Friday Fotos After the Rain

I am rejoicing this morning for all the beautiful rain that we got yesterday! We are seeing wonderful results here already in our Still Waters Pond.

Last evening after our weekly family pizza night, I stood on the back deck with my sweet 

daughter-in-law, listening to the frogs singing in the trees, watching the birds flitting back and forth from the trees to the bird feeders and also feeding their babies in the birdhouse...lots of happy activity to see as we chatted about life in general.

Joel 2:21

"Fear not, O land;

Be glad and rejoice,

For the Lord has done marvelous things!"

My first sighting of a Tri-Colored Heron! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricolored_heron

 Joel 2:23

"Be glad then, you children of Zion,

and rejoice in the Lord your God;

For He has given you the former rain faithfully,

And He will cause the rain to come down for you--

 The former rain,

And the latter rain in the first month."

 Not only did we see the Tri-Colored Heron for the first time at Still Waters Pond, but we also saw this Green Heron for the first time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_heron

 It is kind of difficult to see him among the lily pads and mud, but he was very busily pecking his way along, finding perhaps some little minnows, frogs, or other water creatures to feast upon.

 It was exciting to see both of these "new species" enjoying the benefits of the rain that God sent to us.

And then, just as I was sitting down this morning to write this post, I looked out my window and saw this beautiful Great Blue Heron land in the pond, and he began wading around looking for his breakfast.  Amazing what a good rain can do to restore the ponds and provide food for the beautiful creatures that God has placed here. 

Joel 2:25-27

25.  "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,

the consuming locust,

and the chewing locust.

26.  "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

Who has dealt wondrously with you;

And my people shall NEVER be put to SHAME."

27.  "Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel;

I am the Lord your God

And there is no other.

My people shall NEVER be put to SHAME."

I love that God repeated the words twice: "My people shall never be put to shame."  And yes, I realize that God is speaking to the people of Israel through this Old Testament prophet, but truly He is also speaking to us, His people who are redeemed through His Son, Jesus Christ, into His family.   As we see so many difficult and unpleasant and downright terrible things happening in our land, we, the people of God are often looked upon with scorn and ridicule by those who are attempting to push aside our righteous way of life and government that was originally based upon God's Word and the laws passed down to our forefathers through the Ten Commandments. We have seen people in high places and even people in our own towns and sometimes even within our own extended families trying to shame us for our stance and beliefs.  

But one word of caution here...we who stand for truth and for God, let us be careful lest we fall into the same traps and begin to shame those who are actually united with us.  Not everyone responds to these things in the same way. We each have our own "callings" in life and ways of communicating. I've noticed lately on social media a tendency to "shame" people into fighting back and approving of things that people say and post and proclaim, and then judgment proclaimed if you don't speak out in the same way as others think you should to show your allegiance and faith.  Not everyone is called to be a "prophet". Not everyone is called to stand on the soap box and preach. But we are all called to pray for our leaders, pray for each other, and to love one another.  I would refer us to Romans 12:9-21 as well as to Romans 13:1-14. I will not print it all here as it is too lengthy, but will quote a few key verses that spoke to me:

Romans 12:9

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."

Romans 12:16

"Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. do not be wise in your own opinion."

Romans 12:21

"Do not be overcome by evil,

but overcome evil with good."

Romans 13:8

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law."

Romans 13:10

"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Romans 13:11-12

11.  "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

12.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."

More than ever during these turbulent times, we must learn to support one another and encourage each other in our walk of faith.  This is not the time to shame or ridicule others for not doing things exactly as we expect them to do them. 

"But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  

For God did not appoint us to wrath, 

but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, 

we should live together with Him.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, 

just as you also are doing."

I Thessalonians 5:8-11

Amen.

Have a blessed and beautiful day, wherever you are!