From Gary... Without rain...

It rained yesterday and its raining today and is going to rain tomorrow as well. Yuk!!!  

But, where would we be without it?  The grass wouldn’t grow, neither would the roses in my front yard.  If it never rained again, after awhile EVERYTHING WOULD DIE!!!  There is a depressing thought on a rainy day.  But, to continue... without rain, there wouldn't be a clearing of the air or a rainbow, or all those contrasting shapes in the skies for us to marvel at. No more oceans for us to sail, nor rivers to canoe in. The world would be a dry and dusty place without rain.  And would be dirty too!!!  Beyond all this... why do we have rain?  What does it mean to us?  Well, we know that eventually it will stop raining- so we have hope. And hope is a very good thing indeed!!!  Sometimes there seems to be precious little to hope for, but that is where faith comes in.  God has helped in the past and will continue to do so- whether or not we think it will.  And so, when I look at the picture (taken by my granddaughter Lizzie in our retirement park in Dade City) the clearing clouds remind me that God will provide, just as HE has always done.  And I must keep on believing and have faith.  The following is a long selection from the book of Hebrews, but read it through all the way; it is worth it...

Hebrews, Chapter 11

1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.  2 For by this, the elders obtained testimony.  3 By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.  4 By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.  5 By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.  6 Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.  7 By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.  8 By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.  9 By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.  10 For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  11 By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.  12 Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.  13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.  15 If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.  16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

  17  By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son;  18 even he to whom it was said, “In Isaac will your seed be called”;   19 concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.  20 By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.  21 By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.  22 By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave instructions concerning his bones.  23 By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.  24 By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,  25 choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time;  26 accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.  27 By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith, he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.  29 By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up.  30 By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.  31 By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.  32 What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets;  33 who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.  35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.  36 Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.  37 They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated  38 (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.  39 These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise,  40 God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Faith, as described in the Bible is NOT just a mental exercise, designed to sharpen your intellect; it is motivation which causes you to act.  Faith has a cerebral aspect of it to be sure, but REAL FAITH ACTS!!!  The apostle James puts it this way...

James, Chapter 2

14  What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? 15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,  16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?  17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.  18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 

  19  You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.  20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?  21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;  23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.  25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?  26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Today's post was not written for YOU, it is written for ME; that I might be reminded to take whatever faith I might have and put it to WORK!!!  So, bring on the rain and the more clouds the better, so that I might see beyond them by faith.  My prayer for today, is that you might think about this as well.  OH, yes, and the rain helps you nap on a dreary day.

 

 

PS.  I reached the 95 pound mark last night at weight-watchers.  Only a hundred to go.