Category: blog

Lily Work Ministry Update

Meaning of the Name

As a teenager and young adult, creativity was a huge part of my life.  It was not unusual for me to do all kinds of craft.  I made most of the clothes I wore.  As life became busy, I left most of this behind especially while I was going to nursing school and later working as an RN.  It seemed I had lost my ability to create.  It was reflected even in my own home.  My home did not reflect my personality and my God given creativity. 

A few years ago, a prayed a prayer to God asking Him to restore the gift of creativity back to my life.  During this time, different ideas started forming in my mind.  Most of the art pieces I did were simple pallet wood signs, later progressing to paintings on pallet wood as well as other things. Then I started painting 8X10 acrylic paintings, mostly of birds, flowers and animals. Now I am designing products for sale via Printify which is a print on demand company. There will be a link to my Printify Shop and LilyWorks Market Place on www.terrywilliamsministries.com website.

LilyWorks Developed Over Time…..

I was inspired to call my artwork LilyWorks.  There is a scriptural reference concerning the building of Solomon’s temple that mentioned the lily work design in the temple.   This scriptural passage can be found in 1 Kings 7:18, 16, 19, 21, 22. As a result, I felt led of God to name my art business first LilyWorks and later changed the name to LilyWorks Market Place. 

1 Kings 7:19, 21, 22

1Ki 7:19  Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 

 I found that the capitals where the lily work was found were not merely for structural benefit but had a deeper meaning worked into it by the craftsman. The designs had deep symbolic meaning. The lilies and pomegranates symbolized purity, abundance and divine favor.

1Ki 7:15  He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same. 

1Ki 7:16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 

1Ki 7:21  He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. 

1Ki 7:22  And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished. 

Meaning Behind the Name…..

There were two columns mentioned in this passage.  These 2 columns were placed on the porch of the temple.  At very top of each column was a lily work design.  The pillars were 27 feet tall, too high for the human to really enjoy.  Without a doubt, the lily work design was place there for the enjoyment of God.  The two pillars were given names, which is certainly an unusual act.  The right pillar was named Jachin, meaning “may He establish” and left pillar was named Boaz meaning “in it is strength”.  In the beginning of the conception of LWMP, I did not realize the depth of the meaning of the name. 

Later I discovered the purpose of the names of the pillars and the lily work designs at the tops of columns were to give God glory and pleasure.  I knew without a doubt that the forming of this business was definitely a God thing, His blessing was upon it. 

A while back I posted on Facebook to look for changes in the ministry. I had been praying about making changes to the ministry. I had not been doing the maple tree videos for a while and sensing that it was time to start again using media for the furthering the kingdom of God as well as encouraging fellow believers in their walk with the Lord. Lily Work Outreach was birthed during these times of prayer.

 Lily Work Outreach is under the umbrella of Terry Williams Ministries. Right now, Lily Work Outreach is the face for our media outreach with other outreaches coming in the future.

The heart of this ministry is to give God glory and honor in all that we do whether it is blessing the Daughters in Uganda, publishing social media content through videos or written word, or encouraging other ministries through prayer or finances.  

If you are regular follower of the ministry on social media, you may also have noticed that I have been posting products for sale. The purpose these products is to provide finances for the ministries for administrative costs and to help different ministries one of which is the Daughters of Hope in Uganda. After much prayer, we have decided the LilyWorks Market Place will be under the Terry Williams Ministries umbrella.

 As a result, 100% of the net profits from the products sold will go to the ministries of Terry Williams Ministries. Currently we do not receive regular donations from individuals other my husband and myself. We do get occasionally donations especially for the Daughters of Hope. So, I desire your prayers and support in the coming months as we move forward go about doing good just as Jesus did in Bible times.

Our desire is to be His Hands, His Feet and His voice throughout the world. Just as the right pillar was named Jachin, meaning “may He establish” and left pillar was named Boaz meaning “in it is strength” so it is true today. Believing this is a prophetic over Terry Williams Ministries and Lily Work Outreach that in His strength this work is being established.

