All is Grace

Posts for Tag: creation

A Vision of Creation (A short story)

 It had been a long day, a trying day, and a very draining day. As I retired for the night my spirit was greatly burdened.  The enemy of my soul bombarded me with the day’s news, gleefully crying “where is your God?”  There had been news of brothers in the Lord beheaded, news of terrible atrocities inflicted upon humans, and countless stories of terrible cruelty inflicted upon poor creatures, and my heart was drained of all peace. My own dear ones, for whom I prayed so very hard, were still struggling in their prisons, and I powerless to save, powerless to change. I felt drained, I felt undone.

 I lay my head upon my pillow; I sighed and closed my eyes, my pillow wet with tears.

  It seemed only a brief moment passed between the closing of my eyes and my finding myself standing upon a ledge, a mighty angel of the Lord beside me. He shouted out, “Be not afraid beloved child of God, behold the work of the Lord!” and he thrust out his hand in front of him. I peered through the dense darkness, attempting to see what he was showing me, but the darkness was thick and unrelenting. My ears could hear the crashing of mighty waters, as they churned and roared as if they were swirling about in a massive storm, yet there was no wind, no breeze, no scent of any kind in the air, only darkness.

 And then there was a light, a light so pure and brilliant that I fell to my knees, and I heard a great voice, like the sound of rushing waters, like the roar of a great wind, like a mighty trumpet……..Let there be…………and to my wonder, to my amazement I realized that I was beholding the creation of the world!

 I know not how long I stood upon that ledge, a ledge floating in a sea of nothing, it might have been days, weeks, months or years, or perhaps it was mere moments. I believe I was outside of time as I stood there, next to the angel, who steadied me as I alternated between standing and watching and falling upon my face trembling with the awe of it all.

 By the light of the One who created, I watched as the seas separated from the dry ground, and as the waters separated from the sky. I beheld in wonder as the plant life sprang from nothing into full and vibrant life. I watched by His light, and then by the light of the great blazing sun that He spoke into being.  I watched as evening, and morning passed again and again. I stood upon that ledge and watched my Lord speak all things into being.

 I recall how the sound of the waters changed, from the deep churning, roaring twisting void, to the gently whoosh of the waves lapping up against the newly formed earth. Where there had been no scent at all, now the smell of the salt, and the smell of the vibrant and arrayed plant life entered my nostrils. I who had ever been one to stop and smell the flowers had never in all my days smelled such delight. The fragrance of the flowers that He spoke into being was rich, and soothing, and beautiful. Although within my 55 years I had stood upon many a mountaintop, many a meadow, many a forest, beholding the beauty of the earth in some of it's most spectacular place, I was driven to my knees by the sheer beauty before me, the raw and untarnished beauty of this new place was beyond description. It was truly good, just as He had called it.

 I marveled at the stars in the heavens, Although I had often stood under many a desert sky, beholding the majesty of the heavens, I had never beheld such grandeur and I reeled at the sight of those blazing newly created stars and planets. I do believe that my Lord sustained my life during this time, for my breath was taken from me, I who had called many scenes breathtaking now truly understood what the phrase meant.

  Then He spoke again, and the sky above the earth teemed with a multitude of birds, and they swooped and flew with grace and majesty, arrayed in an assortment of vivid colors, a multitude of birds, singing their praise to the Creator who had called them into life. My friends, words fail me in describing the scene that was before me; no matter the words I choose they will fall short. It was astounding. Then I noticed the seas churning, with a multitude of fish, and mighty sea turtles, dolphins and whales, leaping and dancing before the Creator. Had my eyes never gazed upon another scene, had I been struck blind at that very moment, it would have been enough to carry me all the rest of my days. I prayed at that very moment, oh Lord, oh Father, grant that this scene be ingrained forever more upon my mind, grant that I forget not one bit of it. Twas glorious, twas awe inspiring to watch the evening sunset, upon that peaceful scene.


 And again I was shaken, at the sound of His voice as He spoke, and there sprang forth from nothing, a multitude of creatures, some of which I had never laid eyes upon before. Everywhere I looked, upon the green and vivid earth; it teemed with life, beautiful graceful life. I watched in amazement as a multitude of deer, antelope, giraffe,and elephants, alongside majestic lions and tigers, leapt and danced upon the earth in praise of their Creator. It was more than the senses could process. I was overcome and fell upon my face and worshiped the Creator of all things. Oh yes Lord, it is indeed good.


