Withered with Hope-by Karen Rowe May 20, 2013!

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It is said that there are those that claim it is impossible to learn what we are meant to do; or meant to be –But those folks that say that tend to live for a god who shouts and completely misses the ONE who whispers…

Listen to see how this relates to the little things that God does to show us His love.  God reveals His character through His Creation if we will just slow down and take the time to notice all that He does for us each and every second of the day.  As we notice something unique, special or just a beautiful sight to see, we are blessed with a given opportunity to talk to God and experience Him help us understand … His Perfect love!

In The Train Whistle –Sounding the Call of God’s Love, I have written my testimony of how God first revealed His pure and perfect Love to me through a miraculous 4-leaf Clover … although I didn’t have complete comprehension at the time, this was the beginning of God teaching me to trust Him.

That was over ten years ago!  Yesterday, May 19, 2013, my daughter found a 4 –Leaf Clover as we were walking along the sidewalk on our way to the High School Band Concert!

She was as excited as she gave it to me!  We were going to preserve the clover to keep it.

However, this morning, Monday, May 20, 2013 –after we forgot it out all night …

It was withered –and appeared to be without hope!  All dried out, wrinkled –The stem was already turning brown and appeared to becoming brittle!  It was curled up to die –and appeared to be too late!

Perhaps you feel withered?  Read on and see how God’s love is FULL of POWER and LIFE … Pray for understanding …

So, I took the withered clover by the dried up stem and looked at it.

I thought, “I’ll place it in a bowl of water.” Just hoping it might revive!

  • Immediately,      THREE of the four leaves unfolded to perfection!!!

I pondered the thought, “Why only three?”  I wasn’t so surprised that the water revived, but I was amazed to see only three!

I asked God, “What are you teaching me?  What is the message in this?”  “Why did only one leaf, out of three remain withered?”

AND, then, I realized we are like the FOURTH leaf on this clover … just as we are in spirit united in the unity in the Trinity!

John 15:4 are not just words written down!  John 15:4 is a powerful written message to us from God that will lead us on the blessed path of life!

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me John 15:4.”

  • Father, Son, Holy Spirit and us –The LIFE, Love, Heavenly Perfection and Righteousness in Power in the Unity of the Divine Trinity and the FOURTH leaf on this clover was curled and seemingly hopeless to revive!  The fourth leaf represents Creation, which includes you and me and apart from God’s water, we wither and would die –and this message is about Jesus, who is the Truth, the Life and the Way to life with God!

 

When you see the good that God does, you are seeing the One true God tending to you –thank Him as I know you are doing, but KNOW that this is God!  God loves you and you know who He is.  And Jesus is God’s Son who died for you and He simply says come and follow God’s ways, for He has given you a new life with hope in this failing world!  Just like this clover, there is Life in the living water of Christ!

 

I only thought, “I’ll place it in a bowl of water.” Just hoping it might revive!

Choosing Life with God really is just this simple … Perhaps you just need a little living water sprinkled in your heart?  As you read this, please know that there is a God who is watching over you and He really loves you!  There is a Jesus who really died for your sins enabling you to live with God forevermore.  Jesus really is the Christ the Son of the living God, but it does matter what you believe.  As you read this, learn to be still in your mind and take a walk with God and talk to Him, but remember to listen –so you are talking with Him.  God will speak to you too if you will simply SEEK Him!

God sent me a smile and you too can see the simile of our life, which is revealed through nature from the Creator of all life!

Our life, like this withered clover when placed in a bowl of water is given a new life when we place our heart in faith in the Living Water and Word –Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

When I first placed the withered clover in the bowl of water, I was amazed to see the life blossom like it was never gone in the three leaves, but the fourth was on the same vine –yet unchanged!  Why was it not full of life too?  Then, I thought, “It takes time.”

It takes faith and hope –which we have been given, but greater than our gifts to believe, is the love that put us on that vine!

Love has joined us on that vine with God, and that nudge you feel inside to believe is the Holy Spirit, who draws us to come and know this life Jesus died and rose again to give us!

God wants you regardless of where you have been or what you have done or what you look like –you are wonderfully made by God and He wants you –God loves you!  God understands that we need tenderness –we need love!

…and God has Patience.  The Holy Spirit is drawing you, but can you slow down and seek God –just believe and use your gift of faith to confess to God and tell Him what He already knows -that you need Him and could use His help!  Faith is being certain of what you can’t see –the substance of HOPE that won’t give up until you find Peace and Joy in your life with Jesus!

 

There is nothing to fear but fear itself and there is no fear in the Truth.

God’s amazing Grace is beautiful and powerful and beyond our grasp of human understanding, but He gives us a word we can know; and that is LOVE.  There is ONE Special kind of love that the world does not know or show –but that love is available to experience for all who will simply trust God!

Love binds us to staying in God’s grace…

 

Think about just the one leaf on that four-leaf clover; and think about your soul and spirit –the real you:

  • The forth one was made to be like the three.
  • The three leaves representing the Trinity know who they are –and so they  just are Life, Truth, The Way and Love …
  • But we have to seek to know not only who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are, but we also need to seek who we are –the realness of whom we were made by God to be –and believe He wants us, because of love.
  • Sometimes, we only get a glimpse of God’s care; and then we begin to grow on the vine …simply because we believe!

