Monday, August 09, 2010
The Storm Eventually Ends!
When you are in the midst of a storm, it seems like the sun will never shine again. Especially when it has been raining for a very long time. Your countenance changes entirely...your eyes no longer look up because you know the sun is not radiating its warmth any longer. Your ears cease to hear the birds chirping, for the thunder crowds out their beautiful singing. A chilled heaviness drags you down. Yet, at times, you lift your head a few degrees, in search of a sign of promise. You scan the skies for a rainbow.
Out in the distance, you think you see some red...maybe some orange, and even a little ray of yellow. But, you don't. Nothing but darkness and shadows fill the skies. Another week goes by and then a month, and then even a year. Still darkness. Still raining. Thunder is all that you hear pounding on your heart and upon your circumstances. But hope remains. You still pine for some green, some blue, and a bit of purple out in the distance. You wonder where God is and why He has refused to end the storm that entangles you. Your faith begins to waiver.
But you remain faithful. You question. You doubt. You become angry. But, you remain faithful. You listen for His still, small voice. Even a whisper would do. You search for His wisdom. You continue to glance for signs of His promises...but the rainbow still hides itself behind the clouds. It is still dreary. It is still raining. The wind howls and the birds' chorus is still muted.
One morning, you drop to your knees, yet again. The tears intermix with raindrops. Your eyes close and your heart begins to seek once more... and then... it happens. The rainbow appears! Your prayers of power command the storm away. The clouds flee. The thunder and lightning disappear. The bright colors and blinding light flood your heart. You ARE healed. God's glory fills you and satan's lies sprint away in terror. The birds ARE singing again. You look up and smile! You dance! You believe!
*********************************************************************
When God flexes His power, we are changed. We are restored. We are healed and renewed. Why do we have to wait for His perfect timing for this to happen? Why is one day different than another and one prayer more authoritative than the previous one? I'm not really sure. But, I know this...that God healed my heart from an intense season of depression and that I felt His physical presence come upon me when it happened.
We can question the Lord's will and His timing, but we shouldn't stay there too long. Instead, we should turn our hearts into an attitude of praise and adoration, knowing that He is always good. Knowing that He is always loving. Knowing that He will step in when it is His will and timing to do so. Knowing that He has perfected us and transformed us along the way.
If you are fretting today dear believer, don't lose heart. God is still the same today as He was yesterday. He is the one who created the whole earth and the universe beyond. He is the one who parted the Red Sea. He is the one who raised Lazarus from the dead and then raised Himself from the dead when sin was defeated once and for all on the cross at Calvary.
When you do lose sight of His power, remind yourself of the God He has been throughout history. He was faithful to Abraham. He restored Joseph from his brothers' betrayal. He gave hope to Esther and her people. He transformed Saul into Paul. He empowered simple fishermen to become the leaders of our mighty faith. And He has shown His faithfulness in your own life hundreds and thousands of times as well.
After you remind yourself of these redeemed people, set your eyes upon the hope that the Lord offers today. He will never leave you. He always hears your prayers. He loves you no matter what you have done. He offers rest when you are weary. He gives abundant life in this lifetime. He extends forgiveness and eternal life!
The storm will end! The rainbow will come! And you will be able to proclaim His goodness to others as a result. Share how God has brought hope during a dark circumstance or season in your life. We'd love to hear from you. :)
Out in the distance, you think you see some red...maybe some orange, and even a little ray of yellow. But, you don't. Nothing but darkness and shadows fill the skies. Another week goes by and then a month, and then even a year. Still darkness. Still raining. Thunder is all that you hear pounding on your heart and upon your circumstances. But hope remains. You still pine for some green, some blue, and a bit of purple out in the distance. You wonder where God is and why He has refused to end the storm that entangles you. Your faith begins to waiver.
But you remain faithful. You question. You doubt. You become angry. But, you remain faithful. You listen for His still, small voice. Even a whisper would do. You search for His wisdom. You continue to glance for signs of His promises...but the rainbow still hides itself behind the clouds. It is still dreary. It is still raining. The wind howls and the birds' chorus is still muted.