 And then it became still and quiet and I behold a figure clothed in white walking among the creatures. They all approached without fear, and I watched as his hand went out here and there, to touch a head, to caress a back. The birds swooped up and around Him, and on occasion landed upon his arm. I watched as He spoke to them and visited with them, I know not how long I watched. I knew without question who this glorious figure was, there was no doubt; it was my Lord, my Saviour, the One who died for me.

  I watched as He walked through the mist and to a beautiful flowing stream, and He knelt there next to the water. I could see that He was taking up earth into His hands and forming it and I realized that I was about to behold the creation of our ancestor Adam.  I was far above all this, still standing on the ledge, the angel’s hand upon my shoulder. I strained to see what was transpiring far below me. It seems that as my Lord knelt and crafted something large from the clay that He was singing softly. I watched as He gently blew upon the mass of clay upon the ground, and I gasped as the most beautiful human being that I had ever beheld rose up upon strong legs, a smile upon his face, laughter flowing from his lips as he took the outstretched hand of his Creator. I could feel the love, the peace, the joy radiating through the air, even the creatures, the birds and animals danced in delight at this new being. Some time passed and I beheld my Lord and the man, walking among the plants and animals, and sometimes the man was alone. The man spoke to the animals, and caressed their beautiful coats, and sometimes I watched him nap with his head upon the flank of a great lion. I know not how much time passed as I beheld these things; truly I could have stood there and watched forever. There simply was no concept of time; there was nothing pressing, nothing to rush to, only peace and a beauty of which I am at a loss of words to convey.

 

  At some point, when my Lord was walking in the garden, I saw Him touch the man, and the man fell asleep, and my Lord gently lowered him to the ground. He hovered over the man, performing some act that I could not clearly see,  but I suspected that I was now witnessing the creation of my sister Eve. And in a small space of time (although time is not an adequate word) I watched, again in awe and amazement as the most beautiful woman arose from the ground and took the hand of her Creator.  Her laughter was musical, I had never heard such perfect laughter, she danced and swirled and bowed and my Lord smiled. I could see that He was so pleased with what He had made. At a word from my Lord, the man awoke and stood, how delightful it was to behold the look on his face as he stared at the woman. Then his face split apart in a beautiful grin as my Lord took the hand of the woman, and placed it into the hand of the man. The entire creation seemed to sing out its praise, in birdsong that put to shame the most beautiful orchestra’s that I had been blessed to hear, and the animals danced in delight, even the trees sang out, their branches and leaves rustlings in the gentle breeze.


  All of creation praised the One who had spoken and called them forth from nothing. The peace and the delight of the place flooded my soul, and I would have stood upon that ledge for a million years, but the angel gently touched my shoulder and said “it is time to go; you have witnessed all that He wanted you to see.”   And with sadness I turned away from the beautiful perfect scene below, turned away from the image of the man and the woman, walking with the Lover of my soul. I sighed deeply, and the angel spoke again, “be strong in the Lord, and in the sureness of His love and mercy, and remember His promises. He has redeemed you and called you by name, you are His. He will create new heavens and a new earth and all shall be as He intended it to be, be strong, hold fast, and run your race that He has laid out before you. Hold to the promise that He made that all will one day be as you have witnessed here.”

 And my eyes opened, my head upon my pillow, in my bed, the morning sunlight streaming through the window. I sat up, the scenes I had witnessed still vivid in my mind. Was it a dream? A vision? I know not, but I do know that He spoke to my soul, for it was renewed within me, and I arose with a song of praise on my lips, ready to go out, into a broken and hurting world, and share His peace, His love, and His mercy.

 

 The above story is fictional, and part of an exercise in creative writing that I am doing. I hope you enjoyed it. Although it is fictional and I had no such vision, no visit from an angel, no glimpse of my Lord walking in the garden, the story is built upon truths that we can rely on. Our world is broken, sin has marred it, evil and cruelty at times seem to run amok, but He is in control, He is working out His plan of redemption, and when all that He has ordained has come to pass, He will make all things right. Until then, hold fast to His promises, and be about His work.

