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SORRY EVERYONE – I lost internet all evening yesterday and was unable to get the link up before I went to bed. Internet is back up and the link is online… However, there appears to be an issue I with inlinkz and it won’t allow me to have pictures only text links. I will get that fixed as soon as I hear back from inlinkz. So sorry for the confusion this morning, and THANK YOU for being a part of the #TUNEINTHURSDAY community.
UPDATE: Inlinkz fixed the picture link so there is now 2 links below… sorry for the technical issues this morning. The first link should now be expired so you can use the 2nd link … for those who already linked up – feel free to add your link to the new one.
I am so excited for this Summers Tune In Thursday Guest Blogs! Y’all, are in for a special treat, as we have some very special guests joining us over the summer each week.
Today’s guest is Ruth Campos. I love that Ruth has a desire to see people draw closer to the heart of Jesus. If you visit her blog, you see she has a love for nature, and for Jesus. You are in for a treat today as she shares how God showed her something in nature, and connected it to a spiritual truth.
Thank you Ruth, for sharing your passion for nature and your desire to draw us nearer to Jesus today at Tune In Thursday. I encourage you to leave comments below for Ruth, and don’t forget to link up your posts below.
Enjoy and Blessings,
Debbie
Ruth was on the mission field for about 6 years and speaks French and a bit of Spanish. She enjoys writing, Bible study, teaching, piano playing, singing, and gardening. She loves the mountains and the beach, waterfalls, and wooded hiking trails and spending time with beloved family and friends. She hopes that by sharing thoughts she’s had in relation to the various experiences of her life, she can somehow bring encouragement and hope to you in your own life journey.
Twitter: @Willowruth7
You can find her blog at: https://plantedbylivingwater.wordpress.com/
Lessons from a Baby Cardinal
Guest Post by: Ruth Campos
I think this year is the first time that I have seen a baby cardinal. We have one that has learned to fly already. She swoops up to the bird feeder like a pro. Then she just sits there and says, “Chip, chip, chip.”
For those of you who are bird watchers, you know that this is not the cardinal’s adult song.
So, we have this bird who doesn’t yet have his adult plumage but has learned to fly, who apparently doesn’t even know how to feed himself yet, and who does not yet have his song.
And that made me think,
“I wonder how many Christians are there like that?”
They may know how to get around in Christian circles. They may even go to church often.
- But they have not yet matured enough to feed themselves on the Word of God.
- They have not yet gotten so close to Jesus that His beauty shines through them.
- They do not yet have their song, a song of joy from the Lord and to the Lord.
For a new Christian, this is normal.
- Just as babies need to be fed and taken care of, so baby Christians need to be nurtured and cared for in their new Christian walks.
- Just as babies learn to sit, crawl, stand, and walk, so baby Christians must grow and make progress toward maturity over a period of time.
- And just as babies make a mess when they first learn how to feed themselves, so baby Christians will not immediately be able to figure out the meaning of Scripture without a little guidance from more mature believers.
But just as babies grow up and mature, so should we as Christians grow up and mature in the Lord.
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The apostle Peter admonishes the believers:
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk (of the word), so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” 1 Peter 2:2 NIV
Babies are always hungry, it seems, and they drink a lot of milk.
- How much are we craving the Words of God?
- How much are we drinking of His precious words that are “sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb”? (Psalm 19:10)
Picture Credit: Ruth Campos
The writer of Hebrews addresses a group of believers that, sadly, are not maturing like they should. He says,
” Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14 HCSB
I wonder today, where are you, dear reader, and where am I on God’s spiritual growth chart?
- Are we craving the milk of the word and feasting on it often?
- Are we mature and trained by it, able to eat its meat and walk in it?
- Are we somewhere in between?
Or are we savoring too much of the goodies of the world or of the flesh to desire the sweetness of the Word of God?
Are we too busy and devoted to other pursuits, including good ones, to pursue the knowledge of God and His word?
Lord, I pray for each of us who are reading this message from You today, that you will help us to desire, yes, to crave, the delicacies of Your Word which will make us wise and help us to know You more. Please help us to overcome the obstacles that the evil one throws in our way to keep us undernourished and floundering in our Christian walks in an effort to thwart our growth and the growth of Your kingdom. Help us to get rid of the junk food of any worldly or fleshly pursuit that takes away our appetite for the true nourishment of Your word. Forgive us for not seeking and holding on for dear life to Your precious Word. Help us to be like Jeremiah when he said,
“When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.”
Jeremiah 15:16 NLT
Teach us, Lord, and lead us in Your truth. Draw us nearer to Your side, and give us strength to walk in Your ways every moment of every day.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Again Welcome and Thank you for joining me for #TuneInThursday it is an honor to have you here!
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Do you wonder if God still speaks today? Do you wonder if He would ever speak to you personally? Do you long to hear the voice of God in your life?
Have your read other books on hearing from God, but long for hands on practical application? or are you looking for ways to move you forward hearing from God?
