When Famine Hits Our Souls

Famine: extreme scarcity of food; a shortage; hunger.

Famine causes calamity, catastrophe, disaster and tragedy.

This is very true of our physical being but it is also very true of our spiritual being.  It is vital in our walk with God to feed on His Word daily to receive the nutrients that He provides for us as we journey through life.  His Word is food for our Soul.  Scripture tells us that we do not live on bread alone but on God's Word (Luke 4:4) and it refers to it being our bread of life (John 6:4) as well as pure milk for those who are new believers (1 Peter 2:2).  We must hunger and thirst for righteousness, for then we shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

Well, life happens and we all live it. We all have jobs to do, activities to be active in, hobbies to enjoy, families to love and care for, perhaps school to attend and the list can go on and on.  Things are good.  Things are fine.  Things are OK.  Then, things are not so good...not so fine...not so OK.  What seemed to have happened to get us here?  We were once in a place where things were lush and green, life was going well.  Prosperous and fruitful.  We were feeling satisfied and well taken care of.  Perhaps it was heartache, loss, disappointment, stress, disobedience, busyness or any other stuff that may have come our way distracting us from God and His life-line to our souls.  It's easy to get to this point really.  We don't feel it right away.  It's one skip of reading the Bible...one skip of quiet time with God...one skip of going to church because who's really going to miss us anyway?!...one skip of saying a prayer because God knows everything anyways...one skip of Bible Study because we didn't finish our lesson plus WE ARE TOO TIRED!...one skip...one skip...one skip and before we know it we've skipped our way right into barren land. We are smack center in the desert and we wonder, "How in the world did we get here, Lord?"

No matter how we find ourselves in deserted, barren land with a famine within our souls, God will meet us right where we are.  We do not have to go wondering around looking for Him. However, we are in this dry and barren land that now needs to be nourished in order to be productive.  I am no farmer by any means but I do know that no crop of any kind can or will grow in a ground that is hard, dry,  and unfertilized by nutrients.  God does not want us to starve spiritually so He does what every good parent does...He equips us with what we need to be healthy.  This is not always a pleasant or comfortable process, but it is very necessary for us to become strong again.

Like a farmer preparing a field for a crop, he must first turn over the ground.  Our dry and barren land that we stand upon must be broken turning it over multiple times.  This must be done by rows of razor sharp discs pulled by a tractor navigated by the farmer.  He is very precise in how he is driving the tractor and very careful on how those discs enter the ground breaking it up.  He is not angry, upset or disappointed in the land.  He is not taking pleasure to be causing this disruption but he cares very much for the land and knows that is very much needed for it to be productive.  He sees the potential in the land and works the land getting it to its potential.  He continues by nurturing it and tending to it consistently.  Pruning...weeding...plucking out dead plants...watering it until the land has finally become rich in soil, crops deeply rooted producing much fruit.

The same is true of us.  We are like the dry and barren land that is in much need of being broken and turned over by God's grace.  It's not always easy, comfortable and many times we absolutely do not even like it, but God loves us far too much to leave us spiritual starved.  While we are in the middle of being "disced" we have hope and the promise of Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."  This is also a time where trust in His work comes in.  We need to put our trust in Him knowing that He is working in us for our good for His purpose in our lives.  Psalm 27:14 encourages us, "Trust in the LORD.  Have faith, do not despair.  Trust in the LORD."  Through our struggles, our hardships our faith is being  tested.  We can fix our eyes on Christ allowing Him to prepare us to become rich in soul, deeply planted and producing much fruit.  In order to get to that point we must go through the transforming part of "discing, ground breaking, pruning, weeding, and plucking".  Through all of this God's sweet grace is always upon us, watering and feeding us with such True nutrients. 1 Corinthians 15:10 says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." We are who we are because of Christ.  Praise Him!  We are better!

We've fixed our eyes on God putting our trust in Him with ALL of our BARRENNESS.  Our faith has grown.  Our soul is rich...we are deeply rooted in Him.  We are growing and producing fruit sharing it with others who need to feed from our life story and sharing what God has done for us.  Wow!  God is so good...all the time!  Psalm 145:9 exclaims, "God is good to one and all; everything He does is suffused with grace."