Grace and peace be with you, now and forever. Amen

 

 


Taught Wisdom By a Dog

 I sit here on the back patio, my devotional book in hand, a cold Birch Beer on the table, and a big white dog at my feet. As I read and pray I gaze up at the Sandia Mountains, and the vivid blue skies, communing with my Lord, and she sits and gazes up at me.

 This dog is one of the special ones. All that know me know I love all dogs, and that I love the three that reside at my house and are part of my family. But every now and again there comes along one that is special. This one is one of the special ones.

 She is not much to look at, and any enthusiast of her breed would be quick to point out all her many faults. She looks like a Great Dane, with the head of a Boxer, her backend is higher than her front end, her legs and toes are all gangly and crooked, and she has the worst under bite I have ever seen in a dog. No she’s not much to look at…….but neither am I. She and I have a bond, and she is dear to my heart.

 She has known sorrow in her life, she has suffered, she has known days where there was no love, no breakfast and no dinner.  She first came to us, skinny, browbeaten, with rotten toe nails that fell off her feet if she knocked them against something…….but despite it all, she had a huge heart and all it needed was a little love for it to blossom. She loves big, one must be careful speaking to her as if there is any excitement in your voice she will burst into dance, her entire body wagging, and she will leap with joy, and furniture and plants and drinks on tables will go flying. She loves big.

 As I sit here praying, and as my gaze shifts from the bright blue sky, to the hazel eyes of the big white dog at my feet, I think of my Lord, and how much this big white dog is teaching me about worship. I want to be like her, I want to be content to sit at His feet and gaze upon Him, I want to listen attentively for the sound of His voice, I want to please Him, I want to walk with Him, commune with Him, to live every moment of my existence fully aware of His presence with me. When He speaks I want to be so full of joy at the sound of His voice that I cannot contain myself, bursting into dance, with no thought or worry as to whether I have the rhythm required for such antics.

 I call her to me, as I get ready to leave the house for work, her head in my lap I gently rub her ears and tell her she is good and that I love her. I tell her everything is going to be okay, and she trusts me, she stands sure upon my every word, she looks at me with eyes that say, “Just say the word, and I will lie right down and die for you, if that is what makes you happy”. I truly believe she would, were she able to understand such a request. I want to hold and keep that kind of faith in Jesus, a faith so certain that if he simply says “lay right down and die”, I would do it willingly, gladly and with a song on my lips.

 The older I get, the more I realize that this world is full of instruction, if we only pause and look. Creation really does cry out “there is a God, come and know Him!”   The heavens declare Him, the mountains declare Him, the trees declare Him, and the creatures declare Him!  I look upon this big white dog, and her ungainly body, her bulldog face, her trusting eyes….and I see the hand of our Creator God.

 

““Lord, we thank you for our dogs — your simple gift to us. Open us to what they teach. We thank you for the grateful exuberance of our dogs.

“We thank you for the way they bound across the hills, splash in the waters, chew on sticks, and roll in the dewy grass. Teach us, every day, to say our own ‘thank you’ with every fiber of our being, for the wondrous works of your creation.

“We thank you, Lord, for the honest, direct loyalty of our dogs. We thank you for the wag of their tails and the offer of a cuddle for friend and stranger alike, the way they make people . . . into our neighbors, the way they regard not body type, color of hair, or color of skin. We thank you for the easy way they forgive faults — the way they love us, not because we can love back, but because of our need for love. . . .” (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2013/04/a-prayer-for-dogs/)

 

“I look up and I see God, I look down and see my dog.
Simple spelling G O D, same word backwards, D O G.
They would stay with me all day. I'm the one who walks away.
But both of them just wait for me, and dance at my return with glee.
Both love me no matter what - divine God and canine mutt.
I take it hard each time I fail, but God forgives, dog wags his tail.
God thought up and made the dog, dog reflects a part of God.
I've seen love from both sides now, it's everywhere, amen, bow wow.
I look up and I see God, I look down and see my dog.
And in my human frailty...I can't match their love for me. “ (God and Dog, by Wendy Francisco)

 

  The above are lyrics to the song “God and Dog”, but few are aware of the story behind that video and song.  The below link tells the story and also has links to the video. Enjoy.

