It's Only a Caterpillar

 

                                                             It’s Only a Caterpillar

                                                                                By Penny Williams

Imagine driving down a street where there are beautiful White Oaks, Maples, Tulip Trees, and a few Cedars that look down and begin to smile at you as you ride along. God’s glory begins to shine and makes you feel as if you are living within a Vincent Van Gough painting. The greenery is enough to take anyone’s breath away. Their branches begin to reach out from the tops toward one another on our street, relating to a great love for the sun and each other and I couldn’t help but start taking pictures.  For the first time in many years, I can finally look up and drink in the memories of the loveliest deep blue skies over my head. The clouds are like large fluffy puffs of cotton. Every cloud quite unique in their own special form grandly displaying God’s workmanship. You may question as to why I have seen gray skies for so long? I will answer with a bit of cold water and a few questions: “What was the constant need to dump chem-tails on this nation? And, for so many years? Where have the honeybees gone? Why is cancer an epidemic?   I rest my case.  

We hope all that is in the past.

Let’s take a walk to my garden.

I had to pluck off a very fat and happy, green caterpillar from my tomato plants, I stand in amazement over the fact that God guided and directed him and his family to their lunch that was waiting for them, “over here.” How far did they travel to get such a sumptuous delight? Why, oh why, did he tell all of his relatives where to come?  I know that if we watch God’s creation closely, we can learn a great deal about life. His creation instructs us! It is God Himself who put it all together and for us!  Does it not seem that He has fine-tuned everything in their own special place to reproduce in their own likeness?

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Psalm19:1,2 KJV

Think about it!

The heavens declare God’s glory!

The skies proclaim the work of His hands!

They pour forth speech!

They reveal knowledge!

 Here, the psalmist emphasizes that creation continuously communicates God's glory and His wisdom.

You cannot buy that! And are we not to give God all the glory for His creation, for our eyes that can see God’s Heaven’s, the literal work of His hands? His creation speaks, and I believe they speak to us if we listen. They reveal our Father’s knowledge!  Everything is vibrant, exciting and alive, in His kingdom! He has named every star you see at night.

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20 Ber.

 "But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind" Job 12:7-10

That last sentence in the KJV says: “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Vs. 10

When I happened upon that last verse, I was overwhelmed by love for our Father’s creation. Just recently, I was asked in a meeting about, “What have I learned recently from the Lord?” I brought up Job 12:7-10 and as I was trying to remember the quote, a young newcomer knew it by heart and finished it for me. Then, she told me a story about how her and her mother used to sing it together and she had a paper with those verses on it surrounded by flowers and she colored it all around. She told me that she had been asking God who can she give this too? Today, she knew that I was the one she was to give it to. I was not just humbled but completely overtaken in awe and gratitude how our Father God works in both of our lives. He gives us unexpected gifts from Him.

Oh, for the sweet, sweet love He gives to us. I ask you, are you sensitive to hear Him? And, to receive what He has for you while you are here?

Does that verse really mean for us to ASK THE ANIMALS, and they will instruct you? The birds? Earth and Sea?

I see it exactly as it is written. We cannot twist the word around to try to get more understanding from it.  I learn from my pets all the time and in my garden.

This is as I have suspected for so long; everything that God has created is alive and has a soul.  This is why your dog cries when you are gone. Your cat is filled with mixed emotions when another cat comes to live with you. Our soul is our emotional center.  We either make our decisions by how we feel [soul] or by what we see, hear, taste, touch and smell [flesh] or by The Holy Spirit that gives us life.

We were created to love God with all our hearts and love each other as we do ourselves.

The flesh, the soul and The Holy Spirit. When you are trying to make a choice in your life, the question goes to your decision center. It could go something like this:

You: “This is such a big decision, I am not sure it is the right thing to do.

Your flesh says, “Go for it! You deserve it!

Your Soul says: “You know you really want it. Just the thought makes me happy!”

The Holy Spirit should always be your final answer as He has been cleaning up your life and lives in your temple that says:

“First pray and ask Me about it. Seek My will. Then, wait upon Me. If it is of Me, I will confirm it.”

The latter choice is your perfect move.

How do you seek God’s will in your life?  “How much of the world are you hanging onto and is there anything in your life that you put before God?”

 

 

 In other words, how many caterpillars do you have in your garden?

Our lens can be:

Muddied

Cloudy

Clear

Our aim is to see and hear God clearly.

 

Present

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God.” Ro. 12:1-2.

 

Priorities

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” Col. 3:2-7

Paul was talking to the church when he wrote those verses. When you continue to read the whole chapter, He talks about putting off the old man and putting on the new man. If it wasn’t possible for us to do that, he would not have written it. If that is the case, why do we continue to get on that Merry-go-round and keep pondering about the sins of the flesh? I am talking about that old man as if he is an old friend?

As I see it: The biggest problem we have in the western church are “things.”

Like that fat caterpillar in my garden, we seem to be blinded and bloated and have become sluggish, munching on what God has given us. The western church [not all] is tempted by materialism so much so, that some end up watering down the truth of the gospel. We relent too easily. We either skip over the verses we do not understand or ignore them when we do not agree with them.  Think for a moment about what we are faced with every time we turn on the TV. We are pushed to the limit of how we NEED everything they talk about or else we might not survive. Materialism which is greed is kinship to fear. Greed is lust or covetousness = which is idolatry.

