Finding Gems

 

 Photo courtesy of Matt Seymour

 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

Have you ever been gem mining? My grandson always loved swishing a pan of sand in the water and finding little gems. The water helped the sand pass through the sieve, leaving the goodies in the pan. If the sieve had a hole in it or was coming loose from the side, the gemstones would slip through and be lost. That would never do. We needed a good sieve so he could come away with a nice pocket full of rocks.

Just like gem mining, we need a good sieve in life.  It's often hard to figure out the truth. We hear so many versions of "truth". Everyone has their own definition of truth. We are expected to affirm everyone's idea of truth. But do they know where their truth comes from? Do they know what purpose they serve in life? Pilot asked the question, "What is truth?" We need a good sieve to pass all this information through. One with no holes or loose edges that would allow an untruth to pass through into our hearts and minds. 

 Jesus said that God's word is truth. How do we filter everything through God's word? It's hard to understand. It's a big book. We don't have time. These are the typical excuses. My grandson didn't pour water over the pan of sand and just wait for the gems to appear. He had to swish it and dip it again and again. Each time he swished, he took out little treasures until he devoured the whole $15 bucket. So too, we must take little bits, letting the Water of Life swish over the words, revealing the gems a few at a time. Here are a few tips I use:

• Commit to reading one chapter each day, just one.
• Pray before reading to commit that chapter to God's revealing.
• Look for the gem, the one thing God is speaking to you about in the chapter.
• Journal your find.
• Write an application for yourself.
• Write a prayer about that application.
• Share your gem with someone else, a spouse, your family, a friend, etc. 

One find leads to another. As soon as my grandson finished one bucket of sand he always wanted more. When you begin to find the gems in God's word and apply them to your life and the things you hear and see and read, you too will be hungry for another chapter of truth. 

Heavenly Father, help us pass everything through the sieve of truth. Help us remember that Your word is true and that there is no other truth. Help us commit to allowing the Water of Life to reveal truth to us through Your word. In Jesus's name. Amen.

A Place in the Shade

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

~Psalms 91:1-2 NKJV

 The heat and humidity have been almost unbearable but for the shade trees. On the edge of my garden is a huge sweet gum. I can find a gentle breeze there when everywhere else is hot and still. I need that tree. It's cooling and comforting. It reminds me of the tree at Grandma's back when no one had air conditioning. We'd bring peaches in out of the orchard and make a churn of fresh peach ice cream. In the fall we'd peel apples to make applesauce and jelly under that big tree. Folks don't do much sitting under trees nowadays but that tree on the edge of my garden is a sweet cooling reminder of those earlier times. 

I wondered why it is that there is almost a totally different ecosystem under the tree. The temperature drops. There's a sense of refreshing. So my got-a-know mentality took over and I did a little research. The roots of the trees take up water and then transport it to the leaves. The sun draws water from the leaves causing a cooling effect like when we perspire. The cells of the leaves that allow evaporation are on the underside of the leaves. So the water vapor is just over our heads, not on the top of the canopy of leaves. 

Those few moments of rest under the sweet gum tree refresh me. A cool drink of water and I'm ready to return to the garden for a few more beans and a tomato or two. 

Jesus, The Water of Life is not in some distant universe. Like the leaves transpiring just over our heads, He is close, covering us with His love and His refreshing spirit. We can safely dwell under His shadow while all the world is a hot mess around us. We can draw close to Him and He will draw close to us, calming us, filling us with His refreshing spirit to return to the fields of this world, white and ready for harvest (John 4:35). 

Heavenly Father, we ask you to cover us with your peace and tranquility. May our minds set themselves on you and know that you are in charge of all that goes on. Refresh our spirits to return to the fields that are ripe and ready. In Jesus's name. Amen. 

Hey Kids:

Do you have a favorite place to rest from the heat? No, not inside in the air conditioning. I'm talking about a favorite place outside. What makes it a good spot to rest? My guess is it's under a tree and the temperature is cooler. Just how much cooler? How about a little research? You'll need:

• 2 outdoor thermometers
• a watch
• a notepad and pencil

Write down the time and check the temperature under a tree and on the grass out from under the tree.

In a couple of hours check the temperature again taking note of the difference in both places. 

In which place has the temperature risen the most? 

Do this several times throughout the day. Does the shadow of the tree eventually cover the grassy spot you first checked? Has the temperature risen or lowered as the shade progressed over the grassy spot? 

Where do you want to spend these lazy days of summer? Save me a spot in the shade. 

Worms

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

Psalms 8:4

Have you ever rejoiced in seeing an earthworm? I've been mounding up my garden beds and noticing how many earthworms are in my soil this year. I'm thanking the Lord for every one of them. Why? They are so important to a good garden! Earthworms aerate the soil so the rain can trickle down to the roots of the plants. They decompose the matter and create compost that feeds the plants. Just one of them can create more earthworms. Even if you chop one in two it will restore itself into two more.

Have you ever sung this hymn by Isaac Watts published in 1707?

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Watts called us worms. He meant it as a derogatory term. He meant we were lowly destructive worms like cankerworms and palmerworms described in the book of Joel 2:25. However, if we look at the work of earthworms maybe we could learn a lesson in soul winning. 

The way we approach people, worm our way in if you will, by showing love to others and living our daily lives softens and opens the hearts of the world for the Water of Life to trickle in and begin His work of salvation. The Word of Life that we share in the same way feeds the world with the Bread of Life. Satan cannot stop the gospel from going out. It is seen throughout history the more the church is persecuted the stronger it becomes and the more it multiplies. 

The Water and the Bread are not just for the lost but also for those of us who know the Lord. Worms have to be fed. They need water. So we also need the Holy Spirit and God's Word in our lives that we might continue to grow and give life to those around us. 

