The Hidden - Lynne Phipps

Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV

As spring approached and the days warmed, the deep snow in the dog’s yard disappeared flake by flake.  With its demise, the hidden became more apparent.  

Bright colors shone through, and shapes materialized. Dog toys galore, buried beneath the mantle of white, emerged one by one. The dogs were thrilled to find this treasure trove of delights. The toys, of course, had been there all along; they just couldn’t see them.

Likewise, many things about God remain hidden even to the most dedicated of Christians. Even Moses, who at God’s command led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt, could only view the glory of God from behind as God passed by. After all, no one could see God’s face and live. 

The apostle John was granted many visions and revelations concerning the things yet to come, the Kingdom, and the enemies of God. He sought to describe these visions as he penned the book of Revelation, a book which scholars still study and seek to understand.

Mary learned that she would bear the Son of God, yet it was an angel who made the announcement. She heard from God, but could only see Him in His fulfilled promise.

Each of these great heroes of faith knew God in part, but not in whole. They too had to continue to walk by faith, day by day, trusting that what they did know about the Almighty would not fail them, that His promises were true and faithful in every way, just as He is.

Therefore, amidst our own questions, concerns, and from time to time, our doubts, we too must walk by faith. We must trust in our hearts that, though much remains hidden concerning God and His Kingdom, one day God will make all things clear. God will lift the veil from our eyes, just as the snow melts away, revealing what lies beneath. When that day arrives, all our questions will be answered, and our doubts and concerns will vanish. We will fully see the glory of God, just as He fully knows us, even now.

What joy shall fill our souls as the hidden bursts forth upon our sight. God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, shall be our portion in all His splendor and glory forever and ever. 

Father God, thank You that one day, Your glory, which has always been but in its fullness has been hidden from our mortal sight, shall one day become clear and known to us for eternity. In Christ’s name, amen.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and Love Lines from God. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

 

Flashback Friday - Snow White and the Forgiven Sins - Martin Wiles

Snow White and the Forgiven Sins

Once the snow gets dirty, there’s no turning it white again.

During the winter of 2014, snow fell for three consecutive days in Upstate South Carolina. I’ve lived in South Carolina 46 of my 54 years, and never can I remember a three-day snow event. Six days later, spots of snow still lingered in shaded areas. The freshly fallen snow was beautiful as it lay on the ground. But as temperatures slowly rose and people ventured out in their vehicles, what was perfectly white became dingy. Piled beside the roadway, it no longer appeared as it did when it first made its landing. As bad as I wanted, I couldn’t make it white again. Read more...

Tweetable: Are your sins as white as snow?

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

A New Thing - Martin Wiles

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NLT

Snow fell lightly at first, but then…

For the only time since the first three months of my life, I was living outside my home state of South Carolina. Never had I seen more than a few inches of snow at any one time. But while my family lived in Jackson, Tennessee, what was later called the “storm of the century” hit.

Only a smattering of snow initially fell on February 9, 1973. Then skies darkened as a low front moved in from the Gulf of Mexico and mixed with rain on the East Coast. The mixture produced snow like residents had never witnessed.

My paternal grandparents lived in Orangeburg, so we got the scoop first hand from them. Two feet of snow fell and paralyzed many parts of the state. Had it not been for rescue personnel, National Guardsmen, and volunteers with four-wheel drive vehicles, many essential services would have shut down. And had people not opened their homes to strangers, some stranded motorists may very well have died.

God did something new in the area of my home state, and I missed it. Through the prophet Isaiah, God announced at another time that He was about to do something new. He had previously delivered His people from Egyptian slavery, but now their disobedience had led them into Babylonian captivity. Their repentance, however, would soon bring God’s mercy in the form of the Persians who would allow them to return to their homeland.

I’ve been guilty of trying to contain God in a box. I’m more comfortable when He acts according to my preconceived notions. But God can’t be boxed. He’s demonstrated that in history and continues to show it presently. He’ll never act in ways contrary to His nature, but He will perform in ways we don’t expect. He is . . . God, after all.

God acts when we exercise faith and obedience—as He did when the Israelites repented of the sins that had led them into Babylonian captivity. He has amazing plans for our lives, but faith and obedience are required for them to materialize.

God’s ways are higher than we can ever imagine. What He’ll do in our life will outperform anything we can imagine. But He does it so He can glorify Himself through us—the instruments in His hand.

Don’t box God in. Let Him do something new in your life.

Tweetable: Do you try to put God in a box?

Prayer: Father, we open ourselves up through faith and obedience. Do something new in our life. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.