Butterflies

For the last, five to six weeks my family and I have been raising “Painted Lady Butterflies”, when my wife brought them home, the small caterpillars were in plastic cups with a large disk of brownish yellow “food” at the bottom of the cup. We set the cups on top of the cabinets and let nature take its course.
Now, I know that this seems like a very odd subject and where and how does it pertain to you and me, and to GOD.

As I watched these little worms each day they would be bigger and bigger just like the directions said, as it is with us, we come into this world little and as we are nourished by the food that is given us, and we grow and grow. Within a week to two, they were huge and were now heading off to the top of the cup, to make their new home. In the humans life we also grow until we are no longer able to stay at the bottom of our world, so we too are off, to build our own home. We leave home and build a life and a home and as it is designed, we too are off to the top.

Now hanging upside-down and the new home tightly woven around them, something amazing begins to take place, this something happens from the inside out, unlike the first part of life. In the butterfly kit there is a “Butterfly Pavilion” just a fancy name for a mesh cage, once put in there, we watched the activity and within another couple of weeks, one by one each new creature began to emerge. In the beginning, they were just worms, small and at the bottom of the cup to larger worms on top, now through the struggle of life to become beautiful and graceful butterflies.

So, in there lies our very essence, oh how dead in our transgression, but worms. We have been born some into good and loving homes while others into abusive homes, but our inward condition just the same. While some are abused, shamed, threatened, beaten, battered and bruised, yet other are lavished in love, the finer things, wonderful treasures, the loving touch of a parent and beautiful heartfelt words, but alas or inward condition is still the same.


Born into the iniquity of one mans sin, and blinded by the world to our inward condition, we set off on our journey of life. We most certainly are fallen and our nature is ever so corrupt. How else could it be, and what else could explain. Life with these butterflies has opened the eye of my heart to really see the plan of GOD for our lives.

Throughout the Bible Scripture tells us of our corrupt nature our inward condition so vile that our GOD the creator of life and the Universe cannot be in our presence. For He is Perfect and dwells in Perfection, and in him there is no sin and no sin can be in his presence. Oh, there in lies the tragedy of our lives and condition, created by Yahweh and not able to be in his presence.

As we begin to understand our relation to this creature, we can see that we in our natural state, our fallen and depraved nature that we too are like the worm. We can hardly consider any other pursuit except that which satisfies our fleshly desire. We claw our way in life from one experience to the next looking and searching for the nourishment that one can only find in Christ.

When thankfully, the day arrives and we begin our walk with Christ, we too put on a new clothing like the caterpillar, we must be tightly woven in the Word and the Flesh and the Blood of Christ. Our relationship with Jesus must now take center stage in our lives and He must be our nourishment. During this time our struggles will be intense, they will in the same stroke be filled with pain and joy, with love and hate, with pride and selflessness, with contempt and compassion, with fear and courage, with peace and rage.

We will struggle against the world and the flesh and he who preservers will be called on that day of judgment to be rewarded. When we look at the outcome from the cocoon of the butterflies, we can see such a wonderful creation, as we too will someday be. We must understand though that it is the struggle that strengthens us for the remainder of our journey.

These butterflies only live two to four weeks and in that time can travel up to one thousand miles, think about it.

Our life is but a vapor, a wisp of smoke to our Lord and our Creator, just as the butterflies life is to us. If not for the struggle of the cocoon, the butterfly could never fulfill its created purpose. Moreover, without our times of trials and temptations we too would never be able to fulfill our God designed purpose.



Father my what a wonderful creation You have made, Lord when I have look intensely into Your creation of this little butterfly, I can se all that You desire for us to be. It is by no mistake that a caterpillar must struggle in tightly woven cocoon and it is no mistake that we too must struggle in the same way, through out daily trials. Oh Lord Your word says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and in that I have no doubt, Lord I desire to give You my all, even though I know that it could never be enough for what You have given me. Father I pray that You would guide me and use me for Your perfect purpose, leave no resistance to Your perfect Will in my heart and use these words to change lives, Father I praise You and thank You in the Name of Jesus, Amen!


Originally written 12/05 Forgiving Grace Ministries

Nourishment for the Soul

Today it is pouring rain outside and I sit here reflecting on my life. Like the rain helps provide nourishment and substance for the soil and the plants, so the rain in our lives also provides nourishment for our very souls.
The troubles, the heartache and pain that we face in the courses of our lives are used for good by GOD.

My dear friends we must each look back over our lives and take inventory and see the dramatic changes that have been made by and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and furthermore we need to realize that in this the Word of GOD has not only come true but continues to be fulfilled in our lives. The Word of GOD says in Jeremiah 29

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land.”


As we live day by day we all have many fires and floods but just as they provide a new and different landscape in nature, so too will they in our own lives each Endeavour each struggle each loss is a tool that our Lord uses to shape who we are in him!
The lord’s purpose for our lives is so much larger than what any of us can see or even foresee, even in my own life I would never have imagined that the Lord would use me to convey this message to you.
My brothers and sisters we must continue to grow and become more focused on GOD so he can continue to show us our path in life and our mission to impact the Kingdom.

I can speak volumes on adversity and tragedy, the fact that just because I have faith in Jesus Christ and I accepted his gift of salvation, the things of the world have not ceased to come against me, in some case it would seem to the temporal world that my life has gotten worse, but let me say and reassure you that all of that may be true to the lost but one thing holds even more truth, GOD will use all these things to mold and shape our souls so we can bring peace and joy into the lives of those who are lost and to those brothers and sister who are going through difficult times right now.

The word of GOD says we are to be salt and light to a lost world. We must first ourselves by the will and grace of GOD Almighty be transformed into his salt and light. Our nourishment for our souls began the day we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior for on that day, the very hand of GOD planted the seeds that will produce much fruit for his glory.

Matthew 5
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. 15 Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.[2]


My dear friends I wish to leave you with this final thought:

Rejoice in the Lord, know the trouble of this world shall pass and will be used to build the very character of GOD in us. For if we never suffered any challenge any pain or any loss We could never know Jesus, we would never know the joy of a Father who loves us so much and we would never have the peace of the Holy Spirit! My friends and loved ones we would never know true salvation! It is real easy and requires no faith when everything we touch is gold and there is no strife, for true salvation and incredible faith are built during the deepest floods.


Our GOD and Father in heaven I pray to you today that you would use every situation in our lives, from money problems, addictions, depression, anger, whatever the situation, Lord use it all to shape us, to mold our character into that of your son Jesus.
Lord lift each of us as to your will. GOD use us each and everyone to bring Glory to your name, continue to provide nourishment to our souls so that we may truly be the salt and light you desire us to be, by this prayer Lord we confess you are the only one who can provide such nourishment and we have total dependence on you. Lord we thank you for each gift for it is a treasure, let us rejoice in good times and in bad for we know we are in the Potters hands. GOD we ask today that you move us all into your will, for our lives are yours. In the name of Christ we lift this prayer up to you
Amen