Mustard Seed Of Faith

November 14, 2022 Gracie

A Mustard Seed of Faith

Here’s a little bit of trivia 🙂

Can you guess the answer to this question:

How big is a mustard seed?

Mustard Seeds¹

Or, should I say, how “small” is a mustard seed?

If you guessed a millimeter – you’d be right.

Think of what one millimeter would look like.

Now that is tiny!

This small unassuming little seed, about the size of a single grain of sand, becomes a plant that can grow up to 30 feet tall or more!

Bangladeshi mustard plants²

So much more so our faith.

From one tiny mustard seed of faith, with the urging of the Holy Spirit, to a full declaration of our beliefs, our eagerness to spread the truth of God’s Word starts growing into something beautiful – that is, we start becoming more like Christ.

Our Faith Should Dictate Our Actions

Belief in God gives Him glory. Bearing fruit gives Him glory.

The whole world is watching.

If we act contrary to what we say we believe, it’s a terrible witness and that includes on social media, in the workplace, and more.

People should be able to look at your life and say, “You know, your life is different. You affect people differently than others. You have a certain attitude that’s different. Your behavior is different. Your influence is different. Your effect on things is different. There’s a product to your life that’s unlike any other life.” That’s fruit. – Pastor John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.³

Trust in God like your life depends on it . . . and it does, for all eternity.

Louis Gander’s latest poem, “One Wee Mustard Seed,” captures this beautifully.

One Wee Mustard Seed 9-22-22

Did God not create all the stars in the sky –

and put them in motion, Did they not comply?

Did God not create all the things of this earth,

from evenings to mornings, to growing from birth?

Are we so perplexed when we see Jesus still

the winds and the rains and the seas – all at will?

So why do we question what God can accomplish?

Oh, where is our seed of wee faith in His wish?

Disciples and others, now off from the shore,

could not seem to handle the tempest’s loud roar.

Would stiff winds and violent waves now condemn

as faith dissipated and fear overtook them?

We’ve faith in our keys that our cars will all start,

and faith in our chairs that they won’t fall apart.

Yet we can’t trust God to grant one little need?

Lord, grant me the faith of one wee mustard seed.

http://www.ganderpoems.org/⁴

A Mustard Seed Of Faith As It Matures

Spiritual growth is a matter of glorifying God. We will grow when our lives are filled with praise. We will grow when our lives are filled with fruit and fruitfulness. And we will grow when our lives are characterized by trusting God. Now as we live this way, focusing on His glory, we are changed from one level of glory to the next, moving toward the very image of Christ. – Pastor John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.⁵

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¹ “Mustard Seeds” photo by David Turner novalis, February 23, 2005, Edited by Consequencefree to replace the coin with an SI measurement reference. 24 February, 2005, via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Released under the GNU Free Documentation License. Accessed and retrieved November 2, 2022.

² “Bangladeshi mustard seeds” photo by Nafiur Rahman, own work. 8 January, 2021, via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Released under thexxxx Free Documentation License. Accessed and retrieved November 1, 2022.

³John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “Trust, Praise, and Bearing Fruit.” para. 38, n.d. Web. Accessed 27 October, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1388/trust-praise-and-bearing-fruit

⁴Poetry courtesy of Louis Gander, ©2022 Louis Gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, “One Wee Mustard Seed.” [online post]. From Gander Story Poems, n.d. Web. Accessed October 27, 2022. https://www.ganderpoems.org/2022/10/one-wee-mustard-seed-9-22-22.html

⁵John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “Trust, Praise, and Bearing Fruit.” para. 75, n.d. Web. Accessed 27 October, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1388/trust-praise-and-bearing-fruit

Our Exceptional God

It Wasn’t Me But Should Have Been

June 21, 2022 Gracie

Hey Boss, It Wasn’t Me

Do you have a pet peeve?

One thing that drives me crazy is to be blamed for something I didn’t do.

I remember back at one of the TV stations where I worked there was an intern who was answering phones in the newsroom. Unfortunately, she was rude to a caller.

Rightly so, the caller called back, asked to speak to the senior producer and complained.

The senior producer stormed out of her office, into the newsroom, and called all of us to the carpet for this intern’s mistake.

Loudly and angrily.

Wait a minute. It wasn’t me who did that!!

It didn’t matter, all of us were yelled at.

I made the mistake of shaking my head a little in frustration.

The boss saw me and then I also got into trouble!!

