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Never Look Back

May 9, 2012 by zgardener

Never look back. Always go right ahead. Even if you are quaking, go right ahead. Jesus said the man who puts his hand to the plow and then turns back, is not worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. He also said: Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).
No matter how unattractive or how dangerous the road ahead may be, it is better than the road back. The road ahead may be veiled from sight – but you must teach yourself to regard the unknown as friendly. Remember that God is always on the road ahead.
…cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee (Psalm 143:8).
This should not be interpreted to mean that we should not review our decisions and the paths they lead us down. It does mean that we should never second guess or turn back on our journey to, communion with and obedience to God. Once we embark on our path with God, we should never look back on that decision or the path it takes us on.
When facing challenges, hurts and fears, we must redouble our commitment to walk with God in faith and confidence. Even when our knees are shaking and our strength fades, we will find calmness and strength in our faith. If we question our faith in such times, we are turning away from our hope and our true safety.
As Joshua said, “Turn neither to the left nor to the right, but be strong and of a good courage…and you will prosper whithersoever though goest.
Walking ahead,
Z gardener

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Divinity Within

May 4, 2012 by zgardener

Perhaps the second best prayer ever written is the Scotsman’s Prayer – “Lord give us a good conceit of ourselves.” You cannot have too much respect for yourself. You cannot have too much confidence in yourself. You cannot claim too much for yourself. But remember that you must realize these things as being the expression of God in you and not independent qualities of your own. You must also accept them as being true for every other human being.
Nothing but failure can come of self-depreciation. Of course, it is true that stupid people can get the malady called “swelled head” – and this ends in a fall – but the realization of one’s divine selfhood never gives swelled head. It gives wisdom, balance, poise, and steady progress. Think, talk, live your divine, glorious selfhood, and it will demonstrate itself in your life.
I have said, Ye are Gods; and all of you are children of the most High (Psalm 82:6).
We are the only things that can limit us. They way we think, what we think about and what we fail to think about does more to limit humans than all external conditions combined.
If we truly believe we are Gods and children of the most high, then we must respect and love ourselves just as we respect and love our heavenly Father. When we do, we will discover the unlimited joy of being that can only come from communion with God.
Being divine within,
Z gardener

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No Office Hours

May 3, 2012 by zgardener

 
 
God has no office hours. There is never a time when God is unavailable. Day or night, summer or winter, God is always present; always ready to heal, to comfort, to inspire. It is not possible that you could turn to God in prayer without receiving help.
 
The one thing required of you is that you shall turn to Him wholeheartedly, and that you shall expect Him to act. The greater the emergency, the easier will it be to demonstrate. The most powerful of all prayers is simply “Be still, and know that I am God.”
 
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts is perfect toward him. (2 Chronicles 16:9).
 
Always available to help us is God’s love and grace. We are never cut off form God’s love except by ourselves. In any circumstance we can call on God and expect an answer. Sometimes that answer may be no, but we will get an answer that is for our best good.
 
God is always in,
Z gardener

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May 2, 2012 by zgardener

Beware the Dog!
 
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17).
 
If, when those around you are talking negatively about something or someone, you chip in with your contribution, you are taking a strange dog by the ears – so look out! If you get emotionally entangled in what is not your affair, through indignation, self-righteousness, hatred, or otherwise, you have seized the dog again – and he will bite. And even to think negatively concerning such matters in the secret chamber of your own heart, will bring you proportionate and natural punishment.
 
It is always right to think rightly about any person or situation, and if you do this many opportunities will come to you to help people practically, without any breach of law, and without coming near the dangerous dog.
 
Even when our thoughts, words and deeds are positive, we can be drawn into negativity by others. Rather than confirming their negative issues, we should always try to offer an alternative positive way of dealing with their issues. Then we are staying away from their dangerous dog, yet advising them how they might successfully overcome their own danger or other negative outcomes. Then we can stay on our positive track and hopefully help those around us find a way to deal with their issues in love, grace and forgiveness.
 
Dog watching,
Z gardener

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A Dependable Recipe

May 1, 2012 by zgardener

When you make a cake, you know that whatever you put into your mixing bowl will appear in the cake itself, and, on the other hand, that unless a particular substance does go into the mixing bowl, it cannot appear in the finished article.
 
The thoughts and beliefs that fill our minds ultimately appear in the cake of experience, and to realize this is to save oneself a lot of trouble. No one puts kerosene in the mixing bowl because no one wants it in the cake, for everyone knows that, if it does enter the bowl, in the cake it will be.
 
…They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same (Job 4:8).
 
Here we find a simple universal truth. That which we put into our lives will be manifested in our lives. Just as our bodies will react to that which we put in it, so will our thoughts words and deeds. If we fill our lives with love, hope and peace, our lives will be peaceful, hopeful and filled with love. Let us today plan the recipe for our lives so that the ingredients we put in will create the product that will be for our best good. This is God’s will for us.
 
Cooking rightly,
Z gardener

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The Use of Intelligence

April 30, 2012 by zgardener

 
It is your duty to God to run your life on intelligent lines. God gives us all as much intelligence as we can possibly need, but, unfortunately, in most cases we use very little of it.
 
Ask yourself today if you are really conducting your life intelligently. Are you eating and drinking intelligently? Do you select your reading intelligently? Do you spend your money intelligently? Do you consider intelligently the things that you hear, or do you just accept them uncritically? Do you exercise intelligence in carrying out your daily work? Do you seek to approach each new problem with intelligence instead or mere emotions?
 
Have you intelligent plans for the future? Do you know what you would really like to do or to be, and if not wouldn’t it be only intelligent to go to work and find out and then draw up an intelligent plan for gaining your desire?
 
The world needs more intelligence. There is plenty of will, but because people will not use enough intelligence, mankind everywhere is in difficulties. Your intelligence is the light of God in your soul.
 
