From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3
One thing I love so much about the Lord is His way of speaking to us. I get ahead of Him, or try to, and eventually wake up and know that He's very gently, very patiently, very lovingly pulling me back in...closer to Him and away from myself. It's an ongoing struggle, but I'm trying.
It all started a couple of weeks ago when it snowed. We don't get snow very often, and each time I am amazed and humbled. I know that sounds funny, but it humbles me that God creates something so beautiful for us to enjoy. I am amazed at the sheer creation of it...the look, the purity, the brightness, the way there are so many flakes yet each one is different. But the thing that struck me most this time was the silence. I stepped outside to take some pictures and was completely awestruck. I always am because of the beauty, but this time it was as if all of creation paused to admire it. The birds and animals were silent, no sounds of cars on the roads, nothing...the snow was falling hard, but for the most part it was silent. Silent but powerful and beautiful and wonderful and pure. It made me realize what Jesus did for us on the cross. How, you might say? Well, growing up a good ole' southern Baptist girl, I was reminded of the hymn, Jesus Paid it All. It says, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow". (You just sang that didn't you?) :) So I stood outside that day, looking across our backyard at the bright white snow, humbled and so, so grateful that Jesus took my sin and washed me as white as the brilliant snow I was looking at. Funny how He uses His own creation, a very fragile snowflake, to remind us of something so powerful...the most powerful thing to ever be done for us...His death on the cross.
It doesn't stop there, though, not with His death on the cross. Stay with me for just a second. The next day the sun came out, and even though the temperature was not above freezing, the snow began to melt. The snow that was directly under the sun melted. The power of the sun melted the snow regardless of the temperature. The snow that was shaded and not in the direct path of the sun did not melt. This spoke volumes to me, not only about the power that God gives the sun when it shines, but mostly about the power of the SON, Jesus Christ! Yes, He died on the cross for me and for you, but like I said, it didn't end there. He arose and is alive and by His death we are given eternal life! If we accept Him as our Savior we will always take with us the power of the SON, we will always have the guarantee of an eternal life in Heaven. His death, burial and resurrection wipes our sins away and we are never without hope. Jesus paid it all and washed us white as snow...that's the true power of the SON and He can shine through us in so many ways if we let Him.
I have been burdened for quite some time about the lost, those that don't know Jesus as Savior. Reaching the lost and telling them about the gospel of Jesus is supposed to be our main goal. It's what we are commissioned to do. But it's hard and we have a hard time. Why is that? Why is it so hard for me to tell people about the most wonderful gift ever given? Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's fear of rejection. Maybe it's because I don't feel equipped enough to argue with someone who doesn't want to listen. I think it's all of the above. We are supposed to live and be a light, so that when others see us they see Jesus. I mess that up sometimes. But I'm working on trying to plant seeds of salvation and tell others about Christ. The Bible tells us in Psalm 144:4, "They are like a breath, their days are like a fleeting shadow". This is what has me so burdened. Our lives are like a breath or a mist and can be over in an instant. Just like the snow we had a few weeks ago, it was here today and gone tomorrow.
Let us not be afraid to ask if people know Jesus. The power of the SON is great and mighty. God offers us beauty every day here on this earth and in this life. It's all around us if we look around. We're given the sunshine, the snow, the rain to make things grow, beautiful people we come into contact with every day. But the most important thing Jesus gave us when He died on the cross for us is eternal life in Heaven - a place we cannot fathom or understand until we get there. God gives us a glimpse into what it will be like. Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 22:4-5 says, "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever". What a wonderful glimpse into Heaven! And the road to get there is so simple. Don't you want to go? Ask Him into your heart and acknowledge who He is. Don't you want to see your loved ones and friends? Don't we even want strangers to go? Then we must ask them. We must tell them. We must give them directions on how to get there. Did you notice there in Revelation where it says "they will not need the light of the sun"? Can you imagine that? I know when the sun doesn't shine for a few days, the sunshine makes me feel so much better. The power of Jesus, our God and our Savior, is so strong, we don't need the sunshine. He is the SON. He is our light!
Thank you for listening, for taking the time to let me share. Sometimes I feel as if my words are jumbled and that I don't convey what the Lord is really wanting me to say. But the biggest thing I want you to get from this is that, no matter who you are, I want you to know Jesus as your Savior. I want you to be able to spend eternity in Heaven with me. Let's get out there and tell others about this wonderful gift God has given us, and about this wonderful place He is preparing for us. We cannot truly fathom eternity, but our days will be endless. There will never be an end to praising God, to worshiping Jesus, to singing praises, seeing our loved ones, and the list goes on. We will be forever happy, forever grateful, forever healthy in a place as bright as the sun. Just as the power of the sunshine melted the snow last week, the power of the SONshine will light our days for all eternity in Heaven.