If you answered YES to any of those questions, then I have exactly what you need. I now have an online e-course designed to equip you in understanding that God still speaks today, and He longs to speak directly to you, through His word, and others. He longs to encourage you, strengthen you and comfort you. The training on this site, is fully based on Scripture, and taken from my training manual Releasing God’s heart through Hearing His Voice.
I have been teaching these classes internationally for the last 10+ years equipping and training believers in discerning the Ways God speaks. God is speaking, Can you Hear Him?
2. My new membership site, d2htrainging.com has official opened, I invite you to check it out today, and develop a deeper relationship with the Lord, as you learn to hear Him speak to your heart.
Looking for other Great Inspirational Parties. Click Here to see where I Link-Up weekly.
Several Submissions have been featured at Blessed Transgressions, an Online Magazine:
Balancing the Warrior & the Princess We’re Called to Be
Trusting God When it Seems Illogical
Will You Sit with Me? (Jesus is Calling.)
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Good morning Debbie,
Enjoyed the post very much, but am having trouble linking up…wondering if it’s just me lol??
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thanks, Bev! It’s not just you. 🙂 I don’t see the linkup either. I’m hoping it will be up soon.
Blessings to you as well!
Ruth
Good morning – Bev! No, it wasn’t just you 🙂 I did have some technical difficulties this morning and I also sent you an email. I hope you will be able to come back and link up. Thank you for letting me know what was going on. I appreciate it very much …
Amen, Ruth! I’m praying that prayer with you. God desires us to be thriving (continually growing) in our walk with Him. The message of not staying spiritually stagnant is one of my passions. 🙂
Thanks,Kelly, for praying this with me! We all need God’s help in order to be faithful in our walk with God. I’m so glad He has instilled this passion into your heart. May you experience His goodness in a special way today.
Kelly – I think you hit it perfectly – we are to continue growing and not stay in one place. Ruth did a fabulous job of challenging us to keep moving forward 🙂
Ruth (and Debbie), this is such a wonderful analogy and I am grateful you shared it. May we always crave to grow more deeply in our walk with God.
Amen, Joanne, and thanks! God has so many pictures of His truths in His Word, and He continues to use pictures to speak to many of us and to help us understand and remember the truths He is trying to teach us.
May you experience Him richly as you walk with Him in the coming days and weeks.
Joanne – thank you for being here today — and yes, I agree with you – AMEN! may we always crave to go deeper and crave more from our relationship with God.
This is such a great lesson, Ruth! It is so true and I can vouch for the fact I had been here for many years…flying before learning some important things. Thanks so much for sharing your heart here at Debbie’s!
Hi, Meghan, and thank you for sharing how this has been true in your life! We all have so much to learn, and I’m so glad God is a good and patient Teacher. May we always remember to seek His will and to continue to grow and walk in His ways.
Welcome back from vacation Meghan – it’s so good to have you stop in today. I love how Ruth took what God was showing her through nature and she made it into an easily accessible lesson for us all.
We have so many “priorities” every day. Most of them are worthy and important, but my prayer for us all is that we will never lose sight of our source of true Life. Thanks, Debbie, for once again bringing us words of hope from writer friends — and Ruth, I’m so thankful for your insight.
Hi, Michele! Yes, if the Lord is our top priority, then the others just fall in line. We need His wisdom daily to show us how to order our days. Thank you for your encouragement!
Michele – you are most welcome. It has been fun having others share their hearts here in my space. I love it, this is how the body of Christ should be .. working together and supporting one another. 🙂 Michele – I am so blessed by you being a part of this community 🙂
Hi Ruth, I enjoyed your guest post on a topic I don’t see very often. But your analogy is spot-on, and you made a lot of good points. In my church we’re struggling with those who prefer milk to meat, and you’ve got me thinking about things from new perspectives. Thanks!
Sarah – We too have those that prefer milk to the meat, but little by little we are changing them over to the solid food… by God’s grace and guidance. We are called after all to equip and grow 🙂 Thanks for being here today
Hi, Sarah! I’m so glad this spoke to you and got you thinking about things from new perspectives. God’s Word is so wonderful, like a diamond, and I believe we can appreciate it’s beauty so much more when, like a jeweler, we examine it closely from many different angles.
Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
O! Can we shout this from the rooftops and from every church platform around the globe. GROW UP ALREADY. You’ve got me on a roll this morning, sister and fellow bird-nerd!
HAHAHA – Susan – I so love your passion and fervor for the truth and the things of the LORD! I thought you might like Ruth’s post especially since you host a critter cafe right out your window every day 🙂 Blessings my friend.
Hi, Susan! How does your garden grow? So, you’re a bird watcher, too, huh? My husband and I have enjoyed birds at the feeder or out in nature for years!
I’m glad this word blessed you!
We’ll have to chat sometime about these topics. 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Thanks for hosting. Have a blessed and fun week!
thank you Marilyn and you have a blessed one as well.
Thanks for this lesson, Ruth. I join you in praying for all of us that we desire more experiences with God to know him better and better.
Lisa – I love that we are all joining together in unity praying the same thing. I am excited to watch God move in all our lives. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in today.
