Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.
Emily BRONTE
Autumn, when it hits just right, can be the most glorious of seasons – and this year, due to a warm, dry summer, we’ve been treated to some pretty spectacular displays here in our little South-Eastern corner of England.
There is nothing quite like the pop of an ochre tree against a bright blue sky to lift the spirits of the beholder.
Amber and Honey being Fox Red Labs, look like they were made for autumn. Add myself into the mix, and we’ve been quite the merry band of red-heads, tromping through the coppery foliage!
And just to add to the fun, we’ve also had an extra dog in tow for a few days this month – Holly, another one of Amber’s pups. What a joy to witness these three ginger-nuts waltzing around the park amid the whirling, swirling leaves.
There have been times over the last few weeks where they have reminded me of Chameleons, blending brilliantly into their surroundings. Talk about a game of Spot the Dog!
THE CYCLE OF LIFE
Autumn is a great reminder of the continuous cycle of nature. Autumn always seems to signal: change is in the air. As Summer goes out in a blaze of glory, the air gets cooler, crisper. Darker mornings set in. The gradual shortening of days. The comings and goings of the geese, some honking hello, others honking goodbye. The big old saucer of a moon. The arrival of the Redwings and Fieldfares and other migratory birds which frequent our soils from late autumn, flying in from Scandinavia in the hope of finding berries. The earth yielding bountiful crops, which are harvested in a celebration of thanksgiving.
I love the first few lines of this beautiful autumn poem by Rachel Field:
Something told the wild geese It was time to go Though the fields lay golden Something whispered, "Snow!"
I too, often marvel at the way these things just seem to happen. Endlessly. Without fail. Year upon year.
Yet, the bible shows us clearly that these things are not merely coincidence, but part of God’s wise and intricate design.
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.
Genesis 8:22
Right at the start, God established the seasons!
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years.
Genesis 1:14
The moon is specifically mentioned for the marking of the seasons, and the sun is noted for its regular setting time.
He made the moon to mark the seasons, the sun knows when to set.
Psalm 104:19
What an incredible God, who makes everything so beautifully and perfectly! In His infinite wisdom, He made all things so well, bringing rhythm and harmony and variety to His Creation.
shifting seasons
The natural order of things can serve as a mirror for our own lives too. The seasons can serve as a metaphor, reminding us of the ever changing landscape of our lives. For myself as a Mother, I’m constantly amazed at how quickly I’m passing through the seasons- from parenting sticky-faced toddlers, to wide-eyed adventurers, to turbulent teens, and suddenly to adult children all with their own experiences and seasons! My heart can barely keep up at times, and hold the weight of all my hopes and dreams for my precious four.
Our lives are subject to highs and lows and shifts and changes. Just like in nature, our lives have a rhythm. Periods of growth. Periods of rest. Just like the crops, sometimes abundant other times, fallow. Even our spiritual walk can be subject to mountain-top views and valleys-like depths, to uphill climbs and tummy-turning downhill rushes, to lush plains of plenty, and dry desert paths.
JESUS – THE CONSTANT ONE
Psalm 23 reminds us so well that Jesus is our Good Shepherd! He is our Immanuel! He’s constantly with us- whether we’re in green pastures or walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
What comfort there is in knowing His rod and staff to guide and protect us in all the seasons of our lives.
What peace there is in knowing that He is the God who watches over our coming in and going out- now and forevermore – Psalm 121:8
What joy in walking through all the seasons of life beside an ever-faithful God, whose love is as constant as the sun.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalm 118:24
Labradors always seem to be in a good mood! Apart from the rare occasion where they are perhaps sick or anxious, these cheerful creatures are renowned for being the most affectionate and exuberant of dogs. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen our dogs smile a time or two!
Amber, reunited with Holly, one of her pups
Every time they see us, whether it’s first thing in the morning, or when we return home from somewhere, we are greeted with a full on half-hour waggy-welcome party! You would think we’d been apart for decades.
Amber (far right) with Honey (far left) & Holly (middle) who came to visit recently
The girls just cannot contain their mirth, but rush around like spinning tops, grabbing the nearest ‘present’ they can hold in their soft jaws- usually a shoe, or a slipper or someone’s discarded sweater – then parade around the kitchen table as proud as punch, doing a kind of salsa-number with their rear-end.
Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, I rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4
These high-spirited dogs seem acutely attuned to even the slightest whiff of joy and celebration! I think they have a joy antenna fitted somewhere! If ever I sing or dance or laugh out loud, or get remotely happy, they quickly pick up on the atmosphere, wagging their tails ecstatically, and occasionally rearing up on their hind legs in a joyful jiggle.
Rejoice!
The bible is choc-full of scriptures telling us to rejoice! Some sources say that there are over 300 verses about gladness, joy and rejoicing. The word rejoice means to feel or show great joy or delight. Boy, do our dogs know how to rejoice!
Interestingly, the command to rejoice isn’t only reserved for times when everything is going our way.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to: ‘Rejoice at all times.” and James 1:2 says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters when you face trials of many kinds…”
Biblical rejoicing is a command to find joy in God, regardless of our shifting circumstances. Biblical joy is rooted – not in fleeting feelings of happiness – but rather anchored in the knowledge of God’s presence, promises and faithfulness at all times. We can rejoice because we know that whatever life throws at us, we have an unshakable Rock that we can run to – Jesus, the Victor over sin and death and grave.
We rejoice because He is always worthy – no matter how hard life can get.
This joy and gladness can be expressed though worship, thankfulness and hope in the face of both blessings and suffering.
Unlike the Labrador, sometimes we need to stir ourselves to rejoice! Reminding ourselves of all that God has done is a great way to do this. Even if we’re struggling to find joy in our current situation, reflecting on God’s goodness, kindness and generosity in sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins is a great catalyst for rejoicing:
I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul shall rejoice in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness.”
Isaiah 61:10
God’s presence is the only place in which we can find real and lasting joy.
In your presence there is fullness of joy. At Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:10
If you’re not sure how to get into God’s presence, the bible has a great suggestion for the best route in!
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him, bless His Name!”
Psalm 100:4
We get into God’s presence by thanking Him and praising Him. And if we linger long enough in this atmosphere, we will end up finding JOY.
Today, despite the instability of my feelings and shifting circumstances, I am choosing to REJOICE! Will you join me?
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy-laden and I will give your rest – Matt 11:28
I picked up my pen, But the words wouldn't come, My mind in a tangle, My brain feeling numb. I tried and I tried To keep doing my best, But the weight of my trials Crushed the hope in my chest. And grief stripped my song, To a desolate cry, My worship a whisper, My prayers just a sigh. Each step that I took Weighed with worrisome boulders, Until two big strong arms, Placed me up on His shoulders.
And He bandaged my wounds And He called me His daughter, And He led me through meadows, To quiet streams of water.
I said: "Lord I've failed You, I've not done enough!' And He sang to me softly, And hushed me with love.
Then He answered: 'Be still There is no need to hurry, Just rest in my goodness, Don't fret and don't worry.'
Those who wait on the Lord, Will find new strength to run, They'll rise up like eagles, With their wings in the sun, 'Just lean into me, Lay Your head on my chest, Cast your burdens upon Me, And I'll give you my rest'.
I have this scruffy old fence panel at the back of my garden that doesn’t match the rest. I’m so conscious of it sticking out like a sore thumb.
But recently, after moving some plants around in the garden, I discovered it makes the perfect backdrop for this orange rose. Something about that battered, weather-beaten wood only serves to highlight the beauty and perfection of the rose all the more.
It got me thinking about the verse in 2 Corinthians: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.’ (2 Cor 4:7)
I find it mind-blowing that God chooses to make His dwelling place in ordinary, broken, weather-beaten people like me.
He doesn’t choose the wise or the strong. He deliberately chooses the lowly and despised things of this world -and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. (1 Cor 1:27-29).
This is such good news! It means we don’t have to attain to a level of perfection in order to come before Him. No! We can come as we are! In fact, His power is made perfect in our weakness! (2 Cor 12:9)
I’m so grateful that God chose a ‘fixer-upper’ like me in order to display the riches of His glorious grace and mercy all the more!
Stormy Skies over Ventnor, Isle of Wight, Oct, 2017
On that day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still! And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Mark 4:35-41
Squalls & Storms!
This morning, as we find ourselves in the grip of a growing global health crisis,’ I believe this is such a word in season.
We know the story well. The disciples and Jesus are sailing across the Sea of Galilee, when all of a sudden, a great wind-storm arises. In the book of Matthew, the word ‘squall’ is used, which means a sudden violent wind, or localised storm, especially one bringing rain, snow or sleet.
