Have you ever stopped to consider how interesting plants called sunflowers are? According to biologists, the youngest sunflowers move according to the movement of the sun during the day. It is a process called heliotropism. Every dawn they head east, to stay warmer and attract the bees that pollinate them. However, as sunflowers get older they become more inflexible. Over time these plants lose life as they stop being exposed to the sun and eventually dry out.
These beautiful plants serve to illustrate a beautiful spiritual teaching. Just as they depend on the sun for their vitality, we depend on God for our happiness. The happiness of the human being is linked to intimacy with God.
In John 15:4-5. Jesus said:
“Stay in me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches; He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; because apart from me you can do nothing.”
Read each word carefully. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what he wants to tell you. Again, John 15:4-5, this time in the New Living Translation version:
“Remain in me, and I will abide in you. For a branch cannot bear fruit if you cut it off from the vine, and neither can you be fruitful unless you abide in me. Indeed, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit because, apart from me, they can do nothing.
When our Lord says, “Abide in me,” he invites us to make a conscious decision to maintain our fellowship in all our activities and decisions. We must decide to do things that “expose” us to him, our “Sun of Righteousness” and keep us in touch with him. This is what it means to abide in it.
Do you, like young sunflowers, constantly seek exposure to the sun? Or are you easily distracted from your communion with God? Are you like a biblical character named “Martha” who couldn’t sit still? o Are you like her sister “Maria” who prefers intimacy over activity?
Jesus said that if we abide in him, we will bear fruit. The fruit represents the character of the Christian. A character full of love, peace, kindness, temperance, meekness and self-control.
Fruits also represent a spiritually productive life. A life that is forged, grows and is effective in the hands of God. Many of us can be active, but not effective. Jesus wants to tell us that intimacy with him is the best activity we can have. Over the years, I have discovered a great principle, and it is this: Not spending time with God is wasting time. Without his blessing there will be no fruitfulness. It is better to remain in his presence every day of our lives.
Prayer:
“Lord, forgive me when I run from one place to another, thinking that everything depends on me, when in truth everything depends on you. Help me to remain in you. Not to rush into your presence, but to enjoy your presence. To wait to hear your agenda, before carrying out my agenda. Help me to be like Mary, by being at your feet listening to your voice. I want to be like a sunflower that moves in the light of the Sun. You are my sun, you are my life, without you I dry up, but with you I will bear fruit and fruit in abundance. Amen.”
Guided by the Holy Spirit
Have you ever gone on vacation or visited a historical place and needed a guide? I think we should all use a guide, although I must admit that I am a bit stubborn and independent. In fact, I prefer to explore places on my own. Humbly, I must also admit that sometimes I have missed out on fully enjoying the importance or beauty of a place simply because I didn’t hear from a tour guide. However, I think I learned my lesson a couple of years ago when I visited a Middle Eastern country where almost everything was written in a language I didn’t know. There, I was forced to listen to my guide. I learned and enjoyed that trip to the fullest, because now I was able to appreciate the places much more because I let myself be guided by the guide.
The Bible says that the children of God have the best guide in the universe. It is called the Holy Spirit. Without it we will get lost, confused, and deprive ourselves of enjoying all that God has for us. The Bible says in Romans 8:6,14-15:
For to be concerned with the flesh is death, but to be concerned with the Spirit is life and peace… For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. For you have not received the spirit of slavery to be in fear again, but you have received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry: Abba, Father!
There are two ways to live life. One, guided by our sinful desires and the other when we are guided by the desires of the Spirit of God. When we let ourselves be guided by our flesh we will stray from the path of life. We will end up becoming spiritually dry and distant from God and his purposes. When we walk guided by the Holy Spirit, the Bible promises that we will be filled with his life and his peace. Now, to enjoy this we must be intentional and occupy ourselves with the things of the Spirit. We must pay attention to his voice.