I love you all,
Kacey
It all started a couple of weeks ago when it snowed. We don't get snow very often, and each time I am amazed and humbled. I know that sounds funny, but it humbles me that God creates something so beautiful for us to enjoy. I am amazed at the sheer creation of it...the look, the purity, the brightness, the way there are so many flakes yet each one is different. But the thing that struck me most this time was the silence. I stepped outside to take some pictures and was completely awestruck. I always am because of the beauty, but this time it was as if all of creation paused to admire it. The birds and animals were silent, no sounds of cars on the roads, nothing...the snow was falling hard, but for the most part it was silent. Silent but powerful and beautiful and wonderful and pure. It made me realize what Jesus did for us on the cross. How, you might say? Well, growing up a good ole' southern Baptist girl, I was reminded of the hymn, Jesus Paid it All. It says, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow". (You just sang that didn't you?) :) So I stood outside that day, looking across our backyard at the bright white snow, humbled and so, so grateful that Jesus took my sin and washed me as white as the brilliant snow I was looking at. Funny how He uses His own creation, a very fragile snowflake, to remind us of something so powerful...the most powerful thing to ever be done for us...His death on the cross.
It doesn't stop there, though, not with His death on the cross. Stay with me for just a second. The next day the sun came out, and even though the temperature was not above freezing, the snow began to melt. The snow that was directly under the sun melted. The power of the sun melted the snow regardless of the temperature. The snow that was shaded and not in the direct path of the sun did not melt. This spoke volumes to me, not only about the power that God gives the sun when it shines, but mostly about the power of the SON, Jesus Christ! Yes, He died on the cross for me and for you, but like I said, it didn't end there. He arose and is alive and by His death we are given eternal life! If we accept Him as our Savior we will always take with us the power of the SON, we will always have the guarantee of an eternal life in Heaven. His death, burial and resurrection wipes our sins away and we are never without hope. Jesus paid it all and washed us white as snow...that's the true power of the SON and He can shine through us in so many ways if we let Him.
I have been burdened for quite some time about the lost, those that don't know Jesus as Savior. Reaching the lost and telling them about the gospel of Jesus is supposed to be our main goal. It's what we are commissioned to do. But it's hard and we have a hard time. Why is that? Why is it so hard for me to tell people about the most wonderful gift ever given? Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's fear of rejection. Maybe it's because I don't feel equipped enough to argue with someone who doesn't want to listen. I think it's all of the above. We are supposed to live and be a light, so that when others see us they see Jesus. I mess that up sometimes. But I'm working on trying to plant seeds of salvation and tell others about Christ. The Bible tells us in Psalm 144:4, "They are like a breath, their days are like a fleeting shadow". This is what has me so burdened. Our lives are like a breath or a mist and can be over in an instant. Just like the snow we had a few weeks ago, it was here today and gone tomorrow.
Let us not be afraid to ask if people know Jesus. The power of the SON is great and mighty. God offers us beauty every day here on this earth and in this life. It's all around us if we look around. We're given the sunshine, the snow, the rain to make things grow, beautiful people we come into contact with every day. But the most important thing Jesus gave us when He died on the cross for us is eternal life in Heaven - a place we cannot fathom or understand until we get there. God gives us a glimpse into what it will be like. Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 22:4-5 says, "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever". What a wonderful glimpse into Heaven! And the road to get there is so simple. Don't you want to go? Ask Him into your heart and acknowledge who He is. Don't you want to see your loved ones and friends? Don't we even want strangers to go? Then we must ask them. We must tell them. We must give them directions on how to get there. Did you notice there in Revelation where it says "they will not need the light of the sun"? Can you imagine that? I know when the sun doesn't shine for a few days, the sunshine makes me feel so much better. The power of Jesus, our God and our Savior, is so strong, we don't need the sunshine. He is the SON. He is our light!
Thank you for listening, for taking the time to let me share. Sometimes I feel as if my words are jumbled and that I don't convey what the Lord is really wanting me to say. But the biggest thing I want you to get from this is that, no matter who you are, I want you to know Jesus as your Savior. I want you to be able to spend eternity in Heaven with me. Let's get out there and tell others about this wonderful gift God has given us, and about this wonderful place He is preparing for us. We cannot truly fathom eternity, but our days will be endless. There will never be an end to praising God, to worshiping Jesus, to singing praises, seeing our loved ones, and the list goes on. We will be forever happy, forever grateful, forever healthy in a place as bright as the sun. Just as the power of the sunshine melted the snow last week, the power of the SONshine will light our days for all eternity in Heaven.
I love you all,
Kacey