I also believe the two pillars mention is a prophetic word over your life. If you will surrender to His purposes in your life, in His strength you will be established!

God bless you all!

In His Strength,

Terry

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Many of you have questions in your heart.  You are saying where is God in all of this? There have been times that I have questioned Him too. One minute you are denying the presence of God and next minute you are blaming Him for all the bad that has happened in your life. When in actuality, He is waiting for you to turn your heart toward Him.

There is a parable in the Bible that can be found in Luke 15:11-32. In this parable Jesus is telling a story about a man and his two sons. The younger of the two decided life would be better if he could do it his way. So, he requested that his father give him his inheritance so that he could take the world by storm.  Some fathers would have refused his request, knowing that this young man was not prepared to face the world alone, but the father in this parable chose to let the young son find his own way, make his own mistakes.

 So, the young man left the safety of the father’s house. The young man went about just living for the moment, he partied and spent his money on things that gave him temporary happiness. All the so-called friends who he thought were his friends vanished the moment when they realized the money was no longer there. He ended up in the pig pen, eating the same food that pigs ate. What a humbling experience that must have been. Finally, when he came to the end of himself, he started thinking about how the servants in his father’s house had it better than he did. After many days he decided to go back home and beg for his father’s mercy. He had no plans to ask for restoration of his status as a son, but just to have the same provisions that the servants had because that was better than his current circumstances. He now was humbled to the point that he appreciated his father and his counsel in his life.

When the son arrived at his father’s house, he asked his father to forgive him. He was willing to live as one of the servants in his father’s household, but his father had been waiting for his return. When he saw him coming off in the distance, he ran to him.

Luke 15:20

“20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

The father never gave up on his son, his love for his son did not change even though his son chose to leave, rejecting his father’s counsel and love.  The father loved him unconditionally. Some of you today are feeling lost and hopeless, but Father God, Abba has been waiting for you to come home.  I am not talking about a physical home, but a spiritual home. You have rejected Him, blaming Him for the circumstances of your life.

God does not force Himself on anyone. Father God gives you and me freedom to make our own choices. He has been calling you and you have rejected His call, but he has been waiting patiently for you. When you hear Him calling, all you need to do is just take one step and He will come running to you just as the father did in the parable of the prodigal son.  Just say the name, the name of Jesus and He will answer you with His arms wide open.

Isaiah sums the love Abba has for us beautifully.

The Amplified Classic version of Bible does a great description of Abba love for you and me.

Isaiah 20:18 AMPC

“And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!”

He is waiting for you today!

He is longing to show His grace to you!

He is a God of mercy and loving kindness!

He is longing to bless you today!

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The question I have for you today, who is writing your story? You see God had a plan for your life even before you were born. (Psalm 139:13-17) Are others writing your story? Are you writing your own story or are you allowing God to write your story? Have you taken the pen from His hand?

Parents play a huge role in writing the story of their children in their early years.  I have another question for parents. Dear dad or mom, are you taking your role as a parent seriously in writing the first few chapters of your child’s life? Are you seeking God’s direction for your child’s life or are you doing it your own way or the way your parents did it? Are you teaching them to be productive citizens of your community or are you teaching them to be selfish, self-centered, narcissistic people.  How you raise your child in their early years is important. Are you teaching them good morals? Are you showing them a good example of a good moral behavior, being an honest person by living a life that lines up with the Word of God? 

After a child is older, he or she is responsible for their own actions whether their parents were good moral people or not. Most of the time teens and young adults have people that cross their paths that show them a better way of living. Are you seeking God’s way or your own way? If you are a follower of Christ, the author of your life should be Jesus Christ.

The problem is that we often take the pen out of His hand and start doing the writing ourselves.  I have taken the pen from the author of my faith at times and many of you have done the same.  What I have found out during seasons that I took possession of the pen and made my own decisions without consulting Him that life got a whole lot harder.

I took the pen from God’s hand in my late 20’s and early 30’s.  I thought God was just moving too slow, so I decided to do it my way and failed miserably.  Everything was a challenge, financially, emotionally, and spiritually.  But he did not leave me or forsake me.  He allowed me to go down a rough road so that I would finally begin to be appreciative of His great love, mercy, and grace toward me.

