The blog is entitled Treasures in Plain Sight. This day I found mine among many other treasures at Treasure Island, Florida.
(See the red pin on the map above.) Driving along the beaches in Florida, we found a nice place to park and walk the beach without too much exertion. There was a little boardwalk and then acres of flat sand to the water. Again, not many shells there. This was a wonderful sand sculpture someone had made.
We delighted in the sharks around the sculpture!
As you can see the day was glorious with sunshine, though seriously closer to summer temperatures than what we had left in Ohio. We walked to the water’s edge and back to the parking lot. While Bob used the facilities, I waited watching the crowd from a little ramp.
We had already seen damage from the recent hurricanes. I was a little surprised to see one palm tree that was stripped of all foliage strapped to another thriving palm tree. And then, BOOM!, it caught my eye. A little green bird. As I watched it went into a nesting hole in the seemingly dead palm tree. Then out again, to perch right there.
Yes, the young lady is lovely, but so is the tiny bright green bird!
I found it online and here are the details from Audubon.
The https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/nanday-parakeet site says: Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina. It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast. Smaller numbers are seen elsewhere, including other parts of Florida and near Phoenix, Arizona.
Of course, I always love a close up!!
What a treasure! I wanted to tell the lovely young lady about it, but then her boyfriend joined her and they were gone! For the remainder of the vacation anytime I saw a palm trunk without foliage I was on the lookout for the Nanday! Was not gifted to see another one. There was mighty praise to the Father for allowing me to see that one single bird! It literally made my day!
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11 NRSVUE
Digging at the base of the oak tree, I was determined to remove the large, lush chickweed plants before they went to seed. With garden gloves, a bucket and trowel I was methodically removing the four inch tall foliage. Mostly the roots were very loose. A few were deep. Then I moved the decorative stone and realized it was crawling with ants. Lots and lots of ants. I went to the garage as I remembered seeing a spice bottle of cinnamon there. I had read ants dislike cinnamon. I took it back to the base of the tree and found it was still tightly sealed.
Drats! Could not get it open. Back to garage to find scissors or something sharp. Took off the gardening glove. At some point I noticed blood. Lots of blood from my right index fingertip. Put my glove back on and continued digging weeds out and sprinkling not one but two ant colonies with cinnamon.
By the time I finished and put my tools and gloves away I had quite a messy bloody nail. In the house I scrubbed with soap and the cut continued to bleed. Used Band-aids, antibiotic ointment both then and overnight. There is a cut in my fingertip.
This morning the cut is still tender and wants to seep blood. It will be tough going to type with the fingertip so sore! (Ha! You will likely find many more typos than usual!) The other nine will need to come to the rescue!! The tree does look better though without the chickweed crop! The ants were still thriving there this morning. What? They never heard about disliking cinnamon?
Go to the ant, you lazybones; {KJV you sluggard} consider its ways and be wise. 7 Without having any chief or officer or ruler, 8 it prepares its food in summer and gathers its sustenance in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 NRSVUE
I am trying to outwit the deer this year. The last couple years they have mowed the struggling tulips to the ground before any flowers appeared. They also took out the bluebells I had high hopes for.
This year I went to the dollar store and bought Irish Spring soap which they are reported to dislike. I poked a hole in the bars and put fishing line through them. I also got extra “shepherd’s hooks” for the yard. I hung the soap over the bluebells and over the tulips.
When we got home from Florida I realized the rain water had been flowing over the soap and was dripping directly on the Bluebells. I waded through our swampy yard and moved it. There has been such a tremendous amount of rain that the bars of soap are splitting into layers!
They deer however have not made a meal of bluebells!
Just one plant!
And though likely underfed and stunted by years of abuse – tulip is up!
I will also see if the rose bush the deer chomped on last year comes back. If it does, it too will be adorned with soap near it!
Many years ago when we went with our family to the beach for the first time our oldest Grandgirl at a tender preschool age called flamingos, “Falingos.” On our recent trip to Florida we visited the Sunken Gardens and saw “Falingos!” Of course, I had to text and remind her of the name she chose for these weird, unusual birds.
Once I heard that they have their coral coloring from the shrimp that they eat. “For flamingos, carotenoids are consumed through their primary food sources—algae and small crustaceans such as brine shrimp. Once ingested, these pigments are broken down by enzymes in the flamingo’s liver and absorbed into fats that are later deposited into their feathers, skin, and even their beaks.” https://learnbirdwatching.com/why-are-flamingos-pink/
I would call the birds we saw a medium pink. Not the vibrant they showed on the website above.
