A Father Who Knows Best

Happy Father’s Day

Machelle McDowell

June 14, 2024

A precious scripture to pray over your son..(and let’s not forget our daughters).

“May my son be strong and courageous and not fear or be in dread, for it is You, Lord, our God, who goes with him.  You will never leave him or forsake him.” Debt. 31:6

A father who knows best knows Jesus. The ultimate role model is God the Father.  He has all the things: love, kindness, understanding, patience, wisdom, protection and the list is lengthy.

We learn early on in history that things do not go well for fathers who choose not to follow and submit to God’s leadership.  We peep at Adam and quickly see the consequences of disobedience.  Great fathers are able to own up to their failures. They learn from them and adversity makes them stronger.  Adam pointed blame onto Eve. Both were guilty. Be a man who can say, “I’m sorry, I made made a mistake, please forgive me.”

I stand amazed at Noah’s ability to remain faithful to God when the odds are against him.  He was not perfect mind you, but remained devoted. It has been voiced to me that sometimes, men feel they are taken advantage of and not respected for their roles. God is always pleased with faithful men! Guys, you may not receive the accolades you deserve in this life but you have a Father who is keeping track! Noah knew this truth.

Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham….I love this Sunday School song! Abraham did have many sons and was the Father of an entire nation! Abraham’s main weakness as many of us are guilty of was relying on himself instead of God. He learned to trust God for guidance in not only raising his own family but leading a nation! Dad’s you cannot not go wrong being humble enough to realize you need God.

Men! Seeking God’s will for your life will not only benefit you, but will become a pattern for your family. They look to you to be the example for them. What are your children seeing? Do they see a man after God’s heart or do they see a man with a heart for “gods.”

Even David, a man after God’s own heart was sucked into idol worship and mini gods. His main weakness fell in the laps of many beautiful women and their pagan practices. Remain pure gentlemen. Keep your eyes protected from the lures of the enemy.

Satan loves to play on your weaknesses. David repented many times throughout his reign as king for this sin.

There is hope, guys!. Don’t feel defeated when you succumb to such temptations, but rise above them. Examine your hearts often. David himself instructs us in the 91st Psalm that God will deliver you form the snare of the fowler-He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.

The common thread these guys mentioned above: They all relied on the steadfast love of God.

CALLING all fathers- Be the father you want your son to become! Be the man you want your daughter to respect. I am praying that from this day forward your eyes are fixed on the one who can give you the desires of your heart.

The void we all struggle with in our lives cannot be filled with money, women, sex, sports, prestige, or respect….only Jesus can fulfill us.

Let your actions be a reflection of the love in your heart for your creator. In His hands a man finds purpose. A godly man is not defined by his possessions but by the richness of his heart.

Happy Father’s Day Men!

A Mother Knows Best

“Always leave your hands open and your palms up when following the Lord.”

May 21, 2024

Machelle McDowell

A Mother Knows Best

I Samuel 1:11- “And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

I Samuel is my very favorite book in the Bible! I love everything about it. It starts out with the greatest love story of how a mother could give up her only child all the days of his life to serve God!

I love how a mama’s heart loved her son so much that she realized the most important act she could do for her boy was to “give him over” to God.

How hard this must have been for Hannah. You see, she was a barren woman and had prayed for a child for many years. A matter of fact one day in the temple, Hannah prayed from her heart and poured out her soul to God in such a manner that the priest, Eli thought she had been drinking!

Hannah was so confident that God heard her prayer- her countenance changed! She was no longer sad. Hannah worshiped God while she waited!

God heard her prayer and gave her a son….Samuel.

Hannah loved the gift of a son but loved the giver even more. She got it! Everything we have to give has been given to us by God. Hannah loosened her grip on her new baby realizing that giving Samuel back to God was not hers to give anyway…he already belonged to God.

I can’t help but think that Hannah was so thankful for her son that she wanted to share with God some of the overwhelming joy she felt holding an answered prayer in her arms.

He was conceived out of holiness… her heartfelt prayers before a holy God were heard! Little did she know the impact Samuel would have in God’s story of redemption.

She made a vow that her son would work for the Lord all the days of his life. How could she make such a vow?  How did she know his calling? She was confident and bold to voice such a promise.

