The Brightest Sky

 ¹ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Hebrew 1:1-4


If you've every watched a sunrise when the fog was thick or there were a few clouds hazing up the sky, you know exactly where the sun is by virtue of the brightest area in the sky. I love that He speaks through His creation. I love that He has provided us with His Word to confirm the life-lessons He speaks to our hearts.

As I was enjoying my time with Him this day and being very thankful for the many ways He chooses to reveal Himself to us, I couldn't see the sun, but I could see where the sun was coming up at because it was brightest in that area. That got me to thinking...(see I have MBA...Measurable Brain Activity that early)..."It's always brightest right around the sun." No brainer, right?

If I were to look at Bible studies like Anne Graham Lotz "Just Give Me Jesus" or "Pursuing More of Jesus", I think I would see that she "got it." I mean the closer we get to Jesus the more we shine His light. When Jesus said in John 8:12 "¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" That's pretty self-explanatory. He tells us in John 15:4-5 that if we abide in Him, He will abide in us and apart from Him we can do nothing. Staying close to Jesus keeps our light bright in a darkened, fallen, and sinful world.


So, today I encourage you to enjoy the Sonshine! Thanksgiving is a great time to be thankful for His presence in the form of His Holy Spirit. Can you imagine our world without His presence? Let's not take Him for granted. We are His light, so let's be the brightest "sky" that we can!

**Edited and transferred

Birds of a Feather...

17 As iron sharpens iron,

   so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

I love getting up early to watch the sunrise.  It has to be the most miraculous part of my day.  I especially like to see the sun come up when there are sporadic clouds on the horizon, because the sun plays against the clouds and creates colors that only God can create.  Sometimes the reflections are like silver linings and others are deep purple's.  I often say to myself that there is not an artist in the world that can re-create that kind of beauty that transforms right before my eyes.

On this particular morning, it was rather cool out and is often the case; blackbirds appeared by the thousands. I have a pecan orchard and the birds were landing in the tops of the trees making quite a racket. Suddenly, birds by the thousands began moving in lines and swirls with the cadence of chirping that would make an orchestra conductor envious.  At that moment, I saw God.  No, not literally, but in his creation.  I also saw the equivalent of our human nature.

God created all things great and small.  He created the sunrise for me to enjoy and reflect on His Majesty.  God allowed me to witness the Symphony of black birds this morning to reflect on the natural behavior of something as small as a bird.  Since God created us in his image and creation is a reflection of His glory, I recognized that humans are not much different than the flock of black birds.

In Proverbs 27:17, Solomon tells us that iron sharpens iron.  We're told to not for sake the assembling of ourselves together. I think in Galatians 5 Paul explains how we are stronger together. In verse 7, he asked the people in Galatia "Who cut in on them?" He goes on to state that a little yeast leavens the  whole dough.  Theologically, the book of Galatians is jam-packed with information about the law and grace, but in these few verses Paul realized that someone was preaching a different gospel other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified, resurrected, and ascended.  If iron sharpens iron and it is our nature that "birds of a feather flock together", Christian singles that fellowship together are stronger together.

The Christmas season is here and it is a time of potential loneliness for single adults and especially for those whose children will be with the "other" parent or for those whose spouse has gone on to be with the Lord. Let's be extra sensitive during this season to realize that though it is the most joyous time of the year, there are those that will battle depression and loneliness. The enemy has come to steal our joy, kill our ministry, and destroy our witness...let's be warriors for each other (and to the least of these) and "flock" to their sides!

*Edited and tranferred 11-5-18