Our first view of the flamingos
In “Alice in Wonderland,” the flamingos were used as mallets in a game of flamingo croquet. The Queen of Hearts ordered her subjects to use the live flamingos as mallets. This certainly slanted my opinion of the flamingos as we walked through the gardens.
Finally we came upon a closer view of them. At first they all seemed to have their heads under the water. Diving they sort of resembled frozen pink turkeys! Waiting and biding my time I finally I got a better photo of them.
We enjoyed the gardens. The many tropical flowers reminded us of our trip to the gardens in Hawaii. The pond where the birds were located attached to a running stream throughout the gardens. At one place, I noticed a flamingo feather floating the water. It was away from where the birds were. I SO wanted that feather, but it was too far in the water for me to reach over the plants and retrieve it.
As we moseyed along taking photos admiring the “angel trumpet flower” (Brugmansia) which we had seen in California I was delighted to find it in more colors than we previously had seen! Not just yellow, but pink and white, too!
And rounding a bend I saw it! The lovely flamingo feather that wanted to travel to Ohio with me!
It was soaking wet, but floating where I could easily reach it. Retrieve it I did! First I tried to put it inside my sunhat, but it poked through. So I simply wrapped it in our folder about the Gardens and took it home. I had to think a bit when we returned to Ohio about how the folder got all wet!
Yep, she is one of my very best souvenirs! Thanks, Lord, for helping me see and retrieve it!
Many of our local parks now have white swans. As I drive past the park I love glancing over to see what the swans are doing. Last year the pair mated and the park built a barrier shield for their nest. They seem to glide effortlessly over the water, but there is activity under the water level, as this video shows! I love seeing their necks extend underwater, too!
Here is some nature data about swans. “While their floating abilities are impressive, swans are also skilled swimmers. Their large, webbed feet act like paddles, propelling them through the water. A typical mute swan’s swimming speed is around 1.6 miles per hour, but they can achieve bursts of speed by oaring with their webbed feet. And when they wish to really pick up pace, they can even use their outstretched wings to take advantage of the wind which allows them to move across the water more efficiently.
“Swans, along with other water birds like ducks and geese (all members of the order Anseriformes), have developed specialized features that enable them to float. These adaptations exploit two key scientific principles: surface tension and buoyancy. From https://enviroliteracy.org/do-swans-float-in-water/
So what looks like magical floating is truly large paddle feet either directing their course or moving them along. Also, an innate ability for bouyancy to match the surface tension. In the video I also noticed the tail wiggle seems to adjust like a rudder?
What about folks that seem to float along in their spiritual life? Surface tension does not seem to faze them. It might look as if they never struggle with God. Some even go so far as to say that person has a direct line to God! I do not think that is true. Looks can be deceiving. God sees them in their ‘prayer closet’ and when they fight off evil. God knows the secret places of their hearts. All of us struggle when it comes to pursuing God. We only see their outward demeanor and we make judgements based upon that. The New Testament writers stress repeatedly that they are no different than we are. (See Ephesians 3:7-8, Galatians 1:15-16, 2 Corinthians 1:15-16, 2 Timothy 1:9)
So what makes them seem so different than we might see ourselves? I believe it is perhaps their the constant pursuit of Jesus, the hunger and thirst for righteousness. Like the swan, floating, paddling, swimming, diving under, those folks put seeking the Kingdom and His righteousness the number #1 priority in their lives.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NRSVUE
Where are you this Lent in your pursuit the Holy One? Perhaps like the opening photo, we could use this time to lean into knowing more about the highest and best that we are individually called to!
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NRSVUE
Before dawn today there was a four bird chorus raising praise to the Lord for His goodness and holiness. The northern Cardinal, Carolina wren, American robin and tufted Titmouse were raising a continuous singing of triumph and might. I know, because I asked the Merlin Bird app from Cornell University to identify them for me.
How have you lifted your voice today? What time did you begin? Did you lie in bed bemoaning the day or the rough night of pain?
Perhaps we would benefit more by taking a fresh look at the goodness of God to bring us through the night and unrolling before us another day of living and loving?
Amy Carmichael wrote in Edges of His Ways:
Psalm 19:10, R.V. margin: The droppings of the honeycomb. This morning I found this marginal reading which was just the word I wanted at the moment. There are times when we cannot read much or even think much. But if we are quiet we shall hear little sweet words dropping into our hearts, “sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.” I need not write them; they will be different perhaps to each one of us, but they will be comforting and strengthening too; and we shall go on our way for another day, fed and refreshed.
