Breaking the Inertia

       The abundant life which Christ offers can never be fully realized until we're willing to adjust our lifestyle for the sake of better utilizing the gifts he's given us. The first step is to break the inertia, but stepping out of our own way(s) and into His is the most difficult thing to do. It means beating the Law of Inertia; which states that a body at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. Our lifestyle responds to the same laws and if we don't break the inertia by taking that first initial step, we will be stuck right where we are . . . forever.

       The good news is that our life is also governed by the Law of Momentum - it states that a body in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Keep in mind that our life did not get this way overnight and in most cases, it isn’t going to be made right in a day either; but once we take that first step in faith, we will find that God is with us… Trust and Rest in Him …the battle is the Lord’s!

       When we look at the lives of great men and women of faith in Scripture, we see an almost consistent pattern of movement. Most of them came into the important adventures which God had for them only after they took certain bold steps to break the inertia in their lives. For some the moves were geographical. Abraham left his homeland of Haran; Joseph, after being deported to Egypt, stayed there and did not attempt to return to Canaan; Naomi, when bereft of her husband and sons, left Moab for Bethlehem. In other cases the moves were occupational. Moses, Saul, David, and others left the shepherding profession for positions of political and spiritual leadership. Some of Jesus' disciples left fishing vocations; at least one left a lucrative career in tax collecting; Joanna left a prestigious position in Herod's palace.

       If these examples have anything to suggest to us today, they say that living the life of faith will at times necessitate some decisive moves to break out of the endless cycles, and stagnant patterns within our familiar comfort zones, which have kept us stuck where we are. The Key: And the most important and critically essential matter on our part is that we be open to God’s will, and to his best for us, and be certain that we're not holding back from making a vital change simply because of fear of the unknown. The good news is that we usually find God’s best by understanding the unique way he has made us individually and His plan and purpose for our life. From time to time we should take inventory of our life. If we find that a situation is working strongly against our making use of the gifts, interests, and passion that God has put within us, it may be time to take a bold step of faith to change the situation.

       The bottom line is that living the life of faith requires some movement. You and I need to be willing to break the inertia patterns that rob us of Christ's abundant life (John 10:10). The life of faith is meant to be a moving experience. It is meant to “ROCK” our world! Psalms 11:3 & 62:6; Isaiah 26:4 (It is a Process - Precept Upon Precept – Step by Step - His Grace is sufficient). Used with permission by Blaine Smith, excerpted from Nehemiah Notes

Joy Set - by Alyssa Fine

Calves burning from the arduous journey, your body screams for respite, but you are forced to continue up the steep path. Stopping would mean dying at the hands of the elements.

Trudging onward and upward, you lift your head and see the dark clouds of the tempest rolling vehemently overhead. The savage wind threatens to throw you forcefully over the edge of the sheer cliff dangerously close to your route. Although concealed by the thick rain and fog, the raging sea below awaits, desperate to devour you if you were to fall.

Perhaps that would be easier. Despairing for warmth to cease the shivering of body and light to calm the trembling of soul, you dig in and thrust yourself forward. Somewhere ahead there must be a place to rest in safety, a moment of delight and elation, for joy to penetrate the storm in your spirit.

The journey of life becomes a merciless toil when the road is traveled alone, devoid of streetlights or conversation of companions. Trekking along and striving for the next glimmer of light, each step becomes heavier and the soul gives up strength. This is the tragedy that is the life of so many. A walk of such desolation should never be the the way of a child of the Light of Life.

Pushing forward, you maintain your vigorous pace despite the bombardment of life's adversity. Your imagination cruelly races, hoping that over the apex is a campfire complete with shelter, companionship, and fire to warm your cold extremities. How long will that brief moment of fire light sustain you? It seems that your very existence may crumble when your company will have to break camp and your odyssey must continue. If only the light, the fire, the joy could somehow become integrated into your soul's elemental parts.

Joy is sometimes mistaken as a whimsical feeling of happiness that is fleeting and only arises circumstantially, perhaps when a monumental moment of receiving happens. Shortly after, like a shooting star in the darkness that is often the abyss of human emotion, the feeling falls.

What if joy is not just a response to a marvelous juncture on the course of life, but rather an oil lamp set in the depth of your soul that cannot be snuffed out by the trials encountered?

