What the caterpillars taught me

A few weeks ago while running on a Saturday morning the Lord literally stopped me in my tracks. I was at the track I always go to. It is nothing special but has become one of my favorite places. While running my knee started to hurt so I stopped for a minute to do some more stretching, because that usually helps. While stretching I looked down and seen a caterpillar. It was about 2.5 inches from the grass. It was dead. It had dried up and died on the hot track. Right then Lord spoke to my heart through this dead caterpillar. {It amazes me how he uses little things to speak to us!} I stood there and thought to myself, "This isn't what God wanted for this caterpillar." It never reached its full potential. It never became the beautiful butterfly God had planned for it to be. I wondered why the caterpillar was out on the track..where the dark pavement was hot and there was no shelter or moisture. This little caterpillar had dried up because it wasn't in the right place. I then noticed another dead, lifeless caterpillar. And then another. They were all over the track. I felt conviction set in. Would I be like one of these caterpillars that ruined and wasted their life? Would I leave where I know I need to be to go where it looks fun, interesting, new etc.? Why did they all go to the track? Did they not understand it was too hot for them? We all at times like the caterpillars can be foolish. We think our way makes the most sense..but just as the caterpillar didn't know he would dry up, so will we when we head our own way.

As I kept running I kept seeing more and more that had died. Honestly, it broke my heart. I then noticed one moving so slowly on the track. I knew what would happen if he stayed where he was. The temperature was rising and the dark pavement would get hotter and hotter. He wouldn't make it out there. I got a stick, knelt down in front of it and the little caterpillar willingly climbed aboard. I carried him to a safe place...right where he could find all he needed; food, shelter, water. I put him near a tree and I hoped one day this caterpillar would become the special, one of a kind butterfly God desires it to be.

Here is some caterpillar knowledge for ya!.. A caterpillar at birth is called larva. It is born starving and eats everything in sight (literally). Growing more and more full of itself and junk everday. Over time as it gets fatter and fatter it takes more time to move. As it grows it sheds its's skin again and again. This makes me think of a lost person..continually "turning over a new leaf" again and again while nothing ever changes. I did that many times before the Lord saved me. Caterpillars are destructive insects. They can not help it..it's their nature.

And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. -Isaiah 33:4

Chaciyl is the hebrew word for caterpiller in this verse. It means ravager, and also means a locust. A ravager is one who lays at waste, a plunderer (thief) or a spoiler (one that corrupts). The caterpillar moves it's own way, and does what it wants to do. Plant after plant they devour and spoil. Imagine never doing anything good..that's the life of the caterpillar. One day it must get sick and tired of being nothing and going nowhere.

In order for the caterpillar to become a butterfly it must climb a tree and hang upside down and spin its chrysalis (cacoon). When a person gets tired of the way they're going they'll head to a new place..along the way your life might get turned upside down (like the caterpillar) and you'll start spinning in circles. You think you're not going anywhere and nothing will ever change. It is almost as if the caterpillar dies in the chrysalis. Time passes and on the outside it seems like nothing is happening. When it is time the once fat, good for nothing, destroying caterpillar will emerge and must break free from the chrysalis. If anyone helps the butterfly in this process it will never fly. It seems impossible to break free but once free the new butterfly must flap its wings and get the blood flowing through them. Next is flying time. What was once impossible is now possible for the butterfly. As a caterpillar it looked like everyone else, now it is a one of a kind butterfly.

It can take from 7 days to even a year for a caterpillar to become a butterfly in its chrysalis. Beautiful things take time. I wonder why God made caterpillars..why not just make the butterfly first and bipass the caterpillar having to go through all the trouble just to get wings? I dont know the reason but I know God likes to spend time on things. He likes changing things to make them better. From the little things like caterpillars to butterflies to changing us day by day with the things he places in our path. He has a one of a kind design for us all.

God told Noah to put one small window in the ark. He didn't want it in the door or on the side but in the top of the ark..During those 40 days and nights all Noah could see was UP. He couldn't see the death and destruction all around him below. His eyes were directed upward inspite of the darkness surrounding him and his family. Just like Noah God wants us to look above and live above!!

As I was leaving I seen a butterfly flying around the track..this butterfly was living above the destruction and death (of all the dead caterpillars I seen on the track) below..One of God's purposes for the butterfly was to fly to new heights.

Because it allowed the working of God's hands in its life the butterfly was now able to go where it never could before. It had freedom to be what it couldn't be before, and do what it only dreamed of before.