If we are willing to get still at the center point of our souls I believe we will hear “little sweet words dropping into our hearts.” Perhaps not every single time we get still, but the incidences will increase as we employ the practice.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10
T. S. Elliott said:
“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
I pray you will get still enough to hear those little sweet words dropping into your heart.
Stillness is like coming to a center point and waiting. Not waiting on the starting block of a foot race.
Above is that point in the race where runners are poised for action. In contrast, the stillness we need more of in our lives is the stillness where we learn to wait in peace and collectedness. Listening for that still, small voice of God. The place where the promises below are fulfilled.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 NIV
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NRSVUE
It takes practice to listen in this way. And practice leads to better listening during the hubbub of life. Can we agree unreservedly with Isaiah 50?
The Lord God has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens, wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. Isaiah 50:4-5 NRSVUE
I, for one, have a long way to go in yielding my ears to hear God and yielding my tongue to speak words of comfort and encouragement in due season! Listening, practicing stillness, will most assuredly get me to that goal more thoroughly than any other method I have ever found.
Holy and Mighty One help me to give myself over to this stillness and listening to Your voice, I pray.
Are you feeding upon the Word of God? Are you seeking and drinking in Living Water? Are you thriving in the dark mess the world has become?
Part 3 addresses the How to live imbibition. It takes about 7 minutes to read. Hope you enjoy it.
PART 3 You might say, “Well, Molly, that is all very nice. What am I to do to foster the growth of the Kingdom within me? You have no idea of the pressures upon me, I need a better job (or employment period). The strain of what bad thing will happen next is about to break me. I can’t get any rest. I am not a bean in a ship’s hold.”
First, in my experience, you must make reading the Word of God a major priority in your life. Not a “religious” priority, but mandatory for health, oxygen, well-being. This is the only way we are going to make it through the coming darkness with dignity and grace.
NASB Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. The Word of God has power. Power we might never understand fully this side of heaven.
As you yield yourself to the Lord God and yield to the power of His Word upon you, things will begin to change, inside you and about you. Not necessarily big dramatic changes, (though those might occur also), but remember the man scattered seed. He went to bed and he got up and the seed grew HE KNEW NOT HOW. Yield yourself to scattering seed upon your own soul. Make it a habit to allow the Kingdom of God room to have a place within you. And you begin with the seeds. You do not have to understand how it works. Just begin to do it. Ask for the Living Water to nourish the seeds you sow in your soul and mind.
Second, you must ask Jesus to give you the things He promises in New Testament Scripture. We live under the New Covenant, the new plan He brought and established by His birth, life among us, death, resurrection, and ascension. There are specific promises and blessings He promises to give us if we seek Him. He will give those to you and He tells us to ASK and keep on asking. You will grow in the things of the Kingdom. Do not ask me to explain to you how you will grow. I do not understand the how, but I do understand the promise and the results. He will give you living water to nourish the seed. You must be willing to consume, absorb, soak up that water.
More from The Living Earth book:“The power of imbibition is a common one in nature, and so is the reproduction of living cells. Combine them, as in a growing plant, and there is a force which can move mountains or easily grow through a blacktop road. A classic experiment in botany was once made with a growing squash plant to test the expansive power of cells. The squash, while still on the vine, was tightly boxed in and weights were added to the framework to keep it enclosed. At first, the young squash moved sixty pounds of weights; a month later two and one half tons were not enough to contain its power of growth.“
Now that sounds like our life, huh? See how much pressure you can put on (and did you notice the humor of what plant they tested, the SQUASH!) and the thing just keeps on growing and busting out! Sounds like a little group in Jerusalem that the religious leaders could not make shut up after their Lord was crucified, died and rose again. Jesus said He will be with us always, even to the end of the age. He told us He and the Father would come to us and live within us. He promised to send His Holy Spirit to guide us and be in us. How can we go wrong with all of them helping us?
Paul says in Colossians 1: 25-27 NIV I have become its (the Church’s) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness–the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This mystery, oh this mystery that we so often belittle by wanting every detail explained. Could you just go with the mystery this once and see where it takes you? Could you risk it all and gain the Kingdom? Would you try once again to soak up, absorb, and consume the living water, and grow into His image in the Kingdom, the image He had in mind when He blew life into your being and wonder into your soul?
Perhaps Paul understood this better than any of us. NIV 1 Corinthians 3: 6-9 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
In the dispute that Paul was addressing, the watering and planting were attributed to different persons. I believe that it would delight the Father’s heart if each person who reads this would determine in their heart to plant the seed of His Word in his or her own soul, soak and water that seed with living water until the Kingdom sprouts up with a force that can move mountains or burst through inches of blacktop. For we are, indeed, His Temple and His Spirit wants to live in us. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 If we believe Acts 17:28a “For in Him we live and move and have our being” then His Word must be life and breath to us. We can share this life giving discipline with others. The more we grow, the more others will be drawn to His light and Life.
