Seeds

Thousands of seeds stored in a mountain.

I had never heard of it before.  Then I discovered last week that the Norwegian government has invested approx. 9 million USD into a seed bank that has been forged into a mountain in the Arctic Circle off the Norwegian coast.  It stores hundreds of thousands of the worlds’ most treasured seeds.  Countries from all over the world send their finest to this bank to be stored in case of a global catastrophe.   

Its life at grass roots level – literally. 

The fact that there are a hundred thousand seeds stored in a mountain in the Arctic (425 feet INSIDE the mountain) is what drew my attention.

You see – it’s the mountains in our lives that can cause the greatest roadblocks & derail us.  They can seem so catastrophic and unmoving that it is sometimes hard to see anything good that can come from them.  The anxiety, the fear and the thought that ‘no one has been in a situation like mine’ often makes it hard to see past the mountain.

But what if the mountain is actually a necessary storehouse for the seeds of our future.  What if it is there to propel us to our destiny?

Have you ever heard of the term “failing forward”?  It is often life’s failures, and the outcome of our mountain journeys that determine where we will step next, and in which direction.  Without them – we could not achieve our life’s purpose.

In any case – we can never avoid uphill.  It’s great coasting along – but that’s not what life is all about.  It’s about the journey in its entirety.

Have a think about the seeds God has stored up for you – quite possibly contained in your next mountain of seeming impossibility.

If you decide to face it and keep moving forward you will give Him every opportunity to open doors (vaults?) that before have never been opened.  The thing is – when it’s your vault, He holds the key. 

He is the master key holder of the greatest seed storehouse (of your life) and every seed He has for you is like no other.  Just like the seeds sent from all directions of the earth to this remote vault on the Arctic coastline. 

Yet the seeds held within the mountains of our life hold greater treasure.

Remember this when you are thinking of the mountains you are facing right now.  Imagine the fruit from a hundred thousand seeds once they are released from its vault.   And then speak this verse to your mountain:

“Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed & be cast into the sea’ & does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”   Mark 11:24

I think it’s the “not doubt in his heart” part that we can stumble in – I know I do.  I know God can do it – but can I?  Reasoning is the enemy of faith, and it’s when we try to work it out - excluding His divine intervention - that we start to doubt in our heart that He will do what He said he would do.

Allow Him to orchestrate your path & the seeds for your future will be released at the appointed time - priceless, uniquely yours, and ready to grow.

There’s one more verse that God gave me when we moved up North five years ago – it re-assured me when we were moving to ‘where the mountains are’ and I knew that He would stay in control no matter what. 

“…You shall go out with joy & be led forth with peace, the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”   Is 55:12

Nothing like a word from God to hold you fast when the storms are raging.  But He keeps His promises – and He promises that the seeds He planted within you will bear fruit – great fruit.

“It’s not a question of how big or small the actual seed or beginning is: it’s the potential within the seed & what God ultimately intends for it that matters.”  Bobbie Houston

Learning to Cast

Sometimes we read verses and agree with them and think they are THE BEST and (in my case) are worthy of a yellow highlighter – but applying them to our lives and changing is not as simple.

Here’s a few that arrest me every time, are powerful & weighty yet I often find hard to fulfil…

"Cast your burden on the Lord (releasing the weight of it) & He will sustain you; He will never allow the (consistently) righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall or fail)" Ps 55:22

Notice it starts with an action on our part – “Cast your burden”

The Hebrew meaning of cast translates into “to throw, hurl or fling”.  Imagine the force needed to fling a heavy discus into the air – it takes strength and effort to physically fling it far, far away from you.  That’s the type of casting needed to remove the burden you have been carrying so that it’s ultimately removed from your life.

For a bit of trivial information – the longest known discus throw was in Germany in 1986 at a whopping 74.80 metres!  It spun & flew for ages until it literally was out of sight.  Better to think about this record then our own attempts at throwing things sometimes – like discus’s. :)

Then there’s the promise - “He will sustain you”

Do we really believe He will – or do we strive and coerce and reason our way around the burden (that is supposed to be far away from sight) rather than just trusting that He will sustain us so that we will not be moved until He is ready for us to be moved?