Over the years something is discovered, that the enemy likes to shout curses at him. He will always tell us strongly that we are not worth it or that we cannot do it. If we worry about listening to Him, we will end up in a spirit of slavery and mortality. However, the Holy Spirit is very sensitive. He doesn’t shout at us, he whispers at us. Just as the prophet Elijah heard a still small voice, in the same way, the Spirit whispers to us, that we are children of God and that we can say Abba Father. This will produce life, peace, wisdom and intimacy.
Prayer:
“Lord, forgive me when I let myself be carried away by my emotions and not by your Spirit. Forgive me for being impulsive and not thoughtful. For not taking the time to listen to your voice that guides me to life and peace. Help me to be still and listen to your sweet voice. Your voice is a whisper that becomes clearer the closer I get to you. Thank you, my Abba Father for your Spirit. In the name of Jesus, amen”.
Contemplative Life
In my walk with the Lord I have realized that there are two ways to live the Christian life. One in a hyperactive way and another in a contemplative way. In the Bible there are two women who illustrate these two types of life. One of them was called Martha, who was a woman of faith, but she was distinguished by living hard. Mary, her sister, was a woman of faith too, but she distinguished herself by living in love with God.
Marta illustrates those of us who are hyperactive. Hyperactive people have a great sense of responsibility and commitment. They like to show love with actions rather than words. However, if we do not monitor this sense of responsibility well, it can lead us to a state of anxiety. We can live so busy that we lose the sense of appreciation, the joy of life, but above all we lose the source of our life, which is our intimacy with God.
That is why we must always have a respite, a holy pause, a spiritual Selah. Where we can detoxify the mind, rest the heart, heal our emotions, but above all have communion with Christ.
So I ask that right now you can take a deep breath and listen to God’s story and counsel for a woman who lived a life of activity and anxiety. This story is found in Luke 10:38-42. Please listen carefully to each word and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who wants to speak to you:
“Jesus and his disciples arrived at a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her house. Her sister Mary sat at the feet of the Lord to listen to her teachings, but Martha was distracted with the preparations for the great dinner. She then approached Jesus and said, “Master, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister is sitting here while I do all the work?” Tell her to come help me. The Lord said to her: —My dear Martha, you are worried and so restless with all the details! There is only one thing worth worrying about. Mary has discovered it, and no one will take it away from her.”
According to the Bible, Martha was the eldest sister and therefore the person responsible for the house. Before the visit of Jesus, like a good housewife,
Marta invites him to stay. This suggests that Marta was the older sister and the person of authority in the house. What’s more, her name means “the lady of the house.” Jesus at no time condemns Martha for her service, but rather he wants to heal her from a state of worry, distraction, anger, worry and anxiety. Jesus wants to show Martha that the priority of her life is not to meet the expectations of others, but those of God. Jesus expects our relationship with him to be a priority in our lives. Jesus prefers our intimacy with Him rather than our activity for Him.
I ask you a question: are you a hyperactive or contemplative Christian? Are you given to worry or reflection? Are you considered a good worker as well as a good worshipper? Are you a Martha or a Mary? Think about this and meditate. You may hear the voice of the Master saying: “Get out of the kitchen of hyperactivity into the room of intimacy with God.”
Prayer:
Lord help me to delight in you. Help me make my relationship with You the number one priority in my life. Forgive me because I work so hard on things that you have asked of me. Forgive me to run everywhere except to the altar. I want to be like Mary, I want to worship you at your feet and delight in your presence.
Your presence is the priority of my life. Amen”.
Fear not Little Pack
Currently there are more than 500 documented phobias. A phobia is an intense, disproportionate and sometimes illogical fear of objects, beings, circumstances, experiences and other wide variety of factors. We could say that phobias are the most common mental illness in human beings, since any fear can become a phobia.
We all have different fears, but perhaps the most common is fear of the future and physical well-being. We often worry about how we are going to provide for our needs, but especially how we are going to provide for our loved ones. We also worry about what our future will be like. Sometimes uncertainty seems like the shadow of our future.
