Father

GOT BALANCE?

Posted on by pennyjoliver

Got Balance?

God says you do.

And I’m not just talking about balancing on one leg. Or, holding yourself up in a yoga pose for a minute or two. I’m talking about living a balanced life. Holding it all together no matter what life throws at you. Not simply surviving. I’m talking about thriving. You and me as people. You and me in our lives. Can you believe it? God has big plans for you, “…to give you a future and a hope”! (Jeremiah 29:11)

In God’s great book He wrote for you and I, He says that we are not left here to do this life on our own. He wants to help us. He wants to be that solid rock for us. The one that we can stand and build our life upon. He tells us that, “Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.” (Matthew 7:24) We must not worry either. He also promises that He will hold us up. We must simply trust Him. We must believe in His ways for He says,” My thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways, declare the Lord.” ( Isaiah 55:8)

And balance we discover in God’s world comes down to rock level. An ordinary, everyday, common object: the rock. God uses a simple object to show His precious,” created in His image” creation  an exceedingly great truth. (Genesis 1:27) Though God’s love for us is beyond what we humans can comprehend, it is as simple, firm and sturdy as a rock in practice!

I am sure that everyone would agree that it gets tough balancing life sometimes. Just like a yoga pose, we start out strong. Before you know it, we are wobbling, crumbling, and falling down while trying desperately to hold ourselves up. Soon we are totally out of balance. We can be strangled with the cares, worries fears and doubts of this life. Life no longer feels free, light, or buoyant or balanced. But, our God never intended that kind of life for us. God came to set us free from a life of burden and the guilt of sin. He says,” I came so that you may have life and live it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Next time you feel out of balance, choose to have calm in your chaos instead of trying to keep yourself up. “…build your life on the rock!”  (Matthew 7:24)

Next time you practice balancing poses, try to remember that “He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand”, (Psalm 40:2) and that, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress I will not be shaken.”  (Psalm 62:6)

Amazingly, God the “rock” is mentioned in 59 Bible verses.

Stand firm. You can have balance. I also know from my life that sometimes it takes a long time to get unbalanced. And so we learn to adjust and accept things that throw us off balance without even realizing it. Soon, we are so used to living this way it becomes our way of life. Thankfully, God wants us to have better. We are His children, after all. The Creator of everything and King of the universe: That is our Father. We are His children. What would you not do for your children in need? I’m only here to remind you. You already know that our Heavenly Father can do anything. Just ask.

A FLOCK OF LOVE

Posted on by pennyjoliver

 

Before I started taking yoga pics, I never really was a fan of the outdoors. Now I can’t wait to go outside some where, anywhere and strike up a pose because God surprises me with His glory every time. With an abundance of His beauty to see there is always a truth to discover and wisdom to be learned from each and every pic. Regretfully, I was too blind and too busy to care. Especially blind for the millions of everyday birds outside my window. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I decided they are not worthy of my time nor my observation, it’s just I was too busy. But isn’t that the point? Though the birds fly above me and sit on trees outside my window, I was so absorbed in the cares of this life I could not even see them!

…and Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” And if your heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air, how much more will He feed you, His precious beloved child!”

Matthew 6:26

Perhaps God created birds to let us know that we are far more valuable than many, many birds put together. In Matthew 10:29, Jesus said,” Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?” Then, in Luke 12:16, He said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?” Add it all up and we can’t help but realize that these sparrows are so cheap that you can buy four of them for two copper coins, and you get one thrown in for free!

Such common birds are those sparrows, yet not even one of these cheap birds falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge (Matthew 10:29). Not one of them is forgotten before Him (Luke 12:6). So will He forget us who are of more value than all these birds put together? Maybe that is why Jesus also said,

“Therefore, do not worry, saying, “what shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”…For your Heavenly Father knows that we need all these things.”

Matthew 6:31-32

If our Heavenly Father cares for cheap, common birds, and feeds them everyday, how much more will He care for us? For we are His dear precious children. May our hearts take comfort as we hear God say to us,

“Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10:31

Perched on a tree branch, two birds were observing people rushing from once place to another. Looking at their faces, one bird asked the other, “Why are human beings so full of worries and cares?” The other bird answered, “Maybe they don’t have a heavenly Father like we do.” Perhaps that is why birds are able to fly. No cares and no worries to burden them and weight them down.

Maybe that is why every shape, color, and species of birds come together every morning and every evening in concert, without fail, to tweet out their grand opus before their Creator. And isn’t it such a blessing to know when God created the world, He even provided a sound system for His children? Even better, He gives us a perfectly composed concert to wake us everyday, and a lullaby to serenade us to sleep every evening. He also gave us guidance through the Scriptures to ensure we know without a doubt that God thinks about us, knows what we need, and has provided it all already. Simply because He loves us!

 

Halleluyah!

Next time you see or hear the birds be sure to remember that you are worth all of them to God!