Question: Are you teaching your children to pursue more or to have a thankful heart for what has been given to them? I am not talking about excelling in his gifts.

More appears never to be enough. In the west, we strive for bigger and better. When given a little power, fame and money all appear to be over the top. Gone is the mystery of modesty or shame. Our people end up half dressed, lashes over our own because the originals aren’t long enough. We end up with implants everywhere, even in our derrière’s. Tummy tucks, face and eye lifts. Many doctors have gotten wealthy because of vanity. Botox is a common service, especially when we see the small beginning of a wrinkle.  We follow every new hairstyle and color regardless of what it looks on us. Hairstyles are not one size that fits all. These lies our nation have accepted have creeped into every area of our lives. There are times when we look and sound more like the world.

If the church looks more like the world to attract the world, and the world sees no difference in us, why would they visit the church?

I am an artist, I love colors. Let’s think about colors for a moment. Remember, when everyone was painting their walls beige because someone with authority and power said that is the thing to do? Then, brown was the answer, then black appliances for the kitchens. Today, everyone is going with different shades of gray because “neutrals are acceptable.”

If we do not paint our walls gray, do you fear that you will be an outcast? Where is that fear of man coming from?

One time I painted all my walls in the living room a gorgeous rose pink and loved it but decided to paint over it because of “what others would think about it.” I wish I had never done that!

What a bunch of baloney!

Look outside and you will see God made all the beautiful colors sitting side by side. The deep blue sky filled with His luscious white clouds that are behind His gorgeous green trees. Have you not noticed all the different flowers growing together in many different colors? Yellows make you happy as they grow alongside the pink ones. Every color God has made is a neutral. If you are a red and blue lover, that means that you love purple!

Do not fear. Learn to be who God made you to be. Be yourself. Walk through this life seeing through your lens in Christs, not someone else’s. There is only one you and we were all created unique.

There was this couple who was visiting America for the first time and as they were leaving the plane, one of their children noticed how big the people were and asked, “Mommy, why are there so many big people?”  That was the first thing the child noticed when she stepped off the plane.

With the overeating, we are destroying ourselves. We jokingly make excuses about how good the food was as we put another bite of fried chicken into our mouths, or we go back to the desert for a second helping. Agencies selling how to lose weight have increased because everyone is making a lot of money doing it! In reality, all we have to do is keep our mouths closed.

I confess that I cannot eat just one potato chip or just one nut and that is why I try very hard to stay away from them.

Unfortunately, people still judge by appearances.

I ask you, what is the difference between someone drinking and another one over-eating? Although, we know that alcohol is toxic, continued to the extreme, both are destroying themselves.

Breaking the speed limit by driving too fast or by going too slow? Both are a hazard on the highway.

What is the difference between a lie, an exaggeration or an assumption?

A lie is usually deliberate. Some have lied so much, they believe their own lies. They have said that if you hear something continually repeated, eventually you will believe it.

All those caterpillars know this quite well.

An exaggeration is a word carried or dramatized out of bounds. Comedians exercise this for a laugh. However, we know those who can exaggerate a story and those who exaggerate even the truth. Some even keep the truth out.

An assumption. Websters says it is related to arrogance and pretension, assuming that something is true, a taking for granted. Speaking when you do not know your facts. Giving what you have been taught, not what is truly factual. In Christianity, we always need to check everything out for ourselves what we hear first.   

Next to materialism is our tongues. Most believers are walking around with their foot continually inserted in their mouths and then wonder how they can correct what they just said. May I remind you that every word we speak is being recorded in heaven. We will be judged according to what we have said. If you have been thinking about it long enough, you will either say it or do it.

You are not alone.

If we can begin to break our addictions and chip away from the things of the world and leave them behind us, we will have more peace and less stress.

We will know God’s will for our lives.

If we can listen more and talk less, we will learn more.

My mother used to tell me to think before I spoke. She was always sending me to the dictionary.

Do not share everything you are thinking about,

Do not gossip! Do not repeat something that was given you in confidence.

You are breaking the stronghold of that caterpillar in your life.

Too many cannot discern God’s voice because their mind and heart are too cluttered by the things of the world. If we could see them in the natural, they might look like one of our closets.

Begin to replace whatever your weakness in the world with prayer for strength and tenacity. God is always faithful. Learn to lean upon the Holy Spirit, He is a master in cleaning up our lives. Pray His word. Do not be discouraged. Little by little we become transformed. Sometimes, it seems that the closer you get to our Holy King, the more caterpillars you still have inside of you. At times, the hardest people to love are those closest to you, but God has given us the capability to bare the fruit needed and look past all those nitpicky irritating things and remember where they are struggling in their walk too. It isn’t an easy walk, but the rewards are eternal.

Eternity is a long time.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  

1Pe. 1:1-9 niv.

There is a reason for everything we go through.

Be salty!

 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of Your Word, Your Holy Spirit and Your Son. This morning You have shown me where I need to be an example in my life. I want to be all I can be to bring you glory. Be my strength and quicken me to pull back from the things of the world, not for me to justify, not compromise, not make excuses, resist and think before I speak and before I eat too much and to call upon You when I am in need. I choose to put all my trust in You and in how You work in my life. In Jesus name I ask. Amen.