Yes, the darkness is getting darker and moving in upon the areas we thought would always surely remain bright. However, we have a great High Priest who knows all that we go through. (HEB 4:14-16) He is just waiting for us to run to His throne room to find mercy and grace in time of need. He wants to abide with us, in the quiet times as well as the turbulent hours. Yield to His ways and find His quiet strength. As you run to Him and yield to Him, even in the midst of great darkness, you will find Isaiah 61:11 becoming a reality in your daily life.
For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Constant fellowship with the Spirit, growing trust in the Son, and adoration of the Father will result in righteousness and praise springing forth from your lips and overflowing from your life. Perhaps the river of living water in the depth of our being is a foretaste of the river of the water of life in Revelation 22:1 that issues from the Throne of God and of the Lamb! Even so, rule and reign in us, Christ Jesus, our King of kings and Lord of lords.
So I left off in Part 1 asking you to get into your Bible, feed on the Word of God. Part 2 is below. It takes about 6 minutes to read. I hope you find it interesting!
PART 2: Ponder that enduring and abiding Word, living and imperishable seed. Perhaps instead of being the farmer that scatters the seed, are we the ground where it grows? Now that seed was planted in each of us and Scripture says we do not know how it grows into a Kingdom. That does not mean we are ignorant as to how to foster that growth and nurture its presence within us. “Oh, but I am so fearful.” The Word does not say to only grow when you have no fear, or when you are not too busy, or when it feels right to you. Your excuses are nothing new under the sun. Trust me. God has heard them all through every generation of human beings. He will make a way for you to grow in His kingdom.
This quote is from a book at the Cincinnati Nature Center Library Living Earth. At the time I copied the information I failed to write down the author, etc. The librarian at the Lloyd Library in Cincinnati was able to track it down for me. The book was written in 1959 by Peter Farb. I took the quote from the chapter entitled The World of the Root: “A blacktop road is often punctured by seedlings which have forced their way through three inches of asphalt. The force that allows them to grow through asphalt is what scientists call imbibition. Take a substance that can absorb water, confine it in a narrow space, water it, and it will swell with power enough to split rocks. Even a ship’s cargo of beans, if water reaches it, can expand and burst the hold.” Imbibition: to consume, absorb, soak up [as in] water, heat and light. Imbibition for the Christian would involve the Word of God, the imperishable seed by which we have been born anew into eternal life, living and growing within us through consuming, absorbing and soaking up …..what?
Plant growing out of concrete
No plant can grow without water. This very specific need for every seed has been known since men became gardener/gatherers. Seeds need soil and water. Today we are discovering that they can even do without soil if grown hydroponically. However, that water is essential. So where are we to get water? Jesus knew we would ask that and He provided answers. In John 4 He is speaking with the woman at the well. The NIV in verses 13-14 read
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'”
Here is a comparison chart of several translations. Anyway you read it we will get very wet!
spring of water welling up (NIV)
well of water springing up (NASB)
fountain of water springing up (NKJV)
spring of water gushing up (NRSV)
And in case we missed the point, He made it again at the Temple ceremony recorded in John 7: 38 NKJV as “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Okay, so where did Jesus get the idea for this seed and farmer parable in the first place? Did someone just add this when stories were written down? We don’t hear this taught very much! I was pleasantly surprised to have the following verse from Isaiah pointed out to me during morning reading one day.
Isaiah 61: 11 NIV For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
This comes after Jesus reads a portion of Isaiah in the Temple and then teaches them saying the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me to perform all kinds of deliverances and wonderful things. Today this is fulfilled in your hearing. Remember that Jesus read many of the same Old Testament books that you have access to today.
I do not believe He was certain in His manhood HOW the Kingdom of God would be accomplished in every minute detail. He was fully man and fully God. As fully man how could He comprehend all of that? I do not know, but I am willing to let that be folded up in mystery for now. I do know Jesus taught this parable and it has meaning for us today. He has made a way for us to be reborn through the imperishable seed of the Word, born into the Kingdom. Although it is getting dark and scary out in the world, He continues to provide a way for our growth. One of those ways is through a river of living water running through our spirit by His indwelling and abiding with us
The same Isaiah passage in NRSV reads “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.”
