Look at that picture over there to the right. It could pass for a painting, but no it's God's creation alive and well! Pay attention to the fine details; the way the clouds look 3-D or painted so perfectly, the shades of the green where on the right it's crystal clear and dark green, a little faded to the left and more faded beyond as the distance is greater; the shadows on the mountains, the hills and valleys. All of these fine details are what make the picture more enjoyable, more refreshing, and more attractive to the eye and soul.
Lord of all creation, I honor you in thanksgiving for having blessed us with Your beauty in Your wondrous land. Your landscape is beauty to our eyes and soul, and keeps us captivated by Your majesty. Thank You, Lord, for revealing to us how much you love us through Your land, and especially through Your children. Just as the picture of the beautiful green land speaks peace to our hearts, the beauty of the soul is revealed in each of Your children. Your infinite details that set us apart from one another is a foreshadow of Your majestic power! Your genius and marvelous works revealed in all of Your creation are blessings in disguise. Thank You, Father, for calling us worthy to live out our gift of life, and share in Your wondrous Kingdom on earth in preparation for eternal glory in Heaven.
The final picture here of the Tuscan mountaintops is "similar" to us, to me, where these small trees were planted among the mountain and had time to grow into full fruition for God's glorious beauty! The seeds, the trees were planted among God's original creation, the dirt, the mountain. If the dirt had been corrupt, not filled with water to grow, not taken care of, they would not have sprung into the perfect and beautiful image seen above. Just as the Lord stated in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:2-9
"on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea, And great multitudes were gathered to Him so that He got into a boat and sat down; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed some seed fell by the wayside and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
God's Word and Spirit "fall" onto/into us which is His "good ground." Therefore, as His Word and Spirit enter us, or form strong root, we are transformed back into His original creation. He has the power over us to yield "good crop" which is our original self in the purest image possible.
As the Lord's power in our lives is transforming, He pays attention to the fine details! He knows exactly what it is that we need in order to find, be and love our original self as the daughter/son of God that we are. Through experiences, events, sin and life situations, our original foundation becomes altered. The veil is placed over our hearts and it's only when "anyone turns to the Lord that the veil is taken away" 2 Corinthians 3. However, it takes time!
We are all a work in progress, praise God for His mercy and compassion through His Son, Jesus. The fine details who make us who we are are beautiful. The work of the Lord is revealed through us, through His healing and loving power in our lives. When we commit ourselves to the Lord, freely giving ourselves back to Him, we give Him the authority over lives that He needs to remove the veil and uncover His pure image of woman/man in each of us.
How does this relate to the picture at top? I want to reiterate that God's perfection is never completed in us on earth. However, His work in our lives after we give Him permission to plant the seeds in our foundation, gives Him the authority He needs to reveal His beauty in us. As He unveils us, our inner beauty, the pure image of God within us is revealed. Then, we can see more clearly and love more freely the person God created us to be. We can then strive to live in holiness, to be comfortable and love who we are.
So my fellow brothers and sisters, join me in asking the Lord to plant His seeds in us, that our soil may be fruitful and clean to bring forth new life in Spirit and Truth.
~eyes are heavy... rest in the peace of the Lord this evening. God bless your 1st week of Lent, may you remain holy and persevere in the love of Christ.
Erin
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