Holy Week

March , 2016- Holy Week

I am participating in a devotional I saw on Facebook from my friend Lindsay Alexander…today She pointed us to the scriptures after Jesus turned over the tables in the temple then he walked out and spoke to a fig tree to wither up and then encouraged his disciples that they could have faith to move a mountain…wow that’s some serious faith….even though I’ve read this, sung songs about it, taught Sunday school lessons about it…the mountain really had me.

God is bigger than the mountains we face and one step at a time we can trust him and allow him to demolish the mountains that are before us.  And by the way, I know God made mountains but what are the scientific ways mountains are formed? How can this relate to me?  Maybe we are the ones who are allowing the mountains to form.

A mountain isn’t formed on earth instantly, every type of mountain requires some time of process, friction, challenge, pressure….

My core of self driven prideful, self sufficient me can relate to a mountain.  Maybe I need God enlighten the eyes of my heart to throw me into the sea to understand just like a tree takes years to grow and seasons of change in order for it to produce fruit…it takes years for mountains to grow and become what they are and Gods plan may be to completely start over cut to the root, level the mountain at its core.

I love how God speaks through his creation to address spiritual truths in my life.

I loved my Geology class in college I was just fascinated with creation and the science behind God our creator.  So I actually remember a lot of scientific facts about the earth.  I will probably go google “how mountains are formed” in a bit, but for now I’ll go from memory.

Mountains are made in several ways.- here are the main ways-

1.  2 plates crash, one wins pushing its way to the top creating a mountain. 

2.  Fault lines- 2 plates grind one lifts up and tilts over creating a mountain range.

3.  Volcanic activity below earths surface, molten hot magma gets pushed to the surface then cools, and forms hard rock (oh how this seems to fit emotions) eventually the soft rock above erodes to reveal a dome shaped mountain waiting for one more break through to have a volcanic explosion.

4.  Erosion- the stone of high plateaus are carved away by rivers and streams in the form of deep channels over millions of years…what’s left is a mountain between deep river valleys

Some random thoughts-

Tectonic plates under the surface that create volcanoes along the plate boundaries which erupt to form mountains- If I don’t set boundaries for my self, my children and my family time I am asking for mountains to be in the way.

The movements of these plates take place below the surface.  Lord keep me rooted and grounded in you in thankfulness- Col 2:7 rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, overflowing with thankfulness.

Below my smile and eagerness to love and give and serve all things that are a true reflection of my heart and my God driven passions I must like a solider stand guard for my heart.  I need to be over aware, ultra sensitive to the voice of my heart, the nudges and pricks, paying attention to what things are moving and crashing over time.  Be aware of the initial feeling, the first crash so that I can address it right then and not allow the slow process of repeated attacks to, overtime be the new way my heart feels and responds.  I need to be reminded of who He is. – Psalm 103:1-5 Praise the Lord oh m soul, in my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins, and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

My heart at its core is good, desires Jesus, knows it needs Jesus, I need to be aware of all other plates crashing into me- mother, friend, wife, volunteer, employee… and how they may try to take a jab at my core causing me to shift and move.

Lord please level me. May I not be the result of my circumstances. Circumstances change but God doesn’t.  May nothing negative wear away and erode any purpose in you.  May I have faith to speak to the areas of my heart that are trying to emerge against your will …you cause good and do create beautiful things (like mountains)  from bad situations and cirumstances, but help me guard against the nature of a hard heart and keep me soft.  Set boundaries for me so that I am not creating mountains in my own life.

2 Cor 4:17-18 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all so we fix our eyes on not what is seen but what is unseen. What is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal.

Thank you for the words you gave to Paul.  In Ephesians 1:17-23, “I keep asking”  Lord, may I never stop asking…over and over every time I fail and fall every time you give me faith to speak to the weakness and pride I seen in my own life, every time my boys struggle with ugly sin that they cant even see, I ask you over and over for, “the Spirit of Wisdom”  Not facts I know from my past experience but from divine wisdom given by only you-

Thank you for “calling us to hope” … Called to hope.  Called to dream.  One day at a time but keeping the end in mind keep my hopes and dreams fixed on your eternal purposes.

Just now my thoughts were thinking of how Jesus himself walked up a hill to be crucified, in his last moments he was identified with sinners and as he breathed his last breath an earthquake occurred…the plates at the core, under the surface, had been pushing and pushing against one another until finally one plate won out…HALLELUGIAH IT IS FINISHED!

Daily as I face the real spiritual battle, doing its best to wage war on my heart and mind…Lord help me to crucify areas that need repentance and may You, Lord always remain the victor who is alive and actively moving  me to your purposes.

 Isaiah 55:8-9 for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Sometimes starting your time with the Lord by using a devotional is what you need to get started…I’d love to see where God took other ladies as they spent some time with Him.