Sunday, April 28, 2013
Forrest People
Life daily presents us with the opportunity every morning for having a good day, or not. Did you ever wonder how that is determined? As a kid I thought perhaps there were angels shooting dice in a heavenly casino named Destiny, and we just got to live with the result. And, yes, the name of that would explain some of what I experienced in life. However, as I have grown older I have come to realize that it is mostly up to God and us, and God already voted.
In Psalms 1:1-3 God tells us if we choose to follow Him, He will provide us certain blessings. Verses 1-2 are the conditions (serving God with everything within us both night and day). Verse 3 is the result. We will be like a tree planted by the waters that has seasons (not season) of fruit bearing, that we will not whither away, and whatever we do will prosper. Over the years I have thought on this a great deal. I have seen many trees near water like rivers and lakes. Those trees are very near their source of life, the water, and therefore grow rapidly and with great endurance because they have all they need and more. They endure and have season after season after season of great production. Makes you want to find our river, makes you want to be a tree, right? Glad you brought that up.
In Psalm 46:4 talks about God as our refuge, stating that there will be a river coming that makes the city of God (like New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ) happy, and it is connected to the Most Holy Place. In Isaiah 43:19 it God promises to make a way in the desert wilderness of life, and cause a river to flow there. Finally, Jesus said in John7:37-38 that we should come to Him to drink, for if we do we will be the ones that believe in Him, and out of our hearts will flow the rivers of living water. When we give our life to God, in the midst of that desert we call life He makes a way and a river will flow out of our heart, the Holy Spirit which we can receive. Every one of us has a promise from God to leave behind the wilderness and not whither, prospering in all we do. And that gets renewed daily! We get to sign up with God every day!
Prayer
Father, thank You for your blessings every day. Thank You that You are not like men, but are true to Your word every day. Thank you that You decide to give us what a loving Father wants to give their child, and not what we deserve. Thank You for your mercy to forgive every day. Please touch and renew the hearts of all those that read these words, and all those that we come in contact with today. Help us to be Your trees. In Jesus name. Amen.