The Holy Spirit enraptures you with joy- that feeling of safety, belonging, and hope for the hike ahead. "You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me [infusing my soul] with joy from Your presence" (Acts 2:28, AMP). If you have received Christ, the joy never abates. With the fire burning in your belly to light the way before you, there is no stoney mountain of life that cannot be conquered.

"The Lord is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy]" (Psalm 118:27). Now joy is prevalent in the journey. The blazing light within reveals the absolute beauty that is abundant along your path. There are breathtaking surroundings of rugged cliff side, cerulean ocean, and brilliant sky.

Provision of produce grows among the smooth stones, and you wonder why you never noticed them before. "Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name" (Jeremiah 15:16). The kind words of your Savior fill your heart and lead you like a banner.

The road of desolation has now become a quest for adventure! The trudging has transformed into a expedition of enjoyment with the Companion of companions, the Friend of friends, the Guide of guides. "For he will not often consider the [troubled] days of his life, because God keeps him occupied and focused on the joy of his heart [and the tranquility of God indwells him]" (Ecclesiastes 5:22).

With your face set like flint and joy set in your heart, there is nothing that cannot be overcome. We have a champion to lead us onward! Christ soujourned a formidable mountain Himself when He walked in our shoes, and He knows the grace needed to complete it. "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:1b-2a, ESV).

With joy, this epic walk is now a welcomed one. The earth itself is yearning for the sons of God to be revealed, and by walking in His presence we are fulfilling our destiny. "For you will go out with joy and be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12, AMP). Peace be the journey!

WEEDS

Only an Open Heart is free to give and Receive Love / The Worst Prison is a Closed and Hardened Heart:

Some of you have felt as if you could not hear His voice anymore, and it is because you have gotten lost in the weeds (Matthew 13:24-43).

Have you ever thought of your heart as a garden?  God showed me this connection several years ago. I was pulling weeds from my garden, I used all of my strength to pull and dig and pull. 

As I dug and pulled, God spoke to my heart.  He told me that the weeds in the garden were just like the weeds of my heart.  They spread out across as well as down deep.  As they spread, they infected the healthy, vibrant parts of my heart.  These weed roots sucked the life out of the healthy areas of the garden.  They crowded the nutrient-rich dirt, preventing the new, robust flora to be planted. 

He needed to eliminate the awful weeds so that He could plant new life in my heart.  And in order for Him to get every bit of root out, it required a lot of digging plowing on His part. 

It will be uncomfortable. It will be painful. It will be full of sorrow.

Unhealthy things I held on to would have to be let go of. 

But the result will be glorious!  The newly dug up soil will be exposed to life-giving oxygen.  It will be easy to work with and fertile for new life.  The newness will thrive and be nurtured.  There will be an abundance of beautiful colors and fragrance. 

The garden of my heart needed tending because it had been neglected for so long.  I left wounds and hurts far beneath the surface of the ground ignored, allowing them to be entangled with sinful, cynical roots.  The longer it was left untended, the more difficult it was to plow and weed. It took time and a lot of work to get that little garden area cleaned up.  There was so much debris and ugly weeds!

The newly dug up dirt was so easy to work with.  I could effortlessly push my trowel into the loose soil.  The earthy smell was a welcome reward to my soul.  It was a reminder of all of the hard work that had been done, the incredible development and care of my heart.

New life was ready to be planted!  I was so excited!

Each plant would have more than enough room to grow and blossom.

I tenderly took each special plant and lovingly placed it in the wonderful smelling earth. 

There was just something about this accomplishment that brought much healing to my shattered heart.

Neglecting the heart is never a good thing.  Our hearts offer the wellspring of life and we must, above all else, protect and guard it (Proverbs 4:23). 

When we neglect to care for our hearts, for our spiritual well-being, weeds creep in.  Many times, these weeds aren’t easily seen.  They move stealthily into our hearts.  They slip in underneath, hidden from view.  And it’s only when we begin using it, we discover the intruder. 

Our Heavenly Father never meant for us to have hardened, weed-infested hearts.  But because of sin, weeds are everywhere.  They are not always avoidable. 

But we can take heart. There is One who is more than willing to roll up His sleeves and begin digging into the depths of our heart gardens. 

He will help us remove those dreadful, heart-killing weeds.

He will help us to plant new life and beauty in our softened hearts. Because He makes all things new - 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21, Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, & Luke 8:4-15

  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32