Sunflowers

Hello and God bless! Just wanted to update ya’ll on what’s happening this week in Poltava. We have been busy with our regular ministries plus trying to spend more time one on one with people during the day practicing English and sharing our faith with them. All our classes are over now and we have more free time to spend with students. We only have a couple of weeks left so please pray hard for us and for those the LORD has put us in contact with.
Yesterday when we were riding back from a village the fields were so beautiful. We had about an hour to travel and passed field after field of bright yellow sunflowers. Some of the fields are so huge that they almost look like a yellow ocean. These big sunflower fields give me mixed feelings, on one hand their beauty is amazing but on the other hand they make me kind of sad because I know every year when they begin to be in full bloom it means it’s almost time for us to head home. Don’t get me wrong now, I love Mississippi and miss everyone there so much but like these huge fields of sunflowers that will soon need to be harvested, there is a huge field here to work in, multitudes of people whose lives are rushing by so quickly without Christ, lives headed for eternal destruction unless they repent and turn to HIM, JESUS, the only hope, the only way, the only true Salvation.

As we were riding I jotted down some notes, I’ll call it my sunflower sermon ok? You know us missionaries or pastors, always looking for a sermon, anyway here are some lessons I’ve learned from sunflowers . . . . Because we can clearly see HIS hand in all creation.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse . . . . . . . . Romans 1:20

1.Sunflowers follow the Sun
Every morning the sunflowers eagerly wait for the sun to rise from the east and they tilt as the sun goes across the sky following it all day until it sets in the west. Then overnight they reset again to the eastward position, waiting for the sun again.

I believe we would do very well as Christians to follow the SON like these sunflowers follow the sun. By keeping complete focus on HIM, JESUS, we can avoid many of the sins and snares of life. This verse came to mind: . . . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, . . . Heb 12:1-2

2.Sunflowers close up to the darkness
I researched this but couldn’t find out for sure if this is true with all sunflowers or maybe just some types but several of the people here have told me that the flowers close at night. Anyway, I know when darkness appears in my life that I need to close my heart to it. (Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Prov 4:23) It’s so easy to just begin to let a little darkness in but we should be people of the LIGHT, people who take in only light and put out only HIS LIGHT. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

3.Sunflowers bear lots of seeds (fruit)
Each huge sunflower (some types can grow up to well over 10 feet) comes from just one small seed. Just think about what JESUS said in the Gospels when HE talked about one small seed that falls on good receptive ground, . . . But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matt 13:23 if we work in the field, preparing the ground with love, preaching repentance, and planting the true Gospel of JESUS Grace, we are sure to have true fruit in HIS timing. Not just show fruit that doesn’t last but real fruit that produces more fruit. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalms 126:5-6

4.Sunflowers look like the one they follow
Have you ever noticed a child’s drawing of the sun? Its cool how the sunflowers look like a child’s drawing, they look like the one they follow all day. In the same way Christians should take on the likeness of the SON. How many people do you know who say they know and follow the SON but have no resemblance of HIM in their lives? People who are so caught up in their lives that they have lost the true meaning of LIFE. Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. Mark 8:34-35 If we truly know the SON we will be about the SON’S business, our lives, dreams, plans will be laid at HIS feet in loving, humble submission and HE will reveal to us the joy, peace, and fulfillment that comes through real life in HIM. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12
Do you look like the SON? This reminded me of a poem I heard that really convicted my heart.

No Scar?
By Amy Carmichael
"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ,
not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake."
Philippians 1:29

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?