Archive for the ‘Melody Jo Hamor’ Category

Tend to Your Own Lawn

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9
I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché, “The grass is always greener on the other side,” where we think about trading in our life for another because ours seems way too complicated or boring. Even though we understand intellectually that that’s an absurd way to measure our life, from time to time we still look longingly around, considering what it would be like to tend someone else’s landscape rather than our own. We look at the life we lead every day, at our own familiar yard, at the same situations, challenges, and hurdles as the day before, and we get complacent about taking care of it all. We glance around at the lives of others and we see something that seems just a little bit better; a little bit easier. What we don’t realize is that we’ve got blinders on, and it’s high time we take them off.

Scripture speaks directly to this in 1 Peter 5:9 – “Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” I don’t know about you, but what I see there is, “You’re all in the same boat, people!” Well if we’re all in the same boat, I suppose I can stop wasting my time wishing that I had someone else’s life, right? Right. But how do I resist the urge to covet a trade-in?

The answer is found in knowing and believing that you are loved by God, and that you were created by His hand for a very specific purpose. Scripture is overflowing with exactly that kind of love and promise. Just rest for a moment and consider these:

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5

I will be your God throughout your lifetime; until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
Isaiah 46:4

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand.
Psalm 139:17-18

There is so much more, my friends – so much more. The Bible is a veritable love letter, written by God and addressed to you. These few scriptures aren’t even the tip of the iceberg. I would have to type for days to even put a dent in explaining how much the Lord adores you. But with every promise you read and discover, your side of the fence and your grass will be just as green and lush as you dream of. Not because the day-dream fairies sneak in and re-landscape for you, but because the Word of God nourishes and fertilizes the life you already have.

Thank You, Lord, for helping me to realize that my life is exactly the one You chose for me. When I feel tired, bored, or overwhelmed, please remind me that I’m not tending to my life on my own. You are always there, ever present, offering support, guidance, and love. Please nudge me back to Your promises any time I start to lose my focus. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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What Kind of Farmer Are You?

Monday, January 4th, 2010

You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ~Galatians 6:7-8

When I think about the phrase, “satisfy their own sinful nature,” I hear in my head the words “excess,” “extreme,” and “addiction.” Left to my own devices, I’m a very unsuccessful farmer. I know well how to sow seeds that will bring a harvest of decay. Of course, I’m speaking of my propensity for living in excess - excess food, excess spending, excess time reading, excess opinion sharing, excess analysis… If a little of something is good, a lot of something must surely be better, right? Insert the sound of the “wrong answer buzzer” here. :)

The opportunity to live in excess is all around us. In fact, I think we would be hard pressed to take a snapshot of American life without capturing one sort of addiction or another, some of which just happen to be socially acceptable. I know my extremes and excesses quite well, but I also know that every single time I engage in one, or even think about doing so, I can feel and hear the Spirit within me prompting me to stop, to slow down, or to focus my energies on something else. It’s as if I have the Master Farmer in my head, teaching me and guiding me on how to plant, grow, and harvest my crops. The question is whether or not I’m willing to be a good apprentice to the Master Farmer.

I want to sow the right seeds in my life. I want to walk on my treadmill several days a week and put properly portioned food in my belly rather than junk. I want to pace myself in my studies, neither overdoing it nor procrastinating over it. I want to embrace acceptance and forgiveness regarding the people in my life, rather than harboring anger or resentment. For all these wants, the healthy seeds can and will be sown if I listen to and obey the Master Farmer.

He is always there and He is always willing to guide. The still, small voice that we hear and feel is the Spirit of God, cheering us on, urging us forward, and holding us up. When we lean on Him, the harvest will be plentiful.. When we follow His lead, the work of our hands will be joyful. What will you be planting in 2010?

Thank You, Lord, for always showing me the difference between healthy and unhealthy seeds. Your still, small voice is consistently there for me, urging me to follow You. I pray that You would work a change in me, making me less of a stubborn mule and more of a willing and able apprentice. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Happy New Year! Happy New Day! - by Melody Jo Hamor

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit,
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

So, it’s already that time of year where I dive into the New Year’s Resolution craze. Yup - it happens every year. What’s up with that?! Why is the first day of January such a monumental time of renewal? Who really knows? All I do know is that clean slates feel absolutely wonderful.

I call it that “new box of un-opened crayons” feeling. They’re all sharp and pointy, the paper covers are all in tact, they smell so good. Oh come on now, you know you love the smell of new crayons. :)

Seriously though, new beginnings are AWESOME!

What I think we forget is that every single day of our lives can be a Happy New Year kind of day. In fact, every hour could be like that if we just make a decision to live that way. It’s all about knowing who and who’s you are. When we belong to Christ, everything is made new. EVERYTHING! That’s not a once a year event. It’s a continuous, never ending flow of new life.

Crayons by Trisha Shears

Crayons by Trisha Shears

Even still, it’s hard to ignore the wondrous feeling of taking down the old calendar and hanging up the new one. It’s un-blemished, clean, wide open with possibilities…and it’s not covered in giant permanent marker scrawl. :) So, as we begin to think about the approach of 2010 (I can’t believe it’s going to be 2010) there’s a special verse that we should keep in mind and never let go of.

It is not by force nor by strength, but BY MY SPIRIT, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

How many changes have you desperately tried to make during 2009? What did your resolution list look like from January to March? Any check marks? Any scratch outs? How many things did you give up on before Valentine’s Day? Most importantly: what kind of prayer life did you have concerning that list?

No matter what you want to start doing, or stop doing, remember one thing: God is the source of this change you seek. God is the source of it all. From Him and only Him will come the power to develop or release habits. From Him and only Him will come the courage, strength, and persistence to accomplish even the easiest task on your list.

Thank You Lord for reminding me of this powerful verse in Zechariah. As 2010 approaches, You know the goals I have in mind, yet I know that none of them will come to fruition unless I seek You as the author and finisher of it all. Please develop my prayer life so that I willingly acknowledge you as the source of all that I seek to change. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

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