Messengers and the Message
Dear Friends,
Before the birth of the Savior some important messengers were sent to bring the message of comfort and joy. First an angel came to Zacharias with the message that his wife Elisabeth would bear a son that would bring them joy and gladness. The angel told of the message that this child would bring to people, to help them get ready for the Messiah. Soon a messenger was sent by God to bring this good news to Mary who was the cousin of Elizabeth. When Mary was told the news that Elisabeth was having a baby she gained confidence and met the challenge and the blessing that the messenger had brought to her with confidence. The women soared with joy when they shared the news with each other. I can see that they were not only cousins, but very good friends too. Good friends rejoice with one another and share sorrows with one another.
It was quite a different scene when Mary and Joseph were alone in the stable when Jesus was born. A messenger from Heaven came to announce the news to the shepherds nearby and when the message was delivered the sky filled with angels blessing God and giving Him the glory. The shepherds hurried to see the sight that the angel had described and found things just as they had been told. What a joy filled, glorious visit that must have been. Mary and Joseph must have been so thankful that God was meeting every need, sending the messengers to proclaim the news of the Messiah even now at His birth and bringing friends to share the new birth with them.
Mary and Joseph were confident that He would provide their needs, and as we walk each day with Him our needs will be met. When we face something that could bring fear, God will provide all that we need.
Luke 2:13-14
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Garden Promises
Dear Friends,
As soon as the winter rains start falling on the dry, rocky hills of Samaria tiny pink flowers spring up in random places giving a precious beauty to a land that has endured a hot, dry summer. They are like little promises of more rain to come that will fill the rivers and creeks with gushing torrents pouring down the hills.
Hope for the rain is not just wishful thinking, but it's having a trust in our Mighty God for what He has promised to provide.
Right now my garden is covered with a damp blanket of leaves, and the flowers are bent with the heavy weight. The burden laden stems break and lay on the ground as if mourning the loss of the beauty of summer. The shepherd hooks are leaning over and the wind chimes seem to have a sorrowful sound as the cold wind brings a song that is more like a clanging in the brown bent garden.
When I look at my past garden pictures I am promised hope that this season won't last. The memories of the past years when blooms came back after a long, cold winter are like hopeful gifts. The basket of seeds that I gathered in the fall are full of promises of a brilliant color filled summer. A small piece of yard becomes a
pretty cottage garden filled with color and texture after it has spent the winter under the cover of brown. A pile of fabric scraps can be made into a beautiful crazy quilt, with random shaped pieces of fabric that are various colors and textures put together with unique detailing done in handwork. We are promised that beauty will come from ashes, that we will be given oil of joy for mourning and a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness. The wind chimes will sing a new song and we will have joy everlasting.
In Isaiah 61:3 we read these promises, "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified."
In Luke 4:18 Jesus spoke these promises, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
Buds, Blooms and His Breath
Dear Friends,
One of the most mysterious things in nature is the wind, the way it moves unseen from the hidden place of its origin. The hand of God paints movement in the atmosphere covering the earth. Sometimes humans create images of wind by using a cloud with puffed out cheeks blowing a burst of wind from a round mouth, or as a swirl of colorful autumn leaves or a moving cloud of dust or sparkling snow.
Life was blown into humanity by the Spirit of God. Unseen movement like the breath of God created the heartbeat that made earth come alive with creatures great and small.
I recently came across a quote from a book called, "Fruit-Gathering" by Tagore. I think it is beautiful and wanted to share it here. It speaks of God's powerful, but gentle breath creating beauty.
"He who can open the bud
does so simply.
He gives it a glance, and
the life-sap stirs through it veins.
At his breath the flower
spreads its wings and flutters in
the wind.
Colours flush out like
heart-longings, the perfume
betrays a sweet secret.
He who can open the bud
does it so simply."
His creation and the beauty of it are reasons to be aware of Him, to praise and worship the One whose breath gives life.
