Dew Drops

"I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily.

Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots."

Hosea 14:5

Dew. A word we don't think upon often or talk about. Dew might not be as flashy as rain or snow, but it quietly supports life in our natural world.

So, when I read the title "I Will Be Like The Dew" in the devotion book "Healing Water for the Soul" by Mrs. L. B. Cowman, it caused me to stop and consider. What did the Scripture verse mean?

The internet said: "Dew, those delicate beads of moisture that grace our mornings, might seem inconspicuous, but they play a vital role in our ecosystems. "

Yes, the dew of a fresh morning is a delight. You've noticed it if you've walked through a garden in the early morning. Fresh. Will God do that for us?

I got out my trusty commentaries and found these words:

From Clarke's Commentary on Studylight.org, observations of Lowth: "These verses contain gracious promises of God's favor and blessings upon Israel's conversion . . . if we consider all the beauty of the oriental lilies, the fragrance of the cedars . . . the beauteous appearance which the spreading olive trees afforded, the exhilarating coolness caused by the shade of such trees . . .what a glorious prophecy! . . . The promises are not for Israel; they are for all the people of God."

On Biblestudytools.com it says: "The dew which comes from heaven is a great blessing of God, very refreshing and fruitful to the earth; and the Lord is that unto His people; it is not only the cause of quickening dead sinners, but of reviving, cheering, and refreshing the drooping spirits of His people; and its abundance, never fails, but always continues . . .and so He is in the blessings of His grace . .  in great abundance, cheering and exhilarating, as forgiveness of sin, a justifying righteousness. These are of God, and come down from heaven, seem little in themselves, but of great importance to the conversion of sinners, and comfort of saints; bring many blessings in them, and cause great joy and fruitfulness."

Well, I like the sound of that! 

Fresh, sweet dew. Another little thing God does for us that mostly goes unnoticed. Not thought about but means so much.

"And the refreshing dew from heaven that is so beautifully promised to revive Israel is equally God's promise to the Church, for we have already been showered with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, in Christ. For we were called and chosen from the pit of sin, cleansed and clothed in His robe of righteousness, saved and redeemed, sanctified and glorified, in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

Dailyverse.knowing-Jesus.com

By His Grace . . .

Nature Is The Answer

 “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens; who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host by one and calls forth each of them by name.” 

Isaiah 40:26

In Oswald Chambers book “My Utmost for His Highest,” the modern classic edition, the title of a devotion caught my eyes. “Is Your Imagination of God Starved?”

Just like words, titles can spur us to ponder and take action after reading them. I thought, “What does he mean is my imagination of God starved?” I liked the answer: nature. In my words, do I see God in all of nature?

“Nature to a child of God is sacramental. In every wind that blows, in every night and every day, in every sign of the sky, in every blossoming and withering of the earth, there is a real coming of God to us, if we will only use our starved imagination to realize it. If we learn to associate ideas worthy of God with all that happens in nature—with the sunrises and the sunsets, with the moon and the stars, with the changing seasons—our imaginations will never be at the mercy of our impulses but will always be at His service” (Chambers)

We complain so much about every kind of weather, and yet God is the maker of all weather. If we look close enough . . . if we listen . . .  if we consider the spring morning, the summer heat, the fall wind and the winter chill as gifts from a loving God, might we sit back and admire His creation?

The weather might postpone an outing, disappoint an expectation and cancel plans. Yet, in later years, sitting back and watching all kinds of weather becomes simpler and is an enjoyable activity.

On Enduringword.com, David Guzik said this about Isaiah 40:26: “Isaiah can’t believe that anyone could doubt the greatness of God when they see the glory of God’s creation. First, He sits above all creation. (It is He who sits above the circle of the earth.) Second, He created it all. (Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.)

“Isaiah’s amazement is well placed. How can anyone look at the glory and design evident in creation, and fail to understand that there must be a Glorious Designer behind it all . . . Isaiah uses an interesting phrase when he describes God as the One who sits above the circle of the earth. How could Isaiah possibly know that the earth’s shape was a circle? He probably didn’t know, but the LORD who spoke through Isaiah did know. . . God’s mastery over all creation is shown by the fact that He can bring out all the stars by number, and then He calls them all by name. With the billions and billions of stars in the universe, it is staggering to know that God can number and name them all.” (Chambers)

I loved it when we fed deer. I had my own little wildlife reserve in my backyard. But soon the bags of corn got too heavy, and the bucket to carry the corn out got too heavy. But the memories I have are delightful!