You are beautiful!

 

 

 Trust Him.  Believe in Him.  Fix your eyes on Him in your time on struggle.  He will see you through it, Beautiful!

Take care & Be blessed,

Christy Krezman
Rosette Ministry

OUR STORY

 Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News [of salvation from the bondage and penalty of sin] to everyone, everywhere."

 

Every single one of us has a valuable story to tell...a story that will impact a life of one or lives of many.  We may be hesitant in sharing our story with others because we're shy and feel awkward or perhaps we feel as if it's just too trivial that it wouldn't have an effect on anyone.  How would it help someone else?  Perhaps we struggle with the heaviness of guilt and shame of our story that we shrink back and don't dare to even think about mentioning these past experiences with anyone.  Psalm 34:5 gives us something to be encouraged and bold about, "Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces."  

Isn't that encouraging to know that no past experience, no amount of guilt or shame can darken our faces if we only look to Him for help.  He will lift us up, pouring forgiveness and grace upon us as we seek Him with all our heart.  Then we will radiate with JOY!  Praise God!

Our life story can help others who are trapped where we once were.  We are not the only ones who ever experience hardships in life...discouragements...hurts...sorrow...regrets...guilt.  Friends, the enemy would love for you to believe that you are very much alone in your "horrendous" situation.  That no one would ever understand what you are going through.  But that is a bald face LIE!  

For those of us who are believers in Christ, we have a hope and an assurance in knowing that He will see us through each and every situation.  Though because of our flesh it is still very difficult to Trust and Obey.  That's where our Faith needs to come in and be strong.  Our faith becomes strengthened by others who have experienced what you are going through, who have been there and seen it through to the end victorously with Christ Jesus. 

Jesus said to 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.'  What does that mean in sharing our story?  Yes, many go afar traveling on mission trips sharing the love of Jesus, however, distance doesn't mean that you're not already on a mission field.  We really don't have to go that far.  And as far as preaching, it's really only conversation with one another what the LORD has done for you through your circumstances...His Truth...His Promises...His Love.  

Christ will put people in our lives, intersecting our paths and forming webs of connections.  They can be people we see on a regular basis doing life or perhaps complete strangers that 'pop' into our lives.  However He is having our paths cross there is always an opportunity to share Jesus even if a word is never spoken.  

Slowing down in our rush of errands and tasks to look people in their eyes; genuinely greeting the cashier by their name as we check out of the supermarket; speaking with kindness and grace to those who are around us wherever we are; being courteous and waving at our neighbors instead of quickly driving into the garage and closing it immediately behind us; basically treating others as we would desire to be treated ourselves.  Thinking of them before ourselves and allowing Christ to flow through us to bless their lives.  We must love Jesus first and love Jesus most because we cannot do anything affective without Him.

As we consistently, purposefully live our lives this way on the "mission field" , then people will see something different within you.  Something that is of hope & encouragement to them.  They desire that for themselves wanting that unspeakable peace that is upon you. [Opportunity.]  God will guide and direct.  He will prepare hearts.  We need only to be obedient and share our life story.  No worries on what to say or how to say it, that's why God sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.  To fill us with all that He is. We'll lack nothing as long as we put our trust in Him and let Him lead us through. 

Psalm 37:23:24, "The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD, He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand."

Whenever we are blessed to have an opportunity to share our life story with people and they hear our story then they are offered a chance.  A chance to identify and understand that they are not alone.  A chance to release all that they have been carrying to the Most High.  A chance to be loved on by the most loving and gracious King.  A chance to loosen their chains.  A chance to begin their own healing through Christ Jesus! 

Within each of us is our own personal journey that is waiting to be shared.  Are you willing to allow God to use it to help others?

Take care & be blessed, 

Christy Krezman

Rosette Ministry 

Comfort While Patiently Waiting

Isaiah 40:3-5, 6-8

"Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness.  Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the hills.  Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots.  Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together."

"...people are like the grass that dies away.  Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in the field.  The grass withers, and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD.  And so it is with people.  The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."