 After many years of doing it my way and failing time after time, I cried out to God and He heard my prayer.  I repented of my willfulness.  At that moment I literally felt His arms wrap around me. I didn’t see anything, but He was definitely there. Peace settled on me and from that day forward He started bringing healing to my heart little by little.  There may have been times that for a short season I have taken the pen from Him, but each time I learned that His way was the best way. I started learning how to lean into Him and His way, allowing Him to lead me and guide me and heal me. As I leaned into Him His healing, His wisdom began to manifest in my life little by little. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I found that Hebrews 12:2 was true for me and its true for you. Jesus is truly the founder and perfecter of our faith. He paid the price for me and you. He went through pain, shame and rejection for me and you so that we can be free from bondage. The distractions of life will cause us to lose focus on what is important. As we look toward Jesus, we begin to see things in a different perspective. He has already paid the price for us to walk in freedom and blessing. When we focus on Jesus and the Word all the distractions of the world fade and His will for our lives shines brightly. Because we know He always has a great plan for our lives. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians if we yield to His way and to His hand, He will complete His perfect plan for our lives. (Philippians 1:6) He has not given up on you. Satan, the enemy of your soul may desire for you to believe there is no hope, but this is a lie from the pits of hell. If you seek Him today, He will bring healing to your life. He will begin teaching you and guiding your footsteps. Seek Him and trust Him today.

He has a good plan for your life, a life of blessing and hope. A plan that is more than you can imagine. Reach out to Him today, He has been waiting for you! (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

Psalms 139:13-17

 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 

 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 

  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Are those around you making decisions for you?

Proverbs 3:5-7

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 

 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 

Hebrews 12:2

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Philippians 1:6

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

Jeremiah 29: 11, 12

  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.   Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 

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True story, y’all! There has been an old metal lawn year in our yard for years. The chair was one of my husband’s Aunt Ruby’s lawn chairs. When she was living, we went and sat on her front porch to visit often. She has been gone for many years now.  The chair looked rough but because of sentimental value I couldn’t bring myself to trash it. So, this was the year I decided to paint it. It was in bad shape for sure. Over the years it had been painted green, red and at some point white and those colors were now showing after being out in the weather for so many years.

I knew I should have taken time to scrape and sand it, but I talked myself into thinking it would be fine with just a couple of coats of spray paint. I was badly mistaken. Instead of me dealing with the years of damage and neglect, I decided to try and cover the issue with paint. Just saying don’t try my method, because my method was oh so wrong.  I had hoped that primer and a beautiful shade of blue would do the trick.  From a distance it looks just fine, but with a closer look the rough edges, wear and tear of life can be seen and felt. 

It is the same with our lives.  Many times, we place on a mask going through life placing one foot in front of the other, all the time we are hurting inside. The rough edges and scars found on my chair reflect the attitudes and motives that are seen in our lives that come to the surface when we are placed under pressure. Because we have not dealt with the pain and past hurts of our past, those things keep coming to the surface, it all comes back to bite us.

It is time to deal with the past, and put it completely behind us, not just covered it up with a mask, just saying I am ok, you are ok. It is time to dig up the roots of shame, bitterness, deceit, and unforgiveness or whatever it is that has held you back. As we begin scraping and sanding these things out of our lives our future begins to look brighter, and we will have a brand-new outlook on life. As we do this, we will begin to walk in the freedom that Christ has made available to us through the cross. He paid the price so that you and I may live free, unencumbered lives, free from our past hurt and pain.  We cannot change our past, but we can do something about our present and our future. Each day is a new beginning, a new start. We can start with a clean slate. The only way this chair will look better is by me removing the paint then scraping and sanding away the past damage.  After sanding and scraping it can be painted again, revealing a chair that is ready for use again. Oh, it will still have some dents and flaws, but they will only remind us of the work that was done to make it beautiful. The peeling paint and rough edges represent our past issues that are holding us back from walking out a life of freedom. Healing doesn’t happen overnight; it is a process just like getting this chair scraped, sanded and painted again. Changing ourselves is a process that will be accomplished by allowing Holy Spirit to teach us, comfort us, and lead us with all our decisions. Some describe it as removing the different layers of an onion. I like to think the process is like the little chick pecking away at the shell until it is free to live its life in freedom without the confines of the shell. The act of pecking away at the shell helps the chick to become stronger in order face life’s challenges. God is wanting you to break free today from all that is holding you back.  Don’t give up when it gets hard. Keep pecking away at the walls that have you bound, walls of fear, insecurity, unforgiveness, low self-esteem, feelings of being unloved. As you keep pecking away, you will become stronger and stronger. You will begin to walk into the destiny that God always wants you to walk in. This is what Jesus said about it, John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”.  His perfect will for your life is a life of freedom.