 

http://www.guideposts.org/pets/story-behind-god-and-dog-youtube-video



 

Our Sacred Quest

Our journey did not begin as any kind of sacred quest. It began as a much needed vacation, a chance to be together, a chance to lay aside the many cares of life and just reconnect, with each other, with God's great creation and with our Creator. I guess I did not realize that it had in fact been a sacred quest, until we were near the very end of it.
 The title comes from my eldest son, who in his jesting manner simply asked the question, "when does your and dads sacred quest end?" A simple question meant to ask "when will you guys be home", instead becomes the title for my post.
 Twenty nine years of marriage molds you together, you become like a favorite pair of slippers, or a warm blanket, to each other. You pay no real attention to these slippers, or this blanket, perhaps washing them from time to time, or dusting off the dirt, but you put no real effort into them. You simply acknowledge, somewhere in the depths of your thoughts that these things make you comfortable. Now there is nothing wrong with this, but one must be aware that it can lead to taking your loved one for granted. I know I have been guilty of this over the years.
  So we set out, early Thursday morning, with a hastily packed vehicle, enough food for simple meals and a grand dog named Samson. We headed north. We were both excited, eager to just get away from mundane life and see the beautiful outdoors. I was unaware at the time just how many blessings God had in store for us.


 We headed north to Chama, New Mexico and visited the two beautiful lakes there. We stopped at El Vado for some fishing.  Looking down on the lake we could see huge fish swimming around. My husband fished while I entertained Samson the dog, who believed all water was created for him to frolic in, and that any and every stick, up to the size of trees, were created and placed for him to retrieve. His first step into the lake was a shock, for he was more accustomed to the beaches of Washington, where Melanie often took him to play, and as he stepped out into water that was over his head he panicked a bit, his front legs flailing about, his back ones desperately seeking the ground, but after a few moments he got the hang of it and was swimming like a champ. We played for a bit, then walked the shoreline. I found several shell fossils which I placed in my pocket and we headed back to sit with Nef as he fished. He had several bites but no luck with catching anything. The huge fish just swam around uninterested in anything he had to offer.


  We packed up and headed to Lake Heron, normally a huge beautiful lake, but the levels were very low with the years of drought and we decided not to stop.


We began searching for our first camping spot along the beautiful Chama River. We picked a old side road and headed down into the valley. As we traveled it looked as if we might be spending our first night in the middle of nowhere in particular, but finally we broke free into the river valley and found a beautiful campsite right next to the river, with beautiful red cliffs above. The river was bubbling over rocks and sang it's pleasant relaxing song. Black Billed Magpies were abundant and you could hear their calls and watch them as they flew about the cliffs. The valley was filled with numerous wildflowers. It was a breathtakingly beautiful place.


 I sat in camp that evening and read from the Psalms, and was in awe of the majesty of God, and of the wonder of creation, of how beautiful the world is. I was humbled to think that He created it for us to enjoy. In awe of His goodness.
 We slept that night in peace, with the river singing and we awoke to another glorious day. Oh how good is fresh percolated coffee on a mountain morning next to a flowing river! We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs, enjoyed our coffee and somewhere during that time it begin to lightly drizzle. Since we were deep in the valley and the road out steep and unkempt, we decided to break camp and head out.
  We traveled through the Apache reservation on a quest of lakes, visiting Stone Lake, and Stinking Lake, both turned out to be small lakes surrounded by grass. We did not stop at either. We continued on our way to Dulce, New Mexico, admiring the beautiful scenery along the way.


   Near Dulce, New Mexico, one of the mountain tops had rock formations that looked like a castle.


  It had drizzled all day, so we decided to head back to Chama and find a motel room for the night rather than setup camp in the rain. We spent the night in a tiny room, built in the 40s, with a very quaint shower, a tiny little television and a comfortable queen size bed. We had dinner at a local restaurant and Samson and I took several little walks about Chama. That evening Nef and I along with Samson walked about the Chama Steam Train Station and had coffee and then we chased Samson around inside a local gift shop as he slipped his collar and decided to explore on his own.
 



 The next morning we grabbed some breakfast from a local cafe and headed towards Taos. As we drove through the mountain pass we were in the clouds, with fog so thick at times you could barely see. We sang the Misty Mountains song from The Hobbit.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day,
To find our long-forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light

On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.





