Food for the Soul

Spring is a time of new life and new beginnings. In the plant world, spring is necessary for the survival of many species. Without the spring that brings new life to dead plant matter, life as we know it on earth would cease to exist.

Death is a natural part of life. Everything that is currently living is dying. From the trees that add another ring of "age" to their trunks, to you and me who are one year closer to the death of our natural bodies. From the spring flowers that will soon fade, to the insects that pollinate them and complete their own life-cycle; everything living today is dying. It's the natural order of things.

The good news? Dead seeds, with a little help from water and the sun, overcome their lifeless state and form new plants, flowers, trees, and fruit to produce new seeds that will also die but then return to life. This also is the natural order of things—or rather, the supernatural. It's the way God overcomes the curse of death on this world, just as He first created everything out of nothing "In the beginning…"  He is the giver of life we read about in the Bible:

The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”...

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.

(Genesis 2:9,15-17; 3:1-8)

In the same way we see death-to-life in the plant world, we can also see it in our existence as humans. The curse of death God warned about became a reality when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and every day our bodies are dying but are also fighting to remain alive. We eat food to overcome the dying state of our cells. New nourishment provides energy to overcome the natural order of decay, and we live another day. Even if we must go without food for a day or two, our bodies have a built-in storage system to provide our cells with reserve energy until we can get a new supply.

Most of the time we don't think about it that way. We simply eat food because we get hungry and it tastes good. We give our bodies what it needs with very little thought to survival. It's only when our bodies become run-down, sick, or unhealthy that we think more carefully about what "fuel" we are giving it and make better choices—what is "good" rather than what will do the job but have unwanted side-effects.

Similarly, our spiritual need to overcome a natural decay of our souls is necessary. Jesus talked about seeds being planted in good soil, and good fruit being a result of good nourishment. Jesus has given our spirits new life through His death and resurrection, but they are still prone to decay—to discouragement, despair, fear, hopelessness, poor thinking, apathy, and fatigue. Like our natural bodies, my spirit needs nourishment every day to overcome its natural tendency toward death. I can't expect to have a healthy heart if I'm not eating the best food for the soul.

Sometimes girls say to me, 'I got really close to God for awhile and I was doing really well, but now He seems distant and I don't know what happened.'  That's like me saying, 'I ate really well last month and felt good, but now I'm back to my old eating habits, feel run-down, and have no energy.'  We can't live on last month's nutrition; We have to keep eating right every day. The same is true with seeking and knowing God and thriving in your relationship with Him. A new day needs new "food", and without it, your spirit will begin to die.

Do you ever watch the news and then fear for your own safety? Do you ever go on social media sites and end up angry, discouraged, or hurt by what other people say? Do you ever watch a television show or read a book that makes you question your faith and beliefs? Do you hang around others who negatively influence your thinking and decisions? Which "tree" do these sources represent, do you think? The "tree of life", or the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil"?

To have a healthy and thriving spirit, I must give my mind and heart what they need to overcome the natural order of spiritual decay. What was God's warning to Adam and Eve about eating the wrong fruit? They would die. What did He say about all the other "good" fruit in the garden? Eat freely!

Why did Eve decide to disobey and eat the "bad" fruit? It seemed good, it was appealing to her eyes, and the serpent (her enemy) said it was good for gaining wisdom. But was it true? No. She believed the enemy instead of God, and what was the result? Fear and shame.

Any "food" you eat that results in fear, shame, worry, doubt, discouragement, anxiety, despair, feeling bad about yourself, or making you question God's love for you, is not good. Good food should result in everything else Adam and Eve had in the garden: security, joy, peace, and living in the presence of God. Deep, soul-touching love does that. Lies do not, even when disguised as the truth.

Feed you soul with the truth—real, life-giving truth: You are loved; You are valued; You are safe in His care. His Word is filled with these truths, so read your Bible. He promises to lead those who ask for guidance, and help those who are in need. So ask, and listen, and follow. He promises to be with you always, in every situation, decision, and pursuit.

The LORD hears his people when they call on him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

(Psalm 34:17-18)

Scripture taken from the New Living Translation (NLT).

God's Love…More Than You Think

Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Not death or life, angels or demons, nothing today or nothing to come…nothing at all can separate us from His love—I mean, just look at what Jesus did for us! What more proof do we need?

Romans 8:37-39

When you think of God's love, what comes to mind? He loves me…He forgives me…He loves me in spite of my sin and shortcomings?  I certainly hope you believe that, because it's true. His love is for everyone, it's unconditional, and it's free. There is nothing you can do to earn God's love or make Him love you more. 

Your only barrier to experiencing His love is receiving it—but even if you don't think you deserve His love or try to push it away, His love will still reach you in the form of blessings, protection, care, rescue, and that pull you feel toward choosing what is right: What is truly best for you and others. He loves you too much to leave you completely on your own, and nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from His love.

Repeat this truth to yourself:

Nothing can separate me from God's love.

If you believe that and are trying to receive as much of His love as you can, I'm sure you have experienced the benefits of believing more deeply. It makes a difference in the way you see God, the way you see yourself, and the way you see others. It brings peace and joy. It leads to greater faith. And it makes you more loving. How else have you seen it make a difference? Each of us has a unique story to tell about how God's love has rescued, transformed, healed, or changed us.