Be Blessed,

Terry

Galatians 5:1

1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

Luke 4:18

18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

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Have you ever felt like you are all alone in this journey that is called life? I will be the first one to raise my hand to state, “I have been there”! Whether you feel alone because your friends and family are so busy with their own lives that they do not seem to realize you even exist or that God feels so distant that you seem not able to find Him.  It is like He is hiding in some obscure place that it is out of range of your vision. Deep down you know He is near, but you cannot seem to find Him. I have heard it said, “during a test the teacher is silent”. I do not know about you, but I want to be able to raise my hand and ask some questions about the test when I am confused and do not know what to do.  I do not know that God is being silent because we are going through a test or if He just simply wants us to pursue Him.  Sometimes we are so busy waiting on God for the answer while He is waiting on us to pursue Him and to ask the right question. Sometimes when I do not understand why He seems so distant I ask Him two questions: “What am I supposed to learn from this situation?” and “How can You, God get the Glory from this situation?” What I always try to remember is that He is always near, that His love is great toward us and that He desires to receive glory through our lives. When I remind myself of those three things, I begin to see the situations of life a little clearer.  From my experience, He sometimes give me clarity quickly, while at other times it may be a while. Either way we need to trust Him in the process. Without a doubt He desires for us to quit our whining and complaining about the situation. We need to get our focus off the problem and instead gaze on the problem solver. As we begin to focus on the problem solver, we will begin to recognize the divine strategies He has available to help us to overcome whatever situation has presented itself.

Many of us try to work things out in our own earthly logic. He always has a better way and strategy than anything that we even can phantom. The Father desires to be real in our lives. He does not want to be seen as a last resort because we tried everything else before taking time to ask His opinion. We could save ourselves so much grief if He was the center of our lives and He became our first thought before going forward in life. Jesus did not die on the cross to give us freedom just so that we can obtain a ticket to walk through the pearly gates of Heaven. Jesus died and rose again because the Falther desired to have a family, that is you and me dear Friend. He wants to have relationships and communion with us.  Seek Him today and He will be found. He is hiding in plain sight.

Be Blessed,

Terry

Jeremiah 29:12,13

12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 

13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

Luke 11:9, 10

9  And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

10  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

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Have you ever wanted to just say, “why Lord”? I think many of us have been there and maybe there right now during this season. With all that is going on around us, we just do not know what to think sometimes. We do not know what to do with everything that is happening all around us. Not even to mention that many of you are experiencing troubles right at your own back door.  During these seasons we should be careful that we do not lose hope.  

When I think back to 2020, during the pandemic and the unrest that was taking place in our communities I remember that I temporarily lost hope and allow unrest to take hold of my spirit and emotions. One day I decided to do something about the uneasiness that I was feeling. I decided to turn my eyes toward Jesus instead of the turmoil and chaos that was happening all around me. I knew the Father loved me too much to desert me.  I knew He heard my prayers and would take care of me and mine.

As I prayed and praised, peace started settling on me like a warm, cozy blanket on a cold winter’s day. I had to continue to remind myself that He will never leave me or forsake me. Yes, the storms are raging and there have been many that have had great loss, but one thing is for sure is His love, grace, and mercy is greater than any storm we may go through.