The good news is that Jesus knows our reality and that is why of all the words he spoke, the most common was: “Do not be afraid.” I love this promise of Christ found in Luke 10:29-32
“You therefore do not worry about what you will eat or what you will drink, nor be anxious about it.
Because the people of the world seek all these things; but your Father knows that you have need of these things.
But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.
Do not fear, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.
I find it interesting that God refers to us as a flock of sheep. If there is a fearful and anxious animal, it is sheep. If there is a fragile and vulnerable animal, it is sheep, since they do not have any virtue to provide sustenance or protect themselves. They depend absolutely on their pastor. His only virtue is knowing how to cry out to his shepherd.
The beautiful thing about this passage is that God promises us that not only will he provide us with provision and protection, but that he will give us something much better. He will entrust us with “the Kingdom of Heaven.” Sometimes we have such a short-sighted vision that it does not allow us to see that our safety and our livelihood will never be at risk. The only thing at risk is the level of reward we will receive here and especially in the century to come. Our King, who sees everything and can do everything, promises us sustenance, security, provision and protection; and the only thing he expects is that we trust him and make our intimacy with him the priority of our lives. Listen to this invitation again in Luke 10:2-32, this time from the NLT
“Do not worry about what you are going to eat or what you are going to drink. Don’t worry about those things. These things dominate the thinking of unbelievers around the world, but their Father already knows their needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
»So don’t worry, little flock. Well, it gives the Father great happiness to give you the kingdom.”
I ask you a question: Is there any worry that is stealing your peace? Is there a fear that is paralyzing your potential? Confess it to God right now.
Prayer:
“Lord, help me believe that you are who you say you are and that you will do everything you have promised. Help me to have an immovable trust in your person and in your word. Forgive me when I act like an unbeliever and fall into the cares and worries of this world. Help me believe you. Strengthen my faith and give me the courage to walk without fear because you have not given me a spirit of fear but of the power of love and self-control. In Jesus, Amen.”
He is always there.
I recently heard of a tribe of American Indians who have a peculiar way of celebrating the passage from childhood to youth. The ritual is based on the father taking the son to the forest, blindfolded, and leaving him alone. The son is obliged to sit on a log all night without removing the blindfold until the sun rises.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises: wild beasts roaming around him, or perhaps some human that could harm him. He must remain sitting on the trunk, without removing the blindfold, since it is the only way to
that he can become a man. Finally, after a horrible and long night, the sun appears and when the blindfold is removed, the boy discovers that his father was
sitting next to him, since he had watched all night to safeguard him from all dangers.
This beautiful story can be applied to your daily life. Are you spending a dark night where you don’t know if you will be able to see a new dawn? Do you feel alone and abandoned by everyone and even by God himself? When a trial is prolonged it tends to deplete our reserves of joy, faith and strength, to the point that we come to question God.
The good news is that God promises that he will never abandon us or leave us. And although your eyes cannot see his hand, trust in his heart. He is always there.
I want to invite you to breathe deeply at this moment and pay close attention to this divine promise in Isaiah 43:1-2:
«Do not be afraid, because I have paid your ransom;
I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through deep waters,
I’ll be with you. When you pass through rivers of difficulty,
you won’t drown. When you pass through the fire of oppression,
you will not burn; the flames will not consume you.”
God is always there no matter if it is the fire of a trial or a sea of sadness and discouragement. He is there. The Bible says that on one occasion there were 3 boys who were thrown into the fire, but suddenly Jesus appeared to accompany them and protect them from the flames. Well he is always there.
The Bible tells of a man named Peter that when he was drowning in the middle of the sea, Jesus appeared to reach out his hand and bring him to safety. Well he is always there. No matter if it is a sea of problems or a fire of trials, you can trust that your Heavenly Father is always there. This test will not be to destroy you but to make you mature and grow in it.
Prayer:
“Lord, help me to trust your heart even when I can’t see your hand. Help me to see you in the midst of the flames and the waves. Forgive me when sometimes my faith is drowned and my trust turns to ashes. Help me to trust in your sovereignty and your wisdom, but above all in your heart as a Good Father. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
