
* removal of weeds
* the sun
WARMTH: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some of you are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
FERTILIZER: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV)
WATER: "Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13-14)
REMOVAL OF WEEDS: "Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 'The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. 'The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:24-30)
THE SUN (SON): "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
If you want to renew your life, you must have warmth through fellowship, nourishment through the Word, refreshing living water from daily contact with Christ, removal of sin through repentance and forgiveness, and finally, the Son as Lord of your life. This is a daily choice. As the chorus says:
In the morning when I rise / In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise / Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus / Give me Jesus
You can have all this world / But give me Jesus
And when I am alone / Oh, when I am alone
And when I am alone / Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus / Give me Jesus
New life......I'm seeing signs of newness in every yard that surround our house. It takes certain conditions for the plant to renew themselves and display their beauty.
What brings about "new life" in me? It's obvious that there are points in my life where I crawl into a dark place and become "dormant". Let's look at what brings new life in Spring flowers because the two are very similar:
* warmth
* fertilizer
* water
* removal of weeds
* the sun
WARMTH: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some of you are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
FERTILIZER: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV)
WATER: "Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13-14)
REMOVAL OF WEEDS: "Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 'The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. 'The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:24-30)
THE SUN (SON): "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
If you want to renew your life, you must have warmth through fellowship, nourishment through the Word, refreshing living water from daily contact with Christ, removal of sin through repentance and forgiveness, and finally, the Son as Lord of your life. This is a daily choice. As the chorus says:
In the morning when I rise / In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise / Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus / Give me Jesus
You can have all this world / But give me Jesus
And when I am alone / Oh, when I am alone
And when I am alone / Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus / Give me Jesus
