JULY 3-4 – For us

“Thou dost visit the earth, and cause it to overflow; Thou dost greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; Thou dost prepare their grain, for thus Thou dost prepare the earth. Thou dost water its furrows abundantly; Thou dost settle its ridges; Thou dost soften it with showers; Thou dost bless its growth. Thou hast crowned the year with Thy bounty, And Thy paths drip with fatness. The pastures of the wilderness drip, And the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. The meadows are clothed with flocks, And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing” (Psalm 65:9-13).

As Christians we often wonder what it would have been like to have walked along the shore of Galilee with Jesus and hear him teach, heal the leper, open the eyes of the blind and turn five loaves and two fish into enough food to feed five thousand. What was it like to stand next to Him as He said, “Lazarus come forth” and a man who had been dead for days came back to life?

While it is true that you and I weren’t there to see these miracles nor stand at the foot of the cross and witness Him suffer and die for our sins, we can travel back in time to experience these life-changing events by reading the Bible — the most important book ever written. We can read about Him in one of the six billion Bibles that have been published just as we can envision Him radiating through the universe of our daily lives.

What would it have been like to be a witness of Creation? and when Jesus was on earth, to have walked with Him and His discples through the fields, and over the mountain passes, talking about? - apart from His Father, what did they talk about, those thirteen men together? How great it would have been to grill the fish with Him at a seashore picnic? 

The tree laden forests, oceans and streams, billowing clouds and ominous thunderstorms, roses and lilies, breathtaking mountains and delicate snowflakes all eloquently argue for the existence of a Master Creator. Roses are the color of the blood He shed for us at Calvary. Mountains are a sign of his strength. The sky represents his expansive and endless love. The air we breathe sings of his ability to sustain us in the most difficult of situations and the rainbow, in its unique multifaceted beauty, tells us He is here for us no matter how daunting life might become.

The clouds whisper that our storms will pass because He cares for us. A tree reminds us of the Cross and a graceful sparrow, circling overhead, reminds us of His compassion for even the smallest of creatures. If you are experiencing a wintery season in your life and spring has yet to bring fresh flowers of hope and peace, why not take a moment to pray?

Ask the Lord to fill you with His presence and know that His light of love will shine as a mighty beacon of hope, penetrating the darkness and granting you victory over insurmountable odds. Christ is our Beacon of Hope! “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18).

We live in a beautiful world, created for us by a God of love, for our enjoyment and pleasure. Let us be glad and rejoice in it.

(Adapted from DayStar)

What other music could I choose for today than “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.