Bible Study

What Ingredients Create Our Spiritual Mulch?

/ Bill Jones / 13 Comments
Flower Bed Before Mulch

Flower Bed Before Mulch

The flower beds were a mess. Some still are since it’s a work in progress. I didn’t add any mulch in the fall, so the weeds were free to multiply and the warm winter helped them along.

But, thankfully, I’ve had some time and been able to work on the beds. Here’s what they’re starting to look like.

Flower Bed with Pine Straw Mulch

Flower Bed with Pine Straw Mulch

My favorite mulch (and the favorite of many folks around here in south Georgia) is pine straw. It’s abundant and relatively inexpensive. I like the way it looks, too – makes things nice and neat.

But, although it does look good, the main purposes of the mulch aren’t aesthetic. Mulch is used to stop the weeds from growing – hopefully to keep the ground dark enough that the weed seeds don’t even sprout. And, it’s used to retain the moisture when the summer gets hot and dry.

In my pondering as I put out the pine straw, I wondered if there was such a thing as spiritual mulch. We certainly need something to keep the spiritual weeds from growing – those thoughts or actions that begin siphoning off our nourishment that God provides. Those things that begin to shade our heart and mind from God’s presence.

We also need ways to keep the living water around us during times of spiritual drought.

I decided that prayer and Bible study are two necessary components of spiritual mulch. Consistent prayer (with the right attitude) keeps us close to God. Bible study continually reminds us who God is, who we are in relation to Him, and what He has done for us.

Those ingredients will keep the spiritual weeds from growing (and having worked hard at getting rid of weeds in the flower bed, I can say it’s much easier to keep them from growing than to remove them later) and they will keep the living water flowing from Jesus.

“Pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37 ESV

Bible Study – Cherish the Knowns, Work on the Unknowns

/ Bill Jones / 7 Comments
Three unknowns

Three unknowns

Since I’ve started a bit of “birding” in the backyard, I’m discovering just how many unknowns I have. Here are three unknowns that decided to get a bite to eat at the same time. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable from my Boy Scout days (which I admit was quite a while ago), but, I’ve gone beyond my knowledge level of the cardinals, mockingbirds, and bluebirds – and realized my ignorance.

When I say “gone beyond”, though, I don’t mean I’ve forgotten them. I have learned that we have the Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds, and Eastern Bluebirds. But, whether I knew the more specific name or not, the bright red of the male cardinals will always make them a favorite of mine. The songs of the mockingbirds are beautiful, and the blue of the bluebirds is amazing.

It reminded me of Bible Study. As we’ve heard and read the Bible through the years, we’ve probably had more exposure to the well known, and appropriately well loved, verses and passages – “For God so loved the world..”, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”, the Christmas and Easter stories, etc. But, it’s also probable that even though they are familiar, the Holy Spirit has given us additional insight, understanding, and application of these passages at different times. By continuing to study and listen, we learn more about what we thought we knew completely.

And, if we expand what we read and hear to include the whole Bible, we learn more about our glorious God. Things we may have had in the back of our mind become clearer because there is wisdom throughout the entire Bible.

Thanks to help from some of you, I’ve learned of the Pine Siskin and the Chipping Sparrow, and now can enjoy my knowledge of them also. But, the red of the male cardinal will always be a favorite and the blue of the bluebird will always be amazing. As we search the Scriptures, we will discover more verses that will become cherished – but we will always rejoice and be comforted and amazed that “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16 NKJV

Warm Up With God to Start the Day II

/ Bill Jones / 4 Comments
Birds in the Birch Tree Awaiting Sunrise

Birds in the Birch Tree Awaiting Sunrise

I first posted this last winter, but I have a new camera since then, and it seems like a lot more birds, I wanted to re-post with some new pictures. I also included a bonus of the red Berries on the Savannah Holly.

The picture above shows birds sitting together in the river birch tree (and dogwood tree) in our backyard. This is an everyday sight during winter, as they wait patiently for the sun to come up over the tall pines on the horizon. When the sunshine hits them, they sit still and puff themselves up to expose as much of their body to the warmth as possible. It looks like they want to absorb all they can to warm up after the cold night, and get ready for the day.

Birds in the Dogwood Tree

Birds in the Dogwood Tree

Some of the birds stay longer than others, but one by one, they apparently decide they’re ready, and fly down to the feeders or make the flight to the woods to start their day.

It makes me think of our need to warm up and get ready for the day. I’m not referring to temperature, though. I’m writing of our need to start the day by getting close to our Lord and letting Him warm us.

Like the birds, some of us may be able to spend more time doing that than others. I know some who get up early to make sure they have the time before things get busy. Or perhaps some have other activities that they are able to combine with time with God (something that doesn’t interfere with the communication). I’ve heard of others who get through the early morning rush and then grab a cup of coffee and  sit down for Bible Study and prayer.

Savannah Holly Berries

Savannah Holly Berries

There are many different ways we can get close to God and prepare for the day. I encourage us all to choose whatever time and method works best for us, and follow the birds example and take a few minutes to bask in His warmth.

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Psalms 143:8 NIV

Do you have a way you get close to God to start the day?

Warm Up With God to Start the Day

/ Bill Jones / 8 Comments

Birds Greeting the Sunrise

The picture above shows birds sitting together in the river birch tree in our backyard. This is an everyday sight during winter, as they wait patiently for the sun to come up over the tall pines on the horizon. When the sunshine hits them, they sit still and puff themselves up to expose as much of their body to the warmth as possible. It looks like they want to absorb all they can to warm up after the cold night, and get ready for the day.

Some of the birds stay longer than others, but one by one, they apparently decide they’re ready, and fly down to the feeders or make the flight to the woods to start their day.

It makes me think of our need to warm up and get ready for the day. I’m not referring to temperature, though. I’m writing of our need to start the day by getting close to our Lord and letting Him warm us.

Like the birds, some of us may be able to spend more time doing that than others. I know some who get up early to make sure they have the time before things get busy. Or perhaps some have other activities that they are able to combine with time with God (something that doesn’t interfere with the communication). I’ve heard of others who get through the early morning rush and then grab a cup of coffee and  sit down for Bible Study and prayer.

There are many different ways we can get close to God and prepare for the day. I encourage us all to choose whatever time and method works best for us, and follow the birds example and take a few minutes to bask in His warmth.

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Psalms 143:8 NIV

Do you have a way you get close to God to start the day?

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