Mamas, have you ever lifted up such a prayer for your child? “Lord, my child will be yours all the days of his/her life.”

This kind of prayer reflects a whole new side of faith. This woman understood the depths of God’s power and wanted her son to be a part of it. This story makes me feel guilty for the weak prayers I have prayed over my grown children growing up.

Are we willing to give our children up to the ministry? Do we pray for our sons to become pastors or our daughters to become missionaries or even for Godly spouses for them?

Do we spend more time praying for out children and their worldly endeavors and accolades than we do for their spiritual growth? Hannah brought a conviction to my heart. I wished I had prayed more specific prayers over our children growing up.

The thought occurred to me that maybe God allowed Hannah to be barren for so long to help prepare her heart for such a prayer. The spiritual growth that took place in the wilderness of a barren womb. She continued to call herself, “a servant” throughout this chapter.

To be a true servant you must be humble. Hannah spent many years in a posture of humility. Month after month unable to conceive but remaining faithful to the God in whom she knew could breathe life into her womb.

We sometimes question why we must endure such suffering- but it is in suffering we are the closest to our heavenly Father. The closer we are to Him the clearer His reflection is in us.

Hannah reflected God’s love when He gave his only son. He did it willingly and so did she. Hannah knew God’s will for her son far outweighed anything the world had to offer.

God did not take Samuel immediately from Hannah. She was allowed to keep him until he was weaned. As a mother, I’m sure she relished every second of her time with her sweet gift from God. She had maybe 2 years/3 at the most with her son.

Then….it came….the day Samuel was dedicated to the Lord!

I Samuel 1:27-28- “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord.  As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

Oh…By the way, let’s skip over to:

I Samuel 2:21- “Indeed the Lord visited Hannah and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.”

God blesses those who find favor in His eyes.

Lessons From Samson

May 14, 2024

Machelle McDowell

What does it mean to be unequally yoked? I am going to confess. The very first time I read this scripture (2 Cor 6:14-16), the first thing that came to my mind was….an egg!

Wow, was I way off the mark! My first clue should have been the spelling of the word- yoke….not yolk, LOL.

I looked a little deeper into what a yoke is: a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attaches to a plow.

I found it interesting that if two oxen are yoked together and one ox is yoked improperly it will cause them to be off balance. They can’t work together. They will go in circles or sometimes just stop all together.

2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? OR what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with the devil? OR what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

This past week I spent some time in the book of Judges 13-16 and quite honestly the story of Samson opened my eyes to some truths that I had never pulled out of these chapters before.

Samson’s birth was a blessing bestowed upon his parents to whom his mother was barren. Along with Samson’s birth came a lifetime Nazrite vow and this child was given a supernatural physical strength through God’s holy spirit. His mission was to rescue the Israelites from the Philistines, he could never cut his hair. His hair symbolized God’s favor upon him.

His strength was unbelievable but he had a greater weakness- women. He continually stepped out of God’s will for his life by being unequally yoked with ungodly pagan women who led him astray.

Is there such a thing as love at first sight? I tend to believe that it is possible-however; I tend to lean on the side of lust at first sight when it came to Samson and his choice of female companions. Maybe, I am wrong, either way, love at first sight is dangerous.

When we step out of God’s will in choosing our soul mate for life, it usually does not go well for us. When we are unequally yoked with a mate we have created a situation where two people are going to disagree on many important life decisions and that creates a life of conflict and the marriage will be out of balance, finding themselves going in circles, alot like the oxen that have been yoked improperly.

Samson sees a Philistine woman for the first time and wants to marry her. The first onset of his demise, but ironically from the Lord. God was at work.

Samson’s parents tried to convince him that this was not a good idea. Judges 14:4 "His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines.”

Isn’t it beautiful how God can take our weaknesses and use them for good?

Samson has a party for the Philistines to celebrate his marriage and offers a riddle for them to solve. If solved they would receive 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. If they failed to solve it then they were to provide the same for him.

And so if began- Samson’s wife was threatened by the Philistines to entice her husband to tell her the riddle or they would burn her and her father’s house. She succeeds. To her credit, she acted out of fear, but Samson saw it as betrayal.