Maybe that caterpillar I seen so close to the grass was going to try to do things itself. Maybe it got bored and thought things were taking too long. Maybe things looked better across the way. Maybe it thought it didn't need anything or anyone. It was headed nowhere and that is exactly where it ended up. It never became what God intended. This caterpillar was only a "could've been". It "should've been" and it "would've been" a butterfly if it hadn't done its own thing.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. -1 Corinthians 6:20
I said all that to say this. Please don't leave where you know is right to go to a place you shouldn't be. The world looks fun. Sin looks fun. The Devil works overtime on his commercials..and they are good!! But it'll leave you and dry, empty, and dead with nothing to show. Don't be a thief of giving God the glory due to Him. Stay where HE is. You might be a mess tonight but soon you'll be like that butterfly going to new heights, giving Jesus more and more glory. YOU are His work, His design. YOU are not your own, He bought you with the highest price!

-Stay in the Word

-Stay with Jesus

-Stay away from sin

-Stay where God has purposefully placed you

-Stay at His feet

-Stay with the stuff

Just stay and be still. Wherever He leads follow. Whatever He says Do. He will take you to new heights.
Our full potential is to help things grow everywhere we go. Give life to all those around us. Be a helper, not a hinderer. For God to be given all the glory.

Instead of full of ourselves, may we be full of God, full of good, full of grace, full of glory FOR Him and not ourselves. In the midst of darkness all around us may we shine a light in someones darkness.
 
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. -Habakkuk3:17,18,19

I want what God wants for me. On my own I am nothing but with Him anything is possible. I desire to live above! Even if that means staying still for a while. Do you?

Exodus 15: Bitter Sweet

Exodus 15:22-26 

So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

3 days earlier the children of Israel had seen God destroy their enemies and move the Red Sea just for them. The greatest miracle they'd ever seen! Now they were in the wilderness wondering if they'd done the right thing. It was hot, empty, and dry. The thought of turning around and going back seemed like a good plan in their heads. They began murmuring and Moses started crying out to God. I'm glad God hears us when we're murmuring and when we're crying out to him for help. For some reason God lead Moses to a tree in Marah..there the waters were bitter. Still nothing to drink, BUT God had a plan. Moses had to cast something into that bitter water. It doesn't say what it was..but something was cast and that casting allowed those waters to be changed from bitter to sweet. 

I've been there. Marah..that dry, bitter place, not at all what I wanted or prayed for.  I've wondered why and what God is doing..I've even thought at times he wasn't doing anything at all. I'm so glad I can cast my burden, my cares, my fears, and worries on him. No matter how much I cast He is more than able to turn the bitterness into sweetness. Oh taste and see that the Lord is GOOD. In the wilderness God was still good. When the waters weren't fit to drink God was still good. It was in that bitter place that he made them better! He made a promise to them, he proved them, he showed his power to them once again! There in that bitter place is where they learned who Jehovah Rapha is..the Lord who heals. Sometimes we need reminding that He is still able no matter what the problem is. All they had to do was learn to trust Him. He was trying their faith and longing for them to just obey each step of the way. 

"Does Marah deserve to be talked about four times as much as Elim? Perhaps it does. Per- haps there is four times as much fruit to be obtained from the bitter waters of Marah than from the 12 springs of water, and 70 palm trees at Elim."- Charles Spurgeon  I love this quote from Spurgeon. Why do we only seem to remember the hard times, the bitter places, the broken times. "I've had more gains than losses, I've known more joy than pain, no other way to say it than to say, Gods been good in my life.." Elim was beautiful and easy but God did no miracles there. Elim is a placet of rest and shelter. Elim wasn't a bitter place but Marah was a better place because of the casting into the water. God changed them in Marah. 

Exodus 3 Turn Aside and See

Exodus 3:1-4

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Moses was in a desolate place..in the desert leading the sheep. Something he'd done for many years. But this day was different. He was in the mountain of God and God had something for him to see.  I'm sure this wasn't the first time he'd seen a burning bush, but he'd never seen a burning bush that wasn't consumed by the fire. 

God was trying to get his attention. It wasn't about the fire. It was about what was in the midst of the fire. The angel of the Lord had appeared (appear: to be manifest) unto Moses. It says Moses "looked"..In the next verse it says he seen. Both of these words have the same meaning in Hebrew (ra'ah: to see, to consider, enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, be near, discern.) In our language the words look and see have different meanings. To look is to direct the eye towards an object with intention of seeing it. To see is to perceive by the eye, to be effected by, to behold, to know, understand and observe.  We can look at something but are we really seeing what we're looking at? God wanted Moses to see him.. He isn't satisfied with us looking his way, he wants us to really see him. He wants us to be in his presence and let his presence effect us. God had something to tell Moses but he needed to know Moses wanted to to really see. 

