Tag Archives: growing spiritually

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My Roots are in The Rock of Ages

tree rooted

This tree is rooted in the Rock of Ages.  I so want to be just like this tree.  Everything, I mean everything, that it receives comes from  the Rock of Ages.  Its nourishment, the rooted foundation, the sustainment,…. all, I mean all that it is, or ever hopes to be……… it depends totally on the rock.

“But Wilderness Preacher man”, some of you readers are saying, ” are you OK?”  “Look at the tree again.  It’s scrawny.  It’s feable looking.  It’s a weakling.  No strength in that pathetic specimen of a tree.  You sure you want to be like that?”

Go ahead and say it.  You see no value in this tree.   You are looking at this tree like my timber guy looks at trees.  What value can this tree provide?  How can I cut it up to make what I want out of it, is what he is thinking.  You are looking on the outside, on the production, not on the inside and what it is BEING.

But I WANT to depend on this Rock of Ages for all that I am meant to be.  If the nourishment from this rock only allows me to survive,  Then Glory Hallelujah!!  If the “spiritual food” from this rock causes me to flourish, to grow 50 feet tall, to (in the eyes of the world be SUCCESSFUL and PRODUCTIVE), then Glory Hallelujah!!!!  It better be giving Glory, cause if it becomes all about me, myself, and I, that’s when that “timber man” will take notice and “cut me down”.

Sharing something personal now.  I write this wilderness preacher blog to help you (and me) take one more small step to BEING closer to God.  This is my way of “preachin”.  I view this blog more as sharing with you my friends. I share what “spiritual food” I receive from my Rock of Ages.  The world and honestly most people look on a successful preacher by how many numbers and how many buildings, and how many projects, and how many trips are planned.  The Wilderness Preacher views success not by all that I am “doing” but by just the “BEING”. I think my Heavenly Father has the same view. “BEING” in His Grace, His Love, His Mercy, His Providing………. BEING in The Rock of Ages will give me all the opportunities to “do” things for Him.

And you???…………..You are JUST a housewife, just a secretary, just a single dad, just a mom, just a fledgling writer,  just a country lawyer, just a retiree, just a teacher, just a small time pastor, just little ole you…… a little weakling,…… and a little scrawny “tree”. WHAT? Nope! Not when you’re rooted in the Rock of Ages! Just BEING where God planted you, and depending on Him……. The world will never see nor will it understand the STRENGTH you have been given. Funny thing, it’s not because of what you do….. it’s because of the grace/nourishment from the Rock Of Ages!

Maybe in the eyes of the world, or (Careful now, in your own eyes) you view yourself as worthless.  Pity party time!!  “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me……. guess I might as well  eat worms.”  Never heard that?  It’s a blast from the past. 😉

A beautiful hymn “How Firm a Foundation” has a verse that goes like this……

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.    

This song uses these verses from Isaiah 41:10  Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

A song that uses God’s own words that we in turn sing back to Him.  Now that’s what a hymn should be.  We are created to glorify God.  We use what He gave us (in scripture) and give it back to Him (in singing this hymn).  He gives to me, I in return give back to Him.  It’s such a satisfying thing.

A life and all its blessings.  He gives to me and you.  Jesus came to Earth to give life.  We in return give back to Him  each and every day of this life.  Give to Him each opportunity you face.  Give to Him each difficulty you face.  He gives to you, you give to Him…… such a satisfying thing.

You and I may always be considered scrawny, weak, insignificant,…… a nobody in this world eyes.  Wait a minute.  Not me!  Not you!  I know I’m somebody!  My roots are in the Rock of Ages.  All that is within me is  reaching up to the Heavens.  The world may not see what I get to see.  I see a wonderful and LIVING relationship between me and my God.  And I must say, I enjoy the “view”.

tree scenery

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, hiking in the wilderness

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The Silver and Gold Mine

Looking For Faith is like looking for Gold!

Here’s the silver and gold mine on our property here in Colorado.  It hasn’t been worked hard by anyone since back in the late 1800’s/early 1900…….. well except for me now.  I’ve been down there digging.  Digging for gold.  Digging for silver, or any other precious metal.

So many questions.  Why did the miners pick this particular spot to dig?  A certain rock outcropping?  A certain boulder showing promise?  And why did they quit digging after going several feet back into the side of the mountain?  Probably wasn’t worth the effort.  What I’ve been told is that there is gold and silver all over this part of the mountains.  It’s just that you have to mine through several tons of dirt to get the few ounces of gold/silver.  Question….. would you do it?