Hi, Lisa! I believe God gave this lesson so each of us can consider where we need to grow and/or help others to grow and also so we can pray together in unity, as Debbie mentioned in her comment. What a joy it is to pray with you both, dear sisters! 🙂
Blessings!
It is so easy to get distracted by life’s demands. Thanks for the great reminder!
Roaseann – yes it is, isn’t it. Even when I try to stay focused, I find I get distracted. Thanks for stopping in today
Yes, Roseann, that’s so true, and you’re welcome! Getting into God’s word is a necessary and joy-making discipline, and just as we make time to eat even when we’re so busy that we forgot a meal, so we need to come back to feasting on God’s Word if or when we fast from it. May the Lord help us to succeed in this necessary discipline! 🙂
Bless you, dear sister.
Ruth – Thank you for your wise words. I know when I get out of the habit of reading God’s word I revert to milk. However when I am in a rhythm of feeding on God’s word I can’t get enough. Today I had one of those moments where I couldn’t get enough of his word.
Thank you for sharing,
Maree
Maree, I just love those moments when I can’t get enough and I can ignore the demands of life and indulge in spending time with Him! I love your heart, and your words. thanks for stopping in today.
Thank you, Maree, for your encouraging words.
I’m praising the Lord with you that He gave you that craving for His words and that you “ate” it with such delight! 🙂
May He continue to multiply blessings to you from the memories of today’s Word-feast and of those to come.
I pray I’m growing every day to be more mature in Christ! Lovely post, Ruth!
I’ve never seen a baby cardinal, what a little gift from God:)
I agree with you in your prayer, Julie, and thanks!
I had never seen one before, either, even though we’ve had bird feeders for years. I think the Lord just wanted to inspire this message for us all. His timing and His ways are perfect! 🙂
Blessings!
Julie – I am praying the same prayer! So glad you enjoyed Ruth’s post as well.
I hope you’ve had a great week!
Thanks, Lisa, you too! 🙂
The Lord bless you!
Thanks Lisa – and I hope you do as well.
You had me at Cardinal. 🙂 What a blessing to see a baby Cardinal! I saw a Cardinal in Hawaii on my trip there in July. I have only seen them in pictures, until that day. My heart leaped. That red head…was it really a…CARDINAL? A friend snapped a picture of it…I felt so blessed. It was a beautiful love note from God for me to see that small beautiful bird, that only He knew how much I truly wanted to see. He loves me. He cares. He is majestic and in control. Wow…to remember the milk, the sweetness it holds, and to keep my heart soft and supple. I can recite scripture, and rebuke evil, but to remember the milk….those basic fundamental things God taught me- the faith of a child. I want that still, and I love this post, because it helps to remind me of the precious Savior who shed his blood for me. And to stand humble in all I have learned when I was but a child in the newness of my salvation, and saw Him just over the next hill beckoning me on to follow Him. Your post blessed my socks off. It was perfect timing from God for me. I know I may have received it a little different than intended; Thank you for being Jesus to me today.
Theresa – I am so glad that you enjoyed Ruth’s post so much and that it spoke to you in a specific way. I believe that is exactly how it should work… we as writers share something God has placed on our hearts to share, but by His Spirit, each and every person who reads it gets exactly what they need. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here and what Ruth’s post meant to you specifically as you read it.
Blessings to you. I hope you will come back for a visit again
Hi, Theresa! Thank you so much for sharing with us your testimony of how God showed you how much He loves and cares for you by sending a cardinal for you to see as an added blessing on your trip! It brings such joy to the heart when He reminds us that He knows our deepest thoughts and desires, and He lavishes His grace on us and reminds us that out of all the billions of people on the earth, He is thinking of us! I’m so encouraged that this blessed you so much. I know this word is from God. He sent the baby cardinal, and as I observed it, the thoughts and words just flowed, and I knew I had to share it. His timing is perfect, and it is no accident that you landed on this page where He had a blessing prepared for you ahead of time. I think when God gives His servant a word to speak, it is His intentions that count. He is so good and wise!
Thanks so much for sharing how God has been working in your heart through this.
May His continued grace and peace be on you, sister.
Very interesting and lovely story. Makes me think where I am at. Thanks.
Hope everybody is having a wonderful weekend and thanks for hosting.
Glad you enjoyed Ruth’s post Patrick and I hope your weekend was wonderful as well. 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Patrick. I’m glad the Lord used this story to help you. 🙂
Ruth, I loved your analogy of the baby cardinal! Reading your post about how we should hunger for the meat of the word as we mature made me think of the song, As the Deer Panteth for the Water. The more I get to know God, the more my soul should desire being with Him both in spending time with Him and in reading His word. Isn’t it great we can see examples for us in nature?
Thanks for sharing and hosting, Debbie!
Jarralea – I haven’t thought of that song in a long time, but I can understand why Ruth’s post made it come to mind. You are most welcome for sharing Ruth’s post on my space and thank you for coming by to read and visit. 🙂
Thanks, Jerralea! I love that song, and you are so right! Yes, He does have so many examples for us in nature. We just need to slow down enough to see them and hear His voice. 🙂