One morning, you drop to your knees, yet again. The tears intermix with raindrops. Your eyes close and your heart begins to seek once more... and then... it happens. The rainbow appears! Your prayers of power command the storm away. The clouds flee. The thunder and lightning disappear. The bright colors and blinding light flood your heart. You ARE healed. God's glory fills you and satan's lies sprint away in terror. The birds ARE singing again. You look up and smile! You dance! You believe!
*********************************************************************
When God flexes His power, we are changed. We are restored. We are healed and renewed. Why do we have to wait for His perfect timing for this to happen? Why is one day different than another and one prayer more authoritative than the previous one? I'm not really sure. But, I know this...that God healed my heart from an intense season of depression and that I felt His physical presence come upon me when it happened.
We can question the Lord's will and His timing, but we shouldn't stay there too long. Instead, we should turn our hearts into an attitude of praise and adoration, knowing that He is always good. Knowing that He is always loving. Knowing that He will step in when it is His will and timing to do so. Knowing that He has perfected us and transformed us along the way.
If you are fretting today dear believer, don't lose heart. God is still the same today as He was yesterday. He is the one who created the whole earth and the universe beyond. He is the one who parted the Red Sea. He is the one who raised Lazarus from the dead and then raised Himself from the dead when sin was defeated once and for all on the cross at Calvary.
When you do lose sight of His power, remind yourself of the God He has been throughout history. He was faithful to Abraham. He restored Joseph from his brothers' betrayal. He gave hope to Esther and her people. He transformed Saul into Paul. He empowered simple fishermen to become the leaders of our mighty faith. And He has shown His faithfulness in your own life hundreds and thousands of times as well.
After you remind yourself of these redeemed people, set your eyes upon the hope that the Lord offers today. He will never leave you. He always hears your prayers. He loves you no matter what you have done. He offers rest when you are weary. He gives abundant life in this lifetime. He extends forgiveness and eternal life!
The storm will end! The rainbow will come! And you will be able to proclaim His goodness to others as a result. Share how God has brought hope during a dark circumstance or season in your life. We'd love to hear from you. :)
Labels: faith, healing, rainbows, rainstorm
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Rain and the Rainbow
The rain calls us indoors. We must take shelter from the downpour or we will get soaking wet. For those living in the midst of a storm, they know that taking cover means protection from the harsh wind, rain, and hail. But, some people refuse to stay inside; instead they resist the storm's darkness and fury. After hours of effort, they collapse from exhaustion and eventually crawl into a warm place where they can find rest.
When the Lord calls us to rest, it means He has good plans for us. He has not forgotten our dreams or our investments in this world, for He uses all things to the good of the one that is to come. The Lord calls us to slow down so that we may hear from Him. As stated in a quiet time from Streams in the Desert, "There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. During those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song. He (God) counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there" (selected).
While experiencing the most rain we've had in one week here in Southern California during my three decades of life, I've been inside a lot. Last night, I couldn't even sleep well because the rain beat against my windows with such passion and fervor. Instead of the tranquility that the droplets might usually bring, I felt anxiety and darkness. And that is how I've felt in some areas of my life as well: anxious and dark. God's voice has been very quiet over the past three to four years and I have been waiting to hear it clearly for some time now.
But, then I was reminded of a sign the Lord gave to me yesterday during a slight respite from this crazy storm. A beam of light shone through my upstairs window, calling me to the outdoors. I said to my kids, "Let's go, there must be a rainbow outside." And to my wondering eyes, there appeared the most dazzling rainbow, as if it had been colored with brand new Crayola markers. Its beauty took my breath away, but as I called my neighbor to inform her of the colorful beams of light, it vanished. The rain started up again. It was gone.
Though the rainbows of life occasionally come and go, their significance never leaves us. The symbol of the rainbow represents hope and promise. It reminds people of God's mercy and compassion. While in the midst of the tempest, we must keep our eyes fixed on what we know, that the rainbow is still there, waiting to peek through the clouds. Similarly, the Lord is ALWAYS there, especially during the storms! In truth, a rainstorm is a sign of hope as well because it reflects what is yet to come, the colors of promise and for we who believe, eternal life with our KING.