God never gives up on us, no matter if we are struggling through the wilderness or wondering aimlessly in the desert.  No matter our situation or circumstance or things we've done. God NEVER gives up on us!  The punishments of these things will end.  God will restore us.  He meets us right where we are, just as we are.  He gives us the strength, courage and endurance to clear out the obstacles in our lives so that we  are able to reveal that highway in the wilderness and that road in the desert to follow.  We wonder aimlessly and get lost   only because we've taken our eyes off of Him who directs and leads us.  We start off great...so we think...skipping down that path like it's the yellow brick road.  We've got all our necessities on us...handbag stocked with all the proper girly stuff, refreshments for the trip, good looking walking shoes...everything that we think we need for our journey.  But we've decided to bring a little something extra, our PAST!  We're just tugging it or carrying a little something, something...but honestly, it's a load!  It's much too much for us to carry so we scrunch it up like in those infomercial vacuum sealed bags.  WOW!  Look it there!  We just condensed it making more space for more stuff!  PILE IT ON!

Well, eventually that load has become a mountain but we keep on our journey determined that we can handle it.  Each step that we take tugging at and pulling our load, things begin to seep out falling onto the path.  Sometimes we see it happening, but think that it's OK, it's only a little.  No one will really notice.  Everyone has a minor breakdown here and there.  But continuously it is happening whether we recognize it or not.  All the while we are polluting the path making it harder and harder to take a step.  We become exhausted because we have created an obstacle course.  We look back and remembered all the times that our "stuff" seeped out and spilled over, but what can we do about it now?  We keep trying to move forward the best we can.  We are still ever determined and white-knuckled as ever totting this load behind us. We notice that the path is gone...outta sight.  It's still there, it wasn't destroyed or removed, it's just completely and totally covered up with our life "stuff."  We have no direction to go. No compass to follow because we once had clearance to look upward toward God for direction on a clear to somewhat clear path.  Now that we have obstacles to climb and crawl over our focus has become toward them.  There may be times that we look upward in desperation crying out for help.  And God is faithful.  He gives us the help and then we lower our heads to focus on those obstacles yet again to push past.  We keep on keeping on through all this stuff getting bruised and battered and even more exhausted. 

Jesus is a true gentleman, ladies!  He is ever ready and willing to carry ANY and ALL of our luggage, our load...the cute, the ugly, the despicable, the horrendous...ALL of it!  It is absolutely NOT yours to carry.  It is vital for us to understand that we cannot undo a lifetime of damage, hurts, regrets, disappointments in just a few moments or to pack them away in a 'suitcase' trying to forget about them and then carry them around with us.  It is a challenge to wait patiently in general here on Earth and even more challenging to wait patiently on God who is at work within us.  EVERY part of healing requires time and patience.  It also requires that we wait on God.

"But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength .  They will fly high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31

Waiting on the LORD has its rewards..."The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him and seek Him.  So it is good to wait patiently for salvation from the LORD."  Lamentations 3:25-26

God gives us the strength and the stamina to bear up under the strain so that we won't faint or collapse under it.  God will continue to lift us up like wind beneath the wings of eagles as we are learning to trust the LORD and wait on Him.  Developing patient faith in God means we will be able to endure.

Now that we've let go and let God we must take action.  It is our responsibility to act on and use what the LORD gives us to clear out those obstacles in our lives.  As we do this step by step, day by day, sometimes even minute by minute, more & more of the "forgotten" path is being revealed.  And God is so good, the obstacles that are just too large for us to remove He will remove Himself.  When we deal with our obstacles through Jesus Christ, then we are FREE!  Free to become all that God has for us.  Free to have a closer walk with Him and a more intimate relationship with Him.

Through this the glory of the LORD is being magnified in us and all are seeing it.  The once withered, tired, defeated and not so graceful person that was mashing about a bunch of 'stuff' as well as carrying a whole other load of that 'stuff putting on 'FACE' to have it all together is now...RESTORED!  Refreshed, filled with goodness from God and walking much lighter and so much brighter.  No longer having to have a low head watching every step, now our heads are held high basking in our Father's love and His grace that shines down upon us.

Hope & Joy are filling the valleys.  Strength & Perseverance is leveling the hills.  Faith & Trust is straightening out the curves and smoothing out the rough spots.

Thank You, Jesus!

Take care & be blessed,

Christy Krezman

Rosette Ministry