This was Samson’s first move against the Philistines. He was enraged. He killed thirty of the enemies of Israel. His father-in-law thought that Samson hated his wife, so he gave her to another man.

God uses Samson’s ungodly anger. Samson strikes out against the Philistines and the story of the Philistines downfall begins to unfold. Revenge creates a snowball effect. The Philistines burn Samson’s wife and father. Samson retaliates as a one man army against them with a great slaughter. He now could trust no one.

Samson is on the run. He goes to Gaza and sees a prostitute. Once again he is unequally yoked to a pagan woman. (Even though a man is being used by God does not make him exempt from blatant sin)…here we are again going in circles and out of balance.

And then…..there was Delilah! Samson fell in love again with a woman named Delilah. Three’s a charm, no….. more like strike 3 in the woman department. Delilah was far from yoked with Samson. She flat out inserted the bull ring in his nose and led him to slaughter!

The Philistines bribed her to have Samson reveal the source of his strength. This proved her love for Samson- non existent. She only wanted the money.

Ironically, Samson knew something was not right or he wouldn’t have lied to her 3x. An ungodly relationship can sway our thinking. He stayed with her anyway.

She was furious. She then played the, “You don’t really love me” card. And, Samson eventually shared his heart and the truth with her.  So, she lulls him to sleep and has someone to cut his hair.

His hair was not really the source of his strength but was a symbol of God’s favor upon his life. Samson was arrested, tortured, and blinded.

He was unequally yoked and bound most of his life to pagan women that helped rob him of God’s intended blessing for his life; Now he is bound with bronze fetters and God’s presence seems far from him.

Friends, relationships are not the only way can be unequally yoked. We can be unequally yoked with the world in which we live. We let worldly influences affect our thinking and our belief system to the point of compromise.

Samson realized where His strength came from. His hair began to grow in prison and he was reminded of his vow. He cried out to the Lord one last time as he stood between two pillars that held the temple in place. He pushed with all his strength and the building fell upon all the Philistines. He killed more Philistines that day than he did his entire life….at the cost of his own life.

God never forsook Samson. He was restored! The last victory came out of Samson’s humility.

What is the take away from this story?  Light and darkness do not cohabitate. One will blot out the other. Which will you choose?

How Do You Measure a Grain of Faith?

May 8, 2024

Machelle McDowell

(Judges 6 & 7)

Matt 17: 20
“If you have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

A mustard seed is tiny. Faith the size of a mustard seed demonstrates the power that God possesses in his hands.

Gideon made it into the “Hall of Faith” with this kind of faith!  It always amazes me who God chooses to use to fulfill his purposes.

He sees something in us that we cannot see. Gideon’s call seemed very unlikely that he was the obvious candidate for the job! The Lord made it very clear by the way the message was delivered. He was to rescue the Israelites!

The angel of the Lord came to Gideon and spoke clearly- “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Valor? Really? Valor means great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. Gideon was not a soldier; he was a farmer.

The Israelites were in bondage to the Midianites in these chapters because of their repeated rebellion against God. Before coming back to God they had to be humbled, (again).

I’m sure Gideon questioned why they were in the situation if God was with them….isn’t that how we assess things too? We want to pass the blame? Heaven forbid we assess our own guilt in the matter.

Honestly, the behavior of the Israelites was the root cause of all their problems…a mix of repeated disobedience and rebellion against God.

Judges 6:15 Gideon shares his insecurities with God- “How can I save Israel?” “I come from the weakest clan and I’m the least in my father’s house.”  God assures him- “I will be with you.”

Gideon proves his inhibitions by asking for a sign- prove it. God shows him direction: the whole experience combined in these two chapters should have convinced Gideon of God’s presence.

Gideon obeyed what God commanded him to do. Obedience fueled the success of his mission!

Gideon did what the Lord told him. He tore down the Asherah and built an altar to the Lord…(but, he did it at night) because he was afraid of his family.

However; I love verse 34 and how it describes how the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon. It makes me envision God wrapping Gideon up in his presence in a way that emboldened Gideon!

