Sunflower Faith V

more sunflowers

Right click on song title, open in a new window to hear Give Me Jesus.

Sunflowers will cheerfully grow in any old soil, but they prefer good over bad.

The same, it is,  with truth.  It thrives in good soil (hearts).

Jesus compares our hearts to soil in the “parable of the sower”. Read about it here:  Mark 4:14-20

What makes soil good? 

The experts say two things are key: good drainage , balanced by an ability to retain just the right amount of water.

Following that model, may I present to you a recipe for a good heart, one in which the truth is able to thrive…

1. drainage/prayer: to keep your heart from becoming polluted with lies and compacted with worries, we need to daily (hourly, minute-ly) pour our hearts out to the Lord. “…pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.” Lamentations 2:19

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Take a minute to pour your heart out to the Lord.  What are you worried about?  Tell Him.  Out with the bad, in with the good…

2.water retention/verse memorization: A good heart retains the truth.  Thinking about and memorizing God’s Word is key.

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11 

The more truth we hide in our hearts, the more room we have for more truth.  It doesn’t make sense, but it does!

Memorize a verse  to start preparing your soil, like 1 Peter 5:7 above.  That’s a good one to remember when you’re heart’s full of worries — just cast them out to the Lord!  He’ll replace them with peace — Phil. 4:6-7

“like seed sown on good soil, [they] hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” Mark 4:20

Sunflower Faith IV

Right click on the song title, open in a new window/tab to listen to  Give Me Jesus while you read.

Sunflower Faith is resilient.  It grows wherever it’s planted, as long as there’s plenty of sun.

And have you ever noticed how their pretty faces seem to be praising the sun all day?

Let’s be sunflowers —  Lift your pretty face, and praise the Son! 

Start by reading these verses out loud to the Lord…“I love you, Oh Lord, my strength.  [You are] my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; [You are] my rock, in whom I take refuge.  [You are] my shield , [the One who saves me]** my stronghold.  I call to [You], who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  (Psalm 18:1-2 NIV)

Repeat after me: Thank you, Lord for the times when you’ve been a rock for me to stand on, or hide behind, when I’ve needed one.

Do you need a shield today;  a refuge from the storm?  Take a moment to call to Him, who is worthy of praise, and may you grow, and grow, and grow, wherever you’re planted.

**”…horn of my salvation…” 

Sunflower Faith III

Right click the following link and open in a new tab/window to listen to Fernando Ortega sing Give Me Jesus while you read…

Pray with me:  “Father, help me to hear Your voice now and all through the day.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Sunflowers can grow in any soil; hard, soft, well-drained, or dry.  It doesn’t matter so long as they have the sun.  We could learn a lesson from that…  The apostle, Paul, wrote to the Philippians, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:12-13

Do you want to grow and be strong no matter your circumstances?  I do, too.  We need sunflower faith, that relies on the Son.

Take a few minutes to thank the Lord for your life, whether you’re well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want.  Then “pour your heart out to Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Sunflower Faith II

Right click, open in a new window to hear  Give Me Jesus while you read.

Before you read, pray –” Oh, Father, open my heart to hear Your voice — now and all day long.  In Jesus name, amen”

The back of the seed packet read, “Full sun.” 

If I ignored that, my sunflower would grow to be thin and weak.    Too much shade…  In a strong wind? It’s pretty face would splop down into the dirt!  To grow strong sunflowers, I needed full sun.

To grow strong faith, we need full Son.  We need Jesus.  Too much “shade”, and our faith will be thin and weak.

Have you been trying to grow in the dark?  Has your pretty face been smacked down into the dirt by the winds of life?  You need Jesus.

In sunflower fields, all the flowers face east in the morning. 

Their heads are patiently bowed down, waiting for the sun. 

As the sun rises, their faces rise with it.  They look toward the sun all day.  That’s how they grow.

Sing with me:   In the morning, when I rise…in the morning, when I rise.. in the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus.  Give me Jesus!  Give me Jesus!  You can have all this world.  Give me Jesus…

Hebrews 3:1  “…fix your thoughts on Jesus.”  Look toward Him all day.  Follow Him, talk to Him, sing to Him…  “They looked unto Him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed.”  Psalm 34:5

Sunflower Faith

Right click, open in a new window to hear Give Me Jesus as you read.

How will you resist the pull to conform?

How will you stand in the cultural storm?

How will you face yourself in the morn?

..”seek His face.” Psalm 27:8

“Your face, Oh, Lord, I will seek.” Psalm 27:8

“Fix your thoughts on Jesus..” Hebrews 3:1