So, don't give up friend. That is what Satan would want you to do. He would call you to hide your head, to quit dreaming, and to shut down. That is not the message of the God of Israel. God calls you to "Trust in (Him) with all your heart and (to) lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways, (to) acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5+6). In the New Testament, the hope continues on. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the full."
Share how you've weathered a tough storm. Give some stories of the rainbows that God has placed in your path. I'd love to hear from you. To God be the glory for the storms and the rainbows! :)
When the Lord calls us to rest, it means He has good plans for us. He has not forgotten our dreams or our investments in this world, for He uses all things to the good of the one that is to come. The Lord calls us to slow down so that we may hear from Him. As stated in a quiet time from Streams in the Desert, "There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. During those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song. He (God) counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there" (selected).
While experiencing the most rain we've had in one week here in Southern California during my three decades of life, I've been inside a lot. Last night, I couldn't even sleep well because the rain beat against my windows with such passion and fervor. Instead of the tranquility that the droplets might usually bring, I felt anxiety and darkness. And that is how I've felt in some areas of my life as well: anxious and dark. God's voice has been very quiet over the past three to four years and I have been waiting to hear it clearly for some time now.
But, then I was reminded of a sign the Lord gave to me yesterday during a slight respite from this crazy storm. A beam of light shone through my upstairs window, calling me to the outdoors. I said to my kids, "Let's go, there must be a rainbow outside." And to my wondering eyes, there appeared the most dazzling rainbow, as if it had been colored with brand new Crayola markers. Its beauty took my breath away, but as I called my neighbor to inform her of the colorful beams of light, it vanished. The rain started up again. It was gone.
Though the rainbows of life occasionally come and go, their significance never leaves us. The symbol of the rainbow represents hope and promise. It reminds people of God's mercy and compassion. While in the midst of the tempest, we must keep our eyes fixed on what we know, that the rainbow is still there, waiting to peek through the clouds. Similarly, the Lord is ALWAYS there, especially during the storms! In truth, a rainstorm is a sign of hope as well because it reflects what is yet to come, the colors of promise and for we who believe, eternal life with our KING.
So, don't give up friend. That is what Satan would want you to do. He would call you to hide your head, to quit dreaming, and to shut down. That is not the message of the God of Israel. God calls you to "Trust in (Him) with all your heart and (to) lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways, (to) acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5+6). In the New Testament, the hope continues on. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the full."
Share how you've weathered a tough storm. Give some stories of the rainbows that God has placed in your path. I'd love to hear from you. To God be the glory for the storms and the rainbows! :)
Labels: Bible, family, rainbows, rainstorm
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Seeing Nature
Nature takes our eyes off of our worries. It also amazes our senses. But, sometimes we miss it because we don't pause to see it. If you love birds, it's time to sit out on your front porch, fill up the hummingbird feeder with nectar, and watch these majestic creatures zoom around. Hummingbirds can flap their wings 12-90 times per second.
They can fly at about 34 miles per hour, even though they are among the smallest of birds. They can even fly backwards, but you'd miss that if you didn't stop to watch for a minute or two. Hummingbirds can eat up to five times their own body weight in nectar each day and also eat small insects and spiders (they're on the Atkins diet, obviously). They actually spend about 75% of their day just chilling out and digesting all of that protein and sugar.
Next stop is a beautiful rainbow. Do you even look for these majestic arcs anymore? Here's Wikipedia's technical description: "A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere." Sounds pretty hi-tech, doesn't it? Though rainbows are most commonly formed by the rain, they can also be caused by mist, spray, and dew.
I love rainbow hunting in the afternoon while watering my lawn. They're all over the place if you take the time to look for them. If you're a night-owl, you might even catch a glimpse of a moonbow, which is a lunar or nighttime rainbow. If you're a beach bum, keep you eyes peeled for a spraybow which is created from the spray in the waves. If you're open-minded, you might even spot a double rainbow. While kayaking in Maui, I was blessed to glimpse the most amazing one against the verdant moss-covered mountains.