I love the amount of times “consistently righteous” is mentioned in the Amplified bible – SO many!  Although we don’t always get it right our heart needs to be determined to stay the course; remaining faithful, no matter what, and seeking His righteousness.

It really is all about the issues of the heart. 

Now flip to the New Testament to 1 Peter for this powerful, weighty verse that says so much.

Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once & for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately & cares about you watchfully.  1 Peter 5:8

There it is again – casting it ALL away so that He is in charge of our cares (ALL of them) and not us.  I have literally had to get on my knees so many times and asked God to get back in the drivers seat of my life.   How easy it is to grab the steering wheel and try to navigate around hostile territory without even asking Him if we're driving in the right direction!  We are on our own trip destined for potholes, detours & breakdowns without Him at the wheel.

He cares so much about you - affectionately & watchfully.

He cares more about you than you do. 

I am ending this with the Message translation of Psalm 55:22-23   It’s just so good!

“Pile your troubles on Gods shoulders – he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.

He’ll never let good people topple into ruin.  

But You, God, will throw the others into a muddy bog, cut the lifespan of assassins & traitors in half.

And I trust in You.”

There’s that word again – trust.  We need to trust God that He means what He said.  His Word is as real today as it was when it was written.   It is His signature over the earth.

Trust Him, cast your cares on Him, and He will sustain you.

He promised.

True Beauty

But Let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible & unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which (is not anxious or wrought up, but) is very precious in the sight of God.  1Peter 3:4

What is a person like underneath their appearance? When the mask, layers & barriers come down – who does God see, and who do we see?  How can we really know the state of someone else’s heart, or even our own? 

Joyce Meyer says of this verse:

“When we do not attempt to know the ‘’hidden man of the heart” we make a mistake in one of two ways.. 1) we approve of someone because they appear to be something they are not or 2) we disapprove of someone because of some outward appearance or action, when that person is actually a wonderful person on the inside.”

The great thing is that God does not judge by appearance only – and neither should we.

There is nothing wrong at all with outward adorning, as long as it is balanced with more focussed inward adorning.  Our inner person carries a fragrance that heaven adores and will grace us with a lasting beauty when our youth fades away. 

There are some women in my life who have such dignity & grace around their lives who become more beautiful as they age, and they all have one thing in common – an unswerving devotion and trust in Jesus - despite the adversities of their lives.  Throughout the many seasons of life they have come through with a spirit that is so very precious to God, and worthy of great admiration.

They have placed importance on developing their inner selves and it then is reflected outwardly.

I recently read about the life of Ruth Graham - who was married to well known evangelist Billy Graham.  The article started with, "Everyone who knew Ruth Bell Graham knew that she loved Jesus and she loved people."  What a statement!

Could I be as bold to ask - what statement would you want said of you when the world is reflecting on your life well lived? Would they remember your true beauty? 

 I hope & pray they will.

The article continued..  "In her writing, speaking & simple acts of kindness - to neighbours, friends & anyone who needed a lift - she demonstrated the grace & mercy of the Saviour she first met when she was a little girl in China..."  She grew up in a home that modelled true faith in God & authentic Christianity.   Her faith was real & she gave out of who she was - becoming a rock for one of the worlds greatest heroes in the faith.  

In God's eyes - we are royalty.  We are his princesses. 

One of my favourite, highlighted verses is in Isaiah 62:3  "You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God."

I love the meaning of diadem - "jewelled crown".   And even better - "the authority or dignity symbolized by a crown" 

You are precious, beautiful, priceless, unique and without comparison.   There is no doubt.

There's another highlight in 1Peter 3 (The Message)

"Summing up:  Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble.   That's for all of you - no exceptions.  No retaliation.  No sharp-tongued sarcasm.  

Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless.  You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing."

It's not the prettiest verse, but it's one of those verses you need to read again & again so it permanently resides in your heart - cultivating warmth, love, compassion, humility...

And beauty.