They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the LORD, so that he might display his glory (Isaiah 61:3 GW) God has a thing for trees. In fact, when He established the earth He first planted trees. Plants and fruit trees came before humanity or any living creature. God’s people could kill human lives in warfare but not the life of a tree. After all, enemies could run, but trees remain rooted in the ground. Humans should be more like trees. Rooted in the ground and useful yet beautiful. Cut back they suffer yet rebounding in more strength. Trees serve as landmarks for the lost and shade for the weary. They are faithful to find generation after generation. They stand in the
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart (Proverbs 27:19). The sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is ayin. In its ancient form, the letter looks very similar to an eye. The word Ayin means eye, to see, metaphorically speaking how we understand or view things in our life. The proverbial phrase “Is the glass half empty or half full” would apply here. The word Ayin also means a well, fountain or spring. Scripture likens our heart to a wellspring. If we guard it against the bitterness of sin what flows out of it will be life-giving. If our heart is pure, we see things from a wholesome perspective. Our faith and trust in the Lord will see us through any adversity or tria
…even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save (Is. 46:4). Eternal life encompasses far more than the notion of dying and going to heaven. The way to have eternal life is to know the only true God and His son Jesus Christ. We all have an opportunity to get to know Him through the companionship He offers us. He promises to help us never to leave or forsake us. All of us are born to adversity. No one on earth escapes this truth. To think that the child you cradle in your arms will never have pain or feel the depths of loss is an illusion. What is not fantasy is that the Lord by design made us incapable of bearing
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62NLT).” A car stuck in neutral gets you nowhere but one jammed in reverse is worse. Like cars, we humans do best when we are moving forward. You can drive a car in reverse, but it’s much easier and safer to get where you’re going in forward motion. God created our bodies to walk in an advancing position. None of us have “eyes in the back of our heads” contrary to anything our moms may have told us. Jesus moved in life head-on. He did not procrastinate or turn tail to run from stressful situations or people. He also made a point of talking about the kind of people who woul
This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind... I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14). Every year when the first of January comes around, we must not forget to put down the correct year. How many times have we erased the last year’s date for the present one when filling out forms and writing checks? Sometimes it becomes an effort all year long. May that be our only challenge as the New Year evolves. Forgetting things can be a bother. We best remember the umbrella on a rainy day or sunglasses on a bright one. But if happy is to be in our New Year some things are best left behind. Do not allow the bad memories of la
