Grass Withers Yet Lives Again And So Shall All Who Believe

Isaiah 40:1-11 KJV; 2nd Sunday in Advent; Even as the grass withers in the winter; yet, comes to life again in the spring so shall all who believe in Jesus the Christ who is the Word.

We Wither Even As the Grass Withers

1 Peter 1:24-25 KJV; We will wither and die. Yet, even as the grass comes back to life in the spring; so shall all who believe in Jesus the Christ.

Come Away; Live Life And Love

 

The Voice Of The Turtle Is Heard In Our Land

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

                                                                    (Song of Solomon 2:10-13 KJV)

A story of living and loving is presented to us in the Song of Solomon. A story of putting behind what is behind and moving forward to live and to love.

As human beings we often dwell in the past. We cannot seem to get past the past. But, the past is over. It is time to quit groaning over what was done or said in the dark days of winter. Spring has come upon us. The flowers bloom. The turtles have come out of hiding and sun themselves on the shores. And, yes! Birds of all sorts are making a beautiful racket even as the frogs are croaking out a love song in the ponds.

Let us leave the dark days behind us where they should be left. We have no need to dwell on them for today the Lord has given us a new day; a new beginning. Spring has sprung. Come away from the cold darkness and live and love in the marvelous light of Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Season Of Spring

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Gen 8:22 KJV)

I have been looking forward to seeing the Magnolia trees in bloom at my most recent home this spring. Finally, one blossom has appeared! 

Every season has its own beauty. Every season has its own purpose. Depending upon where we live the seasons may appear in different forms; but, in all places there are seasons that regulate our comings and goings; that regulate what we do and how we live.

After Noah and his family got off the boat that they'd been floating around in for a season, God had promised that he would never destroy the earth by a flood like that again. He promised that as long as the earth exists there will always be seasons. There would be seasons to plant as well as to to harvest. 

Spring is upon us. For some that still means a little bit of snow and seeds will have to be started indoors. For others that means it is time to get those seeds and plants into the ground so that what we do today will produce a harvest in its own time.

What we do today will help determine how fruitful we are in the future. Do not let the season of preparedness pass you by. There is a season for everything. Spring is not the season for idleness.

Let us rejoice in the beauty of the season; the opportunities to see new growth in both creation and in our own lives. 

The world most likely will not end tomorrow or even the next day. But, it will come to an end for each of us one day. Let us not waste the days we have; but, enjoy life. Live life, taking hold of every opportunity to be fruitful and to glorify our Father in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Going Forward

Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isa 43:16, 18-19 KJV)

The Lord has made a way forward for those who would follow in the path He has set for us. It would behoove us to move forward instead of clinging to the past and our old ways. That is at least if we truly want peace instead of chaos; if we truly want joy rather than sorrow.

Doing the same things over and over again that got you no where before and will get you no where now is not the way to go. 

There is a way laid out before us in the wilderness of this world. That way is Jesus. Follow him and know the peace and joy of God's eternal presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Will Help

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121:1-2 KJV)

Since retiring this spring, I have had a lot more opportunity to pray. In fact, I find that I've had a tremendous amount of need to go before the Lord and ask for help.  This retirement stuff seems pretty fruitless. I feel restless and at times pretty useless. I spend a lot of time asking the Lord to help me to know what it is that He would have me do. It has only been a few months so I continue to wait patiently for the Lord to open the doors and show me the way in which He would have me go to serve Him. 

This is definitely not the first time I've waited for Him to let me know what He would have me do; how He would have me serve. If you've been wondering, lift up your eyes and pray and with patience wait for it. Your help, our help, comes from the Lord. Sometimes, we have to wait awhile for answers. But, no matter what is causing you frustrations and confusion, He will answer all who earnestly ask for help; for direction.

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Flowers Fade

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of God shall stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8 KJV)

I spent the night at the hunting camp. A few years ago we had it logged. It seems naked in some areas where it has not fully grown back yet. But, the wildflowers are abundant this year.

It is a little past mid-summer. The weather is warm. But, it will not be for long. Soon the leaves will begin to change color and the flowers will fade. Winter will come and snow will cover what is left of the grass and the flowers.

There is a season for everything. The cycle of life: birth, life, and death. But, the word of the Lord endures forever. In him there is life even after our bodies fade away and die.? 

Thanks be to God for the life given to us by the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Meaningless Without God

Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
   and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
   and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,

   and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸ “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.

   “Everything is meaningless!”

                                                  (Eccl 12:6-8 NIV)

Remember the Lord your God. Get to know Him while there is still time. You can have all the silver and gold in the world; but, without God you have nothing. Everything is totally meaningless without the love of God. 

Who has not wondered what the purpose of life is? Life here on earth is so very short. One day we are here and the next day we may not be. When we are young we begin to fritter it away and before we know it most of our years are behind us. And, what becomes of what we have done? The world changes. Times change. Accomplishments, even people, of the past are forgotten. So many lives are as if they never existed. It is as if nothing has ever existed. Yet, by the love of God everything exists. It is in Him and because of Him that we have eternal life; a life filled with peace and joy only because we exist in His loving presence. 

How meaningless are the things of this world. How wonderful is the love of God through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord!

God's Peace - Pr. J