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Good morning, faithful reading friend! Yes, this morning, the Lord invites you to "Come, just as you are". Whether you come in a state of despair, weariness, or joy matters not…just that you "come." This morning, I'm sitting on my porch, watching the rain fall so gently. I should have been in the sweet corn patch already, but I come this morning, weary.
You see, I've been up to my ears in sweet corn for many weeks now, literally -- up to my ears. Rain or shine, intense heat, lots of bugs, corn cuts, and did I mention mud? I'm one who is prone to grumble all too often, and so, here I am, Lord, grumbling again about all you've blessed me with. I mean, Lord, didn't you tell us to do all things in moderation? I DREAM sweet corn! Give me a break!
So goes the attitude on one not thankful! I mentioned that we are currently studying the armor of God, found in Ephesians, chap. 6. It's been intriguing to notice the progression. We began with putting on the belt of Truth, which is the Word of God. We need to base all of our decisions and actions on what the Word has to say. It is our guide. Jesus is Truth. Then, we recognize our right standing with God because we have made Jesus our Savior. This is the breastplate of Righteousness. Next comes the shoes of Peace. May I just be honest and say that I found myself stuck here for a spell? Why? Mostly due to the enemy who wants to steal away our joy in the Lord, that's why!
Friends, we have an enemy of our soul, whose main goal is to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). While he may be invisible, he is very real, and he is relentless in our destruction. Anything at all he can do to steal our peace or distract us from living out our faith -- that's where you'll find him. I lost my peace in the corn patch this summer. I forgot what a blessing it is to have all the blessings that come with the territory. For instance, I've had the pleasure of meeting my grandsons in the patch, as they have faithfully worked by my side all summer. I would be so overwhelmed without their help. I've had the joy of knowing that our faithful customers will be so happy for the corn, and believe me, it is the best around! I get to mingle with the customers, and hopefully, add some encouragement to their lives. I've been so blessed to have more than enough corn to put in the freezer, to can, and to eat fresh. So many blessings in the midst of all of this busyness, yet I failed to be thankful. Lord, forgive me!
I'm very sure that the reason I got stuck on this topic of peace is simply because I've had none! Why? Why amongst all these blessings? Because of my lack of thankfulness. You see, in our study on peace, we were made aware that Colossians 3:15 is truth. It says: Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, and be thankful! Gulp! We only find peace when we are thankful? Yes, indeed! And Isaiah 26:3 tells us that He will keep us in perfect peace, because our minds are fixed on Him. I know these things, and I'm sure you do, as well. Yet, to my dismay, and likely yours, as well, peace alludes us…simply because we have become thankless. I can only speak for myself, but I see now that I, in my weariness, misplaced my priorities by entering into an attitude of grumbling instead of thanking. As I've become increasingly aware of my "stinkin' thinkin'", I am humbled, to say the least. Grumbling tells me that I'm not content with the life God has given, and instead, get very ungrateful. It shows up in the words I say and even the words I don't say. It is sin, and a lack of faith in me. I stand amazed at how this is all coming together. It is no coincidence the order of the armor we must put on to fight the evil one. Faith, "just happens" to be the next piece of armor!
On one such morning of grumbling in the corn patch, I remembered these verses…let the peace of God dwell in my heart, and be thankful. It was enough to shake me out of the grumbling attitude that I entered the patch with. I raised my hands in praise to the God to gives and gives and gives. I thanked Him for the corn, for the endless harvest, for the strength to do this another time, and I thanked Him for His forgiveness. He doesn't give up on me, even in my grumbly state. I thanked Him for His love and His faithfulness, even when I am faithless. I praised Him for His forgiveness for such a worm as I. I worshipped freely, hands lifted to the heavens, right there under the beautiful sun…and the gracious Son. My attitude went from grumbling and thanklessness to…you guessed it…that peace that passes all understanding. I found the joy of the Lord, right there in the midst of everything I had failed to see and appreciate. My circumstances didn't change. I still had lots of corn to pick. The bugs would still bite, the sweat would run, the customers may not show up, and I may find myself doing corn yet another time. But, my heart had been changed! I found the peace of God in the sweet corn patch, and it was, is, sweet! Sweeter than the Honey Select corn that has been in such high demand…sweeter than anything this side of heaven…this peace…His peace.
Along side our study on the armor of God, I've been reading a book entitled, "Satisfy My Thirsty Soul", by Linda Dillow…a must read for any of you who are longing for a deeper relationship with God. Linda challenges us to a life of praise. She begins her worship time daily by praying the letters of the alphabet to her Lord. I've challenged our Bible study girls, and I challenge you, dear reader, to do the same. It will profoundly change your attitude for the day, and hopefully, for your life. It sounds like this:
Father, I ADORE You. Your love is AMAZING! You are my ABBA, FATHER…my daddy God. You are my BELOVED, and I CHERISH You. You CARE for my every need. You DELIVER me from the evil one. You are the DEFENDER of my heart. My soul DELIGHTS in You. You are EVERYTHING I need. You are ENOUGH. Thank You, FATHER, for Your FAITHFULNESS, even when I stray. Without Your FORGIVENESS, I would be lost in this sinful world. You just GIVE AND GIVE. Because of You, I have HOPE to live this life in a way that is pleasing to You. I long to bring You GLORY. HALLELUJAH! You are the keeper of my HEART!
I pray that as each new day comes your way, you will remember these verses and begin to life a life of praise to the Only One Worthy. I pray warm sunshine over each of you, no matter what "patch" you find yourself in. Give thanks always and see the peace of God flow freely over your heart and mind, as you stay focused on Jesus, the One who died to give you that peace. Blessings to each of you, from me, that girl who must continually come back to the foot of the cross…in THANKSGIVING and PRAISE for my Jesus.