In the very next chapter, Gideon demonstrates a type of courage and boldness that only comes from God alone. And, it is only gained through OBEDIENCE. Gideon is given a daunting task. To defeat the Midianite army- a huge troop!

A great test of Gideon’s faith unfolds in Judges chapter 7.  God tells him that his army is too big. He had gathered 32,000 men.

God commanded him to invite any of them that were afraid to go home….wow, there were alot of scaredy cats…they all left but 10,000!

God wanted His name to be exalted in this victory! His heart was to win back the allegiance of the Israelites once again. God flexed his strength! He wanted the army reduced even more so that there would be no question where Gideon’s power came from.

God rallied his army in His way….His ways are not our ways….

The Lord told Gideon to take the men to the water and have them drink. 300 men were chosen based on the fact that they cupped the water in their hands and brought it to their mouths to drink….that’s who I want fighting for me, (LOL) a man who can drink out of cupped hands.

Supposedly, some say……these men made better soldiers because they could keep their eyes on their surroundings unlike those who lapped the water like a dog. God amazes me with His mysterious ways!

God assured Gideon of victory! To build up Gideon’s courage God set the scene for Gideon to hear about a Midianite man’s dream and its interpretation that clearly pointed to Gideon as the victor in the upcoming battle.

This battle was about as unorthodox as the lapping up water in cupped hands approach. Gideon divides his 300 men into three companies.

The stage was set in the evening while the Midianites were sleeping. Every man had a trumpet and a torch inside a pitcher! They surrounded the army camp.

By a surprise attack, the men blew their trumpets and broke their pitchers at the same time, cried out, “ The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”

The Midianites awoke suddenly from the sound of breaking clay jars and men chanting loudly about their demise!

Gideon’s men appeared to be coming from all directions and threw the camp into a panic to where they began to attack one another.  God blessed the army of Gideon and defeated the Midianites by the most unique military strategy ever recorded.

Does this story sound possible for a man who started out with the faith of a mustard seed? Fact- When a mustard seed reaches full growth, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree. Point taken- GROWTH!

When God is pouring into our lives nothing is impossible. Gideon’s faith grew through obedience and willingness to trust God’s leadership in his life.

Miracles are made with mustard seeds!

The Unlikely Vessel

The Unlikely Vessel

The Unlikely Vessel

Machelle McDowell

April 30, 2024

“How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:14-15)

We begin in Joshua chapter 2 still waiting to pass over into the Promised Land. But, this time the waiting was for a different reason.

Two spies were being sent out..but why? We already did the spy thing and it didn’t work out to well!

I love this…..
“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength”…Isaiah 40:31.
God was working in the background putting pieces of history into place that would impact the world forever! Rahab was a huge piece to this puzzle!

The spies hid at the house of Rahab. Rahab, a prostitute, a Canaanite, a woman…used to provide protection for God’s men…what an unlikely vessel.

These men knew exactly where they were going. Don’t you find it odd that there was no discussion on which direction to head? God apparently had already laid out the plan!

They had a plan in place and they carried it out. Joshua 2:1- “They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab.”

One might think negative thoughts about these men hiding there…but, I tend to believe in my heart these actions were ordained by God! I truly believe there was no hanky panky that went down in that house!

Rehab believed in God! How do I know this?  Her actions spoke loudly! What an unlikely vessel for God to use to spread his name amongst the pagans. His first convert in the Promised Land! Rahab allied herself with the God of Israel!

Can’t you envision her in a posture of praise! Her hands were open and her palms up just waiting for God to bless her!

This woman was confident in knowing that God had given the Israelites the land! She was willing to commit treason and possibly be killed for her actions. What an act of love.

She also goes on to say in verse Joshua 2:11: “And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted-for the Lord your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” God loves the Jew and the Gentile!

I couldn’t help but ask, “How did she come to believe?” She grew up in a pagan land filled with idol worship. Her career choice certainly did not reflect one of Christianity.

I’m quite sure-(very unlikely) that she heard about God through a Priest or a priestly family. I envision she heard testimonies from traveling Nomads filled with awe of His fame and miracles and made mention of what they heard and possibly saw. Incredible stories that could only reflect God’s hand in them all, to the point of BELIEF!

