Incredible Love

An amazing love story...

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3

"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies." Hosea 2:19

"Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." Song of Solomon 1:4

Isn't that beautiful!?

"We love him, because he first loved us."

1 John 4:19

Sky Watchers

Photo taken from my backyard. 

Calling all sky watchers!!! One of my favorite pass times is watching the sky. Although I enjoy watching the clouds form and pass, there's much more beauty beyond that. 

"The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory." Psalm 97:6

Think of His righteousness, none other can be as holy as He, nor every act, thought and so on be as perfect and pure. Look past the clouds to the heavens; see the constellations and know He knows each by name... See the vast array of stars, planets, black holes plus much more that we haven't even begun to learn of! 

This is all His handiwork by His Divine design. Can you see His glory?

Break up that fallow ground

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." Hosea 10:12

Fallow ground is hardened, unplowed and unseeded ground; it is undeveloped yet potentially useful. Can hardened ground accept seed or absorb water; much-less produce any fruit? 

Consider this in relation to our hearts. It is the Lord who must prepare us, tilling up what is hard and not useful. Are we willing to allow His blade to dig deep down, breaking up the unused parts that we may absorb His goodness, His Word and become saturated with His Living waters? 

In Jeremiah, the Lord is careful to instruct, "For thus saith the LORD... Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." Jeremiah 4:3 

What's the difference, if the ground be tilled anyway? In the parable of the seed and the sower Jesus details the "thorns choke out the seed". It is their deep roots that spoil! 

It is time to seek the Lord, the days are dark and His return is upon us. Will we allow the breaking so that we may absorb, be nurtured, grow and reap in righteousness and mercy?

Tug of War

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel."Zechariah 3:1-3

Here is a picture of Joshua, the high priest, in filthy rags! A chosen vessel of the Lord standing in the midst of the angel of the LORD and satan himself, but note the LORD rebuked satan! Not once but twice. And notice, he said, "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" In essence He was saying, "Joshua is mine. You cannot have him! He's been pulled out of your clutches! Go away!"

He doesn't stop there, "And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." (v4)

Isn't that incredible!? He took away Joshua's filthy rags and he clothed him with raiment! This is exactly what Jesus does for us!

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 In Christ, we trade our filthy sin for His righteousness by His blood covering!

Jesus warned Simon saying, " And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:31-32 Satan also desires to sift us; to try us, beat us down and cause us to stumble & fall, but Christ in His great Love and mercy says, "I have prayed for you."

Joshua had the angel of the LORD by his side and was defended! We have Christ covering and His intercession!

We are in a daily spiritual battle. Good verses evil. The Living God verses satan. Our flesh against temptation. We, in ourselves, are incapable of Victory over anything. However, in Christ we are changed from filth to beauty. Dressed in royal attire and protected in His Love where nothing can harm nor tempt us beyond escape.
Do you belong to Christ? Have you made the trade from filthy rags to the sweet covering & transforming beauty in His righteousness? Are you protected against the wiles of the devil? You don't have to fight this tug of war alone. You weren't made to!