I’ve got to do a little more studying, (or bring someone who knows to my mine).  There are all types of different colored rock, different veins showing in these rocks.  I’m wondering if I’m literally sitting on a gold mine.  Or maybe it’s just a big pile of dirt!!  I guess there is only one way to find out.  Dig, baby, dig.  Search, sift, dig some more, inspect, then share it with someone who knows more than I.

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.  I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.  1 Peter msg

Faith is better than gold.  But just like the gold in my own little mine, a lot of “dirt” has to be refined away to see the pure faith.  This dirt is what you and I would call testing, trials, tribulations, or in everyday talk,…….. it’s what happens to us in everyday life.  The good , the bad, the ugly, the stuff we don’t understand, the things that happen around us that have an effect on us.  It’s the every day activities that you and I go through.

Each and everyday you and I are being “refined” so that our faith can be seen.  Seen by whom?  Seen by others, but seen and felt by YOU, and by God!  How to we find this faith?

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

Well, the scriptures are telling us that faith comes from hearing the word about Christ.  For you to get and grow your own faith, then Dig, baby, dig.  Search, sift, dig some more, inspect, then share it with someone who knows more than you.  That would be the Holy Spirit.  Dig in the Bible, pray for guidance.  Search for true answers about this Christian way of life.

You’ll have to dig and remove a lot of “dirt” as you look for the valuable Faith that you are looking for.

I’ve been told that unlike gold, your faith can grow.  And you only need the faith the size of this dot [.]  It’s there for your taking.  I’ve been told that Jesus wants to give us all the chance to grow and become more faithful to Him.  It’s there for the asking.  Question…… would you do it?

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The Prusik knot

The Harder I Hold On, the Faster I Fall

It’s the story of your life right now, huh?.  The more I hold on, the more that I fall (and fail).  Well pardner, you need to quit holding on with your own strength and put trust in something you don’t fully understand.

Take a look at this knot.  It’s a prusik knot.  IT WILL HOLD YOU and keep you from falling.  It’s a friction knot climbers use here in the mountains.  The knot will hold you,……….but you can’t hold it.  See it’s made to slide up and down a main rope.  Let go of the knot and it holds tight!  Grab the knot with your hand….. and careful, it starts sliding.  I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense.  My body and brain so afraid of heights is telling me to “hold on with all my might”!  So I grab around the knot……. and fall.  When I let go, I stop falling.  It’s very difficult to tell my “afraid of heights” brain to let go.  But that’s what it takes.

Well, here you and I are on our spiritual journey.  We fall by holding on instead of letting go.  Hard to tell our “afraid of heights” soul that we must trust God isn’t it?  I mean we feel that if we can hold on, we can better our situation.  WE can be better at handling our lives than say God Himself??  Whoa there!!  Did I just admit something?  I must be holding on …….and falling/failing.

Let’s go a little deeper here.  What examples can I give of holding on instead of trusting God and letting go?

Ever feel that you are not “good enough” to be loved by God?  You are holding on, better let go.

Ever think that God doesn’t have time for you?  Better let go.

How bout those times you think that Jesus wouldn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t die for YOUR sins?  Turn loose, or you’re falling.

Now here’s one……… you think that you’ve been “good enough” with your life so you shouldn’t get a disease, face financial problems, have stress.  In other words, God should be good to you based on how you’ve been acting.  Really?  You are holding on too tight.

It’s possible to hold on too much to our religion (our church activities, or our”good and great habits”) that we actually miss the true Christian relationship with Jesus.  The life filled with mercy, love, and forgiveness.  Better let go and let God.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:37-39

I know that climbing to the top of a mountain requires a lot of energy.  I have to pull and step and climb one step at a time.  Little did I realize that getting to the top requires me to “rest” and stop and let go of my rope so I wouldn’t fall or slide back down.

It’s the same with our spiritual journey.  It takes energy.  We climb one step at a time, one day at a time. And………….we let go.  We let go of our own strengths (and weaknesses), so that we can completely trust our Lord and Saviour.  He keeps us from falling.  He keeps us.

Let go!

Lord, there is so much I don’t understand about You.  Shoot, I don’t even know how this stupid knot works!  But it does, and so do You.  Help me to let go.  To let go of how I try to live this life,…….. and to fully let You take over.  With my heart, soul, and mind I want to let go and let you hold me.  It scares me.  So help me with my doubts and fears. Thank You Lord!  AMEN!!

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher