To Tell the Truth

 

 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalms 100:5

"What is truth?" Pilate asked Jesus this question. He didn't wait to hear the answer. 

The picture on this blog of the apple blossom with the bee inside tells us a truth. An apple blossom opened and its sweet fragrance drew a bee. The bee is pollinating the apple blossom by dusting the pollen from the stamen (the male part of the flower) onto its body and dusting pollen from other apple trees onto the pistil (the female part) of the apple blossom. From this pollination, an apple will form which will be food for many creatures and people. It will also form seeds that will grow more apple trees. 

That's not the end of the picture. What about the bee? It will return to the hive with pollen to be made into honey to feed the hive and allow the queen to produce more bees to replenish the hive. The honey will also be food for other creatures and people. 

This is a very simple explanation of both processes, but it is plain that there must have been a plan for this to work so perfectly in tandem. Would we just pour liquids into a vial and wait until it exploded and expect to make something? We would never attempt even the most simple of tasks without first having a plan we expect to succeed. 

Pilate asked the same question many people ask today. "What is truth?" Earlier Jesus, while praying to the Father declared "thy word is truth." (John 17:17).

So why is it that we ask "What is truth?" when we have the truth probably in our own homes. Suppose we don't have a copy of God's word in our homes. Romans 1:20 says we are without excuse. That creation itself shows us the Godhead and His eternal power. You may say, "nature has evolved over millions of years." Why not consult the truth?

 Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created...

So many people today are rejecting the truth in the name of equity, love, tolerance, etc, etc, etc. The truth is no one wants the truth because it doesn't approve of their sin. Excuse me for the politically incorrect term. I should have said agenda. Sin is sin and I called it what it is. Anything that is the opposite of truth is a lie. A lie is a false witness. The Bible has said Do not bear false witness. Again, truth is God's word. What other truths are found from the beginning?

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ~ Genesis 1:27

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ~Genesis 2:23,24

Heavenly Father, Help others not to think I am unkind. My desire, Lord, is to speak the truth in love so that no one is deceived by believing a lie. In Christ Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Spring is showing up more every day. What a special time of year Life is being resurrected from the dead of winter. We discussed some of God's special plan for creation in the devotion above. 

As the weather warms, go out and try spotting bees. 

Count how many flowers a bee visits in a minute.

What type of flowers are the bees visiting?

If you're not allergic, see how close you can get. Can you spot the pollen sacs on the back legs?

Honey bees won't usually sting because once they sting they die.

Try journaling your observations. Draw some pictures of the bees you've spotted.

Thank Jesus for His marvelous creation. 

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16

I borrowed some of the Hey Kids ideas from my friend's new devotional Quirky Critter Devotions by Annette Whipple. Check out her devotions and activities for an adventurous summer. 

God's Plan

 

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. ~Jeremiah 1:5 KJV

Sound like anyone you know? Four years ago tomorrow marks the anniversary of the death of Billy Graham. Ninety-nine years old, they say. But God prepared him to preach from the time of conception which would have probably been in February 1918. So, he actually was alive for 100 years. 

The verse I quoted was written by the Prophet Jeremiah.   God was telling him that He had a plan for Jeremiah's life before he was conceived. Psalms 139:14 makes a similar statement about King David. God even had plans for Samuel before he was born (I Samuel 1:11, 26-28). Each came to know the Lord and His plan at different times in their lives. 

Samuel was a child when he heard God's call. King David was probably a teen. Jeremiah said he was too young, but he was old enough for God. He stood before the people of a crumbling nation to preach, warning them and calling them to repent. Billy Graham was nearing his seventeenth birthday when he came to know the Lord. He was a mighty man of God in our day. There have been others, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and Billy Sunday to name a few. 

Does God have a plan for you? You don't have to be famous to be used by God. Remember the story of the little slave girl in II Kings 5:3? She was responsible for Naaman's journey to the prophet who told him to wash and be healed of his leprosy. And what about the boy with five loaves and two fishes (John 6:9-12)? We don't know their names, but they were used by God in a mighty way. There are no mistakes. You are important to God.  You too have a special call on your life. Have you answered?

Hey Kids:

Do you know God has a special plan for you? Look up some of the verses above and see what children were able to do as part of God's plan. 

I have four grandchildren. One is a talented singer. Another is quite the athlete. The one pictured above is a budding artist. The youngest is still developing her talents, but she is a linguist for sure. They don't know yet how God will use them, but they are strengthening those talents. God will put those talents to use in His timing. 

What is your special talent?
How are you working at perfecting that talent?
Has God already shown you His plan? 

Squanto, Part of God's Good Plan

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 
Psalms 105:1

You know that picture in our minds we all get of the Indian brave who walks into the Pilgrim village in the spring of 1621 to show the Pilgrims how to plant corn, and beans and pumpkin? Wasn’t his name Squanto? Or didn’t anyone ever tell you about Squanto?

This Thanksgiving tale of the Indian who greeted the Pilgrims with an English “Welcome” and then taught them to plant corn and fish, always seemed to me to be just that – a tale, until I learned how God brought it all about - A slave ship sailing along a shore, kidnapping young boys and taking them back to Spain; an entire tribe wiped out by disease; a lone man given his freedom returning from Europe to find no one left. There’s far more to the truth than meets the eye here. God is always taking the evil man devises and turning it into good for those that love him. The slave traders of Europe had meant it for evil against the Indians. They cared only for their pocketbooks but God used it for good. The people who came seeking to worship Him in a new land were starving and fearful of the Indians surrounding them. They needed someone who could help and someone they could understand. God placed Squanto, the  Indian once captured and sold for a slave there to willingly help the starving Pilgrims. 

