Inspired by . . . bounty

For many, January is a lonely month. A bleak and desperate time. Suicide rates are at their highest and other statistics prove out the struggle that many have as we face the very heart of winter.

But there is HOPE. There is always HOPE. And we find that hope by looking to Him and considering all that He has given us:

A family to train us,
laws that defend us,
homes that shelter us,
food that nourishes us,
clothes that comfort us,
the longevity of health, senses, understanding, memory, affection, and free will.

He has made summer and winter, day and night; all of which revolves to serve our welfare.

Yet all of this proof of His loving-kindness, all this bounty, is not enough. Each will pass away. The sun and moon, all will pass away.

None of these things will save us.

In His infinite goodness, God has eclipsed all these things by the wisdom and grace bestowed upon us by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

May we freely claim the redemption that has been set before us. May we have faith to grasp the promises that are our HOPE; promises that provide for our every need and protect us from every evil.

May we believe in this HOPE and may we live as we believe.

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 42:52

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. (Gen 6:14-16)

For a man like Noah, living in a world that had yet to see a drop of rain, had no power tools, no electricity, this directive must have seemed insurmountable!

Far from being a simple children's story, the account of the building of the ark and the great flood is a breathtaking example of one man's faith and a glimpse into God's plan of redemption for all mankind.

And now, thanks to the Answers in Genesis project, you don't have to rely on your imagination any longer. A slice of pasture in Williamstown, Kentucky is now home to a life-size replica of Noah's Ark. 

This marvel of engineering is seven stories tall and is a football field and a half long. It is the largest timber-frame structure in the world, full of world-class exhibits designed to answer your questions about the biblical account of Noah’s Ark.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Heb 11:7)

There is so much more to this structure than pegs and beams.

Once inside you experience the Greatest Story every told.

I was really not prepared for the quality and sheer volume of information presented. The why and how of the Ark are presented in detail.

Water, waste, you name it - they cover it. They explain which animals are included and why.

Signs like this one answer common questions:

Noah and his family are so palpable I kept waiting for them to turn and look at me, or say something. Actually, Noah did just exactly that!

Every aspect of life in the Ark was showcased.

Every detail tells it's own story.

But this encounter is about much more than a big boat and a flood. The exhibits inside take you through the history of the earth. They show you, from the fossil record, how the earth was formed and how she grew into the world we know today. These exhibits answer your questions and dispell your doubts.

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded. Then the LORD shut the door behind Noah. (Gen 7:16)

Once God shut the door to the Ark there was no going back. What man can open a door God has shut?

Noah and his family probably didn't fully understand what was about to happen, even though they had been warned. They were completely dependent upon God to see them through.

Although God has given us His promise to never again send a flood to destroy the earth (Gen 9:11), there is a day of judgment coming. We have been warned, just as the people in Noah's day were warned.

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mat 24:38-39)

All the exhibits, Noah's family, the animals, the fossil record, all are fascinating and fun. But the powerful takeaway of the Ark Encounter is the Gospel - the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Because we know that the flood did not restore righteousness and goodness to our world. Only One born of God, perfect and sinless in every way could do that - and He did.

 "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (Joh 3:16-18)

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1Jn 1:8) There is a penalty (debt) for sin. That penalty (debt) is death. 

This, my friends, is the Good News: Jesus paid our debt. He bore the penalty of our sin, so that we might have life, life eternal.

The Ark Encounter is definitely worth the price of the ticket and the trip to northern Kentucky. 

@toddcravens

What Jesus offers is free

and you can receive it right where you are, right now.

All you have to do is ask.

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty, Through My Lens,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . 3 G's and a J

It's been a while since I've talked about JOY here on the blog. Some of you may remember back in October of 2014, I actually wrote about JOY for 31 days as part of the #write31days challenge. What an amazing time that was! It's worth going back to have a look!

Who knew there was so much to say about this little 3-letter word! As it turns out, there is more to say and these truths are more relevant today than ever before.

The harvest of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control.

As most of you know JOY is not the same thing as happiness. The word happiness comes from the Latin "hap" meaning chance or temporary pleasures. Whereas JOY is not tied to a sense of wellbeing. Rather it is a spiritual response to receiving the Gospel.

JOY is based upon an objective reality, not subjective emotions. 

Non-believers can and do experience JOY. When their values are in harmony with their behavior a sense of JOY is experienced. But true, Christian JOY, at its heart, is the JOY of salvation. The power of the Holy Spirit invades and transforms us and we experience true and lasting JOY.

