The power of GOD’s Word, truth over deception

May 7, 2024September 23, 2024 / humblevalleyranch / 3 Comments

Have you ever found out that you were deceived in an area (or more than one area) of your life?

When I first became a Christian, I was so hungry for the Word of GOD. I read it and read it. It was like fresh bread that I was devouring. Yet even though I was in the Word, I had areas in my life where I was greatly deceived.

I believed that a certain guy was to be my husband. And I was fixated on him coming into my life. I even wrote him a very long letter and sent it to him – and then waited for him to come into my life. I was positive that eventually he would.

Now I look back and I see how sick it was, how sick I was! Above all, I was super deceived about what the truth was. And instead of letting GOD’s Word wash over me and bring truth, I continued to believe the lie and I made it my truth.

Above all, I was super deceived about what the truth was. And instead of letting GOD’s Word wash over me and bring truth, I continued to believe the lie and I made it my truth.

Even a year ago, I would not have been able to confess that on my blog because I was so embarrassed about it. And I thought people would judge me and maybe even push me out of their lives. But more and more, I am understanding that the enemy doesn’t want us to confess our sins to others because then he can continue to control us with the lie.

Have you ever found out that you were deceived in an area (or more than one area) of your life?

How did I get free? At one point, I was so broken that I started praying for GOD to reveal truth to me. I asked Him to break down the lies and bring truth and light into the dark places of my heart, mind and soul. I started fasting and praying. I started worshipping GOD and seeking to know Him. And little by little, as I did, I started to have His peace that surpasses all understanding. He started shedding light on the truth.

I confessed my sins over and over because I thought I was the worst of all sinners. And He showed me His grace. He showed me that “All have sinned and fall short (they missed the perfect mark) of the glory of GOD” (Romans 3:23). In other words, we all miss His mark and standard. I repented and received His forgiveness. I stopped speaking the lie and eventually stopped believing the lie.

I learned that the tongue has the power of good and evil. What we speak over and over becomes what we believe in our hearts. And when we are deceived, only the truth will set us free.

John 8:30-31 says, “So JESUS said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

What I learned is that we can have a lot of Bible knowledge and not have a healthy relationship with GOD and others. If we are pushing our own way and our own agenda, trying to manipulate people into doing what we want, causing pain and heartache to others, and/or dwelling on and speaking/believing something other than what GOD’s Word says (or know people who are doing these things), we need to be asking GOD to reveal truth, to illuminate the lies, and to set us, and others free from deception.

I am also learning that it’s important to ask GOD, “What is truth?” regularly. Because we are sinful, we can easily be ensnared in the lies of the enemy. And I think we all have areas in our lives where we have traded the truth of GOD for a lie.

;BuT GOD…GOD is Sovereign, In Control, ALL-Knowing, ALL-Powerful, and He desires for us to walk in truth, so He is ready to help us when we seek Him.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of GOD, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5). GOD and His Word is powerful to break the power of deception and sin when we speak it over our lives.

Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the GOD of peace will be with you.”

GOD wants us to be freed from damaging lies.

I challenge you to ask GOD, “What things am I (or others) speaking and believing that are not true?” Ask GOD to reveal the truth and to illuminate the lies in your life and in others’ lives too.

Sometimes we have to be completely broken before we will willingly ask GOD to reveal the truth. Be open to GOD and trust Him. Don’t be ashamed to seek help from a trusted friend or mentor.

GOD wants us to be freed from damaging lies. Be willing to fast and pray for breakthrough. Persevere in seeking GOD through His Word and praying for Him to illuminate deception for what it is.

‘If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

I pray that we will know the truth and that the truth will set us free so that we will be the people GOD created us to be to the fullest.

What seeds of faith am I planting?

May 22, 2023December 1, 2024 / humblevalleyranch / Leave a comment

Recently, I became a co-admin of a seed library and found out that I would be planting seeds in order to have plants to sell as a fund-raising plant sale. My prayer for this started last year.

I was told that the seed library was receiving only 1/4 of the money raised at the plant sell and I became somewhat righteously angry. I started praying that if it be GOD’s will, that I would be able to donate plants towards the sell so that they would get 100% of the money raised. I was just thinking about a couple of dozen plants.

