Be a Tree!

Luke 19:9-10

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

         |A few days ago, I got up ready to do my devotional. Lately, my devotional life has not been as strong as I wish, which is why I thank God for the sister I have. She explained the secret to having a powerful devotional each and every morning. She told me to claim Jeremiah 33:3 which says that if we call to God, He will show us great and mighty things which we do not know. So, I did that and asked God to teach me something new, and I thank Him for answering my prayer. I was inspired to read Luke 19:1-10, which is the story of Zacchaeus.

            The story starts off with Zacchaeus having a strong desire to see Jesus. But the only thing that prevented him from doing so was that the crowd was blocking his way, like it says in verse 2 and 3

^“ Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.”

 Now, before I continue, I want to make a small point here. Sometimes, maybe unknowingly, we are blocking the way to Jesus. It is important to ever be on our guard and watch that we do not discourage each other, and that even our actions are always pointing to Jesus, not keeping them away from Him. But Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see Jesus, so he found the solution:

“ ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.”

            In the Bible, many times a righteous person is described as a tree. Like in Psalm 1 it compares a righteous man to a tree:

“Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper”.

-Psalms 1:1-3

 So even if a whole crowd of people are blocking the way to Jesus, just one righteous person can bring them to Christ.

I find it interesting that the Bible says specifically what type of tree Zacchaeus climbed; a sycamore tree. Their common characteristics are that it has a thick trunk, and thick, low branches, perfect for Zacchaeus since the bible says that

“…he was of short stature”.

And just like each tree is different, so each person needs a specific type of “tree” to guide them to Christ. A tall tree with high branches (like the baobab tree,) wouldn't have helped Zacchaeus to see Jesus. He needed a specific tree. In the same way, God made us all different. The talents and gifts that you have might not be the same as my talents and gifts. God made us in a special way, which is why the people you can reach out to may not be the same as the people I can reach. So when we don’t use our gifts, people could be potentially lost because we failed to reach them. 

This story also taught me that if Zacchaeus just gave up when he saw the crowds, he would never have seen Jesus. But I’m sure God saw his persistence and pointed him to the sycamore tree. This story is an encouragement to never give up. Even if it seems that the situation is hopeless and even if the people closest to you say it’s hopeless, turn to Jesus. Seek to find Him, even if it means climbing up a tree. 

Picture  Story:

We used to have a beautiful cheery tree in our back yard, that would give lots of cherries each summer. In the spring when it would blossom, it was a beautiful sight to behold, (too bad we didn't get many pictures of it in the spring time.) It was my favorite tree because it was so easy for me to climb up on, perfect for a short person like me!

Faith Hall of Fame!

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd." Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)

Hebrew chapter 11 is one of my Favorite bible passages, when I consider the  background of the Heroes of faith listed, it compels me to go farward with steadfastness even when the going got tough. These characters show their faithfulness amidst struggles, trial, temptation and hardship. Now think of how easy it could have been for them to give-up or give-in. Being Faithful involves action; if we have faith in God, we will act in faithful ways. Abel, Joseph, Enoch, Noah, Barack, Issac, Esau, Moses, didn’t have superhuman qualities or semi-divine origin….they were as human as you and me prone to temptation and trial…but when the going got tough, they were steadfast in their trust in God “Faith in action”.

A lot of you might remember watching the animated characters Wile E. Coyote and the Road runner in the Coyote and the road runner. Let’s say Wile E. Coyote is the devil (he does portray some characteristic of Lucifer) and the road runner God faithful servant. Wile E. coyote uses absurd contraptions and elaborate plans to pursue his quarry (the road runner). Though time and time again Wile E. Coyote is unsuccessful, he seems determine than ever and never gives up. Do you see where I am going here; the devil in his desperate quest to tempt us will do whatever it takes. In an episode of the coyote and the road runner, the coyote finally catches the road runner; however he has been shrunk down to minute size and dwarfed by the road runner. It does not matter the situation you are in, if you put your trust in God "Faith in action" it will only be a matter of time, GOD will take care of you….So be like the road runner even though he knew that the coyote was after him he never lost his enthusiasm (faith kept him going), he just keep on going with a "MEEP MEEP".

