“Thank You Lord!” I softly whispered as I noticed how many beautiful flowers had remained clinging on our cherry tree by the side yard. I prayed for these flowers to remain steadfast as the strong gusts of wind beat down upon them yesterday. I was sad for those beautiful pink hues that I ended up sweeping on the ground.
My husband planted this dwarf cherry tree, along with other fruit trees and last year, we were only able to harvest only a handful because of the same problem. The sudden gusts of wind always detached those beautiful flowers.
If these remaining flowers I was marveling at this morning would be able to make it, I was excited already, knowing that its fruits were amazingly sweet, ripened in its own natural process. We never used fertilizer.
“Why did you give my mom so much? These were the only ones you harvested,” asked a dear friend when I gave them that handful last year for them to enjoy.
“That’s okay. I wanted to share it with both of you because your mom did the same for me. She gave me so many figs from your tree. I enjoyed them all.”
At this stage of my life’s journey where I’m being battered by strong winds of wrong accusations and evil desires, I pray that I will cling more to the Vine. Even if I know that He promised an undeserved destination, I know that this process of waiting in my life’s journey is as important to the Lord. Going through those strong gusts of trials enable me to remain humble, to be tested and for my heart to reveal what is truly inside. All I want is to remain clinging ever closer to the Vine and be tested, be humbled, be poured out, and my heart emptied so that all of me: heart, soul, and mind would always be oriented to God. Someday, I hope my fruits will be sweet and is always a pleasing sacrifice offered to God, able to withstand the trials in this difficult journey. I know He is going through these trials with me.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33 (NIV)
I digested every lyric of this song as my church family sang in unison. I closed my eyes and this song “Everlasting God” (by Brenton Brown) spoke truth to where I am in my life. We all go through that needed “waiting process” in our life’s journeys. Sometimes, the answers might not come quick. Sometimes, we wonder where God is in all that waiting period. Even the Psalmist in Psalm 33:20 said, “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” (NIV).
Charles Spurgeon explained it:
Verse 20. Our soul waits for the Lord. Here the godly avow their reliance upon him whom the Psalm extols. To wait is a great lesson. To be quiet in expectation, patient in hope, single in confidence, is one of the bright attainments of a Christian. Our soul, our life, must hang upon God; we are not to trust him with a few gewgaws, but with all we have and are. He is our help and our shield. Our help in labor, our shield in danger. The Lord answers all things to his people. He is their all in all. Note the three "ours" in the text. These holdfast words are precious. Personal possession makes the Christian man; all else is mere talk.”
If you are going through a difficult time in your life’s journey, let us hold on more so with His faithful love and true promises. I choose to wait as I hope in the Lord, knowing He is the true Source of strength and everything else I need to be able to successfully finish my life’s journey.
We just never know...What difficulty we are going through today may turn up to encourage others needing that someday. Even if that's all we can offer to them.
We just never know...What difficulty we are going through today may turn up to encourage others needing that someday. Even if that's all we can offer to them.
Turn up your volume and let us sing to our good God!!!
Everlasting God (by Benton Brown; sang by Chris Tomlin):
