Tag: faith

Necessary Pruning

Here in sunny Florida, we had a hard freeze recently. Temperatures dropped below freezing for 8 to 9 hours on three consecutive mornings. This kind of polar plunge is uncommon for our home on the Space Coast. Though the weeds in our yard are still standing mighty and green, a wide variety of trees, vegetation, and grass got hit hard. Things once thriving and pretty now stand dark brown and crispy. Toasted are our hibiscus, snow on the mountains, hummingbird bushes, and banana trees. I can’t wait to take an inventory of what can be salvaged and trim away dead leaves and branches to make way for spring’s arrival. Pruning back what’s not healthy will help them grow and flourish into something vibrant.

Over time, our hearts and minds get brown and crispy from the hurts we receive from others and from things we may unknowingly bring on ourselves. Just as plants damaged by frost and freezing temperatures need pruning, so do we occasionally. Let God tenderly prune you. Ask Him to reveal anything in your heart and mind that keeps you from enjoying His best for you. Let Him gently trim away anything you need to let go of and watch your faith grow like vibrantly colored spring flowers.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Just Add Cold Water

For many, the first month after the most wonderful time of the year is the most refreshing time of the year. January often brings a new start, a reset button, and a sense of rejuvenation. It’s a great time to look at the areas of your life that may need a little kick-start.

In 2022, I recognized I had become complacent in my faith, and it wasn’t a good feeling. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but the fire and excitement of being a child of God had dimmed a bit. Even worse, I had let my time spent in God’s Word become routine rather than engaging. It was time for a kick-start.

That kick-start came on January 1, 2023, when I was re-baptized in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in the very chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The cold water ignited my lukewarm faith, and the fire I felt for God was back. I couldn’t wait to get started on what He had in store for me, whatever it was. One month later, I started writing for His Kingdom.

God’s love for us never fails; it is relentless, unwavering, and steady. Lord, thank You that Your love for me is never routine or lukewarm. Thank You for the refreshment and rejuvenation I can find in Your Word every day.