The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Blackberry Pie" for Thursday, 28 April 2016 with Scripture: Luke 6:17-23

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Blackberry Pie" for Thursday, 28 April 2016 with Scripture: Luke 6:17 Then he came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his talmidim was there with great numbers of people from all Y’hudah, Yerushalayim and the coast around Tzor and Tzidon; they had come to hear him and be healed of their diseases. 18 Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being healed; 19 and the whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power kept going out from him, healing everyone. 20 He looked at his talmidim and said:
“How blessed are you poor!
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 “How blessed are you who are hungry!
    for you will be filled.
“How blessed are you who are crying now!
    for you will laugh.
22 “How blessed you are whenever people hate you and ostracize you and insult you and denounce you as a criminal on account of the Son of Man. 23 Be glad when that happens; yes, dance for joy! because in heaven your reward is great. For that is just how their fathers treated the prophets.
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The LORD says, “I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.[Ezekiel 34:26 (NRSV)]
Blackberry bushes menace our property like towering green monsters, their thorny vines threatening to engulf the whole garden. My husband and I battle them constantly. We cut them, poison them, and dig out their roots. We even tried our neighbor’s flame-thrower. Yet they grow back, stronger than ever. Every summer we call a truce, as snow-white blossoms give way to plump, juicy blackberries. I pluck them from between the thorns, usually suffering a scratch or two. A few hours later, they have been transformed into blackberry pie. How amazing that something so aggravating can produce such a delicious treat!
I thought about the blackberry bushes as they related to today’s reading, in which Jesus talks about truths that seem impossible and contradictory. And Romans 8:28 indicates that bad circumstances can result in a greater good, not only in heaven but also here on earth. Could that noisy neighbor teach me to be more understanding? Perhaps a frustrating job situation can provide an opportunity to gain new skills. The illness that has me down could grant me time to rest, read the Bible, and pray more deeply. If we look, we can find blessings all around us.
Read more from the author, here."Blackberries and Envy"

On the first day of April, sunshine streamed down and spring brightened the landscape. Green shoots were everywhere, fruit trees were breaking into flower, and crocuses and daffodils smiled up at me. And I was out spraying blackberries. Perhaps if I caught them early this year, they wouldn’t take over. Then it hit me how contradictory it seemed: here I was enjoying the fresh white blossoms on the apple tree (pictured below) and the cheerful yellow daffodils, yet doing my best to kill off the tender green blackberry sprouts.

The Christian life is filled with things that seem contradictory—paradoxes that don’t make sense without faith. Love our enemies. Bless those who curse us. And the greatest paradox of all: Christ’s death brings us life, and we need to lose our lives in order to gain them. Giving up our wants and desires can bring a joy far beyond the happiness brought by the fulfillment of those desires. I know these things, and yet my human ego and pride are harder to kill than blackberries.
My first book was published last year, a dream come true for which I praise God. And yet I find my human wish for recognition and fame creeping in. My book isn’t selling like I hoped it would. When I hear of another author who is doing well, envy steals in. Why can’t I sell more books? Why is that person doing so much better than I am? I usually catch myself before muttering “It isn’t fair” like some little kid, but my attitude definitely lacks the maturity of a true Christ-follower. Oops. As often as I cut back those bitter shoots of envy, I never seem to root them entirely from my life. And unlikely blackberries, those shoots will never produce anything sweet or useful.
I have found, however, that the best spiritual weed killer is gratitude. When I am truly thankful for the blessings in my life, my focus changes. Instead of thinking about what I am missing, I see what I have—family, friends, church, the beauty of nature on a lovely spring day, and so much more. My eyes turn to God in thankfulness, instead of toward others in envy. Recognizing how much I have been given (even when I don’t deserve it), I am filled with joy and can finally “rejoice with those who rejoice” and be content with my own life.[Susan Maas, Check out Susan's website: www.susanmaas.com and blog: sparrowthoughts.wordpress.com.]
The Author: Susan Thogerson Maas (Oregon, USA)
Thought for the Day: With God’s help, I can look for good in every difficult situation.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to see how difficult situations can teach us and draw us closer to you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Prayer focus: My neighbors---------------------