Oh, the beautiful feet of those who carry the good news! How ironic…Rahab, the unlikely vessel heard about God through other unlikely vessels!

But, we cannot take away the role of God’s spirit and how He aligned this historical event that took place and would be mentioned years later! Praise God for unlikely vessels, right? Amen.

All in the same day, Rahab lost her identity as a prostitute and gained a royal spot in the lineage of David, because of her faith. Her faith in God’s promises is an example to us that we can have faith in God’s promises, too.

We cannot take lightly or dismiss the passion she showed her family. She had a desire for her family to be saved! She pleads on their behalf in versus 12-13 to the extent it is worth mentioning as well as her faith!

The promise was to rescue Rahab and her family from the coming judgment against Jericho if she protected the Israelites spies. And God keeps His promises!

I like to think of the red cord she used that lowered the spies down through the window was a symbol of the connection she had to our mighty God. She trusted that cord would bring her and her family saving grace.

WELCOME Rahab to a front row seat on the row of faith found in Hebrews 11:31! Not bad for an unlikely vessel, huh?

ROMANS 10:14-15 came to life in my mind when reading this chapter. What a picture of the Great Commission! How very important it is for us to be the megaphone that heralds the gospel for the world to hear!

Praises to our God who continues to choose unlikely vessels to complete his mission on earth. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!

Are You Bound for the Promised Land?

April 24, 2024

Machelle McDowell

Deuteronomy chapter 32 is called the song of Moses as he serenades us out of the book of Deuteronomy!

In this song Moses proclaims the name of the Lord and in the same song adds a tongue lashing to the Israelites for being foolish and unwise in light of what God had done for them. Maybe we should try this method when scolding our kiddos? (LOL)….How would they respond if we broke out in song with a melody that ends in grounding?

Moses reminds the Israelites of how faithful God was to them. This song was to bring a conviction of sin and to remind them of God’s love and grace they could return to!

How many times did God withdraw his presence from this foolish nation only to welcome them back in His good graces? Sound familiar?

How many times did God send His wrath down to the rebellious Israelites during their journey across the wilderness? Sometimes, it took calamity to capture their attention.

Here we are at the edge of the wilderness in Deut 34, Moses is not allowed to cross over! But God’s sweet grace allows him to see it!

He sends Moses to the top of Mount Nebo. Can you imagine the grandeur of that sight? If you have ever visited the Grand Canyon and walked to the edge for the very first time, it is breath taking! I’m sure that is putting lightly what Moses experienced!

“You shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there.” I’m sure Moses was heartbroken over not being able to lead the Israelites into the Promise Land. But, what Moses experienced on Mount Nebo was so much greater!

He is blessed to see the beauty of the Promised Land only to close his eyes and draw his last breath and in the very next second be standing in the presence of the Holy God face to face!

Can’t you envision his experience? It was like a precursor to things to come! Glancing at the beauty of Canaan didn’t hold a candle to the Promised Land he was crossing into.

Could it be God’s reward for Moses was far greater than crossing over to Canaan with the Israelites? Moses experienced the ultimate Promise Land!

Hank Williams, Sr. was the original songwriter of the song “I am Bound for the Promised Land.” The lyrics speak of being bound for a place beyond any of our imagination. A place where there will be no more sickness, sorrow, pain and we shall see our Father’s face. :

I am bound for the promised land

I am bound for the promised land

Oh, who will come and go with me?

I am bound for the promised land.

The whole purpose of the Bible is to point us to the Promised Land and to the Saviour who can take us there!

Friends, are you bound for the promised land?

Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Machelle McDowell

April 16, 2024

I love flowers! So, today I thought I might incorporate some gardening analogies that may help us to learn a few Biblical concepts: Let’s focus on the Rose!

Roses are so beautiful and they are a perfect lead in to a comical story I want to share with you today:

A teenage granddaughter….we will call her, Rose, came downstairs to meet her date for the night wearing a see-through blouse and no bra! (Stick with me, this is not rated R, I promise).

Her grandmother threw a fit, “Rose, don’t you dare go out like that!”

The rebellious teen looks at her grandma and says, “Loosen up Grams…these are modern times, everybody dresses like this” “You gotta let your rose buds show”……. and out she went.” The grandmother is appalled!