I’m guessing that you have already figured out the end of my testimony about this beautiful experience with God!  Remember that withered clover and the bowl of water and the one individual withered leaf being held on that vine of life?  Remember I thought, “It will just take some time.”?

…and with time…

I went back and guess what …

That withered leaf had become beautiful and full of life just like the three that were the life on that vine –Jesus is our hope –and by hanging on that divine vine with God, even when you feel withered, your hope will not put you to shame! God loves you like this!

I was not surprised to see what God had done, because I believe God does all good and righteous things according to a purpose that is good –yet, I was amazed to see God’s message unfold in the clover that my daughter found; according to a purpose –to know God in His pure and perfect love!

 

Yes, perception, but love is how we receive …

I was amazed to see God take what I had failed at –and show me how much more He can do!  I was amazed to see The Three leaves and then the fourth (as it was filled with the living water), INCLUDING the stem come back to perfect life just like as if it was still growing in the yard!

 

Think about the power of water and the value of water and think about how much you can trust God!

If you missed an opportunity or blew off the chance to choose something new and perhaps you feel withered and without hope, turn to God and trust Him –ask God what to do; and then simply and humbly follow His Son –The Holy Spirit and Holy Word are here to help you turn your life back around!

What is God telling you now?

Don’t look back!  Press forward!  Think of the life that God put in this fourth leaf –and believe this is God’s message to you –How much more does God love you?

And think of the unity in that clover –you are already joined –but first you have to believe, because unlike this clover, God made us with a mind to choose to love and live with Him.  Won’t you tell God how much you love Him Today … and thank Him for sending you His Son?

 

Once you choose Hope, All things are possible through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Seek God’s will and pray –willing to trust and obey!

 

Blessings,

Karen, I hope this was a blessing to you today … I really do care!

Founder of Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.

Author of The Train Whistle, Sounding the Call of God’s Love

… All for God’s Glory alone!  Let’s give God a little praise Today!

www.hopeintoday.com  |  www.thetrainwhistle.com

 

 

 

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Karen Rowe
Meet Karen: Hi, I am blessed, by God's good grace and because I know Jesus, I am blessed. I choose to be blessed, because I have a choice set before me and I refuse to look down. I trust God and I know and believe in the love God has for us. I have overcome difficulties; and I am blessed by the grace of God alone. If I have written about it, then I have felt the pain of it in some way, and to some degree. Did you know that Jesus has felt your pain? This is why I write. By God's grace I can identify; and tell you honestly, yes there is hope in anything and everything that you are facing today! Jesus is our Hope! He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. I am married a wonderful man, Robert Rowe; I love my husband and he loves me; and we have been married for 28 years. Together, we have been blessed with a wonderful daughter, named Amanda who is college now; and a wonderful son, named Daniel who is growing up well and soon to graduate elementary school. We work together and by God's grace we run our own business called PSI. We have a pastor over our ministry and over our business and also we depend on him for advise in our family. We have 2 dogs, 4 horses, 2 cats and love to spend time outdoors by the water and by campfires ... that is it seems when we can find time away from life's busy schedule. I love to write because it helps me learn more about God. And, I am driven by a passion from a love that God has put in my heart to share from my experiences and struggles, as I gain understanding in God’s Word to know how effective and powerful God is over our every situation! I share with you so you can know that you are not alone in your struggles. The same God who helps me and my family, is your help and shield as well! Life is not always easy, but it is possible –I like to share the difference that following Jesus makes in my life. And, I love to share God's patience and mercy and love that is with me! I am not perfect, but am experiencing God sanctify me through and through with every mistake I make; and yes, overcome in Christ! Life is not just about the successes; life on this earth is also about the troubles we overcome to discover what God has hidden in our faith to find! Troubles are more a challenge to grow in our faith ... It is not easy, but in the end the grace of God we discover is worth experiencing God in the midst. By Grace, I have discovered Jesus is Peace and He is my Joy and Wisdom from Heaven. God is our Provider and Healer and Creator, who is our help and shield over all things. By grace, I have experienced a nearness to God through my faith in His Son! We are well forgiven by God; and well blessed when we know and believe the love that God has for us. To say, "all is well with my soul" is a powerful knowledge to understand and experience. I sense God's desire for you to know His love for you and how deep His love for you is that He has SO loved you; God gave you His Son. God loves you right now just as you are! There is so much to learn! I believe that as we learn from God, we are God’s gift to each other. It is all God’s story –and for His glory; and God has SO loved us. I love to paint the vision that God has given me about a Father’s love –that God wants you to dream again and visualize His love for you! In God’s eyes, there’s more to life than we see; and in a world that sometimes misrepresents and misunderstands God and love; God wants you to have the courage to dream His dream and see His vision of a Father’s love for you! Many years ago, I prayed to God, “How can I tell a million people what I know about Your Son?” God showed me I had a gift of a ministry about God's Love; and He called it Hope in Today! I write to please God and I write to encourage you; and I write to spend quiet time with God. All because of this love that God has first shown me! I need Jesus –and my life is about my relationship with God. And, every blessing begins with Him! Love in Christ, Karen Rowe, Director Hope in Today Ministries, Inc. The Train Whistle, Sounding the Call of God’s Love, by Karen Rowe For more information: Contact me by email: karen@hopeintoday.com or karen@thetrainwhistle.com to request your gift today. www.hopeintoday.com www.thetrainwhistle.com

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