God's Garden of Renown

Oh, what a garden our Lord God Almighty has made!  His garden is so massive and breathtaking that we can hardly take it in to our souls!  Nothing like my piddly acre in my minute corner of the earth.  God's garden takes in the whole world!  This summer we took a long road trip through God's garden in four states and four provinces. What glorious sights and scenes that set us in our place - humbled at God's feet!  The Rockies and Glacier were awesome gardens that around every corner and every bend a new sight met our eyes.  Only more awesome is our Maker who designed and spoke His Word to create such majesty!

It is evident to me that God has put into our hearts the need for gardens.  Though some may not want to do the labor involved in keeping a garden, everyone loves to gaze upon a lovely garden.  From the Garden of Eden in the beginning to the garden of renown our Lord will create for His people in the Millennial Kingdom, we continually seek to live among gardens.  God designed us to live in His garden and shine for His glory, and we will not be content until that is fully accomplished.  In Ezekiel 34:25 - 31 the Lord gives a bit of the description of this Kingdom.  It will be peaceful and showers of blessing will flow, trees will yield fruit and the earth increase, safety and freedom, no more hunger or bondage, and God will raise up a garden of renown!  Then we will truly know the Lord our God is with us and that we belong to Him.  What a promise!

When we look upon God's beauty He has created let's remember and look forward to all He has promised.  Each small glimpse of beauty is meant to draw us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and praise Him for rescuing us from ourselves.  He has a glorious plan for our future for all of eternity and in that plan we will live in His awesome garden.  Praise His name!                                                 K.C.

I'll Stand

          Came across Psalm 20:8 early this morning.  "They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright."  It reminded me of my old Bible where I had kept track in my reading of all the times "stand" was used.  Hundreds of times this word shed much light upon God's desire for us to rise and stand in His light in order to be light.  This calla lily this morning reminded me of God's design to beautify us when we stand for Him in a dark and messy world.  Just look at the elegant lines and  simple design of this lovely flower!  Soft green dissolves into pure white as this flower unfolds.  It is hard to really describe the beauty of this elegant flower.  

          One of the amazing thoughts this calla lily brings to mind is that it is just what God asks of us:  to quietly just stand before Him reflecting His beauty and light.   This lily stands right outside our window so I can admire it.  God admires His work in us, too.   Isn't Jesus gracious to give us this incredible privilege!! It is not anything of our own power or work.  We just reflect His work.  Psalm 30:7 says, "Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong...."   His power, His work, His clothes, His strength, His favor, His Spirit, His beauty......  that is what makes us stand.  And He tells us for protection to just stand.  I Peter 5:9 tells us to resist the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  In the original, to resist is to stand against.  Just stand, clothed in the humility of Jesus Christ.  Our Savior is awesome!  So stand for Him!                 K.C.

          

Spring Beauties

       

          

          Something about this time of year - new beginnings - freshness - anticipation - the beauty of God's marvelous works in creating such luxurious flowers - brings hope to my tired soul.  Knowing that God has such creative skill and such knowledge of great detail in creating flowers gives me strength in trusting Him for the needs of my life.    Jesus tells us that we are clothed with more beauty than the lilies of the field.  Now that is hard to believe!  He is at work in my life and yours making us more beautiful than these lovely flowers!  What God creates reflects His character.  Just as each of these flowers reflect His beauty and skill,  I reflect Him in a way no one else can.  Just as lilacs are a different beauty than forsythia, each of us are different beauties to the Lord.  My praise to God cannot take the place of yours.  My service to the Lord is not like yours.  It is not a competitive race we are in, but a relationship with Jesus to reflect Him and bring His glory to this world.    He desires us to grow in beauty and character the more we learn to know and study Him.  It is not that I decide to be a rose or a tulip and work at it.  Way more simple - it is focusing on Jesus and letting Him decide what He wants me to be.  He teaches me and molds me by sending different people, experiences, trials, and tests to my life in just the right way.  It sure brings a freedom to my tired soul to know that Jesus is at work for me, in me, and through me.  He refreshes and restores and remakes me in His own way.  He clothes me, it is His work, and His way is always perfect to form me into His beauty.   

             

                    "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;

                      for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered

                      me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with

                      ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  For as the

                      earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown

                      in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

                      to spring forth before all the nations."   Isaiah 61:10 - 11         

                                                                                                                                                      K.C.                 

A Little Understanding

          Studying this absolutely flawless orchid in the same week I am studying God's justice and mercy gives me a visual picture.  Our God is flawless and pure in all His character and in all His ways.  How can I understand Someone so holy and pure when I am not?  What use is there to even try to define God's justice or His mercy?  My definition is surely limited by my own  human weakness and failings.   God's perfect justice and His lovingkindness and mercy meet at the cross of Jesus Christ.  Only pure Jesus satisfied the Father's justice and holiness that demands payment for my sin and out of that flows His grace and mercy.  Now those are some things to meditate on!  Our God is awesome and beyond comprehension!

          How to apply even the little bit I do understand about God's justice and mercy is the question.  God is setting out to work His life through us.  We see pain and obvious stress everywhere we look.  We ask God, why don't You do something?  But God is asking us the same question.  Why don't you do something?  So just studying God's justice and mercy doesn't quite cut it.  When I truly start understanding that my God has spilled His blood to take care of justice for me,  then I start understanding that God is telling me to do something.  It is more than seeing God in His justice and mercy for me.  It is understanding that He is endeavoring to work that out in me also.  Rather than seeing the entire need of the world and throwing my hands up in despair,  God is telling me to see the need right in front of my eyes.  To get involved.  To share the load.  Of even one person to start with. To give a cup of cold water.  To demonstrate tangible mercy toward another person.    

