GOD is a GOD of details

What seeds of faith am I planting?

/ 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

How is GOD using the fire and storms in your life?

/ humblevalleyranch / Leave a comment

I’m not exactly sure when it was, but for a period of time, I kept finding myself reading verses in the Bible about being in the fire or storm. Daniel 3:9-30, Isaiah 43:1-5, Matthew 8:23-27, the book of Job and others. I’m not sure what I thought at the time, but looking back, I can see that GOD wanted to prepare me that I would be going into the fire…a hot 🥵🔥 one!

Since October 22, 2015 I feel like I have been in the fire. That is on-going pain from surgery with no answers to why, spinal pain which was in the 7-8/10 pain levels for several years (as well as occasionally now, but regularly around 4-6/10 pain levels), for several years inability to get regular sleep, doctors unwilling to help, insurance denials, workplace falsely accusing me of theft, loss of beloved animals, mental breakdown, weakness in my legs taking my freedom to drive, autoimmune disease, noise/light/smell sensitivities, depression, migraine headaches…

; BUT GOD has been faithful throughout. Majority of the verses I continued to see over and over were about being in a fire or storm, BUT most importantly the verses were about WHO IS WITH US WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE FIRE OR THE STORM!

Isaiah 43:1-5 -But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your GOD, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.

Remember Shadrach Meshach and Abednego;  GOD didn’t put out the fire, in fact, the fire was stoked seven times hotter! ;BUT GOD was in the fire with them. It’s not about GOD putting out the fires, it’s about who is in the fire with you.

In Matthew 8:23-27, the One who controls all things, including the weather, was in the boat with the disciples. JESUS calmed the storm with a Word.

For just over six and a half years, I have been in what feels like a fire that’s gotten a little bit hotter over time. I’ve learned that the key to not fearing is to know that GOD is with us through it.

I have also started to see that going through the fire is about healing and restoration. This happens when we surrender every aspect of the fires and storms to GOD and allow Him to use it for our good.

Today it occurred to me that maybe GOD wants to use the fires in our lives to give others life. I was reading a devotional about “heaping coals on the heads of our enemies” and remembered that in the past it was a blessing to give someone a hot coal. It meant they would be able to warm their house, cook food, warm water for drinks and baths, etc.

I’m not quite sure what it would look like to use the fire I am in to give life to others. Maybe instead of just existing in the fires we are in, we can look outside of our fires to encourage others who are going through it and we can pray for others asking GOD to show Himself in their fire.

How is GOD using the fires and/or storms in your life?  What is He teaching you? Please let me know in the comment section.

Despite the fires in my life, I desire to see the Church, the Bride of Christ, united together in love. I desire to see the Bay Area to become the Valley of GOD’s Heart’s Delight. I’m not sure how I can be part of this, other than prayer, but I am at least asking GOD to use me.

I pray that GOD will show Himself faithful to you. I pray that GOD will show you, that even though your fire might be getting hotter or that your boat is about to be overtaken by waves, He is with you, He is for you and He is in control of the fires and storms. I pray that GOD will empower you to stop crying out to be saved from the fire and the storm to see that you are safe in the fire and the storm BECAUSE HE IS WITH YOU. I pray that GOD will encourage you, strengthen you and show you purpose inside the fire and storm. I pray that GOD will remove all hopelessness, anxiety, fear, dejectedness, etc and give you His peace that surpasses all understanding to guard your heart and mind. I pray that GOD will soften any part of your heart and mind that has become hardened because of the fire and storm. And I pray that GOD will renew your love for Him, allow a fire to burn inside your heart and that He will show you new purpose. May He build something beautiful from the ashes, bringing healing and restoration in and through your life because of what you are going through.