Are you demonstating your faith, putting it in action? The names listed above exemplified faith...^13" All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth." (CEB) .........Now you see why God was so proud of them. How cool it would be to have my, "my!" name recorded in the faith hall of fame. How wonderful it would be, to be able to proclaim "I have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Kem

Picture story:

Victoria made these cute little finger shoes. Her grade 8 class was doing a fundraiser for their class trip and a couple of the students decided to make these mini shoes and sell it to the other students. Interestingly enough, they were a big hit! Students started buying them very quickly and the girls soon found that they couldn't make them fast enough to supply the demand. As you can see from the picture, the shoes are made with intricate details, right down to the shoe laces (which are sown by a needle and some thread). So, if you ever need some mini shoes, you know who to ask. ;)

His Strength is Perfect

Hello Everyone!

I feel like I should be saying "Hello" because I've been gone for so long. Now that the school year is in full swing, I have been very busy…but this evening, I told myself that I simply MUST post something today. Actually, I always have ideas popping into my head at random times and I write them all down, but somehow, I just don't get around to it. It's on my to do list. :)

Today, I just want to share a simple story with you. It's not anything big or grandeur, but it was deep for me. 

Last month, I found out that I was scheduled to preach at my church. At first, I was a little bit surprised because they gave me only 2 week's notice and it would be right in the middle of the most hectic time for university students (did I hear you say, midterms?). My initial reaction was to switch with someone else and preach at a later time, however, I resolved that if God asked me to do it, I should. 

From the day I was told that I would be preaching, I prayed every day, asking God to tell me what He wanted me to speak about. Day after day went by and I was blank. I had great devotions in the morning, but each topic that came up, I knew that wasn't what God wanted me to talk about. 1 week went by, I still didn't have an idea, much less a draft. Then, at the last minute, God showed me exactly what to speak about…His love. 

Let's start with some background. Recently, I've been studying a lot about Jesus' death on the cross and my heart has been melted as I begin to see a tiny glimpse of how much God loves us. How much He gave up, for a poor, wretched soul like mine. The phrase "Jesus loves you" has become rampant among Christians. It's almost like a mantra we chant thinking that it will win people to Christ. I've been hearing it ever since I was a small child, but I didn't really understand the depth of it until now. On a side note, if you want to see a clearer picture of how much Christ loves us, I highly recommend a book called, "The Desire of Ages", here is a link so you can read it for free online: http://www.whiteestate.org/books/da/da.asp (I specifically recommend Chapter 74-87). Read it parallel to the Bible. It changed my life. When I stop and meditate on how the King of Kings gave up everything, just so that sinful mankind or more specifically, so that sinful, rotten, Nina can be reunited with Christ, can be forgiven of her sins, can be given pure joy and happiness. I sit and I wonder, what kind of love is that? It is so much deeper than any love I could ever give, so much purer than anything I have ever known. 

However, when God told me to preach about His love, I was very hesitant. I didn't want to do it because I felt like it would be impossible to describe God's love and actually have people see the depth of it. I felt that if I stood at the pulpit and talked about it, I wouldn't pay it any justice, so why talk about it at all? His love is so deep, it's beyond our comprehension; my biggest fear was  that people wouldn't see the depth of it. So, here I was, in the middle of the week, I finally had a topic, but no inspiration as to how I should go about doing it. So, I continued praying. On Friday, I went to the library and devoted my day to studying the Bible and writing my sermon, then I went home. As I lay in bed, I prayed to God. I saw myself, sin-stained and a broken vessel. What could God do through me? I felt wholly inadequate to speak, moreover, I knew I was completely unworthy to stand before His people. The nagging thought was ever before me, I was so worried that people wouldn't understand what I'm saying or that they wouldn't see the unsearchable depth of His love. With that thought in mind, I fell asleep. 

