Inspirations From Nature

I’ve been wanting to get away and just sit by a quiet stream somewhere or by a magnificent waterfalls. I’ve longed for a day away from the routine of house and yard work, of care-giving and of our home business. I’ve wished I could just hole-up somewhere and sit and sing and listen. I might bring my drawing pens or writing materials and just sit and soak in the sun and shade.

This early morning I took the opportunity to step outside. The almost-summer air was cool and breezy. Clouds slid silently overhead arranging themselves in amazing shapes of swirly circles and swishes of wispiness. The circles—holes in the cloud cover—were opening that I envisioned the Lord Jesus Christ riding through on His white horse when He returns for His children.

But then the thought came to me…Christ does not need a hole in the clouds to come through when He returns. He will burst through the darkest most turbulent-appearing clouds and His light will contrast the darkness. Every eye shall see Him according to Revelation 1:7.

As I sat with God’s open Word before me the skies were full of air-traffic. I sat and listened and the wonderful things I heard are often missed by the human ear. the soft cooing voice of the turtle dove, the sweet “Tweedy-tweedy” of the chickadee, the contrasting caw-caw of the big black crow, the robin with it’s distinguished song, the ‘cheer-upping’ of the sparrow and the miraculous song of the mocking bird.

These and others filled the whole area with their unashamed song. It was then that my attention was called to their activities. Some where searching for their breakfast and for a means to feed their young.

I watched a turtle dove fly off into the distance, return and perch upon the power line where she surveyed her area to see if it was safe to dive into her hiding place with the pieces of grass and weeds she carried in her mouth. She flew in and out, in and out carrying her sought-out supplies for her nest. How hard she worked! She didn’t give up. She didn’t despair because we trim and rake our yards which made her job more difficult. She kept right on flying, taking time in between to preen herself and then she was off again.

I thought, how often do I want to give up in the middle of my projects. If I don’t get the days away that I long for, I have the opportunity to refresh myself in God’s presence just by stilling myself and coming away into the presence of God. I can sing in the middle of a testing day. I can keep on building my business when it’s not easy. I can keep watching for my Lord’s return, for He shall come in the moment, in the blinking of an eye.

God’s marvelous nature can teach us many things if we but listen. 

Honoring Our Children

At Shell Lake Full Gospel  our ministers have been bringing us a series of messages on “Honor.” Pastor Amundson shared a wonderful word on honoring our family especially that of honoring our children. I always like to have “how to” points or principles so folks can make personal application to the message.

The points were well laid out this morning, but the Spirit of the Lord stirred my heart to share some further concepts to those I heard and want to confirm in this post. Our children truly are our treasures. They have the potential to greatness that far exceed the effectiveness for God’s kingdom increase that we in former generations have ever had.

The way we talk to our children are some of the first points of influence in their lives. God has placed on my heart that we have the privilege to talk up to our children just by the way we address them or talk about them.

I believe that God is glorified when we address our offspring as children, boys, girls, youth, young people, young adults, toddlers, grandchildren, babies, and even as God’s little lambs. When we reference them by any of these titles we are giving them an honorable affirmation.

According to what I have read, the title “kids” started in 1840’s. I truly believe that this title was influenced by demonic deception. Besides believing that God has given me convictions on this matter, the plain truth is that I am not a goat, so I did not give birth to a kid. I gave birth to children.

Now lets look at Scriptures to bear this out. Matthew 25:31-34 records the words of Jesus. He is talking about when He returns and we face his judgment throne. This is what He said, “And he shall separate them one from another…and he will set his sheep on his right hand, but on the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you…”Skip to verse 41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

So as I read this, goats in Scripture are those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The sheep are those who know the shepherd. I will let you, the reader, decide how God would have you respond to this post—a concept that we have not heard much about.

In whatever way you decide to do it, I make an appeal to you to honor your children, your grandchildren and even your great-grandchildren. Be blessed in whatever way God lays it on your heart to do it.