Yvonne Ward
June 2011
Are We Crawling or Soaring?
After such a rainy, stormy week, it was a simply beautiful day, a blessing! I sat on my patio soaking up the sun and enjoyed the container gardens we had planted.
As I looked down I saw a caterpillar methodically crawling toward the edge of the patio. Nature is a great teacher of spiritual truths and I am reminded of a lot of things when I observe it. This little creature was moving with a purpose, he wanted food. In order to get the nourishment he required he had to seek it. At first he tried simply reaching his head and part of his body to the grass. However, it didn’t take him long to realize he couldn’t get the results he wanted without jumping in wholeheartedly.
So, he made his way between the blades of grass and searched for food. The caterpillar would nibble here and there but it was obvious he wasn’t satisfied. Each time he would eat he would fall back between the strands and begin his quest all over again. Finally, he began to make his way up a tall blade of grass, a skyscraper of grass if you will, and with great determination climbed to the top. Ah, victory, but short-lived. The blade could not hold him. He had climbed the wrong stalk. At the very bottom he continued his futile attempt at success only to fail over and over again.
I couldn’t help but think how we are like the caterpillar. We crawl to and from one ladder to the next without counting the cost. Even the “good” things aren’t the right pursuits if the Holy Spirit hasn’t led us to them. I think we often consider the wrong avenues taken are only by those who don’t know the Lord. However, it is so easy to hit bottom unless we are following the voice of the One who has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. This can only occur if we are abiding in His Word and listening for His leadership in our every pursuit!
That little caterpillar didn’t know it but one day soon his body would yield to the plan of his Creator and become a beautiful butterfly, soaring above the ground he had crawled upon. Now he was a new creature. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Fly! Fly! Fly!
April 11, 2011
The book of Psalms is one of my favorite books in the Bible. During times of joy, it has lifted me to total praise of thanksgiving. In times of anxiety, it has given me peace. In seasons of depression, it has been my comfort and hope. When I have needed direction, I have found it to be a source of encouragement and truth.
Psalm 1 has only six verses but it is rich in wisdom. It contrasts the godly man and the ungodly man. As I read I see that the blessed man, the godly man (or woman) is one who does not find direction and guidance from those who do not walk with God. The Psalmist says that he will walk with God and meditate on His Word. The result will be a life of fruit-bearing and prosperity.
The godly man shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, channels of water. The word “tree” means a “transplanted tree.” The Father is the One Who “transplants” us into the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13). This verse is similar to the one in Jeremiah 17:8:
“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (NIV).
There WILL be seasons in our lives that are difficult, even beyond our comprehension. How do we prepare for them? I believe this first Psalm answers that. If we as believers are in the Word and abiding in the Vine, not listening to the counsel of ungodly people, no matter what the season, we will prosper.
I am reminded of Joseph in the book of Genesis. He found himself in a foreign country, far away from his family, having been sold into slavery by his own brothers. However, he remained faithful to the Lord and was prosperous even in the worst of circumstances. God used Joseph in a mighty way.
How does this affect us personally and practically as women of God? What does it mean to sit in the counsel of the ungodly or in the seat of the scornful? None of us would likely walk up to a thief or hardened criminal and seek answers for our lives. However, we are often swayed by “well-meaning” people like Oprah, Dr. Phil, health, wealth and prosperity teaching of television teachers/preachers. We turn to self-help books rather than THE Book. It is so easy to fall prey to false teaching. Some of the things the Oprahs, Phils, and others say sound so good, so valid. We must, as women, lay their words alongside the Word of God. If they don’t match with scripture it is false teaching, heresy.
I want to be a woman whom God can bless.
-Yvonne Ward