Every morning, when I wake up, I take out my phone and check my email (obsessive habit, I know). I'm signed up for this "verse of the day" email list from Biblegateway. I opened it up to see what it would say and as soon as I read it, I had a huge smile on my face. It was from Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

In the midst of all my doubts, all my fears, all my deficiencies, God had a message for me. He told me that while I don't have the words or the eloquence or the wisdom to describe His love, His Word is enough, that's all it takes. The Bible is a sword, moving with power, it pierces the soul in a way that we could never match. As I read the passage, I was amazed once again that God knew exactly what to do to comfort me. He had arranged it so that the verse that I needed to read the most would be sent to me at the time that I needed it most. Isn't our God good? He is amazing! I got up and went with full assurance that God was with me and that HE would be the one speaking, not me. I experienced perfect peace in my heart. 

In closing, I just want to remind you of one of my favourite verses in the Bible.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

-2 Corinthians 12:9

When we are at our weakest point, that's when God is able to work in our hearts and through our lives. When we realize that we can't do it on our own, it forces us to surrender our all to Him. His strength is made perfect in weakness! What an amazing God!

-Nina

Picture story: When I read the verse that morning, I took a picture of it right away, knowing that I would want to share it on the blog later. So here it is!

Kindness: The Magic Penny

"But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people." Galatians 5:22

A couple of weeks ago I went into the supermarket to grab a couple of things, I was in a rush. While I was in the Caribbean section,  I overheard a lady asking  a worker  about  the different types of coconut milk…..the worker wasn’t any help….
a voice spoke to me and said "You are pretty knowledgeable about it , why not take a minute to explain it to her?" to which I quickly responded "I am late, I don’t have the time."
 "What if it was you?" Suffice it to say I ended up losing that debate----I  walked up to the lady and explained the differences between the 3 types of coconut milk ( cream,powder and liquid), and I also found out what she wanted the coconut milk for and recommend the best one for the recipe.
 It took a bit of time, but I left the supermarket with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.

 Last week on my way home from an event, I decide to stop by the supermarket to grab some fruits. As I was taking my own sweet time strolling (enjoying my walk),  I heard a female voice say “You need to hurry, the supermarket is closing in 8 minutes.” I thought, "how does she know that I'm going to the supermarket; I could be going to any store in the mall?"….but I replied “I thought it closes at 9pm.” “On Sundays it closes at 8, but if you hurry you will make it before they stop letting people in.” “Thank you very much,” I said as I start running. “I hope you make it on time and thanks for your help the other day,” the lady shouted. That stopped me in my track; I turned to see the lady waving and realize she was the same lady I helped with the coconut milk.

This bring to mind a little song I used to sing each morning in primary school; 'The magic penny.' It goes (Jamaican version): 'Love (insert kindness) is something if you give it away, it will come right back to you. It's (kindness) just like a magic penny, put it in your pocket and you won't have any. But if you spend it or give it away, it will come right back to you.' The small act of kindness I showed ended up coming back to me. The kinder we are (it doesn’t matter how small)… the more like Christ we become.  When we put self aside, room is make for the Holy Spirit to work upon our hearts; kindness will spring forth from us.

When was the last time you spent or given away your magic penny (kindness)? Remember, if you  hold it tight or put it in your pocket, you won't have any. Little deeds of kindness,will cheer and gladden the pathway of life.

Kem


Picture Story:
I actually wrote this post a long time ago, but I had so much trouble finding a picture to go with it. (All of us at Live Profoundly have a rule that we only use our own pictures for our posts)...so I told Nina about my post and we sat down at church one day and went through hundreds of pictures on her laptop. This picture was taken when they went to African Lion Safari. For those who have never heard of it, it's a wild life park that allows you to drive through and there are real animals walking around, with no cages. It's like the safari experience! Some of the animals (especially the monkeys) like to come right up to the car and it gives you an up-close-and-personal experience!