By the act of "turning aside" God knew Moses was serious. Only when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see did he call out to him. How many of us are missing him calling because we're too busy to turn aside and see him as he is..Holy! Take time to turn aside and see. Stop what you are doing and get in his presence even in the dry desert!God wanted to be real to a shepherd on the back side of a desert and He wants to be real to you too! The Lord is watching and waiting for us to turn aside and see his power and be in his presence. He has so much of himself that he wants us to enjoy, experience and gaze upon. 

Thoughts for the day: What all does God have to do to get my attention? Will it take a burning bush for me to finally look and see God? Am I really seeing what I'm looking at? God is not interested in us going through the motions. Go beyond the intention to see and really see God as he is. He has a burning bush experience for us too! 

John 11 When Jesus is Still

John 11:3,6

Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Our Lord is so much bigger than we can comprehend. His works and ways are beyond us. God had a beautiful work in the making for Lazarus and his sisters. He loved them so much that He DIDN'T do what they asked..he went above and beyond. He did more than "come and heal Lazarus". He did a great work in Martha and Mary..He was "4 days late" but exactly right on time. When God is "being still" he has something greater in mind. 

He wants to: 

1. Get glory 

-{John 11:4

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.} 

-He deserves all glory..the amazing thing is that He wants to use us to give him his own glory! It seems crazy from our perspective but Jesus seen what they could not. He sees what He has waiting just around the bend..wait on Him and let him get glory out of your trial. 

2. Get you at His feet again

-{John 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.} 

-In Mary's mind Jesus had shown up too late. She knew He was big enough to heal him if He'd just came sooner. But this heartache didn't push her away from Jesus but brought her closer..it got her at his feet one more time. 

-He doesn't always answer like we want him too but whatever the answer we can always find rest and comfort at his feet. 

3. Grow your faith

-{John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.}

-in the times we don't understand where God is or what He is doing are the times he is longing to grow us! My pastor recently said "If you're going to go with God you can't stay where you are." In order to grow we must keep going. We can't stay in the past. Let go and press on. This made their walk with God stronger.

-We must take God at his word. Believe what He says. Jesus said Lazarus would live again. He gives us promises and he will always keep them. Hold onto them. Believe them. 

4. Give you a miracle 

-{John 11:14,43,44 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. & when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.}

-Not everyone got a miracle that day..but Martha, Mary and Lazarus did. Those who believed his word got to see and be apart of a miracle. Lazarus was dead but Jesus spoke the word and he came forth. 

-When things don't turn out like you planned don't quit..give him glory, stay at his feet, keep going with God, he will be faithful to you. He's got a miracle in the making for you! He got glory through this delay and he proved his power to them. 

Whatever is causing the Lord to be "still" in your life..trust He is doing a whole lot more than what you asked for. It might seem like too much time has passed and the situation is hopeless but don't lose hope. Jesus is on His way..He's never early and definitely never late. It'll happen right on time. 

Romans 16:1-2 Phebe

 Romans 16:1-2
I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Phebe: "shining; pure"
Paul said some things about this behind the scenes lady..he commended her for her service to the church. Commend means to represent as worthy of notice, regard, or kindness; to speak in favor of. Paul thought highly of her and thought she was worthy of notice. She'd been faithful through the years and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Even today she is being spoken highly of in God's word. Just 2 verses, but forever settled in Heaven.. Phebe was a special lady.  Paul said a few things about her:
1. She was a sister
-She was saved and part of the family of God.
2. She was a servant
-She desired more than just salvation. She wanted a walk with the Lord that pleased him. He is pleased when we have a servants heart. She desired to serve however she could. That word servant means, deacon, waiter, assistant. She assisted (One who aids, or who contributes strength or other means to further another.) many and Paul wanted to make sure the church assisted her as well.
3. She was a "succourer"
-aka a patroness: a female that favors, or supports. Not only did she serve others but she also supported others. She was genuine in her actions. Love was her drive..not self gain or to climb the ladder of success.
-Am I one who gives favor to others? Am I supportive or do I only expect others to give favor to me and be supportive of me?
-To Succor means to run to, or run to support; to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering. She ran to the suffering, the hurting, the sick..reaching out to help. We need to run from self centeredness and run to the suffering!

Phebe wasn't concerned with being noticed. She just wanted to be a blessing however she could. She just wanted to support and help everyone God put in her life. Joy=Jesus, Others, Yourself. She knew what Joy was because she devoted her life to not just living for herself but for others through living for the Lord. Her name means shining and that's exactly what she did. She wasn't selfish..But selfless. May I daily strive to be more and more like Phebe and her servant's heart.