Now that will really be something! As the darkness gets darker and the garden of God continues to grow, His crop will be righteousness and praise springing up before all the nations. Righteousness and praise. We should know by now that we have no righteousness of our own. If you think you might have a smidgen of righteousness, show it to our Father. He will inform you if it passes the Blood test of Jesus. The Word teaches us that all Praise belongs to God. Therefore, as this crop of righteousness and praise arises from God’s garden, the crop that will be harvested before the nations, it will surely be all about Jesus. (I have had a repeated experience while typing this of having to correct a typo – darknmess. Well, it surely is a dark mess is it not?)
In ACTS 19:20 the NRSV reads: “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”
Are you ready to take this challenge for growth and life and imbibition regardless of the rocks piled upon your box? Are you asking Father God for more of that Living Water? I will post Part 3 next week. It has a full explanation of Imbibition.
I want to tell you a story that has not left me over the years. The theme is how we can draw upon what the Lord has provided for us to prosper in this life regardless of dire circumstance. It is a long story so I plan to post it in three parts. This first section is about a six minute read.
Darkness is moving in. There are wars and rumors of wars. Daily we hear reports of thousands of troops and machines, guns and tanks moving from region to region. Children are being kidnapped at record numbers. Public places are bombed regularly. Children are involved in crimes of pornography, rape and even murder. Darkness is closing in upon us all. How will we cope in the aftermath of 911 and Covid, since we are convinced now that “Things will never, ever be the same.” Is there something new that Christians should be doing to draw upon their source of life? Has the Lord brought a new dimension to our livelihood or have we just not made the most of what He told us to do in the first place?
Do you suppose He meant what is recorded in MT 24:7-13?
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
“But those who stand firm to the end will be saved.” How do you plan to do that standing? In Ephesians 6, Paul said that having put on the armor of God we are to stand, and stand therefore and pray. There have been times when I was not certain I had the strength to stand. Yet, the Lord God came and commanded me to stand up anyway. In my spirit, and with His help, I was enabled to stand, because I yielded to His authority as my Lord God Almighty. I did not think I could. He said I was to do it. He stood there with me until I tried and then He made it possible for me to stand up. But, I digress.
There are so many lessons spelled out for us in the natural world. Mind you, I do not confuse my faith with “tree hugging.” I have heard God teach me through rocks and turtles, rain and bird wings, rotting things and green sprouts. I want to share a lesson that I filed away years ago. I knew there was truth here, but until recently, I have never tried to express it. So here goes!
Jesus tells a parable in MK 4: 26-29 “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Oh, my friends who want a full explanation of how God does things and why! Here is a parable you will not enjoy wrestling with, but you might be better off for giving it a close look. Perhaps we are the farmer. We spread what we know about the kingdom of God. We go about the business of our lives and we have not a clue how the kingdom grows. When it is harvest time, we rejoice and send in the giant American mowers to reap as many fields as possible in air conditioned comfort.
J. B. Phillips translates it this way: “The kingdom of God is like a man scattering seed on the ground and then going to bed each night and getting up every morning, while the seed sprouts and grows up though he has NO IDEA HOW IT HAPPENS. The earth produces a crop without any help from anyone: first a blade, the ear of corn, then the full-grown grain in the ear. And as soon as the crop is ready, he sends his reapers in without delay for the harvest-time has come.”
We truly have no idea how the kingdom of God grows. History has shown us that it does grow very well under pressure. The numbers within the Chinese church multiplied and continue to multiply even during oppression of any expression of faith. When the wall fell in Berlin, and Communist Russia began to open to the West, the churches found more believers than ever known before. No one is certain how many remain within the privacy and confines of home churches, still fearful of the repressive tactics of their governments. Now it is obvious, especially in most highly populated urban areas of America, that Christianity is not as widely accepted and embraced as in the past. So how will those of us who truly love the Lord Jesus Christ keep our love for Him warm? How might we endure to the end?
In 1 PET 1:23 the NIV reads “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” Born by the Word, the enduring and living Word of God. Do you make that your priority every single day? If the Word is the means by which we were born, I believe it is also the means by which our life continues to be nourished and encouraged. As the darkness grows darker we had best remember that the Psalmist declares that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (PS 119: 105). The NASB says: “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.”
How can the Word of God abide in me if I constantly fill myself with other things and diversions and leisure pastimes and pleasures and wants and wanton desires and everything else under the sun?
Until next time, I implore you to feed on the Word of God. You can start with a Psalm per day and a Proverb per day. Of try some chapters in Mark. Feed some place in your Bible. If you do not have a bible, get one. I like paper best because I can mark in it , take notes, and not lose them in the cloud. If you like electronic try Bible Gateway. I find it easy to use.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 