In the Bible Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They thought he probably died in Egypt until they went there to buy food. Who should they find to provide for them, but their own brother, in control of all the food of Egypt? Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil against Joseph, but God had used it for good.

Tragedy seems to surround us on every hand, but God has not left us alone. He is working all things for our good. Pray for those involved in all the tragedies. Help wherever you can. Do not be afraid, because God is with us through every circumstance working all things for our good.

Blessings,

Gail

Fishing

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

Genesis 1:1

I watch my son tie flies. He is patient, thoughtful, exact in what he is creating. His flies need to be the correct color, size, shape, and texture as the real bug he is portraying. He's not a "fly by the seat of your pants" fisherman. He's a top fishing guide because he researchers every bug, every season, and every weather condition. Those fish aren't going to jump into his creel because he wets a line. He has to be a master creator who knows the needs and likes of the trout in his rivers and streams. Every day he works in harmony with the Master Creator and His natural order.

the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 

How is it that humans struggle to understand there is a Creator, the Creator who knew from the foundation of the world how ecosystems would work in harmony, who knew blood would be the life of the creatures and the blood of His only Son would be the answer to man's sinful choices? Before the foundation of the world, there was a master plan for every color, every size, shape, and texture. There was a master plan to bring mankind back into the grace of God. That plan was to show love. That plan included the sacrifice of God's only Son. God didn't come up with that idea on the spur of the moment because Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit. 

My son did not learn to flyfish on his own. He had teachers who took the time to train him. Because of them, he fell in love with fishing. When he learned to study the river ecosystem then he became a master fisherman. 

 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 

We need training. We need encouragement. We need to fall in love with the Master fisherman and learn the details of fishing - fishing for men. These are a few things I am learning.

• Be a part of a Bible Study
• Take notes/journal 
• Talk to the Master Fisherman 
• Have a time set aside each day for personal Bible study
• Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to "fish". 

Share your "fishing" stories here. We'd love to learn along with you.

Blessings,

Gail

Bloom!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11KJV

Have you ever heard the saying, "Bloom where you are planted?" Last year my husband put down greenhouse paper and rocks over most of our flower beds because we didn't have time to maintain them. I had a basket of petunias hanging on the fence.

This year a lone petunia came up through the rocks. I thought dry weather would soon kill the flower, but no, it grows and blooms right where the seed fell.

This week our VBS was about Joseph. He obeyed and had patience, confident his faithful God had a plan for him. Things really looked bad when Joseph was sold into slavery then ended up in prison for something he didn't do. But Joseph continued to serve and believe that God's plan would be the best.

God has a plan for each of us. He planned for us before we were even born. Like Joseph, we need to be obedient, patient and confident God will bring us to an expected end. In other words, "Bloom where we are planted."

Hey Kids:

My petunia plant is what gardeners call a volunteer. It grows without someone planting or tending it often in the worst possible place.

We don't choose our families. Sometimes as kids, we often feel like we must be in the wrong family. But God has a plan and a purpose for you right where you are.

Have you read the story of Joseph? It's found in Genesis chapters 37-45. In VBS we looked at the life of Joseph in only a chapter or two each day. In about a week you can have the whole story read. Jot down some things you notice about Joseph's life as you read each day. It might be a good idea to do this with a friend. We acted out a lot of the story with a beach towel for a coat of many colors, a fuzzy white sweater for a baby animal and a red scarf for the blood. A few other homemade items designated characters. Acting out a story helps us see what's happening and feel the emotion of the situation. It improves our understanding. Girls, you can do this too. We face the same types of situation as boys and Joseph.

Here's an idea:
Day 1: Dreams were important ways for God to communicate in Joseph's day because the Bible wasn't yet written. God gave dreams to Joseph. Jacob, his father, took note of the dreams though he seemed to scold Joseph. Was Joseph simply repeating what God had told him or was he being a bragging little brother?

Day 2: Why would the brothers sell their little brother into slavery? How do you think they felt when they let their father believe Joseph had been killed?

Day 3: To whom was Joseph obedient? What is the verse that supports your answer? What can you learn from Joseph's answer and actions?

Day 4: Is life always fair? How did Joseph always end up in a good position even in a bad situation?

Day 5: I wonder why the prisoners didn't always look sad. How do you think Joseph helped his prisoners lead happy lives even in prison? Do you think it was easy to give a good interpretation to one man and then a bad interpretation to the other? Who actually gave the interpretation?

Day 6: Have you figured out yet how long Joseph has been away from his family, a slave and a prisoner? How do you think he felt when he was forgotten by the cupbearer?

Day 7: Finally out of prison with a bath and shave. But now he must interpret a dream for Pharoah. Joseph was confident in his interpretation. Why did Pharoah make Joseph second in command?

Day 8: How did Joseph feel when he saw his brothers? Why do you think he treated them roughly?
What verse tells you how the brothers felt about their situation? What did Joseph tell his brothers when they confessed to having mistreated him years before?

Share your thoughts with a friend or family. Ask questions about things you aren't sure about. Talking about the things of God with other Christians helps us all to grow where we are planted. And don't forget God has a plan specifically for you.

Blessings,

Gail