          Out of a grateful heart for all that Jesus has done for me, my desire is to imitate Him.  He tells me in Ephesians 5:1 - 2, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."    I guess my life demonstrates what understanding I truly have of the endless kindness of God my Savior.  He can't be fooled and I don't want to fool myself.  Lord, have mercy on me.      K.C.

Those Monsters

Whatever is crossing the sidewalk in the dark?  

                         

          Coming home the other day in a literal downpour, I thought a stick had blown up on the sidewalk.  As I unloaded my bags into the house I noticed the "stick" had moved.  Hmmm.  Slowly, the orange salamander crept across the sidewalk making it's way into the bushes.   I can't say that I like creepy crawly slimy things that crawl across our sidewalk.  But you never know what the rain will bring.  

          Yes, you never know what the downpour will bring into your life.  It takes a lot of water coming down to bring the salamanders to your sidewalk.  I was thinking on this especially because it was such a wet day.  When the waters of adversity rise in our lives, "creepy things" in us come out for display.  Monsters like fear. Or dread.  Or anger.  Or .....  Those are just some of the monsters that come out of my heart and they aren't very pretty either.  The Lord has His ways of refining and polishing us and one of those ways is adversity or trial.  I so want to trust Jesus for His work in me and in others, but the real truth of my trust  comes out when I am pressed.   

          So, instead of gazing at the circumstances, I am choosing to gaze at Jesus to know Him deeper and fuller.  He says He is full of that marvelous faithful lovingkindness toward me;  He says He is in control of my life;  He says He works all things together for my good;  He says He is on my side;  He says He will never leave me;  He says He is full of mercy;  He says I have complete access to His throne;  He says He will comfort me;  He says His Word is my life;  He says He is good and brings me good;  He says He is my rest and security and refuge;  He says He is gracious;  He says if my foot slips He will hold me up;  He says I can camp underneath His wing.  And the list goes on and on.  When I speak these truths to my soul, something happens within.  Joy floods my soul even though the outward circumstances haven't changed and even though they become even more difficult.  Because this life is not about me, it is about bringing glory to Jesus Christ.  He receives glory when I gaze at Him.  My soul longs and desires to bring Him glory, even when life gets tough.  

          When the monsters come out I just go back to thinking on Jesus.  And He is near.  He doesn't allow monsters in His camp.  He chases them away.  What a Savior!                  K.C.

              

                                                           

The Cherubs

          Fourteen cherubs!  What a crew!  Amazing life ahead for them.  A fresh new year starting today!  God has plans for each of them that will give great satisfaction and joy in life and bring glory to Jesus.  They already have ideas and dreams about their direction in life.  Several want to be ranchers, some want to be mommies, some engineers, missionaries or teachers.  If they could only look ahead they might make a few different choices in life wouldn't they?  My prayer for them is to choose to focus on knowing God and loving Him.  That is pretty much what this blog is for - them.  As they grow up and face life that their Grandma's voice might encourage their love of Jesus.  They might choose to eat less, exercise more, study more, spend less, and countless other things.  But I desire that they love  God deeper each day, be forgiving, kind, patient, be grateful and less demanding of their own way, more concerned for speaking salvation to others.  Would WE choose God's plan and way instead of plowing ahead determined to succeed in this world?  Since they nor we can know the future and only God does, the wise choice would be to study God more, listen to Him more, trust Him more, follow His agenda.   What do you think?

          As the years continue to speed by, my heart narrows in what is really vital in life.  The world's success is fleeting at best,  its rewards and toys never enough, and it's satisfactions evaporate.  Telling my cherubs these things just sounds hollow.  They have to experience disappointments and failures in order to really understand that God's ways and truth are the way of life.  So my prayer for them is that they will see very early the difference between the perfect plan of God and the world's plan for them. That is my prayer for you and me as well.  Even at our age.   Because the love and plan of Jesus is so grand our hearts cannot even imagine it!                                                                                   K.C.

The Gift

          Tis the gifting season!   We give gifts at Christmastime, but giving gifts at random times can have much more surprise and joy.  Gifts can sometimes give special joy year round.  Each time I step out the front door I see this wire plant stand and smile.  I am again reminded of our lovely daughter-in-law's thoughtfulness.  Thoughtfulness, because the gift was for no special reason and also because she knew what I loved:  gardening.  Isn't it wonderful to be remembered for no special occasion!

          Christmas is a wonderful celebration of God's precious gift to us - Jesus.  His gift is not just for December but for eternity!  Jesus knows our great need, our pain, our troubles, our helplessness.  Sometimes we don't know it though.  The thoughtfulness and love of God is beyond description and totally enough to meet our need.  Totally enough to erase our sin and darkness.  Totally enough to take care of our eternity.  And He is able to use all these trials and sorrows in life for His glory and our good so that one day we will understand all that He was doing.  I am counting on it.

          Counting on God's great care is just what He wants.  He stretches me ever so far and grows my faith and trust in Jesus.  His Word promises me that His Christmas gift will forever be for me.  And His gift is for the whole year!  It never wears out or breaks, it is for no special occasion.  He is always thinking of me.  He goes before me, He comes after me.  How great is that?  Are you counting on His gift to you?  Are you surprised by His love?                                                                                  K.C.