October 2024 - Page 3 of 3 - Creation Beckons

Gentle and Majestic

Isaiah 40:11 Gentle and majestic

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; He will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (ESV).

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all” (ESV).

I am drawn to this picture and to the two verses above. Together the verses describe the gentleness and the majesty of our God, the Lord of all, the Creator, the one who proves His strength and His gentleness by his love. The picture shows the grass-covered meadow with grazing cattle in the foreground, while the background literally shouts of the majesty and grandeur of the mountains and spires. In one picture we see the extremes of landscape and in the Scriptures quoted above, we see the extremes of the personality of our God.

Our Lord is our gentle shepherd that gathers us in His arms and gently holds us in peace. He is also the grand God of creation, who created all we can see and all we cannot see by His Word, His spoken Word. He owns all of it. He rules all of it. Yet, with all of His grandeur, He knows you and He knows me. He not only knows who we are, he knows all about us, our needs, our desires, our wants, our problems, our shortcomings, our sins, and our love for Him. I am overcome by the knowledge that the King of the universe wants to hold me in His arms and listen to what I have to say. He is honestly interested in my interests, but most of all, He wants me to know that He wants to spend eternity with me and with you. Each of us is His favorite, for “God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11 ESV).

Harvest the Continuous Crop

Proverbs 27:25 Harvest the Continuous Crop

“After the hay is cut and the new growth appears and the harvest is over” (CEV).

It’s a long time since this hay rake has been used, but the process is still important. Hay that has been cut and is lying flat on the ground is hard for the hay baler to pick up, so the rake lifts it into rows that are easier for the baler to collect. Hay that is left flat on the ground is susceptible to rot if it is not fluffed up. This hay rake was drawn by two horses, and the operator sat on a seat on the rake with the reins in his hands. The mechanism may be old, but I am sure if it were oiled, it could still do the job. Today’s machinery, the tractor, pulls a similar piece of equipment to accomplish the same task, but fuels used are different. It makes me wonder about a comparison of the cost of feed for the horses, and the feed, excuse me, gasoline for the tractor. And the horses are quieter. There are some things to be said for the old methods—just ask some of the most successful farmers in America, the Amish.

Hay is a continuous crop. Once it is cut, it grows again, and it can be cut again. The harvest we are to work for as Christians is also a continuous crop. What is our harvest? Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19,20 and again in Mark 16:15,16 that the harvest is the souls of men for salvation. Every year, millions of new souls are born on the earth, and as they mature, they become ripe for salvation’s harvest. And there are millions already here who have never heard the Good News of salvation. There are similarities between the harvest of hay and the harvest of souls. A new soul, once he (she) has heard the Gospel, needs to be “fluffed up,” that is, taught so he can live as Christ would have him live, and so that he can be joined with others who have received the Good News of salvation. Those in the Church who walk beside and teach new believers are important to the harvest, just as the hay rake is important to the harvest of hay. There are many functions in fulfillment of the Great Commission, and you and I will probably perform one or more of those functions as we grow in Christ. Be encouraged, for we are doing what Jesus asked of us.

Am I in Camouflage?

Matthew 5:14-16 Am I in Camouflage?

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (NIV).

Do you see the roadrunner in the picture above? God created them with colors that blend into the desert surroundings so that they are difficult to see. It often takes some degree of concentration to discover a roadrunner in its surroundings. God did this for their safety.

God asks those who have accepted Jesus as Savior to do the opposite. As the verse above says, “…let your light shine before others….” No camouflage for us. We are to stand out by doing good deeds. We are not to be hidden for our safety. We are to shine for His glory. The result of our good deeds will be the glorification of our Heavenly Father. So I have to ask myself the question, “Am I easy to pick out as a Christian in a crowd?” God asks us to, not only be easy to spot, but also asks us to shine forth so that God is glorified and so that others may be drawn to Him. There’s a saying, “Don’t do as I do. Do as I say.” Jesus doesn’t live by that saying. Instead He says, “Do as I Do and do as I say.”

Growth While Freezing

Galatians 6:9 Growth While Freezing

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV).

There’s a plant that actually thrives in conditions that would kill most plants, including snow cover and temperatures well below freezing. And this plant is used as a food source, particularly in the baking of various types of breads. This plant that defies nature is called winter wheat. It is planted in the fall and is ready for a spring harvest. It begins growing in the fall and becomes acclimated to the cold as the fall temperatures cool, and it needs even colder temperatures in order to produce seeds in the spring. Some varieties even withstand temperatures lower than ten degrees below zero. As temperatures warm, the plants resume growing, and seeds begin to form. The plant is not harmed by low temperatures and snow. In fact, it does not grow well if the winter is not cold. Winter wheat can even be used as a cover crop to help control weeds. Okay, so what does winter wheat have to do with the life of a Christian?

Many of us experience times when we are not particularly spiritually active, perhaps a period we could call a spiritual malaise. I am not advocating that we lower our spiritual activity on purpose, but it is good to remember that the same God who created winter wheat that thrives in cold times, also created us. I am sure that if He cares enough to create a plant that thrives in the cold, He recognizes that we may experience spiritual lows, and He provides for growth during these times, as if we were gathering strength to burst forth in bloom ready for a harvest after the cooler times end. So be encouraged by the story of winter wheat which brings forth a harvest after enduring cold times. If we are willing, God will quicken the seed within us and bring us out from spiritual darkness into the light of springtime harvest.