Do you anticipate a beautiful butterfly crossing your path? Some people actually observe them as a hobby. These beautiful insects morph from an egg to a larva (caterpillar) to a pupa (chrysalis) to an adult butterfly. Most people think they live just about a week, but some can actually live up to a year. Caterpillars mainly eat leaves while some dine on insects as well. Some even form symbiotic relationships with ants, where the ants offer some protection and the caterpillar provides honeydew secretions.
Butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of true legs (from the thoracic segments) and up to six pairs of prolegs (from the abdominal segments). Certain caterpillars can actually inflate their head to look like a small snake and some can even emit smelly chemicals for self-defense. After the pupal transformation, the adult butterfly has six pairs of legs, but then quickly loses one pair (less shoes to buy). At first the wings have to unfold and then the butterfly must inflate them with blood and let them dry for up to three hours (better find a good hiding spot).
Ladybugs are pretty cool too. One might land on your shoulder for a quick break from his flying, but would you even notice it? These small insects are actually part of the beetle family and can be yellow, orange, or red with black spots. Some can even be mistaken because they are solid black, brown, or grey (without any spots). Most ladybugs are considered friendly bugs because they chomp on garden-intruding aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and mites. Ladybugs have been a beloved bug by children around the world, making appearances in a variety of popular stories and songs. They have taken on a variety of names ranging from lady-bird, lady-cow, may-bug, golden-knop, and golden-bug.
Check out Wikipedia.org for other fun and interesting facts about nature. And remember to look for some of these cool creatures while you're out and about. Slow down to observe or you'll miss out on lots of amazing stuff.
They can fly at about 34 miles per hour, even though they are among the smallest of birds. They can even fly backwards, but you'd miss that if you didn't stop to watch for a minute or two. Hummingbirds can eat up to five times their own body weight in nectar each day and also eat small insects and spiders (they're on the Atkins diet, obviously). They actually spend about 75% of their day just chilling out and digesting all of that protein and sugar.
Next stop is a beautiful rainbow. Do you even look for these majestic arcs anymore? Here's Wikipedia's technical description: "A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere." Sounds pretty hi-tech, doesn't it? Though rainbows are most commonly formed by the rain, they can also be caused by mist, spray, and dew.
I love rainbow hunting in the afternoon while watering my lawn. They're all over the place if you take the time to look for them. If you're a night-owl, you might even catch a glimpse of a moonbow, which is a lunar or nighttime rainbow. If you're a beach bum, keep you eyes peeled for a spraybow which is created from the spray in the waves. If you're open-minded, you might even spot a double rainbow. While kayaking in Maui, I was blessed to glimpse the most amazing one against the verdant moss-covered mountains.
Do you anticipate a beautiful butterfly crossing your path? Some people actually observe them as a hobby. These beautiful insects morph from an egg to a larva (caterpillar) to a pupa (chrysalis) to an adult butterfly. Most people think they live just about a week, but some can actually live up to a year. Caterpillars mainly eat leaves while some dine on insects as well. Some even form symbiotic relationships with ants, where the ants offer some protection and the caterpillar provides honeydew secretions.
Butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of true legs (from the thoracic segments) and up to six pairs of prolegs (from the abdominal segments). Certain caterpillars can actually inflate their head to look like a small snake and some can even emit smelly chemicals for self-defense. After the pupal transformation, the adult butterfly has six pairs of legs, but then quickly loses one pair (less shoes to buy). At first the wings have to unfold and then the butterfly must inflate them with blood and let them dry for up to three hours (better find a good hiding spot).
Ladybugs are pretty cool too. One might land on your shoulder for a quick break from his flying, but would you even notice it? These small insects are actually part of the beetle family and can be yellow, orange, or red with black spots. Some can even be mistaken because they are solid black, brown, or grey (without any spots). Most ladybugs are considered friendly bugs because they chomp on garden-intruding aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and mites. Ladybugs have been a beloved bug by children around the world, making appearances in a variety of popular stories and songs. They have taken on a variety of names ranging from lady-bird, lady-cow, may-bug, golden-knop, and golden-bug.
Check out Wikipedia.org for other fun and interesting facts about nature. And remember to look for some of these cool creatures while you're out and about. Slow down to observe or you'll miss out on lots of amazing stuff.
Labels: butterflies, hummingbirds, ladybugs, nature, rainbows
