Psalm 63 - 4.24.26

Scripture: Psalm 63:1-8

‍ ‍‍ ‍

1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.‍ ‍

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.‍ ‍

3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.‍ ‍

4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.‍ ‍

5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.‍ ‍

6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.‍ ‍

7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.‍ ‍

8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.‍

‍ ‍

Observation

‍ ‍

This is a Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. David spent years in the wilderness, hunted by Saul. He hid in caves, in the darkness, relying on God to take care of him. David would cry out to God early in the morning, seeking His face, seeking His protection, seeking His Love. To David, the Love of God was more meaningful than life itself. David longed for God’s love, presence and protection.‍

‍ ‍

Application

‍ ‍

I went through many years in the wilderness. Walking through a divorce after 24 years of marriage. Having my four children with me and not knowing how I would take care of them by myself. My son Joshua starting have mental issues, he did drugs with his friends and drove his car at 60 mph right into a traffic pole. He was in a hospital bed in my living room for 1 year. He started walking and working again, but the mental illness kept getting worse. He couldn’t keep a job, was abusing drugs and alcohol and was abusive verbally to all his family. I ended up kicking him out of the house and he started his seven-year journey on the streets of Santa Clarita.

‍ ‍

I had entered my wilderness season, but the Lord never left me or forsake me. I would worship and cry myself to sleep. The next morning, I would have renewed hope in the future. I would praise the Lord from the moment I woke up and thank Him for watching over me and my children during the night. I was in constant prayer for my son Joshua and would walk the washes praying and looking for him. I would wake up every morning at 3 am worrying about my son, so I figured God woke me up to pray. I would intercede for him about an hour, then I would fall back to sleep. I longed to be in God’s presence, I would close my eyes and picture myself crawling up into His lap and He would cover me with His wings. Day by day I grew stronger and Jesus walked with me every step of the way, His right hand was always there for me to grab hold of. He met our needs and He watched over my children, especially my Prodigal Son.

‍ ‍

If you see me at church, worshipping, praising God, lifting my hands and dancing it’s not that I want to make a spectacle of myself, it’s because I walked through the fire and came out the other side. I will praise Him for as long as I live and His name will forever be on my lips.

‍ ‍

His love is truly better than life!‍

‍ ‍

Prayer

‍ ‍

Dear Lord,‍ ‍

Thank you for never leaving me or forsaking me while I walked through the wilderness. Thank you for always reaching your hand out to me to hold. Thank you for protecting my children and walking them through the wilderness also. Thank you for your love that is better than life. I will forever praise your name!‍

‍ ‍

- Michelle Craig

Mark 4 - 4.23.26

SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:1 - 8

“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:  “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

OBSERVATION

The sower never stops sowing.

I am someone who loves when something works the first time.

I recently started gardening , making sourdough, and getting into getting good at my espresso machine at home. Post grad hobbies are getting crazy, I know. 

If there’s one thing about me, I love when I get things right, and am great at it the very first time. I am sure someone reading this can relate. So it is a bit funny that these three hobbies have been my past times of choice . . . Why? Because they are hobbies that require patience and persistence. 

Though I wanted an artisan sourdough loaf my first go, that is most definitely what I didn’t receive. Katie Thompson gave me sourdough baking advice that encouraged me similarly to the Lord’s encouragement in this passage, “just keep on baking and eventually you will get a great loaf.”

When reading this part of Mark 4, God highlighted to me how the sower did not quit when the seeds he had planted withered or were taken away. He kept sowing. I can imagine it is discouraging for the sower to see what he invested in his efforts that did not grow into what he really desired them to be. Similarly to us, we can get discouraged in our faith when we sow and we sow, but are eagerly anticipating a seed to take root so we can experience a bountiful harvest.

But we pray for that person and see no curiosity in Jesus.

Or we pray for healing and still see sickness or pain.

We pray for reconciliation and still have not gotten a call back.

We are sowing good seeds - so where is the harvest?

The key lessons that are taught here are to keep sowing & to have faith in God’s generous heart, which is the fertile soil we are promised.

Though some seeds have fallen to die and not grow, continue to sow as God has asked you because He desires to answer. . . Not in our timing but in His.

The sower did not stop sowing, he sowed and sowed and eventually saw a harvest produce that was abundantly more than he had ever seen or could have dreamed; never stop sowing. 

We must not stop sowing love, even if we face hate in return. 

We must not stop sowing faith, when all we feel is doubt.

We must not stop sowing forgiveness, when we experience hurt. 

Even if there is no harvest immediately, these are actions the word of God guides us into, and there is no part of the word of God that will ever return void to us. We must sow, as He calls us to do. We must be like this sower, who is devoted and committed to what is asked of Him.

God wants to use every seed we sow as a way to get closer to us and that may be in obscure timing to our flesh, but God’s plan and sense of time is divine, and greater than our own. Sowing seeds cultivates faith, it cultivates relationship with God through prayer to Him about things, and it is a foundational aspect to our lives as laborers for the kingdom. 

Though the harvest timing may not make sense now, keep sowing and leaning in, for the harvest is coming. And even when it does, we must praise, celebrate, and keep sowing. 

APPLICATION

Pause and tell God where you are sad or grieved that you are sowing and seeing no harvest, confess this to Him.

Now pause and ask God to walk you through a time where He showed a harvest that is more than you could have ever cultivated on your own. As He brings things to mind, write it down.

Ask God for delight as you sow, no matter what happens to the seed - ask for delight in the gift it is to sow seeds for Jesus.

Now, pray and intercede for that area you want to see a harvest in. Whether it be a person you want to come to know the Lord or a situation you need breakthrough in, petition Him. Know He is the fertilizer to the soil our seeds are being planted in.

PRAYER

God, hear our hearts and see our desires for a bountiful harvest that honors you. Where we need to sow, guide us. Where we need to remember a harvest, remind us. Where we need to confess and repent for our tainting of soil where seed needs nourishing, reveal that to us. Lord, we give you our yes to sow faithfully. Help us be patient in the process and enjoy the ride. We love you. 

Amen.

- Tess Schrupp

Mark 3 - 4.22.26

Scripture: Mark 3:1-5

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Observation

Jesus teaches us to put people first.

Application

I am a rule follower. But sometimes the problem with rule followers is that we let following the rules become more important than following God. By no means am I implying that God encourages us to break rules. Rules are put in place to provide guardrails for us. Problems come if we start to feel that following rules, checking off the boxes, makes us worthy. Or not following the rules makes others not worthy. No one is worthy – we are saved by grace.

Another problem is that sometimes it is easier to just follow the rules, or traditions, or cultural norms, than to question – God, is this what you want from me? It is easier to do what we have always done than to shake things up. But Jesus shook things up!

Jesus asks the question, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” When they refused to admit that God would want him to do good – to put people first, he was angry and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for this reminder of how much you love people. Poke me and prod me so I don’t become complacent. Continue to challenge me so I can grow. Help me to make decisions that put people first. Teach me to love others like you do.

- Debbie Dunn