The next day…. Rose comes downstairs only to find her grandmother sitting in her chair with no top on!  The teen cannot believe what she is seeing!

In a panic, she explains to her grandmother that she has friends coming over any minute and that it is just not appropriate for her to be seen like that!

With a big smile on her face, the grandmother says, “ Loosen up Sweetie,”

“If you can show off your rosebuds, I can show off my hanging baskets.”

There is some humor in this story but also a garden full of thorns!

There is nothing prettier than a rose bush in full bloom! It captures our attention. But, when we walk amongst the rose bush before it blooms we see its leaves but our eyes tend to drift to the exposed thorns.

We can learn a lot from a rose bush:

Even outnumbered by thorns..the beauty of the flower stands out for all to see..

Our prayer should be that we would be more like the rose and less like the thorns. Jesus was a rose among the thorns. He stood out… why? Because, He values others more than himself.

Jesus wants us to stand out. He wants others to see Him in us.

We can learn from Paul in Romans 12:2- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good an acceptable and perfect.

You know, when we begin to think like Jesus, we will begin to act like Jesus…. We have bought into this world and have become numb to the things that cause a stench in God’s nostrils. We have tarnished the sweet fragrance of His garden!

The thorns we bare do not bring God glory but disgrace. Like Rose, the granddaughter in the story, our rebellious nature robs us of God’s greatest blessings.

There is a quote that says:

“Anything in fact will serve as an excuse when the heart is bent on compromise.”

“Loosen up Grams!” “These are modern times.” “Everybody does it!”…….The question we should be asking is, “Does this bring God glory?”

Like the rose, Jesus wants us to stand out. He wants us to be different:

• Our speech should not sound like the world. Our tongue has the power to destroy or to lift up. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths but that which is good to the use of edifying. Ephesians 4:29.

• Our Behavior- Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. I Tim 4:12-13.

• Our reflection of Christ- the way we love others reflects our adoration for our Lord. Love God, Love Others. Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is the this:  Love your neighbor as yourself.

When our love for others is in full bloom; God is being glorified.

We are not perfect people; we all bare thorns…but even outnumbered by thorns, the beauty of the rose stands out for all to see. Jesus wants to see us in full bloom.

Just like the rose bush, we go through seasons when all you can see is the leaves and the thorns.

When our lives are filled with bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, negativity, to name a few; these are seasons when a good pruning is needed. When the thorns have taken over and choked out the beautiful rose.

• When is the last time you had a good pruning?

• Maybe, you are carrying around unconfessed sin?

• Maybe, You are struggling with unforgiveness?

• Maybe, You have never given your life to the gardener? Jesus Christ

Why would you call Jesus a gardener? I am glad you asked.

Listen to the definition of a gardener and compare it in your mind to our Lord and Savior:

“The gardener is the person who has the skill to maintain the gardens’s design.

The gardener’s labor during the year include planting flowers and other plants, weeding, pruning, grafting, deadheading, mixing and preparation of insecticides and other products for pest control, and tending garden compost”.

Let me explain my thoughts:

• Friends, our Lord and Savior designed us for himself. He is skilled to keep that design.

• He plants us where he wants us to grow our faith and share it with others.

• We are to share the beautiful bouquet of the gospel and let its fragrance saturate the hearts of the sinner.

• God weeds us- He deadheads us so that we can be alive in him and be his disciple, the disciple he designed us to be.

• He prepares us for spiritual battles. Who is our pest?- Satan himself. Satan prowls around like a lion seeking whom he can devour. He wants to destroy the garden.

• He compost us. Improving the health of our soul, recycling the very Word of God over and over in our hearts and minds: our nutrients to prepare us for the droughts to come.

That my friend is our gardener! Our Lord and Savior!

Maybe, you are just going through a period of dry rot? It’s like you have a spiritual fungus:

• It is eating away at your spirit. It is causing decay of your witness.

• It sucking the joy out of your Christian walk.

Christians, We are a rose among the thorns! The thorns are part of who we are but they

do not possess us.

The Bible says, we all sin and fall short. But God loved us so much he sent his son to die for us while we were still sinners! And, if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead- call upon the Lord and be saved!