But can we still go deeper? Is there more of His love to receive? Always! As Paul said, May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully…(Eph. 3:19 NLT) We can never reach the end of His love, there's always more for Him to give. But there are also new ways we can think about His love. What do I mean by that? Here are a few examples for you to ponder.

You know God loves you in spite of your mistakes, sins, and failures; He loves you for what you aren't. But do you know He also loves you for who you are? In other words, He doesn't just love you, He likes you. He loves the unique person you are—who He created you to be. He loves your personality: whether you are outgoing or an introvert, perky or melancholy, spontaneous or a planner, funny or serious, analytical or creative, emotional or even-tempered, organized or a scatterbrain, talented or not…You are His unique creation, and He loves you just the way you are.

Repeat this truth to yourself:

He loves me for who I am.

He also believes in you. Whatever your passion is, He loves that about you and wants to see you reach your full potential. He knows you can succeed, and He wants to help you. There is no need to go it alone or prove anything to Him. He knows who you are and who you can be. So believe what He tells you about yourself. Believe it when He says, "You can do this!" And when you feel weary or overwhelmed and He says, "Let me carry you," don't be too prideful to let Him.

Repeat this truth to yourself:

He believes in me, and I'm not on my own.

He invests in you. As much as He likes you for who you are, He knows you can be so much more. He knows you have more love to give, more courage to show, more talent to exercise, more traits to refine, and more hope to endure through the challenges you face. Your life is not a random series of events, problems, good times, bad times, struggles, and victories. It's all part of a plan: God's divine purpose for you. From the moment He first thought of you, He designed every detail of your life.

He knew when you would obey and when you would rebel. He knew when others would be there for you and when they would let you down. He knew what your needs would be and how they would shape you and draw you to Him. And even if it hasn't always seemed like it, He's been with you every step of the way. And He's not done yet. He is willing to invest whatever it takes to help you rise above your doubts and fears, your weaknesses, your past hurts, your current obstacles, and any unbelief you are still having about His love for you and your value in His eyes.

Repeat this truth to yourself:

I matter to God;

He has a plan and purpose for me.

He is your biggest fan, your loudest cheerleader, your most encouraging and supportive teacher, your greatest mentor, your defender, your source of strength, and your best friend. In other words, He's got your back! You are His. You are His workmanship. You are His beloved treasure.

Repeat these truths to yourself:

I am His;

I am His workmanship;

I am His beloved treasure.

Maybe you don't believe all that yet, but you want to. You want to feel special, protected, valuable, and loved. You want to be the best version of yourself. You want to make a difference in this world. You want to be or do what seems impossible to you now, but it's not. 


Jesus said so...“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NKJV)

How does a tiny mustard seed become the largest plant in the garden? It simply becomes who it was designed by God to be, despite its small beginnings…and you can do the same, if you simply believe.

Praise Him with music and dancing,

for the LORD delights in you.

(Psalm 149:3-4)

Rom. 8:37-39 and Ps. 149:3-4, paraphrase mine.
Love Ring Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/jaime101. CC
Mustard Seed Photo Credit: David Turner, February 23, 2005. CC
Mustard Plant Photo Credit: www.bibleistrue.com

When God Seems Far Away

Sometimes girls ask me, "How do I grow in my relationship with God? How can I know Him better?" Sometimes they add: "I read my Bible and pray, but it doesn't seem to help. He seems far away."

If you can relate to this, you're not alone. And I think there is more than one answer to these questions. First of all, if you want to grow in your relationship with God and know Him better, reading the Bible and praying is a good place to start, but if you are already doing this and you still feel lost, God seems distant, or you're not sure what He is saying to you, you're probably closer to Him than you feel.

When it comes to "measuring" your relationship with God, feelings are not always an accurate scale. If you are reading your Bible, then God is speaking to you and you are listening. If you are talking to Him, asking for things, and trusting Him to help you, guide you, teach you, etc., you may not see any immediate results or have instant feelings, but His words are in your mind and in your heart, and that makes a difference. So be patient and wait for the promise Jesus gave when He said, "You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you…Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit." (John 15:3-5)

Another thing to consider is God's timing is not usually our timing. We like immediate answers. We like instant change. We prefer to fix, solve, and do things ourselves, but God tells us to wait on Him. In Psalm 37:7, David penned these words: Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. And in Psalm 62:5, he says, Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

When Jesus says to "remain" in Him, waiting is often involved. I must trust in His promises, believe He is with me, and rest in His love. This can be frustrating at times, but it can also be super-rewarding! I always grow closer to Jesus when I wait on Him, and I know Him better at the tail-end of my waiting. I see why I needed to wait, purposes He had in mind I never considered, and I experience His faithfulness. This helps my faith to grow, and it helps me to grow. I become more patient with life. I become more patient with others. I love more.

They say 'knowledge is power', and when it comes to knowing God more deeply, that is definitely true. He strengthens me. He gives me courage. He produces things in me I didn't think I was capable of. So when others say God seems distant even though they are seeking Him, I know God has them in an amazing place…a time of waiting. If you are there now, trust that He is with you. He has wonderful things to show you, teach you, and give you.

Just wait…and you will see :)


Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.