We stopped at the Rio Grande Gorge and decided to walk out on the bridge. Samson was a little freaked out by the height and the traffic passing on the bridge. I managed to take a couple of pictures before everything went wrong. As we were walking off the bridge, intending to put Samson in the car, he panicked and slipped his collar, running out into the middle of the bridge and stopping traffic. He then headed to the little open air market on the side of the road and gallivanted about visiting many people before we were finally able to recapture him. We decided that it was time to continue our journey.
 

In Taos we found a local pet store and purchased a harness for Samson as we were somewhat tired of chasing him about and he seemed to have a knack for slipping out of the collar.

  We headed out into the Sangre De Christo (Blood of Christ) mountains, named by the Spanish conquistadors as they gazed upon these beautiful mountains at sunset and the mountains were all ablaze in red.


  We headed into Valle Verde on our way up to the Rio Costilla Park. There are no words to describe the abundant beauty we encountered and the photos although beautiful, do not do justice to the splendor we viewed. Our Creator is an awesome God, and I could not help but think of heaven and how wonderful it must be, for He tells us in His word that we simply cannot imagine the wonders in store, and I looked upon these views and thought how can anything be more amazing than this?


 We made camp by a stream, with a ring of tall pines encircling our tent, and another ring of tall pines encircling our campfire. Looking out at the huge forests of tall pines, densely packed together and reaching to the heavens I was reminded of Elisha.
"Then Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!’ The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”
 That night we sat at our campfire and gazed up through the opening above us into the night sky, so filled with stars that your eyes simply could not take it all in. That next morning I sat and gazed through that same opening at the clouds colored as the sun rose.





 We traveled up a high mountain road, to a lake called Little Blue, it was a hard long climb and upon reaching the top you have to hike in about 1/4 mile to the Lake, which was a beautiful deep crystal clear lake. Nef fished while Samson and I explored. The scenery was spectacular. Nef pulled out his limit of two big fat trout, which we had for supper that evening.

The next morning we broke camp and begin to explore the Costilla River. Samson and I hiked along the stream while Nef fished. He caught two more trout. Further upstream Samson retrieved numerous dead sticks and trees from the water. I admired the many wildflowers growing in the meadows around the stream.


 We reluctantly left the Rio Costilla park, vowing to return as there are numerous mountain lakes we did not get to see, these require planning and time as there are hikes involved in getting to them. It was a beautiful place and one we highly recommend if you are in the area. I imagine we could have spent a month here and never seen all there is to see. We were told of one of the high lakes, which is a pretty good hike in, that has a beautiful waterfall. The man describing it to us said it was "like heaven to behold". We intend, God willing, to go back and see this place for ourselves.
 We headed out upon a dirt road through the Valle Verde, and traveled almost 40 miles winding up and down the steep mountain passes. We reached an altitude of just short of 10,000 feet. We stopped for lunch at a small lake.


 As we came out into civilization again, near Questa, New Mexico, I got a craving for a Root Beer, and asked Nef to stop should he see a place that might have one. As we traveled past a little store, I teased him for failing to stop. A short time later we past yet another small store, and once again I teased him for failing to stop. He had forgotten my desire for a Root Beer and he pulled over and turned around and headed back. Upon entering this tiny little store and informing the owner of my desire for a Root Beer, I was amazed to discover that they carried Boylen's Root Beer, and not only that they carried Bolyen's Birch Beer! Now Birch Beer is my all time favorite and not something you often find in New Mexico. I purchased four bottles and left the store excited with my find! God had a lot of blessings for us on this trip but I was amazed to be blessed with Bolyen's Birch Beer in the middle of nowhere New Mexico!
 
 We traveled through Red River, which is another place that we intend to revisit, it has a multitude of things to do and see. Our main reason for visiting it was nothing more than a childhood memory of the song Red River Valley, and of my dad singing it.

From this valley they say you are going,
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile,
For they say you are taking the sunshine
Which has brightened our pathways a while.

Come and sit by my side if you love me;
Do not hasten to bid me adieu,
But remember the Red River Valley,
And the girl that has loved you so true.

I've been thinking a long time, my darling,
Of the sweet words you never would say,
Now, alas, must my fond hopes all vanish?
For they say you are going away.

