Oh! What A Day!

Oh what a glorious day!  As I turned on my laptop this morning the background photo of a recent picture I took from the vista point on the northern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge came across my screen.  It was taken in late afternoon and the sky was bright blue, a ferry was making waves as it cruised through the waters of the bay in order to go under a span of the bridge, and a seagull was floating over its orange towers.  A majestic scene to say the least!

Then I looked up from the kitchen where I was working and gazed out into our large patio and was amazed at the bright blue sky peeking out from the backdrop of the tall Maple and Redwood trees that line the border of our community.  The purple flowers on our geranium seemed to glow in the radiance of the morning sunlight that splashed across the deck.  Oh, the sight just captivated my imagination this morning!  This must be what the first glimpses of heaven are to the eyes of those entering in to the glory of God!

 

Now it doesn’t hurt to say that the last two days of cold, overcast weather have probably added to my excitement of the view from outside my window today!  But nevertheless, it is still true that the clear skies, warm sun and florescent colors emanating from the flowers in our yard sure do their part to brighten the soul and the outlook for the day!  It is actually Saturday as I write this post, but I needed to get a day ahead in my writing as our Monday is jam packed with appointments and activities that don’t leave much time for the meaningful writing of an encouraging word for you!

So, I’ll steal away for a few moments with you today and share a word that I received as I spent time studying earlier this morning.  I actually was having a hard time sleeping so I got up before dawn, brewed a pot of Starbucks Dark Sumatra coffee (kind of an earthy, herbal flavor to it – just right for a pick me up as I huddled around my desk in the quiet of the morning before anything else in our neighborhood began to stir!), and reread from Isaiah 55 verses 10-13.  These were the last verses I read before I turned out the lights last night and I was excited about revisiting them again. 

The thought of God’s Word not returning without results, by accomplishing whatever He wants it to achieve really stimulates my being and re-ignites that passion to want to serve Him with all my heart!  I’ve been praying for a few weeks now, that every time I read the Word to my wife, that the same rekindling is happening within her.  As I have mentioned in past blog entries, it was the fire of the passion for Jesus ablaze in her as a sweet young high school student that led me into a personal relationship with Him, and brought about the call to ministry for us to follow.

It is rewarding for me to see the light in her eyes begin to sparkle as she will relate to a particular verse, story or teaching from the Word that I relate to her.  His Word is definitely working within the far reaches of her mind, her will and her emotions perfecting a healing and a cure.  At breakfast I was reading from a study by E.W. Kenyon where he talks about John 14:30 whenJesus told His disciples that “the ruler of this world is coming.  But he has no power over me.”  (Contemporary English Version)  The author stated “What does that mean?  It means that Satan found nothing in Jesus that he owned or had any right to…. There was nothing in Jesus that Satan could place his hand upon and say, ‘That is mine.’”  With that I turned to my wife, looked her straight in the eyes and declared “There is NOTHING in you that Satan has the right to place his hand on!”  Her eyes locked in on my determined stare and she nodded in agreement!  Hallelujah!  My wife is God’s property and He is the only one to place anything on her!

Isaiah prophesies to the New Covenant church that God’s Word does “not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 NAS)  His desire and provision for my wife’s healing as part of the atonement of Christ is being accomplished in her!  And you know what?  The things that He has provided for you as part of His atonement will also be accomplished for you.  It’s all a matter of finding out what is yours from within the pages of your Bible, and then following His directions in Mark 11:22-24.  It is all about your faith, your believing and your expectations based on Him and the truth of His Word!

Oh!  Like I said, what a glorious day!  Take a step of faith today and venture out into the radiance of His Son-light and let His love, His faithfulness and His blessings splash across your life today!  Plan for a great week ahead!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What GOOD THINGS am I expecting today?”