The cure for all thorns we have ever had, currently have, or will have in the future have been taken care of!

There is a disease that causes a sudden excessive thorn production on a rose bush; it is called rose rosette. It is a virus with no cure! The plant will die within a year or two.

Friends, we have a cure! His name is Jesus! We cannot cure the thorns in our lives. Only God can!

Glory to God

Glory to God

April 10, 2024

Machelle McDowell

I Cor 6:20- “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”

I celebrated a milestone birthday this year! I turned 62! Yes, I am able to say that outloud now! (LOL)…. Alot of things happen leading up to a 62nd birthday!

One, is looking into a mirror and thinking you may not go outside during Thanksgiving again because someone may mistaken you with a turkey by the “gobbler neck” you now have!

Two, you reflect on your life: there is an old saying, “I’m not 62, I’m 18 with 44 years of experience!” There is some humor in these words but there is also some very real truths in that statement.

There is alot of life that plays out in 62 years. In my mind I can do what I have always done, but my body screams a different message!

God shared a valuable lesson with me on my birthday!

I woke up early on the morning of April 7th, (my birthday), like any other morning, but there was a surreal presence in my bedroom. My mind began to wander.

My first thought was, “I am old enough to retire if I want to.” Just the thought of having the freedom to make that decision was very weird.

Then, something very bizarre happened…I wasn’t allowed to think it but for a moment!

Those words were quickly replaced with these words- “Bring me glory.”

What? I’m not gonna lie, I was a little unnerved by this obvious message from my creator who obviously has something more in store for me…. I got out of bed and headed to my spot where I spend time with Jesus in His Word.

As I reflected on what just happened…. My Bible study that morning affirmed the words I feel God gave me earlier. He directed me to this verse: Deut. 4:24

“The Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace.”  I looked up the meaning of iron furnace and found this: (Hard Bondage).

I have been bought with a price. I am not my own. We don’t retire from belonging to Jesus! We may retire from a place of employment or a career but we do not retire from serving God…. If anything we are promoted!

Yes! Think about it. We spend a great deal of our life in the wilderness as our training ground, just like the Israelites!

As I turn the pages of my life to a new chapter I want to finish well! I don’t want to come to the border of the Promise Land and not be able to go in! I want to be a Caleb and a Joshua. Trusting God completely with my future. I want to bring glory to God for the rest of my life! Whatever that may look like!

Jesus delivered us! He has rights. He did not die for you and me and redeem us so we could do life without him. We don’t retire from doing his will……bringing Him glory!

Our job may look different when we grow older but it should involve bringing God glory!

Now, I understand why God used “old” people to do great things for him. It takes us so long to get it, LOL!

“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.”Job 12:12. Now, let’s be honest… it is not growing old that makes us wise and useful for the kingdom.

It is following God through the wilderness of life and submitting our lives fully. With it comes an inner strength that develops from years of experiencing God’s working in our lives.

The Bible is full of senior figures that inspire us:

• Sarah demonstrates that nothing is impossible with God.

• Anna- Oh my, I love this woman! She spent her entire life studying God’s word and hanging out in the temple.

• Naomi- The Godly mother-in-law that walked by example for her daughter-in-laws…and led Ruth to the man whose lineage led straight to Jesus!

Getting older should not be a negative thing in our lives but it should drive us to want to end well. I want to dedicate the rest of my life bringing glory to my God! God sees old age as a blessing! We look it as a curse.

My mom is 79 years old. She is one of the hardest working women I have ever met. When I was a child she worked two jobs most of my childhood. This was a way of life for her. It was so hard for her when she had to retire. Here is the good part!

She has her own ministry now! Technology scares older people. It is constantly changing and updating. I would have never thought my mom would be using Facebook as her ministry platform! She is the greatest prayer warrior/encourager you could ever have as a friend on FB! She prays for people she doesn’t even know! She will ask me questions about people I have never met! LOL. I LOVE IT!

Find your niche! Just because you are retired from a public job or thinking of retiring, don’t retire from God!

Stepping out in faith is doing something that only God can do through you! Step into the promise land knowing you did everything you could to bring Him glory!