by Alisha | Apr 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
Spring has finally arrived, and I am one happy girl! I love spring with all its warm sunshine and cool rain showers, the beautiful green leaves growing profusely, blooming flowers in pinks, lavenders, blues, and yellows, and colorful birds at my feeders. (Oh yeah, and Atlanta Braves Baseball!)
Spring is a time of intense growth – a “rebirth” of things that have been dormant for months and months.
Proverbs 11:28 (NLT) says, “The godly flourish like leaves in spring.” If you look around outside in the spring and summer, you can see just what it means to flourish in the natural.
But what does it look like when the godly flourish? In order to find out, let’s examine the various meanings of the word flourish:
Definition #1: To grow luxuriantly; to be in a vigorous state; THRIVE
Luxuriant, vigorous growth is what we see during the spring – a profusion of everything in nature. And just like Proverbs 11:28 says, we, as Christians, should be experiencing that in our lives!
Our relationship with Lord, our love walk toward others, our health, our bank accounts, our businesses – every area of our lives should be continually growing, thriving, and flourishing.
Definition #2: To achieve success; PROSPER
We already know that it is God’s will for us to prosper and be successful, and Joshua 1:8 (AMP) tells us how: “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”
Genuine success involves doing what the Lord has called you to do, not just occasionally, but continually. It has to do with persistence rather than perfection. If you are persisting in following the Lord’s plan for your life, then you will succeed, prosper, and flourish!
Definition #3: To be in a state of activity or production; to be in one’s prime
Psalm 92:12,14 (AMP) says, “The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]…Growing in grace they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and rich in the verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].”
As believers, we are always in the prime of our life, and we should always be producing fruit for the Kingdom of God no matter what our age.
Definition #4: To reach the height of development, influence or excellence
Genesis 26:13 (NET) speaking of Isaac says, “The man became wealthy. His influence continued to grow until he became very prominent.” Just like Isaac, we have the Blessing of Abraham.
We should be constantly improving ourselves, growing and developing spiritually, intellectually, physically, and exemplifying excellence in everything we do.
Definition #5: To be very healthy
Proverbs 4:22 (AMP) says that God’s Word is “life to those who find [it], healing and health to all their flesh.” If we’re taking care of our “temple” and walking in divine health, that means we’re flourishing physically.
Now that we understand the word flourish better, you might be wondering, “So, how does one flourish?” The only way to truly flourish in life is to remain vitally united with the Lord, to stay firmly planted in His house (His presence) through the Word and prayer.
Psalm 92:13 (NKJ) “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
Jesus put it another way in John 15:7-8 (AMP). He said, “If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.”
From this passage we see that:
1. The only way to truly flourish (thrive, be successful) is to abide in Him.
2. When we bear fruit (or flourish) in every area of our lives, we honor Him.
3. Flourishing in life is a sign that we are truly following and obeying the Master.
God desires that we flourish in every area of our lives: spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationally, etc. He wants every area of our lives to be growing profusely like leaves in spring.
We were created to flourish, because we were created for His presence. Are you abiding in His Word and in His presence? Are you honoring and glorifying Him? Are you proving yourself to be a true follower of Him? If you are flourishing spirit, soul, and body, then you are!
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by Alisha | Jul 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
So many people today are living a life of constant worry, anxiety or fear. They are deeply troubled – even depressed – about many areas of their life. They have no joy or peace, and their insides are all knotted up due to the stress, anxiety and apprehension they continually feel.
Does this describe you? Are you worried or fearful concerning a circumstance or situation you are facing? Are you in the midst of a test or trial that seems impossible to make it through?
If so, listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25, 31 (AMP). He says, Stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life…do not worry and be anxious…
The Lord Jesus Himself has said to stop worrying.
“What?!? How can I stop worrying???”
I’m so glad you asked!
Remember, Jesus wouldn’t tell us to do something that He knew we couldn’t do. With His help, we can be obedient to His words in this scripture.
The first step to living a life free from worries, cares and anxieties is to know the character and the nature of God. Let’s look at several verses that reveal that nature:
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. And throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches us that we are of great worth and value to the Father – more so than the wildflowers or the birds of the air. God even has the very hairs of our head numbered. (Mt. 6:25-34; 7:7-11; Lk. 11:9-13; 12:7, 22-32)
And Hebrews 13:5 (AMP) tells us, For God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not! According to this scripture, we can be assured that the Lord will never fail us or let us down.
Psalm 37:23 (NLT) assures us that, The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. This shows a loving, compassionate Father who loves us so much that He cares about anything and everything that concerns us!
In Exodus 15:26, the Lord declares, I am the Lord that heals you. And in Psalm 91:16, He says, With long life will I satisfy you and show you My salvation. These verses reveal a Father who cares for our physical health and well-being, and wants to give us a long, satisfying life.
In Philippians 4:19, the Apostle Paul tells us, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. So, here we see that the Lord is concerned about any and all of our needs. He has promised to supply whatever it is that we need.
When you truly understand the character and the nature of God – how much He loves you, how He has healed you, provided for your every need, directs your steps, and delights in every detail of your life, then you can cease from worry, because you are trusting in Him to take care of every one of your needs.
The Apostle Peter, who was part of Jesus’ inner circle, understood the Lord’s love, care and affection for His children. That is why he wrote: Cast all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully, (1 Peter 5:7 AMP).
The second step to living a life free from worry is to cast (throw) your cares – once and for all – on the Lord. That means you give them to Him AND leave them with Him. Once you give your cares, anxieties, worries and concerns to the Lord, you trust Him to take care of them. How can you trust Him to do that? Because you know that He “cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” You must trust in His love, faithfulness, and ability.
The third step in living a life with no worries is found in Philippians 4:6-7 (AMP):
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours…and that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
After you understand God’s love and concern for you, and after you have cast your cares upon Him, you must refuse to fret or worry about the circumstance or situation anymore. You have prayed and asked the Lord for His help and He will answer you.
When you think about the problem, remind yourself of the scriptures concerning what you’re believing for. Also remind yourself that you’ve given the situation over to the Lord and that He is handling it for you. Then continue to thank Him for taking care of the situation – thank Him for healing your body, thank Him for meeting your needs – whatever it is, thank Him that He’s got it all under control. Then you can begin to receive His peace that surpasses all understanding!
I would trade worry, fear and anxiety for the peace of God any day! Wouldn’t you?
Remind yourself of the Father’s great love and concern for you. Then cast all of your cares, worries and anxieties on Him – once and for all. Refuse to fret. Refuse to be anxious. Refuse to worry. Instead, thank the Lord for taking good care of you, and receive His peace that passes all understanding.
He is faithful. He will never fail you, forsake you, or let you down!
Prayer:
Father, I thank You that You love me and that You care about everything that concerns me. Today, I cast the care of _________________ on You, knowing that You will take care of me. With Your help, I refuse to fret or have any anxiety about it. Instead, I thank You in advance for meeting all my needs and working out this situation for Your glory. I trust in Your faithfulness and provision. I receive Your peace. In Jesus’ Name.
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