Are you inspired?

A friend of mine got me to thinking about Inspiration...what does it mean? Is it similar to Encouraging? So, I am going to do a little thinking and wondering and see what happens. Mind you, I am NOT a theologyn. I am merely doing this for fun and to learn something new-another opportunity to stretch and discover new truths and insights. I am not worried about being right here, just exploring the thoughts. Let's go!

Definition of Inspiration:

1. A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies men to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.

2. The act of inspiring or breathing in; breath; specif. (Physiol.), the drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm; the opposite of expiration.

3. According to my Friend: Inspiration is a version of SPIRITOS: breath of God. It's an image of God giving his spirit to man with a breath of air.

Synonyms: Aspiration, Brainchild, Breathing in, Divine guidance, Inhalation, Stirring


Definition of Encourage:
1. Contribute to the progress or growth of;


2. [verb] inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to

Synonyms: promote, advance, boost, further

One thing that immediately stands out to me is that both words are are result of an external force. It is something you receive from another source into your mind, your soul.

If Inspiration is a breath of God, a receiving of divine truth, a qualifying truth, then how have I been inspired?

If Encourage mean to inspire, give hope or courage to, then how have I been encouraged?

When I think of being inspired by someone or something, to me, that goes deeper than just being encouraged. Encouraged seems temporary whereas to be inspired penetrates on deeper levels of mind and soul. Inspiration comes from the heart and soul of another person into yours, thus being the divine truth revealed? When I have been encouraged, I think of an action, motivation, a purposeful intent for you to take action upon the hope and courage you have received. If I have been inspired, I don't imagine the other person purposefully attempting to influence me in the depths of my soul.

Who or what can inspire us? Certainly God, the Holy Creator of all things.

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our LORD Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." I Thess 1:2-5

There are numerous examples in the Bible of encouragement, lives and parables given to us to motivate and challenge us, giving us hope and courage.

"Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers." Acts 15:32

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone." I Thess 5:14

It seems to me that when you are inspired, it is something that changes you on the inside whereas being encouraged means being equipped or able to do something. Inspiration is a noun-being something and encouraged is a verb-doing something.

I have been inspired therefore I am encouraged...we have been inspired and encouraged by something or someone in our lives whether through a victory or a trial. Certainly the wonderful examples and experiences that have happened to me or that I learned from another have inspired and encouraged me in hopes that I may experience it again and/or for myself. The same can be said about the failures, misfortunes, tragedies and mistakes made. We are equally motivated and influenced by both the good and the bad.

God inspires me through His Word-the life of Christ, God's character give inspiration deep with my soul to reflect Him, receiving His truths into my depths. I am then encouraged to do for Him. He also gives us the Holy Spirit to counsel and encourage us to obey or heed warning from for our good. Friends inspire me through their experiences, both good and bad times, as the truth of God's love in their being, in their soul, reaches unknowingly and touches mine. I have read many inspiring stories of those who have endured and yet maintained an inner strength and foundation just by their "being."

This has been interesting and fun to think about and attempt to disect. I cannot help but to think of all the ways I have been encouraged and inspired throughout my life. I had never thought about the different ways we are encouraged...I wonder if I have been a source of inspiration in someone else's life? Have I encouraged another to "do?" In my failures and weaknesses and moreso in victories seen or shared, have I been a source of inspiration? Only God knows.

I am thankful for the people and experiences in my life who have encouraged me to dig further, trust deeper and receive wider. May God infuse His truth into me, so that I may continue to be inspired to search for Him and be filled with His breath so that I may be inspired and encouraged, to be and do for His glory.

Thorn of my Flesh

God, it hurts so bad.
The pain within burns like a raging fire out of control.
It’s beginning I cannot find and it’s end I cannot see.
God remove this thorn in me.

The source from which it came
I do not know; I admit I was walking aimlessly in the wilderness
This thorn was one of many that I encountered today.
To me, the brush is one of the same.

Lord Jesus, the poison leaking inside me
Is surely going to bring me death
Help me to purify for the thorn consumes my flesh.

I am weak and my body is failing
God, won’t You reach down Your hands of healing?

Have compassion on me in my time of distress.
My pain is increasing along with my fear.
I have tried to cry but there are no tears.
Won’t you come Lord and give me rest?

Forgive me Father for wandering to the wilderness
I left in such a hurry I took no protection or gear.
I suppose I take advantage of the fact that You are always near.

I can only say I am sorry,
As I anxiously sit here, suffering quietly in pain.
I want to scream and yell for the pain is so great.
But I know Father that Your Healing is soon to come.
My kicking and screaming, what good would that have done?

This thorn in me has surely wounded me good.
It’s stinging pain I will not soon forget.
I wait patiently for the cleansing to begin as I recount
How the journey began.

I will not quickly forget this thorn in me
For I do not desire death to visit me once again.
There is much work to be done here that only I can do.
So as You lay Your hands on me, I ask for relief of it’s stinging bite

But if this thorn You choose to leave
May it be a reminder of the anguish my carelessness can be.

Tomorrow, I shall not so quickly run away in haste to the wilderness outside
My careless adventure has taught me well
If in the wilderness I must go,
Protection and gear will ready me so.
Your marked paths I will stay as I walk along
And the Light You have given will guide me carefully home.

For when I fall and thorns dig in
I will not fear the pain again.
With Your guidance and provisions, I will fully prepare
So that my thorn in my side will not take root in there.

I know it is not much
But it is all I have.
I give You all this poisoned flesh.
Only You can take it and cleanse it deep within.

Wash me whiter than snow
You are the Father who’s power and strength all will know.

But if the scars You will to remain,
May the eyes of others hope proclaim
What a careless walk in the wilderness can bring.

