BLACKBERRIES

Blackberries ripen, full and sweet,

to make for me an August treat.

Their goodness calls me, “Come and dine!”,

so up I climb to make them mine.

Safe underneath the ash and beech,

the berries grow within my reach.

I pluck them quickly for my pail

and eat my fill along the trail.

Blackberries splendid, good and free,

are like the graces given me.

God’s fruit is for the picking ones,

and with it, love and mercy comes.

O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

BLACKBERRIES

Picking blackberries is therapeutic on an August evening up behind Veery Glade, far away from worldly harms. We have time and space to reflect on God's goodness.

And God knows. God knows who wished you harm, and dug up the red geraniums you planted, and swindled you, and lied to you. He keeps a great tally sheet, and He will, someday, reveal Himself and the notes He has been keeping. Until then, we deny ourselves and pick up our cross, as instructed.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

Matthew 16:24

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

Romans 12:19

So, keep hiking the faithful trail, following Jesus. Trust God while picking blackberries, knowing He will repay. Along the way, remember God's provided goodness.

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4

Give God your hurts in prayer and ask Him for help. Soon, the burden is lifted. Soon, the heaviness of spirit is gone. Repent that you did not trust Him fully when difficulties had pressed in.

The book of Revelation is filled with vivid images of times to come. I found verses about repentance even here in the last book in the Bible. 'Lukewarm' is how the church of the Laodiceans is described, something God hates and would spit (or vomit!) out of His mouth.

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Revelation 3:16

God advises this church on what they should do (in verses 17-18) and then says:

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and he with Me.

Revelation 3:19-20

Then later in Revelation, after horror-like descriptions of scenes and of locusts coming from the bottomless pit and then four angels with an army of 200 million destroying 1/3 of mankind, verses tell the fate of the rest of mankind:

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of theirs hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see not hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 9:20-21 

Oh, how important repentance is to Creator God! God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins on the cross. His choice to do this provides justification for the sinner who truly believes. Repentance leads to salvation!

And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

Revelation 16:9

Some people just aren't going to give God glory. Period. No matter what. Pray that they do. Some people straddle man-made beliefs, seeking help outside of God, or maybe in addition to God, figuring it can't hurt. But do they really fully rely on God? Are we lukewarm? Neither hot or cold? God knows. Pray. Pray people denounce their reliance on things other than Christ.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Hebrews 9:27-28

As we pick blackberries in August, let us remember that Jesus is the only defense lawyer anyone can have and that the goodness of God can be enjoyed because we were led to repent.