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5)
 
A friend of this author used to have a bumper sticker on his car that simply said, “THINK”. When asked why he displayed the sticker he replied that it’s because “most people don’t.” His point is addressed by today’s thought.
 
When we use our intelligence, we engage God’s greatest attribute given to humankind. Our intelligence is God’s intelligence manifesting itself through us. When we rationally work through the good and bad experiences we have, we give God the opportunity to reveal to us those thoughts and insights we need to make good decisions, regardless of emotional or personal reactions that might take us the wrong way.
 
Let us today use all of God’s gifts to guide our thoughts and the words and deeds they create. Then, ask God to guide and direct those thoughts so they reflect God’s love in every way. This will assure that our lives can become the garden God created them to be.
 
Thinking,
Z gardener

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Let God!

April 27, 2012 by zgardener

 
People often say, “I try to do so-and-so, but I fail.” The explanation for their failure is contained within the words themselves. You should never “try”; you should “let” – let God. When you “try” to do things, you are working from the outside. When you let God do them through you, you are working from the inside and success must come.
 
If you will reread the creation chapter in the Bible you will notice that God creates by “letting.” God said “let,” at every act of creation, and it was done. Now God creates by means of you if you will let him, but you must let.  Someone said, “Let go and Let God,” and this is a wonderful recipe for overcoming fear or getting out of a tight place. In any case, the rule for creation is always to let.
 
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18: 14).
 
This is one of the most important truths to be read in our daily devotional. It is when we become an expression of God’s will that God works through us. We must let go of the idea that we control things except ourselves. And it is when we relinquish  self-control to God that God turns power and potential into reality in the physical plane through us. We are to become instrumentalities of God if we are to express God’s existence in our reality here below. The first step is to empty ourselves in order that God may act in and through us. Then we must follow God’s will in all our ways. It is then that God lets our gardens grow into the Edens they were intended to be. It is then that God looks at our lives and says “it is very good!”
 
Letting go,
Z gardener

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Running Away From Life?

April 25, 2012 by zgardener

 
In the spiritual teaching we are told not to dwell upon our troubles, but instead, to realize the Presence of God where the troubles seems to be. Critics have suggested that this policy is “running away from life.” Is it?
 
Suppose you found yourself in a house that was on fire; what would you do? You would leave the burning building as rapidly as possible. Would this be running away from life? Would it not rather be seeking life?
 
Sickness, sin, fear, and limitation – these things are not life – they are partial death; and they are to be overcome by turning toward life, which is divine harmony.
 
To turn away from evil and realize God instead is to liberate yourself, to help the world, and to glorify God.
 
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth … (Isaiah 45:22).
 
How do we turn toward life when surrounded by life-threatening illness, fear and limitation. The Bible says we are to look for God within that which threatens us. If we direct our attention to God’s presence within our troubles, then our minds are open to the blessings that are hidden in our pain. Our pain or loss does not go away when we do this. However, we become empowered and strengthened to endure the challenge with the knowledge that God is with us. Further, if we continue to look for God in our troubles, even greater blessings will be revealed that provide comfort, hope and peace…even when facing the worst.
 
Running toward life,
Z gardener

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The Two Spirations

April 24, 2012 by zgardener

Have you ever heard the old story of the two spirations? They are essential for every worthwhile achievement. If either is missing the enterprise is doomed to failure, and if you have not been making your life as successful as you would like, you must go to work and find which of them has been overlooked. I am sure it is hardly necessary to tell you that the two spirations in question are inspiration and perspiration.
 
First you need inspiration. Sheer hard work, blind plodding, or brutal hammering will not bring success. You must also have regular inspiration.
 
Second, perspiration. There is no success without persevering hard work in the direction of your goal. Recently I heard one of the greatest living musicians address a class of musical students. He said, “I know of no road to success except hard work. If there is such a road I have not heard of it.”
 
Contact God daily for inspiration; and then work hard.
 
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (Psalm 127:1).
 
This sums up the truth regarding our participation in God’s creation. We are to be active participants who seek God’s will, are inspired by it and who work to manifest it here below. When all these things come together, we can be assured that we are on the right path and will arrive at the garden created for us.
 
Sweating and seeking,
Z gardener

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The 13th Hour

April 19, 2012 by zgardener

Some wonderful demonstrations come at the eleventh hour. Others come at the twelfth hour. And some of the deepest and most far-reaching demonstrations come at the thirteenth hour – if you maintain the right attitude. What, after all, is the right attitude? It is simply knowing the Truth of Being instead of accepting the error.
Many people are aware of this, and they work in the right way – for a while. If, however, the demonstration has not arrived a little before the eleventh hour, they give up in despair, and naturally their prayer is not answered. But, this can only mean that they do not really believe.
If your statements of Truth are true, they are true whether the victory comes at eleven or twelve or one o’clock. State the Truth of Being concerning the problem. Hold to it even after twelve o’clock has struck, and you will be surprised at the wonderful good that can come to you at the thirteenth hour.
The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that is cannot save, neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1).
What is it that causes us to give up on our prayers and our faith that God will answer them? Many times the root causes fall in the vanity, pride and ego issues. “It didn’t happen when I wanted it to, the way I wanted it to happen or how it would happen” are many of the reasons we abandon our faith and our prayers. Then, there is the refusal to take no for an answer to our prayers. Finally, we many times are misstating the truth we affirm or about which we pray. For instance, if we affirm that our prayers will be answered whether good for us or not, that is not the truth and it will not be affirmed by a loving God who will only grant that which is for our best good.
So, when we pray and affirm the truth, if we truly trust God, we should be ready for God’s answer, not ours. That answer, we can be sure, is the right one.
Listening for answers,
Z gardener

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