Won't you think of the valley you're leaving,
Oh, how lonely and sad it will be,
Just think of the fond heart you're breaking,
And the grief you are causing to me.

From this valley they say you are going,
When you go, may your darling go too?
Would you leave her behind unprotected,
When she loves no one other than you.

As you go to your home by the ocean,
May you never forget those sweet hours,
That we spent in the Red River Valley,
And the love we exchanged 'mid the flowers.

I have promised you, darling, that never
Will a word from my lips cause you pain,
And my life, it will be yours forever,
If you only will love me again.

They will bury me where you have wandered,
Near the hills where the daffodils grow,
When you're gone from the Red River valley,
For I can't live without you I know.

 


 Our intentions were to camp along the Red River, but as we traveled it there was nothing that called out, most spots were either highly congested, or too close to the main road, and the river was more like a brook than a river, so we kept traveling and considered whether we should just head for home when we came upon a sign for Lake Cabresto and decided to check it out. We drove along a road with numerous cabins and houses, some of them pretty unique.



 I was expecting that our last campsite would be nothing like the previous ones, as we traveled up a high mountain road, more like a jeep trail than a road, and as the road twisted this way and that and I observed the nondescript campsites along the side I expected to settle for something far less spectacular than we had previously enjoyed. Once again I failed to remember that God was abundantly blessing us on this journey. We arrived to the top and found a beautiful mountain lake.


 We headed out the next morning, traveling back into Taos and then following the Rio Grande all the way to Sante Fe. We sipped the last of our Birch Beer and agreed that it had been the very best of times.


  As we traveled the last part of our journey, along I25 from Sante Fe home, one we have taken countless times, even then God had blessings in store, for He painted the sky with the most beautiful clouds.





  Our journey came to an end. Although there are no profound words within this post, no amazing insights, only this simple truth. God is good. He created all things for our pleasure. He delights in providing even the most simple things for His children. He is trustworthy and true. He gives peace, He gives joy. He demands us to "be still, and KNOW that He IS God.

 I give thanks to You, Father of life, Giver of good, my Rock and my Salvation, for this wonderful time with my husband, this scared quest. We found peace, we found joy, we found each other and most of all, we found You.

 "When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' 'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."---Luke 19:37-40 NIV

   (I heard the rocks and trees and lakes and streams crying out their praise to God. It was not an audible sound, it was a soul sound. I think most folks know that sound, your soul hears it when you look out at a spectacular view, when you see something that just stirs the soul....)

"You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all the starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."---Nehemiah 9:6 NIV

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."---Psalm 19:1-3 NIV


"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."--Romans 1:20 NLT








Creation Groans for Deliverance

   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. On the 5th day God created the creatures of the water and the birds of the air. On the 6th day he created the animals……and man.

He was pleased with His creation, and He called it all good.

He created man in His own image and gave them dominion over all the earth, over the creatures of the sea, the birds of the air and over every animal that lived upon the earth.

Dominion. That word we so often believe is to dominate something, to stand over it as it cowers beneath us. We do that well, but that is not what the Lord intended. He gave us authority, ruler-ship, stewardship, over the earth and all His creation. We created in His image should therefore exercise this authority as He would. We as a species fail utterly in so doing. Instead we crush the earth, we crush the creatures, we abuse our authority and wreak havoc and suffering upon our fellow man and upon God’s creation.

  We read in God’s word the story of Balaam and of the donkey he rode upon. God was opposed to the thing that Balaam was about to do. The Angel of the Lord, a pre-incarnate representation of Christ, stood in the path to block Balaam’s way. But he was blind to this and when the little donkey he was riding upon stopped, Balaam became angry and beat her. Three times she refused to pass the path blocked by God, and three times he beat her without mercy. God in His compassion opened the mouth of the donkey and she spoke to Balaam saying “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” And then God opened Balaam’s eyes and he beheld that which the donkey had seen all along, the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with sword in hand, and Balaam bowed face down upon the ground and the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, ““Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

 

God defends the little donkey.

