My wife and I watched an interesting program about the forests of North Carolina last night as dinner was cooking. In the course of the documentary, I was pleased to learn that the forests of our new home constitute approximately 58% of the land mass. This high percentage of forest lands is unique in that there are only three or four other states in the Union that can boast of a percentage higher than 50%.
In point of fact, it was the seemingly
endless groves of Longleaf Pine that drew early settlers to the state. North Carolina quickly became the largest
producer and supplier of navel stores in the world. These supplies which consisted mainly of tar, pitch and
turpentine, supplied many needs for the vast fleet of wooden
sailing vessels of the British Empire.
I had to giggle a bit as I
watched the show and began to nod my head while I called over to my wife
exclaiming: “See there is another example of God leading us to the right
place at the right time!” He knows
how much my wife and I love being out in the forest, enjoying the beautiful
trees, abundant wildlife and the peace that it fills us with as we listen to
the wind flowing through the trees that seem to call out with the sounds, smells and life
of God’s creation!
One of my favorite things to
do since moving here, is to step out on the back deck,
stare off into the forested areas next to and behind our property and simply
absorb what I see and hear. This has
been one of the most wonderful ways to relieve the stress of our situation and
turn my thoughts from the battle at hand and begin to praise God for all that
He has and continues to do for us! I
guess you could say that it quickly changes my focus from the natural to
the super-natural!
I was reminded of all this
once again this morning as I took the dog out for his morning
constitutional. The warm damp morning
air aroused my senses and God’s peace over-took any anxiety, as I took in the
bright greens exploding from the trees and the climbing bushes growing up the
low fence in our yard. When I returned
to the dining room table and began my Bible Study, I found myself singing:
♪“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely
dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”♫
(Helen
H. Lemmel, 1918)
Then at the completion of the
chorus, I could not help but smile again and thank the good Lord for His
extraordinary care for us over the last seven to ten years. I learned pretty quickly at the beginning of
this walk of faith, that I could not depend on people, but had to diligently
assert my consciousness and focus onto God and the truth of His Word. And that effort has not abated since those first couple of years after we returned home to California following
Bible College in Oklahoma
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that: “We
must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith…” (God’s Word ©) Well, let me tell you, as that old Western
Airlines commercial used to say, “It’s the only way to fly!” I find that I am constantly re-adjusting my
focus from what I am seeing with my eyes or the pain I am reeling from in my
heart, to the truth of God’s Word. In fact,
while praying for Piper this morning, I began to agree with Jesus as He prayed
to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane asking Him to “Sanctify or separate
Piper in Thy truth, for Thy Word is truth.”
(John 17:17 KJV – personalized)
Sanctify or separate
her from what? From the lies of sickness
and disease and the ravages of what I see happening in her body and mind. What better to focus on than the truth,
spirit and power of His Word which is working to perfect
a healing and a cure in her… rather than the lies of the enemy of our souls who
“cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy”. I choose instead, to focus on the Lord
Jesus who comes so that we “might have life, and that we might have it more
abundantly.” (John 10:10 KJV personalized)
So, what will you focus on today? Will it be what you may be seeing or
experiencing that is contrary to what the Word of God says? Or - will you “Turn your eyes
upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face?” What answer do you really seek? What LIGHT will you turn your
attention to this day?
I suggest your separation from
the symptoms and darkness of death… to the LIGHT of His Word
where you’ll see “The things of this world grow strangely dim, in the LIGHT
of His glory and grace!”
Have a great weekend, and as
you do, keep asking yourself… “Who’s LIGHT am I expecting to seek for
and follow today?”
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