A video I watched on social media recently was of some of the girls that had been at the camp in Texas that was flooded. Many lost their lives during this catastrophic event.  These young girls had experienced and seen great losses.  What they did convicted me! You see, you and I during times of storms in our lives we sometimes allow the circumstances to make us to misstep and stir up a desire to give up. These beautiful young ladies chose to sing praises to God even in the midst of hardship and loss. We can learn from them! There is just something that can be said of focusing on God and praising Him even during the storms of life. As we praise and worship God, our peace is restored and that sweet peace begins to settle on us, reminding us that He is right there in the midst of storm. The follower of Christ has the assurance that He keeps them in the palm of His Hand.  He sees you and cares about you.

Be Blessed,

Terry

Hebrews 13:5

 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

Isaiah 26:3,4

3  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 

4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. 

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A NEW DAY DAWNING

When we awaken each morning, each day presents a chance for challenges and blessings. With each day we have possibilities that the previous day or a day the future may or may not have.  Each morning, I try to remember to speak the words “Lord, you have given me this day, show me how I can live my life in such a way that it will give You honor and glory. Each night before I go to sleep, I thank Him for the day He has given me.  Sometimes I forget to do this, but most days I pray these two prayers to the Father.  We need to place the past behind us and do not worry about the future and seize each day as it is our last day on earth. Forgive those that have offended and make things right with those we have offended. We cannot change our past and we cannot do anything about the future.

Yes, it is good to have goals, but we need to be careful that we do not get so focused on our future goals that we are not living our life to the fullest today. At the same time, we do not need to be bound by our past. So, with this new day that is dawning, set your mind on Christ, seek His will for your life, and go out and seize the day for the Lord. Jesus instructed us to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all your needs will be provided.  He also said not to worry about your future, each day will take care of itself.  The only thing that we should be concern about in dealing with our past and preparing for our future is that our own motives and attitudes line up with the Word of God, His righteousness.

Be Blessed,

Terry

Matthew 6:33, 34

33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

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I have heard it said that God does thing in a logical way. Each time I think I have figured out the workings of the Lord, He does something that make absolutely no sense to me. This is because He is not man.  The Father tells us through Isaiah that His thoughts are not our mere human thoughts, His ways are far beyond our ways. You know what? I am grateful for that! If it was up to us there would be some people that would be zapped because of the meanness and evil that they have done.  He compares this to the heavens being higher than the earth, far beyond human sight. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He was, He is, and He will be! He brings rain down from the heavens and waters the earth that eventually brings forth growth.  This brings forth the food for us to survive. Science may have figured out the process, but they cannot determine the source. They are always trying to figure out which came first the chicken or the egg. We cannot keep Him in our confining little boxes!  We need to stop limiting Him and allow Him to work in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. He is speaking His word over you today and His word will not return void but will produce much fruit in your life today.  His word for your today is found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” His word over you will prosper!

Isaiah 55:8-11

8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 

9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 

11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

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MY ROCK

A RUDE AWAKENING

Have you ever been walking along and all of a sudden find yourself sitting on your butt on the ground.   Maybe something tripped you, or you stepped wrong or maybe you stepped on a slippery surface.  This has happened to me more than one time, but there was one particular time that I remember that made an impact on me.  We were having a winter storm.  I was going out to check on my dogs in their pen and to feed them.  As I stepped on the top step that I thought was safe, all of a sudden, I found myself sitting on the ground in shock.  I hit every brick step as I went down, hitting my elbow on the first and my butt on every step as I slid down the icy steps.  I sat there for a while, then gathered my wits about me and went into the house, got an ice pack from freezer for my gluteus media (upper butt) and laid in the bed for awhile watching my elbow become two times its original size. I laid there and prayed.  The roads were too icy for me to make my way to the emergency room.  As I prayed the discomfort and swelling of my elbow began to resolve.  God healed my elbow. My butt was very tender for a good many days. I learned from this episode that sometimes it is not good to be so independent, sometimes we need to lean on another for assistance.