Later on, in the New Testament, we read of the account of our Lord as he rides into Jerusalem upon the back of a donkey. We are told that this donkey was young and had never been ridden. Those of us who have had dealings with equines can tell you one thing true. One does not go and take hold of a young equine that has never had a person sit upon him, and take him and ride him in a parade. It just does not work out well for you, or for the equine, or for the folks standing along the parade route waving and shouting. But that is exactly what our Lord does. He sits down on this young donkey, who has never before carried a person and he ride’s into Jerusalem with throngs of people waving palm branches and casting them down upon the ground in front of the donkey and screaming Hosanna at the top of their lungs. And the donkey carries our Lord with grace and dignity……..the word does not speak on this, but it is obvious that the donkey knows exactly whom he carries.

The Bible does not say a lot about animals, but it does not need to. God stated that creation was good, it pleased Him, He stated that we were created in His image, to be like Him and that we were to care for creation. Really nothing more needs to be said. But there are a couple of things in the scriptures that shed more light on this subject.

Proverbs says “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”  And “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.”

Yet cruelty towards God’s creatures abounds. Both willful cruelty and ignorant cruelty exist in abundance.

We read in Romans of how the creation groans for deliverance, groans and cries out to God for deliverance.

In Genesis we read of how the blood of Abel, cried out to God from the ground. The first murder and the blood cried out, can you even imagine the cry that rises up to heaven each day now? We murder each other, and we crush the creation. These things ought not to be.

Each of us, who are called by Him, should look upon others, and upon the creatures of this world, as important to God. We should interact with the creatures of this world with love and with mercy. We should endeavor to care for the creation as people who are made in His image. Animals raised and slaughtered for food should be well cared for, and slaughtered as humanely as possible, giving thanks to the Lord for His provision. Animals slain for food in the hunt should be done so under the laws that protect their numbers and as quickly and humanely as possible, again with thanks for the provision provided.

 Greed fuels cruelty. The desire to process more and more to fill the consumer who in most cases thinks nothing at all about where the food he or she is consuming comes from. As you fry up your hamburger tonight, thank God for the cow that died to provide it.

 Christians should be about alleviating suffering, both in our fellow man and our fellow creatures. Just this past couple of months have brought to light some of the most grievous cruelty against helpless animals that I have ever witnessed in all my years. Dogs brutally sexually assaulted, dogs dragged behind vehicles until their toes and flesh were ripped off, suffering grievous wounds, dogs with their heads caved in by a shovel, walking about with terrible wounds, these but a handful of the thousands of stories out there untold. If you have no compassion for a helpless animal, how can you have compassion for your fellow man? Do not think for one moment that God looks down upon the wanton cruelty displayed across this world and thinks nothing.

No matter what we do, the creation will continue to cry out, continue to groan and wait for deliverance, but as children of God, we should be about lessening the suffering, of our fellow man and our fellow creatures until such time as the Lord makes all things right again.

Creation groans for deliverance.............

 

All of Creation

I would begin this post by thanking my Facebook friend Chipster, as it was several posts that he did today that led to this posting.

 A few months ago I was sitting outside, praying, my heart was discouraged and I felt a call to be still and listen. I closed my eyes and opened my ears, and I could hear the wind as it gently stirred the branches of the Sycamore tree I was sitting under, and all of a sudden, it was as if the trees were singing. Each one had a slightly different sound to it, the Sycamore the loudest, the pines more stoic and reserved, and the Japenese Maple very gentle.........and my heart was lifted and I was filled with a sense of wonder, at how all of creation really does praise Him!

 My friend posted two Psalms. Psalm 19 and Psalm 148. Read through them, let the words of the Psalms resonate with your soul. And then listen to some of the wonderful sounds of nature lifting its voice in song to the King!

Psalm 19

 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky aboveproclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech,and night to night reveals knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens,and its circuit to the end of them,and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

 The law of the Lord is perfect,reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;  the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the rulesof the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned;in keeping them there is great reward.

 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!  Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together,
old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints,for the people of Israel who are near to him! Praise the Lord!

Crickets and female opera singer (slowed) Thank you Chipster!

 

Trees and Wind

Earth sounds

Sun sounds

Moon sounds

 

And the best saved for last, Louie Giglio combined the radio waves from pulsating stars, with the sound of whales and human voice in praise. The video is 14 minutes long, but it is 14 minutes well spent. (Thanks Chipster for sharing this one! It is awesome!)