Corn Stalks Everywhere
For whatever a person sows, that is also what that person shall reap (Galatians 6:7 RKJV).
After this summer has passed a great truth has surfaced in my own mind and heart. I have stumbled upon corn stalks everywhere: in flower beds, coming up out of the landscape rock, by the shade of a tree, and some in and near a wide-spread ivy that covers several feet of our back yard. Why? What we plant now will be seen later.
When our grand children came this summer they opened up a package of corn and seeds went everywhere. Some were planted and some just fell among rock, dirt, and grass. But reality is some of these corn seeds took root. The seeds were sown in a sense to the wind, yet they appeared several months later.
Every day you sow your seeds. Every day you plant love, hope, charity, goodness and faith. Those seeds do not just pop up immediately; it is after summer, after a season that you begin to see the dynamics of sowing—results. God is this way. He does not work like the microwave; nor does His harvest. It is a gradual effect. Over time God causes the seed to die, then germinate, begin to bud and eventually grow into a beautiful plant.
People are longing for love; for someone to care about them. When you plant the seed, you fill a need. There are so many people out there in this world, around you every day who are thirsty for someone to give them a genuine smile, a helping hand, a note of thanks, a visit upon their sick bed. How is your life’s garden growing? Planting any fresh new seeds today? When you do, they will come up later.
“Let on you don’t care, then nobody will bother you.” Those who gave me that advice were well-meaning people; but, of course, I did care, and somehow along the way I caught the belief that God cares, too; that divine presence cares for those of us who are hurting and that presence is everywhere. I don’t know exactly how this came to me, maybe through one of my teachers or the town librarian, maybe through a musician or a minister—definitely across some holy ground. And, of course, it could have come from the grandfather I was named for: Fred McFeely, who used to say to me after we’d had a visit together, “Freddy, you made this day a special day for me.”
—-Mister Rogers (Life’s Journeys According to: 2005)
Plant some seed. Make this day a special day for someone. Make sure corn stalks come up everywhere.
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
Symphonic Powers
For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state (Philippians 2:20 KJV).
Whatever spirit and attitude that the young minister had he had a huge impact upon Paul. He could not count on, or want to count on anyone more than Timothy. Timothy had the same heart beat, breath and desire that Paul possessed. They were in total concert together.
Recently I attended the opening weekend at the Colorado Symphony. It was a master piece concert. I especially watched this man with a pony tail on the drums. He was awesome. Next I observed how in sync the harpist was as she took her hands carefully and almost magically strummed her harp with the most delicate yet definite movements with her dainty fingers. And the melodious sounds filled the theatre where we were with tunes from a moving symphony of wonderment and harmonious music. It was as though you could smell the music itself as it filled the air in the theatre pavilion. Symphonic Powers!
This was Paul with Timothy and Timothy with mentor Apostle—he could count on Timothy and vice versa. Paul wanted this church to know that Timothy had passed the test of character; and his confidence. In a world of constant threats against the New Testament Church how comforting it must have been for Paul to have a young, able bodied, loyal and committed youthful minister by his side.
You know that the easy way is always to be late, cancel the appointment, fade out, find an excuse and bend the rules a little. Paul unmistakably saw in young Tim a man of great faith, wisdom and enthusiasm. He saw responsibility! “Let no man despise your youth.” God can do wonders with kids; even kill giants who step in the way.
How is your faith today? Who can you depend on….no matter what? Do you know or have a Timothy in your world, too?
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
Must Needs Go
“A little smarter doesn’t necessarily make you a little wiser.”
—Jason Lloyd
And he must needs go through Samaria.
John 4:4 (KJV).
I see four purposes in the life of Christ that seem to jump off this verse of scripture. Guess it sounds like a sermon! But they came to me and seem to be so obvious, too,
First He was living for giving. He must needs go through Samaria to give of Himself to a lady who He knew would need the Gospel (Good News) of salvation. The Messiah did not just live, rather He lived to give. So He gave Himself to the attention and life of a lady living in adultery but missing out on life’s greatest and most valuable experience—knowing God through His Son.
Secondly as we see in the life of our Lord that He was living for following. He followed His Father’s will. He was so sensitive about following what His Father wanted Him to do, that He constantly talked about following His Father’s desire; not His own. All through His ministry He alludes to being sent. He had followers, yet He himself was a follower. So He followed the wooing of His Father’s voice to Samaria. Do you follow God? The easy way, is to go your own way. Right?
Third He was living for sharing. The Christ was always on the move sharing the Good News of His kingdom. He shared His heart with the known world where He ministered. From the boat on a sea to a temple—even in a tree, from a common house to the side of a mountain He taught and shared His mighty Gospel that will set us free. Wherever He went He sowed the seeds of truth and hope and love.
And fourth He was living for dying. His ultimate goal was the cross. He came to die. He came to be a Lamb. A sacrifice! Nothing else would substitute this experience. Nothing! No cross, no good news. You and I live to not die. His role in humanity was to die. We take every conceivable step and caution to live, to keep ourselves well and healthy and fit and alive. But He was living for dying. And He did…....for you.
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