The process of transformation often looks something like this:

GUILT - Guilt is something that is taboo in our world today. We don't talk about it, and we sure don't ever admit it! But the truth is, we are all in the same condition. Sin is our condition, the state of our souls. And it's terminal. Part of the misery is not acknowledging this truth.

GRACE - Grace is the answer to guilt. We receive all of God's riches at Christ's expense. God's love has no regard for our merits.

GRATITUDE - Gratitude is the only right response to grace.

JOY - Joy is the child birthed in the fullness of gratitude.

There are three things that hinder true JOY:

Foolishness - Being half-hearted creatures as described by C.S. Lewis in the following quote from The Weight of Glory:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Forgetfulness - Just like the Israelites in the desert, we forget God's great acts of deliverance. We forget His benefits and promises.

All of this leads to Faintheartedness - we begin to listen to the evil one.

Don't allow these things to cause you to stumble. 

You were running well; who hindered you from following the truth? Gal 5:7 

Preach the Gospel to yourself daily. Work out your salvation. Remember that gratitude and thankfulness give birth to JOY.

The JOY of a believer is one of the most effective tools to disarm the devil.

The world is dark.

JOY is Light.

The Light has overcome.

Be an overcomer!

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty

Inspired by . . . come thirsty

How are you feeling today? 

Is your spirit full? Are you walking forth in JOY, believing in His promises?

If that's you, then join me in a fist-bump and shout of Hallelujah! His promises are true and His grace makes the path easier to walk.

But maybe that's not you. Perhaps His grace seems a bit distant and your feet feel more like blocks of clay. Your spirit faints within you and it's hard to believe His promises in light of the world's current circumstances.

Does your soul long for rest? Do you desire to be made new?

Come.

Drink of the Living Water.

Your Father knows what you need. Trust Him.

Don't allow the things of this world to cloud the Truth. Do not be afraid.

Trust in the One Who created the universe. Who gathers your tears in a bottle.

The One Who holds you in the palm of His hand.

And will never let you go.

Shalom,

Sharing inspiration here:
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth, Let Us Walk Worthy,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty

Inspired by . . . watch, wait, obey

Some of us will live, work, play and die in the same town in which we were born. Others of us will move once, maybe twice, in our lifetime. Still others will move often, maybe yearly, never really settling down until age makes the decision for us. 

Some of us are given our marching orders, while others of us choose when, where and how long to go or stay.

The Israelites didn't have that option. The book of Numbers records their travels from Egypt to the borders of the Promise Land. The very presence of God determined when they would stop, go or stay.

At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses. (Num 9:23)

They could see God's presence in the form of a cloud over the tabernacle. When the cloud lifted, that was their cue to pick up and move. When the cloud descended they were to stop and set up camp.

They never knew when the cloud would move. They had to watch, wait and obey. I can only imagine the grumbling. 

"This place is hot and we have to walk for miles to find water for the animals. Why can't we move on, already?"

"We've been walking for days. This looks like a peaceful valley, why can't we stop here?"

"Why do we have to move? I like it here. It's comfortable and shady, with plenty of water for the animals."

It must have seemed pointless at times. Moving to a place, painstakingly setting up the camp according to God's specific instructions. Only to take it all down and move again. But God had a purpose in all that He was doing with the Israelites. He was teaching them a way of living that would govern them for hundreds of years. He was slowly, but steadily moving them toward, and preparing them for, the Promise Land.

God's still doing the same for His children today. Right now, in your life, no matter where He's keeping you or sending you, you can be assured that He has a purpose.

We don't see God's physical presence like the Israelites did, but He has given us something better! Himself, His Holy Spirit, alive within us! And by His Spirit He leads us, just as He led the Israelites.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom 8:14)

God goes before us, and directs our steps.

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deu 31:8)

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isa 30:21)

These are important truths to remember when we're tempted to grumble. I've been tempted to grumble a bit lately. My Dreamer and I recently made the decision to move out of our little cottage before our new home is ready to be built. It means we'll be displaced for a bit while we're waiting for the next temporary cottage to be available. But someone else needs the cottage more than we do. The decision wasn't a difficult one, but I'm finding it hard to let go.

You see, this cottage welcomed me and gave me a safe place to grieve during a very difficult time in my life. After another move I never expected. It was the first home for my Dreamer and I . . . it holds a special place in our hearts.

God's saying it's time to move. And just like the Israelites, He's moving us one step closer to the Promise Land.

I hope I've learned a lesson from the Israelites. They failed to trust God and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. I want to be counted with those who trusted and obeyed.

Are you trusting God for your Promise Land?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth, Let Us Walk Worthy,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends; Faith Filled Friday