In March I was talking to the seed library lead and she was telling me that many of the plants that were started earlier in the year had been tossed around by the wind and were not going to make it for the sale. So I was given the “go-ahead” to grow some seeds for the sale. Reminder, I was only thinking a couple dozen plants. However, GOD’s plans are not our plans. I’d been given some Amazon gift cards for a class I took, so found myself looking at gardening supplies….and bought a 40 pack of twelve 1″x1″ square (40*12=480) peat planters. Plus I already had about 60 peat cups. So, I started planted seeds in 540 peat cups! Now mind you, just because you plant a seed doesn’t mean it will sprout or become a plant.

However, GOD’s plans are not our plans. I’d been given some Amazon gift cards for a class I took, so found myself looking at gardening supplies….and bought a 40 pack of twelve 1″x1″ square (40*12=480) peat planters.

Have you ever asked GOD to use something you are doing in the physical for the spiritual good?

As I was planting the physical seeds, I started praying that God would use the seeds that I was planting to bear spiritual fruit.

“ABBA FATHER LORD JESUS HOLY SPIRIT thank You that You are able to use what we do in the physical in spiritual ways. Physical seeds can be spiritual seeds planted! LORD remind us of this and empower us to sow generously in all we do.”

PLANT GENEROUSLY

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (TPT) “Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!”

The Aramaic can be translated “the one who sows with a storehouse of seed” (remaining). This describes a farmer who is stingy with his sowing since he has a storehouse of seed he can afford to sow liberally.

All throughout scriptures, we see both natural and spiritual implications of this cycle.

NATURAL: if you plant a few seeds, you will reap a small harvest. If you plant hundreds or thousands of seeds, you will reap a large harvest.

SPIRITUAL: When we “plant” our time, money, talent, and energy into the Kingdom of GOD we are investing in Him and His plan – and He can certainly multiply our efforts.

Some of the seeds just did not come up, they composted (become soil again) or were no longer viable. Which surprised me, because I soaked all the seeds before I planted them (and they passed the viability test).

Some of the seeds became seedlings but either got too cold, too hot or munched by bugs.

And some seeds were slow in coming up because we had an unseasonably cold spring this year. These were brand new seedlings for the sale, so few were sold.

A lot of the seeds became seedlings and thrived to become plants ready to be sold.

Because of all the variables above (becoming compost, dying plants, slow germination), if I would have been stingy in sowing, I wouldn’t have had near as many plants I ended up with.

We shouldn’t give to get though, we are to sow with the right heart. I was not growing plants for me to receive money or acknowledgement, I was growing plants because I desired to see the seed library succeed in their plant sale, so they could succeed in their mission…and praying that GOD would use it to plant spiritual seeds in the community.

Proverbs 11:18 (BSB) The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.

Hosea 10:12 (HCSB) Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until He comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.

I read this verse several days before the plant sale. I prayed that GOD would break up the unplowed land of our hardened hearts and to plant righteousness and faithful love. Before that, we had A LOT of rain and no more was expected for the season. In fact, it was unseasonably warm, in the upper 80’s and 90’s.

I was getting some signs printed for the plant sale at a store. I was talking with one employee and when she briefly walked away, I started fanning my face and another employee (who was busy with another customer, leaned over to me and said, “you know it’s going to rain next week!?!”

I laughed! I had not prayed the rest of the verse! “LORD, please send Your righteousness upon us like rain!” It not only rained one day, but on and off for a week!

WHAT ARE YOU CULTIVATING IN YOUR LIFE?

What am I cultivating in my life? Am I cultivating weeds of worldliness or a relationship with GOD? Cultivating a relationship with GOD will bear the fruit of the SPIRIT .

Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Sunday before the plant sale, I was writing my prayer request for the plant sale “Please pray that GOD will use the seeds I have planted physically for a spiritual harvest.” As I wrote, the person speaking just happened to read from First Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 36-9 (GNT) I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow. The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow. There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done. For we are partners working together for God, and you are God’s field.

It gave me great joy, belief and hope that He indeed was hearing my prayers and was already answering them.