My lesson was learned
For wherever I venture, prepared I shall go.
Flesh and spirit flawed, Your love is unwavering.
Your Grace is enough for me.
For this I know.

“I came to you in weakness and fear,

and with much trembling.” I Cor 2:3

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the LORD to take it away from me.

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

II Cor 12:7-10

He Sees

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm-- He will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

Sometimes I need just a little more

Recent crazy Texas weather patterns have nearly killed everything green in my minimally landscaped yard! One day it is hot the next we have a freeze warning! Neither my husband or I have natural green thumbs, so the yard is at the bottom of the priority list! First comes the people who live in the house-cleaning, feeding, maintaining, transforming and disciplining and of course entertaining...then comes taking care of the dog, the house itself-cleaning, maintaining and stocking it and then all the responsibilities as we work outside the house. Then, there is the pool and then...the yard!!

We have been blessed with a large backyard but it makes it more difficult to keep up with watering it. We should probably find a way to enable more hoses to run at one time because the one hose at a time, is hard to fit in the time schedule. So, my yard is currently a crunchy golden color. We have been watering it but I believe the recent winter weather may have actually killed the grass! Time will tell, so I have been out the past several nights watering by hand some of the precious plants and grassy areas where I see a little green patch of hope!

This was the living parable God gave me as I stood there nurturing and hoping. The grass was me. As I walk with the Lord year after year, there are many seasons I experience with Him. Some seasons I imagine I am vibrant, lush, plentiful, fruitful, blossoming and easy to care for by my Master Gardner. While other seasons are harmful, painful, frightening, rebellious, dead, scarce and fruitless. I need more from my Caretaker and Provider.

I imagine He must water me by hand with precision in application in just the right way and portion. There are times in my walk that my dryness needs more living water, a little more grace, mercy, compassion and love. Because God's spirit lives in me, there will always be that patch of hope. It may simply take more time and patience as it is encouraged to strengthen and take root and grow. As the season changes and my heart and soul receive His seeds of grace and love, I absorb His living water into the depths of my roots and I am strong and firm. My nurtured soil easily bears much fruit. Hope, cheer, grace, forgiveness, encouragement, friendship and blessings overflow from the boundaries of the garden.

Thank You Creator of all for having a green thumb to take care of Your creation!

So, no matter what season you are in now, remember that your Master Garden sees your patch of hope and He is caring for, encouraging and faithful protecting you. If you feel dried up and worthless, seek refuge from the heat and open yourself up to the source of living water which transforms and heals. If your soul is fruitful and prosperous, be sure to protect yourself from the destructive insects and bear much fruit to share with others as your cup runneth over!

Lord Jesus, fill me, saturate me to the depths of my roots with Your redeeming and healing water so that I may produce a harvest of fruit for Your kingdom. No matter what season I am in God, I need You. Sometimes I just need a little more of Your grace and patience, or joy and compassion than other times. Gently but swiftly prune back all the dead branches which weigh me down. Remove the excess. In Jesus Name I pray for protection from all things harmful that destroy all that is good within me. Be my refuge from the scorching heat. Shade me and grow me just as You have planned for me, right here, right where I am. Accept my patch of hope. I trust in You Lord God to be my Master Gardner. Thank You for taking care of me every day, in every season, in every way. You, God, are my perfect portion. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen!

What if it doesn't make sense to me?

"When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." 4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. 10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 15 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 16 "Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan." 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." 18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God." Joshua 4


"As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, " 8 and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." I Peter 2:4-11

"Because I told you so," my parents would say. Whether we agreed or not, our duty as children was to act in obedience and follow direction. So it is with God. He is so loving to give us freedom to choose our own ways, but I wonder how often He crosses His arms and says, "Do it because I said so!!! Trust Me, I am the Parent!"

Beyond family names and stories, there is a greater story, a true story, a legacy that we need to share with those God places in our lives whether our children, family, neighbors, friends. As a Believer, you have Royal lines. You are Royalty with Royal privileges. Are we sharing our spiritual legacy with others? With our children? Do they know their heritage? God, help me get this even for myself so I can boldly, accurately and confidently pass it along to my children. Teach me my heritage in You.

Beth Moore shared some encouragement on this scripture that if you do not have long family heritage or legacy to pass on to your children, remember that you are a spiritual seed and we have the spiritual legacy from those who have set the stones before us, so now, we should set UP the living stones for OUR children and those to follow. Let it begin with YOU!

As I am studying this, in this moment, God is revealing something outside of the legacy study from Beth Moore's preaching...I will type it as it falls fresh on me right now...the gathered stones were not for some practical purpose. They were just signs...witnesses. How often do we discount something God may call us to do because it seems insignificant or without purpose? It is so often in the little things, the example or mark set that great faith is later to come. Our seeds blow with the random direction in which the wind of the Holy Spirit flows. Holy Spirit, fall fresh on Your Body.

An illustration of two standing alone in prayer before the crowds or the crowds of many gathered in prayer...is one more precious in His eyes? Does one prayer touch Him more than another? Does one make more sense? Think of the cross, He died for ALL but He also died for the one... that doesn't make sense to us...

Thank You God for Your random, creative ways that always keep us guessing, reminding us that Your ways are much greater than ours. Thank You for being also practical. Grant us patience as we choose to obey or disobey Your instructions. May we be disciplined and obedient to follow wherever You lead despite what we think makes sense.
Thank You for reminding me today that some things don't serve a practical purpose from our human view; however, they may simple be an act of obedience where You God have purpose which we cannot see. God, move me out of the way and remove all that hinders me from obeying You. Praise Your wonderful and marvelous Light that lights our way.
You are "Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Rev 22:13! In Jesus Name, the Living Stone, my caprock! amen!!!!!