LEARNING THROUGH THE PAIN

Sometimes we decide we are going to do things our own way and in our own timing. If I had waited for my husband to go out with me, I probably would never have had experienced the pain.  Is it not the same in our spiritual walk with God? If we lean into Him, there are so many situations/pains we would have never had to experience. Too many times we think we are strong in our own selves and do not need to lean into Him (Jesus), seeking His wisdom in our daily lives.  We lean on our own knowledge many times, looking at our past to be our teacher instead of the Holy Spirit being our teacher and counselor. (Psalm 3:5-8) Proverbs 3:5-8 speaks about trusting in the Lord with all our hearts, not relying on our own insights and sometimes past events.  Yes, we need to learn from our past and make changes in our way of doing things, but that knowledge needs to be sprinkled heavily with the salt and light of the wisdom of God.  Way too many times we allow hurt, pain, and offense guide us instead of the knowledge and the wisdom of God.  Proverbs 3 makes it plain that we should acknowledge and bring the Holy Spirit right into the center of our lives, right in the center of our mess.  When we do this, He will take that which is drama and chaos and bring His wisdom and clarity in every situation of our lives.

LEANING INTO THE ROCK, JESUS CHRIST

So today and everyday of my life I choose to lean into God and not my own understanding.  My own knowledge and understanding have gotten me in trouble many times, just like it did the day I decided I did not need any help going down those icy steps.  I choose not to be wise in my own eyes, but to be in awe of an all-powerful God that sees me.  He sees my past, yet still loves me!  He sees my present, with it struggles and need for guidance!  And He sees my future and He will be right there with me in spite of my wrong decisions and craziness! I can choose to delay His destiny that He has for me, or I can choose to lean into Him with my ear to His heart allowing Him to guide me in this beautiful way/walk.  I choose to lean my rock, my strong tower, my strength, Jesus Christ allowing Him to be my center/my soft place to fall! (Psalm 31:3, Psalm 18:2)

Proverbs 3:5-8

5Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart

And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

6 In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,

And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

8It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts]

And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

Psalm 31:3

3Yes, You are my rock and my fortress;

For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

Psalm 18:2

2The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;

My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;

My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

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Chewing the Cud

Within the pages of the Bible there are many secrets/treasures found that brings us great joy and peace to our lives.  There are secrets that bring healing to our troubled souls.  There is great wisdom that gives us answers to the issues that present themselves in our daily lives. These secrets reveal to us who God really is in our lives and who we are in Him. As we get to know Abba Father better, peace settles on us and in us that nothing will be able to disturb us because we know without a doubt, He has us.  Recently I was listening to a radio talk show, I do not remember the name of person on the show.  While I was listening the moderator asked why people that read the bible and went to church on a regular basis continued living lives of bondage. The answer given by the guest was these people had been in the Word, but the Word was not in them. They were just going through the motions of reading the Word and going to church, but they were not really growing in relationship with God. This is for sure a profound statement. James 1:21, 22: “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Many followers of Christ are forever hearing the word, but seldom apply the word to their lives, thus they continue in the same old rut. Many times, crying out to God to change the situations in their lives when the individual needs to change first and then the situations will begin to change. James talks about receiving the “implanted word” with humility.  By humbling ourselves before God we die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in us.  We read and then we read again.  We study and then we study again until the Word of God is implanted within us changing us and freeing us from the oppression that enemy has implanted within us from past experiences. We need to do like the cow in the pasture does, we need to chew the cud. When we chose to chew on the word of God repeatedly, the word becomes more digestible, and we get in our happy places just as the cow does in the pasture. So today I will be talking about how we get the word within us. When the word is in us, the joy of the Lord and His strength will rise in us and no matter what comes our way we are able to stand strong with confidence that He will never leave or forsake us.

