Matthew 28:6

He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.

I’m in the habit of checking the weather in the morning before I take a walk. I had to smile when I read the forecast for today – abundant sunshine and a high of 54. That’s a nice forecast for this time of year. I love sunny days. While I was walking this morning I was thinking about the joy and hope God’s children have for a bright future. It’s such a comfort to know in the midst of a fallen, sinful world full of war, strife, sorrow and suffering that a better day is coming for those who love the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written:
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him”

I love the different seasons God has given us to enjoy. I’m glad that today is the first day of Spring. We’re getting lots of rain right now and we’ve even seen some lightning. I’m looking forward to warmer and longer days. God has promised that as long as the earth remains the seasons won’t cease and night and day won’t cease. It’s so comforting to know that God is in control of the earth. Maybe Al Gore wouldn’t believe we face a “true planetary emergency” if he believed the promises of God. Global warming? God says heat and cold will not cease as long as the earth remains and He is always true to His Word.

Genesis 8:22 (ESV)

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

I was reading in Exodus this morning and I came across this verse in chapter 20.

Exodus 20:20 (ESV)

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of Him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

The fear of God is a good thing because it keeps us from sin. I pray that I will be a woman who fears God and doesn’t take sin lightly.

Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Last Tuesday evening as I was returning home from shopping, one of my kids pointed out to me the beauty of the moon’s reflection on the lake we were passing. It reminded me of the theme verses from last year’s national conference of the GARBC.

Psalm 67:1-2 (ESV)

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
Selah

2 that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.

I pray that God’s glory will be reflected in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. Just as we noticed the reflection of the moon and marvelled at it, may we as believers reflect God’s glory so that His way may be known on earth,and His saving power among all nations.

A few days ago, when I started my morning walk, the full moon I saw in the sky was just gorgeous. I went back in the house to grab the camera so I could take a picture of it. By that time some clouds were covering it and I had missed the chance to try to get a picture of the magnificent view. I had blown it. It was too late to try to capture what I had seen. It reminded me of the brevity of life and how fleeting our moments on this earth are. It was a reminder to me to make each day and each moment count for eternity. It’s my prayer that God will help me to use my time wisely and for His glory. It’s all too easy for me to miss opportunites and not use the days He gives me as well as I should.

Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.

I missed getting a picture of the moon but the sunrise that morning was pretty too.

My walk this morning was such a treat. I loved seeing the houses nestled in snow and the woods adorned in the white of winter. While I was walking my heart was full of praise and thanksgiving for all of the good things God has given to me now and throughout my entire life. I was reminded of a passage from the book, Out to Canaan, by Jan Karon.

And while he did the run to Farmer, he would do a seemingly childish thing – he would count his blessings as far as he could. Quite possibly the list could go on until Wednesday, for he knew a thing or two about blessings and how they were, even in the worst of times, inexhaustible.

It’s all too easy to complain and not focus on the goodness of God in my life. I know when I’ve failed to be thankful, I’m a miserable person. My desire is to be a thankful person and a blessing to others. I know I’m always refreshed when I spend time with others who have a grateful and joyful heart. The company of someone who is critical and complaining just isn’t much fun. Once I get started counting my blessings, I realize there are countless reasons for thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.