Wild Flower That Ran From Him

Wild Flower Of The Countryside

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It came to pass a man traveled to the country side in search for the perfect flower. He had grown bored with the conventional selection in the market to choose from and he especially loved wild lilies and sunflowers.

In his journey he stumbled upon the most beautiful wild flower he saw and went to pick it, so he could let it be planted in his garden to nurture and watch grow.

The towns people said, “This one is enchanted and much to wild for you good sir, she has a mind and will of her own but do take this one at your own risk.”

So he grew to love his wild blossom and put it in his garden and she grew majestically. One day however, in her boredom she said, “Oh my gardener friend, your garden is not my native land and find it dull these passing days. I want to depart and bloom somewhere else.”

So he said to her, “fair enough my little flower, yet I love you and you are a delight to me. Have I not taken good care of you and made sure you have had consistently? Have I not put fetilizer in your soil? Do I not make sure you get proper sunlight and moisture in your soil?”

She said unto him, “Yes sir, but see here I am a wild flower at heart and want to see the world, the country side and other wild flowers. I want to return to what I know for these other flowers are to tame and the roses I just do not get along with, I cannot get over their thorns they have.”

So he said, “My wild Lilly I love you still and will miss you.”

So she uprooted herself and left his garden and traveled to the wild countryside.

She had the times she always dreamed of, or so it was at first. Field parties and she would get wasted from the strongest of nectors. Every night she partied her petals clean off till the drought hit. For a long time there came no rain on the towns, coun tryside or surrounding villages. Soon came the pests to devour crops and caterpillars came to feed on her beautiful petals and leaves.

Finally, in sadness she cried alas, I miss my gardener who fed me his care and watered me daily.

One day she tried to make her way back to the garden yet collapsed along the way, she thought she was done for in the hot sun. The Gardener also went out in hopes to find her again and see how she faired, he asked around until he finally found her shriveled on the ground, taking her in his arms he said, “There there wild flower, you are going to be ok and I still have a place for you in my garden. So he took her home and she bloomed once more, her radiant fragrance and beauty once more bloomed forth.”

Test It, (Part 1.)

Discerning spirits- 1 John 4 tells us to “test the spirits to see whether they be from God,” and Jesus told his disciples to test the fruit in the lives of those who claimed to know God, “by their fruit you will recognize them” —over the years I have gotten many ideas, heard lots of advice, and felt many impressions to take this course or that in life and feel as though over the past 2 years it has become easier to see what God’s voice sounds like.

God leads more often then not away from self, not to say God does not ever tell us to take a particular course of action that involves self interest to a small degree yet in the Christian life he primarily wants to develop Christlikeness in all of us. I will use self interest vs selfishness as two separate things- There are times where the right choice will benefit our own selves such as getting out of a harmful situation or a number of other things. Yet selfishness is not from God, he in Ephesians 2:9 created us “to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do so we may walk in them.” Also, “It is more blessed to give then to receive.” (Acts 20:35) and Jesus taught us to “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) and the scripture clearly shows us God’s view on pride.

So if a choice, action or idea involves some element of ego- test it to see “whether it be from God,” it may indeed be from the flesh (sinful nature) or even the Tempter.

Does this choice or thought align with Philippians 4 in the list of “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy” that it tells us to think on?

Does it align or contradict James 4’s list of “Wisdom from above” that is “first of all pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”?

(James 3:17-18) But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Does it point you toward the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 or acts of the flesh?

(Galatians 5:19-26) The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Most of all we know that any voice or impression from an origin not of God’s Holy Spirit whether temptation or feelings of condemnation won’t make us want to draw closer to God in prayer but rather make us shrink away and hide—the voice of the Spirit points people to Christ, His Sacrifice and Resurection, Power, Authority and Glory, His Love and Worth, yet a voice that undermines his power, his love or goodness is that old serpant “Did God really say?”

“If you are the Son of God” he said to Jesus- and he will also whisper condemning words to us too, “If you really were a child of God you would have never blown it there!” And the key distinction is that The Holy Spirit will show us our sins yet not to drive us to despair nor will he tempt us into sin. God’s Spirit speaks life and freedom from guilt and lifestyles or habits of sin yet the sinful nature and devil would try to trap us further in sin and lies, half truths with half lies and whole lies are from Saran not God. “God cannot lie” as Scripture says.

When you sin, the voice that prompts you to pray and humble own your fault and seek to live better with the help of God is the voice of God’s Spirit. Yet the voice that prompts us to over focus on self and our own shortcomings is not. When did God ever tell us to hyper focus on ourselves? Rather “Set your mind on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” Colossians 3 tells us. The Spirit of God points us to The Son of God!