Just a little info of how cows and other ruminants chew the cud. Ruminants are animals such as cows, sheep, goats, and deer. These animals have chambers in their stomach to help them properly digest their foods to reap the nutrients in the foods they eat and to become healthy animals. According to a dairy cow nutritionist on usdairycows.com, a cow chewing their cud is a sign that she is comfortable and is eating a good diet. Cows are ruminants which means there is one compartment in their stomachs that ferments the food that they eat so that the feed that cow eats will be converted into energy and protein. First the cows chew their food to moisten it and she then swallows it. The softened food is called a cud and is sent back to the cow’s mouth to be re-chewed before going to the stomach to finish the digestion process. As you ride down the road you may see cows lying down. They are not just taking a break to sleep. They are in their happy place chewing the cud. They need to be relaxed laying comfortably chewing their cud.

In Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” God was instructing Joshua on the importance of meditating on the word day and night. By doing so he had the promise that all that He did from that day forward would prosperous and blessed, he would have good success leading the people of God into the promise land. 

Psalm 119:9: 9 “Beth How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Many people are trying to do things the way God wants them to do yet they keep failing over and over again. Simply storing His Word in your heart daily is the answer for living the life of holiness. Strength for the day, strength for the battle, strength to fight temptation are found in the Word. In the Word are found instructions, comfort, strength or whatever is needed in our daily walk.

Job knew what it took to live a life pleasing to God.  He had suffered greatly, but in that suffering he learned a great lesson. Job 22:21-2: “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. 22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.” He found the importance of listening to the instruction of the Lord and never to let go of that instruction.  The Bible is our instruction!  Any other word that does not measure up to the standard found between its covers is false doctrine or false information. Job goes on to say, Job 23:10-12: “10  But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. 11  My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. 12  I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” He made it through the hard times and was a better man for it. He had chewed on the cud of the instructions of the Lord and did not let go of all he had learned. As a result, he received a double portion of all that he had lost.

Psalm 1:1-3: 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;  2 “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” What a great secret of the garden is found in this Psalm. The promise is that when take time out to meditate on His Word day and night we will be like a tree planted by streams of water that produce fruit in its season. When we need supply or resources, we can walk in confidence that whatever we need we will be available. This has spiritual meaning too. The fruit of the Spirit will be produced in our lives. When need patience, we will find patience. When we need to show mercy, mercy will well up in us. When we need to show love, His love will be abundant in us. The list can go on and on. The Father promises that all we place our hand will prosper because He will be with us.

Jesus reminds us in John 15, that as His words abide in us, we will bear much fruit. John 15:7-8: 7“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”  Jesus tells us as we live in Him and His words abide in us whatever we ask, will be done. The purpose of answered prayers is not that we receive glory, but instead for the Father to be glorified. Many are praying and the prayers that they are praying are not being answered because they do not choose to walk in the ways of the Lord. Jesus said that if His Words abide in us, we can ask and will receive an answer. When His Words abide in us, we will understand what the will of God is and will not ask for something that is amiss from His will.

Let us look again at the cow lying in pasture chewing her cud she is a peace, receiving her needed nourishment, she is happy and contented. As we chew on the cud of the Word of God, we receive the spiritual nourishment that we need to live in peace and joy of the Lord will settle on us and strengthen us to live out this life we have been given.

A final word

As I was studying and comparing the cud to meditating on the Word day and night and allowing it to be planted within us so that we may prosper in everything we do, I was reminded of a very familiar scripture.

The 23^rd Psalm

• A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

• He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still
• He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

• Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

• You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

• Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

This Psalm is an image of how our lives would look like as we implant His word in our hearts, living His word out daily. He will make us lay down in green pastures chewing on His word just like the cow chews on the cud. We will find that place of confidence and joy that is unexplainable. He will lead us by the still waters that make us like that tree planted by waters that causes us to produce healthy abundant fruit. He will restore us even in times of trouble. He will keep us on a righteous path even though we are tempted to stray from His way and make our own way. As we walk in places of difficulty whether it is a death loved one, a terminal illness, a chronic illness, place of ministry that people do not understand, or tough decisions that need to be made, you will walk in confidence that He has a plan for good and not evil. You will always find comfort in Him. In the midst of adversity, you will be blessed with His anointing right in front of those that have not supported you or doubted your motives during challenging times. His promise is His goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and you will abide in Him right here on earth and in your heavenly home forever.

Shalom,

Terry

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