Is your imagination of God starved? The remedy is simple. Take a walk outside and remember who made everything, even you.

By His Grace . . .

A Special Love for Valentine's Day

 

Graphic created by my friend, Karla Dornacher, artist and author.

The following article was published in my church's newsletter in July, 2023. With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I just want to shine my love, my hope and my thanks to my God. He is Almighty . . . Yahweh . . . Everlasting . . . Father . . . Good Shepherd . . . Immanuel . . . King Eternal . . . Mighty One . . . Prince of Peace . . . Physician . . . Redeemer . . . Righteous One . . . the Rose of Sharon. Read and rejoice about the Glory of God.

What does the “Glory of God” mean to you? Does it mean His splendor, His greatness? His power?

God’s Glory means all of the above and so much more.  Scripture is full of verses that speak of God’s Glory. See 2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 1:24, Hebrews 1:3.

No dictionary definition could do justice in trying to describe the word glory, when we refer to God’s Glory. No understanding that we may have could ever describe God’s Glory. It’s beyond our comprehension. It will take all eternity to fully understand and experience the wonder of God’s Glory.

We’re told Jesus is the radiance of God’s Glory and the exact representation of His Being. Everything we’ve learned and know about Jesus is exactly who our God is. Hebrews 1:3

God’s Glory has multiple meanings in Scripture. The display of His magnificence, the praise and honor showered upon His great Name, and awesome splendor.

God’s Glory is important because we see His power and majestic beauty. When we praise God it reminds us of how good He is.

One of the major displays of God’s Glory today is one not often discussed, or thought about. It is the work He does in ordinary people like you and me. When we remember the person we were before we were saved and recognize all God has done in us since that time, we can only shake our heads in wonderment. I sometimes say to myself, “Who am I?” when I think of all God has done in my life.

How do you take the One who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, holy, glorious, and try to wrap all that glory into an answer? It is hard to do.

Why is His Glory so important? Seeing God’s Glory in the heavens and the earth points to how amazing and wonderful He is. We see His power and majestic beauty.

Moses wanted to see His Glory, but God put him in the cleft of the rock and covered him until He passed by. Today God’s presence dwells within us. As we surrender to the Holy Spirit, God’s Glory within will radiate to those around us.

“And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His Glory.’” Isaiah 6:3

By His Grace . . .

Them There Words Again

 "Words--so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, 

how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one

 who knows how to combine them!"

Nathaniel Hawthorne1804-1864

This winter wonderland window display was created by my friend, Kathy.

On my Facebook feed last week was an ad for a book by Anne Graham Lotz. The words in the introduction stopped me. They were beautiful.

That's the way of words. They can bring joy to your heart and thrill your soul. They have the ability to stop you and cause you to ponder. I knew I would write those words in my journal.  

Another lovely winer window from my friend, Kathy.

I love reading words by gifted writers. Especially when the words speak directly to my heart and how I feel. It thrills my heart reading words that express in a new way something I love. 

The title of Anne's book is "The Joy of My Heart." These are the words she wrote:

"He is . . . the Wind beneath my wings, the Treasure that I seek, the Foundation on which I build,

the Song in my heart, the Object of my desire, the Breath of my life--He is my All in all!

And His Word is the joy of my heart!"

I think most of us can say "that's how I feel." A true statement for all those who love and live their life for God.

These are some words that always make me pause and ponder:

Hope . . . the very thought that I am His and He is mine. Forever.

Snow . . . He washes me as white as snow.

Refresh . . . my soul is thrilled when I think on God and all He has done for me.

Glorious . . . only God holds that thought in my mind.

Everlasting arms . . . I'm held by and forever in my God's arms.

Joy . . . the sweetness God brings to your life.

Words. You can't get away from them. We use them all day long. And then there are WORDS. Those words put together to bring happiness to your heart. Those words about God.

"Little keys can open big locks. Simple words can express great thoughts."

William Arthur Ward

1812-1882

Them there words again.

By His Grace . . .