How to Thrive in a Topsy-Turvy World
Last week, I sat at a table with 9 strangers, yet I felt loved, accepted, and understood.
Gathering with women to study the Word of God is like covering yourself with a warm blanket in a blizzard. All around you the icy blast of the storm rages, but inside you are safe. You are secure. You are sheltered.
I’d forgotten how the Holy Spirit embraces you as you look another woman in the eye and say “Me, too.” I need Jesus.
The sister seated to my right spoke with quiet confidence about how she found strength to step forward during a difficult season by seeking wisdom in Scripture. She picked up a pen and turned God’s promises into prayers, which she scribbled out on the pages of a notebook she’d purchased at the dollar store.
“You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm.” (Proverbs 12:3, MSG)
We opened our Bibles to Matthew 13 and listened to a lesson on sowing and reaping. The teacher encouraged us to examine the condition of our hearts:
- Is my heart hardened to God’s Word because of heartbreak and disappointment?
- Is my heart barren from a shallow life full of busy distractions?
- Is my heart cluttered by cares that consume me with worry and anxiety?
As I looked at the woman with her dollar store notebook, I thought I want what she has. She is thriving in this topsy-turvy world.
How’s your heart, friend? Maybe like me you suddenly feel like a trip to the dollar store might just help you save your life. We need to write His Word on our hearts.
How to Thrive in a Topsy-Turvy World
Tend to Your Heart
Plow out bitterness, selfishness, and ingratitude. Plant love, joy, and peace.
“Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12, NASB)
Take time to Hydrate
Whatever you plant won’t thrive without the water of the Word applied to your heart every day. Soak in Scripture.
“The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” (Isaiah 58:11, NLT)
Tackle the thorny hedges
A hurried life twisted with worry and doubt will topple over if you don’t deal with what’s troubling you. The enemy wants to strangle your faith and suffocate your joy. You need to uproot prickly anxious thoughts. Let the light of His love fill up every place the enemy has tried to plant fear.
“…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance, unnecessary weight, and that sin which so readily, deftly, and cleverly clings to and entangles us…” (Hebrews 12:1, AMPC)
This year, I want to stop neglecting my heart and pray:
Lord, plow deep in me.
Want to join me? To help you get started, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Sign up today as a member of the Wildfire Faith Community and grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to strengthen your step and breathe fresh wind into your weary spirit. Pick up a dollar store notebook like my friend from church and pour out your heart on its pages.
As we weed out worry and break up bitterness in our hearts, God’s Word will take root and help us to grow in wisdom and grace. When this world tries to shake us, we will stand strong. Pray God’s Word and find firm footing.
Hearts rooted in Truth will thrive in this topsy-turvy world.
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I’d better run out to the Dollar story and grab my notebook to save my life too! 🙂 Just kidding. But I do love these reminders for thriving. Especially #1. It’s so easy for me to go on auto-pilot when I have bad attitudes. Instead of letting God root them from my heart and intentionally sowing goodness instead.
Thank you for sharing this, Lyli. It’s so encouraging to meet together, isn’t it? A week ago my dear friend Bettie and I “met” with someone we felt God lead us to via Skype. It was the most amazing hour or more of praying together. We really saw God affirm and guide our coming steps together. Times like that really pour in confidence.
I love what that lady shared with you. I keep remembering this phrase someone used with me: “turn your worries into prayers”. I find myself doing that. What I have been loving is praying God’s Word – it really does grow our confidence and faith, doesn’t it? Love that you are encouraging others to do so through your resources. I am praying through the Bible with Cheri Fuller’s One Year of Praying through the Bible and also praying through one Promise from God’s Word weekly – over myself and my loved ones. It’s really been tilling my heart of doubts, fears and other burdens.
Yes and amen! 🙂
Lyli, sometimes it is a matter of just returning to the simple, isn’t it? We often think there is a formula that we need – a new Bible, a beautiful journal, the right pen – so we hear and receive from God better. And meanwhile, He says, “Just come and let Me tend to your heart.” Friend, you bring such a gentle exhortation this morning!
PS – I tend to use the black marble notebooks, you know the ones we used in grammar school 🙂 xo
I loved the verses you shared at the end. How we need to spend time in God’s Word and let it do its work in our hearts.
Yes, Lyli! I want to tend to my heart, hydrate with the Word, and plow deep to resolve my troubles so Scripture takes root! Thanks for this analogy and reminder! Hugs!
My gardener’s heart is loving all those images of plowing and rooting, and I see the truth of it so well. Thanks for taking all of us into that lovely gathering and sharing your heart’s lessons with us.
I love this advice and your heart to encourage others while you go about your everyday life.
I’m a huge sucker for great analogies like this one! Good word today, Lyli! I want to thrive, by sinking my roots down deep. <3
That’s my prayer too, that the Lord would plow deep within me. Good tips in today’s post. Happy weekend, girls!
Lyli, I love your thoughts on thriving and the rich verses you share to encourage it. Great thoughts!
Amen, Lyli!! I love this on so many levels!! Sharing!
I like the reimagining of #MeToo – we all need Jesus in this topsy turvy world.
I was just thinking and praying this morning and sowing came to mind, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that what I sowed into others could be taken away but not what He sows in me or them. I see that playing out at times,, it’s why we need to be good ground. He’s God and His word is incorruptible, spirit and life, but when we sow,we don’t always know the kind of ground, but He does.
I found my love of cheap notebooks one year while shopping during ‘back to school’ sales. I wasn’t going back to school, I didn’t have any kids in school but those notebooks that were 10 for $2.00 were priceless to me. They allowed me to write out my feelings, my pains, my hurts, my joys, my sadness, my happiness, – the list is endless. I use to be a collector of the next great ‘gotta have journal’ but now I am a lover of simple notebook and paper – back to where I was in my preteens, my teens and my twenties talking to God via my little notebooks.
Love your post!
Thank you for sharing your blanket, Lyli.
Oh, how I need to return to my time with God first thing in the morning. This week I have been putting it aside, and I feel it. Thank you for the reminder.
Such good and practical advice!
The more I hear Jesus speak the words of he kingdom the more they reveal to me. I can listen to them over and over. It is astonishing how much is in the bible. Thanks for hosting!