I had well over 500 plants by the time the plant sale came. We raised over $700 and somehow I had well over 200 plants left. I know GOD was the One Who brought the success of the plant sale. And I believe that He is growing the spiritual seeds planted into a harvest for His Kingdom purposes.

Ask yourself, “How am I sowing spiritual seeds in my life and the lives of others? What types of seeds am I planting? Am I trusting God will multiply my efforts when I have harvested in his kingdom with the right heart?

Take some time today to reflect on what you’re planting and reaping and ask God to direct your steps.

Please let me know what GOD shows you, what you are sowing into His Kingdom as well as what harvest you see Him bring in through your planting and watering

Let your generosity be contagious

November 18, 2021 / humblevalleyranch / 8 Comments

Today would have been my grandpa’s 100th birthday. I miss him very much. One of the things I miss about him is the stories he would tell.

During World War II, he was part of the Army Air Corps and was stationed in England. He was a mechanic of the planes, so he would be on the ground the entire time while he was there.

During that time, people were sending their children from London, and other cities that were being bombed, into the country to stay with family, friends and even strangers so that the children would be safe. My grandpa said that these children would be walking without adults, usually the older ones caring for the younger ones.

It was nearing the holidays and my grandpa came up with an idea. He told his buddies that they could all give up a pair of socks and some of the items that they had received from home. Everyone liked the idea and were making much talk about it.

At one point, a commanding officer heard about it and decided to get in the act too! He told some of the flyboys to see what they could bring back to add to the socks. When they returned, they had crates of oranges with them.

So, each man took a pair of socks, loot from their boxes from home and two oranges. Then, as they saw the kids walking past, they would give each child a “stocking”.

As a child, I wondered if this was really true. BUT, one time I was on a plane going somewhere and I started reading the airline magazine. I read a story of an English man who as a child was sent by his parents from London into the country to stay with family so he would be safe…AND that American men from the Army Air Corps gave him and each of his siblings a sock filled with things and an orange. The man in the article went on to say that their generosity greatly impacted his life and caused him to desire to be as generous too.

Generosity doesn’t just look like gifts or money, it can be kind or encouraging words, praying for people, giving of time and service.

My grandpa was definitely a generous person and I know that his generosity has greatly impacted my life as well!

I really miss my grandpa. I would love to hear his voice again and get a hug from him. Happy 100th birthday from heaven Grandpa!! 🎉🎊🪅

I really wish I would have kept that airline magazine article. I have looked and looked online but unable to find it! (If anyone finds it, please send it to me!)

I want to challenge you, not just in these days of the coming holiday season, but throughout the year, to be so generous that it becomes contagious.

I pray that GOD will give you eyes to see the needs of people around you so that you can encourage and build them up…and that He will show you ways in which your generosity becomes contagious!

What’s Your SuperPower?

July 9, 2018February 8, 2020 / humblevalleyranch / Leave a comment

Have you ever thought about what your superpower would be? I thought it might be cool to be like Jesus and be able to read people’s thoughts (Matthew 9:4, Luke 5:22). Or maybe to be able to be like something my Grandpa used to say, “I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation!” Not that I want to be a fly on the wall, but rather to be able to make myself small enough to not be seen.

This weekend I got the opportunity to drive a 12-year old foster girl to a swim lesson. We’ve been around each other several times so she felt comfortable talking and asking questions.

She asked, “If you could have any superpower, what would you have?”

I was really surprised that I was able to answer off the cuff, “I don’t need to want a superpower, because I already have one!”

I glanced briefly to the passenger seat to see a very confused looking girl. “You do? What?”

Looking back to the road I answered, “Prayer is my superpower.”

“I talk to the GOD of all Creation and He listens.” I briefly paused and then said, “And He answers me too!”

She, completely wowed, asked, “Really?”

“Yes,” I said. “He even moves heaven and earth on my behalf!”

“NO WAY!” She said amazed.

I asked her what superpower she would have if she could have one. She answered, “The one you have!”

I said, “Well, you already have this superpower because you made Jesus your Savior. You are my sister-in-Christ and daughter of the Father GOD. All you have to do is talk to Him and He will listen. And He will answer and move on your behalf.”

She was very excited to know that she too has a superpower. It was fun to think of prayer as a superpower!

If you could have any superpower, what would you have?