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THE ICY, GNARLY ELM

Copyright 2014

THE ICY GNARLY ELM  

Winter is established here in the woods. The sky is white and the woodland floor covered with a blanket of snow and ice. Only evergreens provide a dash of color against the white backdrop of land and sky.

God's grace is like snow—Christ's shed blood covering sin.

"Come now, let us reason together,"

says the LORD.

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow."

Isaiah 1:18a 

The poem is about an old woman who has weathered a few winters. She stands alone, beyond youth. Her time is ending, as all times do here on earth. Death will come. I, too, will have to face it someday.

Just as man is destined to die once,

and after that to face judgment.

Hebrews 9:27  

and

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born
and a time to die.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a

I heard a wonderful message from our Pastor. He said 'God inhabits eternity':

For thus saith the high and lofty One

that inhabiteth eternity,

whose name is Holy;

I dwell in the high and holy place,

with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,

to revive the spirit of the humble,

and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 57:15 (KJV)   

The dictionary, the second most-used book in my home, defines 'contrite' as "being thoroughly sorry or penitent."

Penitent means "feeling or showing sorrow for having sinned or done wrong."

Humble involves "the virtue of humility". And humility is "the quality of being without pride" or voluntary self-abasement. It's good to know what these words mean because this is who God will dwell with and revive.

God has told us to put our trust in Him, as it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, the verses today's poem is based upon. Don't lean on your own understanding. Compared to eternity, we are but a small amount of time...a little section of string on a ball of everlasting string, tossed out into all known space, still unraveling.

The exact center of the Bible is about trusting God:

It is better to trust in the LORD

than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 118:8

Pray trusting God. Your trust in the God who inhabits eternity and your waiting on Him will go a long way:

So Christ was sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many people;
and he will appear a second time,
not to bear sin,
but to bring salvation to those who 
are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Endure long winter days and the clean, crisp, white snow that covers much, 
ending with the promise of spring. 

Pray trusting the God of Hope.

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NEW YEAR'S HOPE

Copyright 2017

 NEW YEAR'S HOPE

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

Hope is good!

Where would I be without hope? How would I live without it? I would wager lost and not very well. My heart would be sick. 

I trust you know God is in the business of hearts. He looks at our hearts and knows whats in there—the good, the bad and the ugly. And the sick. He wants what He created to be well and good—to be healthy. Having hope keeps us healthy. Maintaining hope reaps rewards that are out of this world!

But those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Hope involves waiting and most of us don't like to wait. I grow weary standing in a long line. Some of us endure hardships in dangerous places for our faith, which is far more difficult than standing in a long line. We long for justice. We long for joy and peace. We long for the sin-free environment of Heaven. But take heart, it is coming because the Bible says so! Longings will be fulfilled one day...one glorious day! (And all days to follow that one!)

Then all the trees of the forest

will sing for joy;

they will sing before the LORD,

for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.

Psalm 96:12-13

and 

Now it is God who makes both us and you

stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,

set his seal of ownership on us,

and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,

guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 1:21

Here, in and through prayer, is some of what I hope for:

-That my loved ones will walk with God. I hope and pray for them to trust God, being able to let God's will be more important to them than their own will. I pray they will want to be baptized.

-Justice for wrongs done against me, and for other injustices. I pray for the arrest of drug dealers in our town, the end of persecution and death of believers in the Middle East, justice for cruelties done to children and the list goes on. I hope for justice from the God of justice. He will have it one day. (And all days to follow that one!)

-Happiness for my friends. I hope and pray for them, asking God to meet their needs—that His joy, peace, grace and love would rest upon them and their families.

-Continued marriage. I ask God to bless my marriage of 25 years and keep my husband and I loving and forgiving each other, as in any good marriage. I remain hopeful for continued prosperity, til death do we part.

  

-That God's Word would spread locally and globally. I hope our local city and county will become more of a Bible-belt region. I pray that local churches would be even better with their ministries, not allowing secular groups to use their church building for agendas that do not include worshiping Christ.

-That our country would be led by God-fearing leaders that support Christianity. 

Do you have such a list? Make a Hope List today! Why not? You don't have to broadcast it like I have done. Go into your closet with your list and talk with God. He's listening, if you believe. 

This righteousness from God

comes through faith in Jesus Christ

to all who believe.

Romans 3:22

Happy New Year from my neck of the woods! I started this blog after attending the Montrose Christian Writers Conference in July, 2015. I had ended each blog post in the remainder of that year with the word "Faith". In 2016, every blog ended with the word "Love". So now, what should I end each blog with for the year 2017? How about "Hope"?

May the God of hope fill you

with all joy and peace as you trust him,

so that you may overflow with hope 

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Overflow with Hope!