I can laugh about it now, but this reminds me of a good point.

It Wasn’t Me But Should Have Been

Remember this Bible verse from 1 Peter?

²⁴and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. – 1 Peter 2:24, (NASB).¹

In that verse from Peter’s address to the early church, he affirms that it is Jesus who, by His matchless grace, bore our sins to save us from eternal death.

It was our sinless Messiah on that cross who willingly took on the blame that, in reality, falls on us.

Blessed is the Lamb of God, “who takes away the sin of the world.”² (1 John 1:29)

The depths of His love are immeasurable by any human terms.

A Poem About God’s Grace

Recently I came across a poem I wanted to share written by gifted author, Louis Gander.

It’s a beautiful reminder of God’s grace and mercy towards man.

But Should Have Been 4-2-22

They slept and slept with weary eyes

while Jesus prayed with teary eyes.
He prayed in earnest while they slept,

but answered faithful. He’d accept.

It wasn’t me.

The night was looking mighty grim.

Then came, they, and arrested Him.

The charge was simple: blasphemy.

He didn’t plead nor disagree.

It wasn’t me.

And this is how the story goes:

They stripped Him of His humble clothes.

With bone-tipped violence He was whipped

and ev’ry time His skin was ripped.

It wasn’t me.

It wasn’t something He could toss.

He dropped that very heavy cross.

None could stop them, stop them now

as sweat poured off His heavy brow.

It wasn’t me.

They mocked Him with a crown of thorns.

The hate, the words, the sword, the scorns.

It’s hard to fathom these details,

then sore, He bore barbaric nails.

It wasn’t me.

His sacrifice was perfect love

both here on earth and Heav’n above.

It could have been a total loss

but Christ, Himself, endured that cross.

It wasn’t me.

God’s solemn will would then prevail,

and tore from top to bottom, veil.

Yes, Christ was hung for my sins then.

It wasn’t me… but should have been.

http://www.ganderpoems.org/³

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³Poetry courtesy of Louis Gander, ©2022 Louis Gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, “But Should Have Been.” [online post]. From Gander Story Poems, n.d. Web. Accessed June 18, 2022. https://www.ganderpoems.org/2022/04/but-should-have-been-4-2-22.html

Our Exceptional God

The Master Artist’s Gallery

June 22, 2021 Gracie

Always Open – The Master Artist’s Gallery

The Master Artist's Gallery is always open

A few days ago, I woke up, opened the shades, and saw this breathtaking sunrise right outside my window.

I couldn’t help it – I immediately went outside to take a picture in my pajamas, no less!

It’s okay, we have nice neighbors. 🙂

The sunrise was too beautiful to pass up and just go on with my day without thanking God for it.

I will never stop delighting in God and the gifts He has given to our world, including this stunning sunrise.

The Master Artist’s gallery is always open and free to the public.

No waiting in line

No restrictions

All ages welcome

Praise God!

The Master Artist’s Gallery

Someday the “Light of the world” will illuminate us and there will be no need for a sun.

Can you imagine what we will see then?

All of this from God’s loving hand.

God gave us the sun, never to worship but, among other things, allow us to “see” His magnificent creation!

God's gallery of creation

Anyone who has visited my blog for any length of time will know that I sometimes share poetry from other writers.

Louis Gander is one of my favorites. He is so talented that I’m going to share another one of his poems.

Enjoy!

His Painting

Alone, the sun rises
over people unknown.
Although they ignore it,
its sunlight is thrown,
over the river and
through the faint fog,
like lone little flowers
on top a dead log,
growing so freely,
so gentle, so bright –
as God’s great creation
is seen from His light.

Some hovering noises
seem somewhat bizarre,
trespassing nature
from places afar –
while God, the Great Artist
keeps painting His way –
another day passes
just like yesterday.
A bright colored sunset
surrounds a lone loon.
Reflected on water,
His bright crescent moon.

Now stars hold God’s canvas
while brush strokes so grand,
paint wide vivid colors
with love’s perfect hand.
And God – although we
cannot even imagine –
prepares us a place, in
His painting called ‘Heaven’.
So things we see here
will seem dreary and gray,
compared to the next one
that’ll blow us away!

John 14:2
In my Father’s house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.

——-

On a personal note: I was in touch with Louis recently. He’s had some health issues and would really appreciate your prayers.

His gift of writing is a blessing to the world.

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Our Exceptional God