Isn’t it strange how suddenly trouble can arise? One minute it’s Happy New Year, and the next…we’re lurching from one crisis to the next. Wildfires. Climate change. Plagues of locusts. Deadly viruses. Storms, both literal and metaphoric, are by nature, sudden, violent and unpredictable. And they seem to be increasing in these days.
Don’t You Care?
The waves were ‘breaking into the boat’, and the boat was ‘already’ filling with water. This was not just a risky situ, this was imminent, life-threatening danger. And where was Jesus? Asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat!
The disciples on the other hand, were quite understandably, panicking!
They wake Jesus up, seemingly bemused, as to why He isn’t doing anything!
“Don’t you care that we are perishing?” they say.
Now, perhaps Jesus was in such a deep sleep that He genuinely didn’t realise there was a full-scale hullabaloo going on! But the interesting point is, when He wakes up, He doesn’t immediately start trying to bail out the water and join in the panic. Neither does He apologise for being asleep. At no point does Jesus become subject to the storm.
In the Grip of Fear
Have you noticed how quickly fear can spread? Believe me, it can escalate much faster than any virus! When you witness people fighting and screaming over toilet-roll in the supermarket, you begin to understand just how noxious fear can be.
But have you ever noticed there are two types of fear in this passage?
First we witness the fear of the storm. Highly understandable in many ways. The boat was taking a pounding, it was filling up with water. If things didn’t change very quickly, it was only going one way….Down into the depths.
Jesus rebukes the wind and speaks to the sea: “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceases and there is a great calm.
There are no words to describe how awesome this must have been.
And then Jesus addresses the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
It’s incredible, isn’t it? Jesus doesn’t immediately comfort these traumatised disciples, He challenges them! “Why are you so afraid?” Haven’t you seen enough of My power, of My great love and compassion – are you still not yet convinced?
A Different Kind of Fear
And then the scripture tells us that they are filled with GREAT FEAR, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that even the winds and waves obey Him?”
Suddenly they are gripped with the right kind of fear. It’s called the Fear of the Lord. It’s a reverential, awestruck submission. It’s the kind of fear that realises that God is infinitely Higher, and greater and Holier than I could ever imagine -that everything He says and everything He does is always just and right and true. It’s the kind of fear that caused the apostle John to fall down like a dead man at the sight of the Resurrected Jesus, and Isaiah to cry out, “Woe is me, for I am undone! I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!”
Right in this jaw-dropping moment, when all of a sudden the raging sea with it’s high and lofty billows becomes as calm as a millpond, the disciples suddenly SEE. They realise who the real King is.
Sunset over Lake Garda, Italy, August 2018
They see that all along they have been in the boat with someone so powerful, so glorious, so incomprehensible, that they are absolutely undone. All of a sudden, they are filled with the right kind of fear. Internally, they fall to their knees, as they now perceive that the One who stands before them is utterly powerful, absolutely in control, and ultimately worthy of all worship, honour, and glory. Suddenly they are no longer afraid of the storm, because they’ve just locked eyes with the storm-stopper!
So in the midst of this very real crisis, let’s ask God to help us not to give in to fear and panic. Despite the rising water level, despite the numbers of confirmed cases increasing by the hour, despite the chaos we can see all around us & the media overplaying, (or politicians underplaying) things, and despite the ensuing panic and disruption that may well come, let’s press on, rebuking the storm and trusting in the storm-stopper!
In these stormy times, in the face of this sudden squall, I pray we will be governed by the right kind of fear, the fear of the Lord, which so wondrously displaces any other.
I love a good game of Spot the difference, don’t you?…
Have a good look at these two sets of pictures. They are both photos of the tomato plants that I’m currently trying to grow.
Now tell me…what’s the difference?
Water.
That’s the difference! Set one is a photo of my tomato plants when I got back from my holiday a few weeks back. (What a sad and sorrowful sight!)
Set two is a photo of my tomato plants the following morning, after a great big, refreshing drink of water.
It’s remarkable, isn’t it?!
I don’t think I’ve ever come across plants that are quite as thirsty as these. If you forget to water them for a single day, they literally droop and wilt and look all but dead.
But give them a good old glug of water, and half an hour later, they completely revive!
Thirsty?
Have you ever been thirsty? Have you ever experienced that dryness in your mouth and throat, that feeling of agitation, of desperation, where all you can think about is water?
The trouble is, just like my tomato plants, one drink of water is not enough. We need to keep drinking in order to survive.