So I'm thanking the Lord for every little worm I see in my garden and remember that I too need to be a worm.

Blessings,

Gail

Connecting the Dots

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27 (NIV)

It's amazing how often we aren't able to connect the dots. The disciples Jesus met on the road to Emmaus knew Jesus. They were sure He was the promised Messiah. He had told them He must suffer and die but they weren't connecting all the dots. So Jesus patiently explained beginning with Moses and all the prophets. Finally when He blessed the bread their eyes were opened and they understood that He was Jesus resurrected from the dead. 

Where did Jesus begin with Moses? The first five books of the Bible are the books compiled by Moses. This is where Jesus began. The disciples weren't the first ones who needed that type of explanation. If we look at the story of Moses and the burning bush we see God had to start at the beginning so Moses would understand how to connect the dots for the people (Exodus 4).  

The Serpent
Moses told God the Israelites wouldn't believe God sent him. God told Moses to throw down his rod. The rod turned into a serpent. God began at the beginning. Sin entered into the world with the serpent deceiving Eve.

Leprosy
Then Moses was told to put his hand in his bosom. Moses' hand would have been over his heart. Sin begins in our hearts. When Moses pulled out his hand it was leprous, the incurable disease unless a miracle happened. God told Moses to put his hand back in his bosom. This time the disease was gone when he pulled out his hand, signifying God is the only One who can cleanse a sinful heart. 

The Water of Life
The Nile River was the water that sustained life in Egypt. Moses was to pour out water from the river on the ground and it would turn to blood. The Water of Life, Jesus Himself would come to earth and pour out His blood on the ground for our sins, rising again the third day. 

We don't know exactly where Jesus began the explanation His disciples needed to connect the dots but it is likely He started with the serpent in the garden and the original sin and ended with Himself poured out on the earth for the sins of the world. 

As Easter and Passover approach, are we connecting the dots? 
Do we understand that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God? 
Do we understand our hearts are desperately wicked?
Do we understand Jesus gave Himself pouring out His life's blood for our sin?

What have you done with the knowledge of God's love for you?
We'd love to hear your story.

Blessings,

Gail

Thrilled With the Water

Thursday, we took the grands picnicking in the Pisgah National Park. The Davidson River, like all our mountain rivers, is "take your breath away cold." Our youngest, Molly, was thrilled to get her hands and feet in the cold river. She was going to reach and splash as long as Papa would hold her.

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

Jesus, The Water of Life, wants us to reach out and splash in His wonderful, refreshing love. He wants us to be thrilled with all He has to offer. Just as Molly wouldn't have been able to maintain herself in the cold swift currents, neither can we maintain ourselves in the currents of life. But we have a Papa, a Father, who will hold us and keep us, allowing us to be thrilled with His Son and the refreshing life only Jesus can give us. 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.Revelation 22:17

Are you thirsty? Can you hear Jesus calling you? If you have never come to Jesus, repenting of your sins, today could be the best day of the rest of your life. He will give you The Water of Life freely and hold you forever. Trust Him.

Won't you leave a comment about your relationship with Jesus, the Water of LIfe?

Hey Kids:
Have you been in the creeks this summer?
They are teaming with life!
In the water, under the rocks, along the edges of the banks and in sandbars, is abundant life. 
Without the flowing water none of the life would exist. 
Without Jesus, the Water of Life, there would be no eternal life.
This summer take a wading hike with an adult. 
Many of the parks have junior ranger programs that let you explore the life in the rivers and streams.  The rangers can help you name the creatures you find. 
If you and your adult are going on your own, you might want to take an identification guide of aquatic animals for your area.

Happy splashing!

Gail

Come to the Water

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Revelations 22:17

Children love playing in the water, skipping rocks, wading, splashing, swimming. Our grandchildren are drawn to water like maddogs. The attraction is so strong we can barely draw them away. It's almost as much fun to watch kids in water as to participate, but not quite. Participating in anything fun is better than watching. What is it about water that is so special? It's refreshing. It's enjoyable, especially with others. It's cleansing. It's needful for life itself. 

We are so used to water used as a metaphor in scripture, we may just pass over it without thinking. "Take of the water of life freely; whosoever drinketh of this water shall never thirst; well of water springing up into everlasting life," are common terms in Christian circles, but how deeply have we considered these terms. How will taking of the water of life freely allow us to live, not just in the realm of eternal life, but what about now? Think about enjoying a cool stream or even the ocean. You will likely relax and enjoy the experience, especially with friends and family. Are you enjoying your salvation in the same way? 

Jesus told the woman at the well if she drank of the water He would give her, she would never thirst. Of course that was another metaphor. She would not be looking for life, she would find eternal life and peace in Jesus, the Water of Life. She took him at His word and shared it with others, just as we would beckon others to join us in a cool refreshing stream. 

This week won't you think of how the Water of Life can affect your life? Relax, enjoy, call others to join you in this exciting experience. Allow Jesus to bring a refreshing into your hectic life and know He is in control. 

You are welcome to share pictures and comments.

Blessings,

Gail 

Hey Kids:

Do you know the difference in a metaphor and a simile? 

If I say, "The trees in the swamp looked like old men with gray beards," I am using a simile to help me understand how trees look with Spanish moss  hanging from the limbs. 

If I say, "Old men stood in the swamp, gray beards hanging to the waters." I am using metaphors to describe the trees and the moss.

The Bible uses lots of similes and metaphors. Try figuring some of them out.

Here's some starters. The Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2)

The Bread of Life (John 6:35)

Water of Life (Revelation 22:17)

You are welcome to share your discoveries with us.  :)