The Woman at the Well
Jesus had an interesting chat with a woman at a well once. They were talking about water. I guess when you’re standing at a well, water is a fairly obvious thing to talk about. In fact, Jesus dares to ask the woman to draw him some water.
According to the gospel of John, this rather surprises the woman:
You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews and Samaritans do not associate with one another).
John 4:9
Jesus answers her:
If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.”
John 4:10
Ok, what is Jesus doing here? He’s gone from talking about H2O – literal, physical water- to something entirely spiritual.
LIVING WATER.
The conversation twists and turns like this for a while, with the Samaritan woman still not really seeing, not really perceiving.
Jesus says:
Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become to them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Through a series of further interchanges, Jesus lovingly draws this woman out. It’s as if He sees right into the depths of her heart and reveals all the emptiness within. This woman has been desperately thirsty. She’s been searching for years and years – desperately yearning – for a love that lasts – that really satisfies. Jesus sends the bucket right deep down into the depths of her soul. Why? Not to make her feel ashamed. But because He knows her lack. He really, truly sees her. He rightly discerns that she’s had five husbands. And that she’s not married to her current lover. This woman cannot seem to find what she’s looking for. She cannot seem to quench her thirst. She’s placing all her hope in human relationships, going from husband to husband, lover to lover – looking for true love and happiness, where it just can’t be found. It’s like she’s got this desperate, insatiable thirst.
Empty Wells
Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again…
Are you thirsty today? Are you searching down an empty well?
Money. Sex. Relationships. Fame and popularity. Success. Likes on Social Media. Drugs. Booze. Possessions. Houses. Careers. Ambitions fulfilled. Children. Family. Clothes. Holidays.
All of these things can fill a void temporarily. But the trouble is, they won’t bring lasting satisfaction.
Don’t get me wrong, some of these things aren’t BAD in themselves. Some of these things are gifts from God, meant to be enjoyed. But the point is, sometimes we focus on the gift, forgetting that the most beautiful thing about a gift, is the giver.
There is nothing on earth that can fill the God-shaped void within each one of us. These things may momentarily quench something within our souls. But they will always, always leave us thirsting for more.
Living Water
The good news is, God wants to give us His LIVING WATER – What’s Living Water? The type of water that fully satisfies. The type of drink that puts an end to all our searching. We will never find lasting satisfaction in the temporal, in the carnal, in the things we spend our time and money acquring, the things we try to hopelessly keep stuffing into the empty places.
Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Isaiah 55:2-3
At last, the Samaritan woman finds it! She finds the living Water as she talks with Jesus at the well. She comes to understand that HE is the living water – He is the end of all our thirsting. When we meet Jesus, and fully understand who He is, and the gift of salvation that He brings, we will never thirst again. Rivers of LIVING WATER will flow from our inner most being. If you’re thirsty today, then the following invitation, from Jesus, is for you…
‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’
Blessed are they who keep my ways. Heed instruction and be wise –
Proverbs 8:33
Once there were two builder guys,
One was foolish, one was wise.
Built their houses by the shore,
Bang, Tap, Hammer, Saw!
Both their houses looked so grand,
One on rock, the other sand,
Who’s been foolish, can you tell?
Who’s built badly, who’s built well?
Trees are swaying, skies are grey,
Who knew it would rain today?!
Run inside, shut the door,
Looks like it’s about to pour
Thunder cracks – what a din!
A sudden storm is rolling in,
Rain is falling, waters rise,
Now we’ll see which man was wise.
The storm keeps raging all day long,
And the house on the rock keeps standing strong,
But creak, wobble, crash, bang, SPLAT!
The house on the sand has fallen flat!
A Story Jesus Told…
Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and actson them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell – and great was its fall!
Matthew 7:24-27
Which kind?
Which kind of man did Jesus say was wise?
Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them…
Which kind of man did Jesus say was foolish?
Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act upon them…
Both of these guys HEARD. Both of these men built houses – that’s pretty clever, right?
But only one of them built on the right foundation. Only one of these houses was founded on the rock.
Hearing God’s word is not enough to make us wise. We need to obey, if we want our lives to be founded upon the rock.
When the storms came…
It wasn’t until the storms came, that we found out which man had built wisely.
When the storms of life come – our foundations will be tested. Is your life founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, on His death and resurrection, and on His free gift of righteousness? Or are you trying to build on your own foundation?
EVERYDAY ENCOUNTERS 