Sowing Seeds of Light

I discovered a really amazing verse recently. It's a bit of encouragement right from Heaven. It says, "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." (Ps. 97:11) "How can light be sown?" I wondered. So I did a little studying up on the verse. Albert Barnes says, "The figure of sowing light is an unusual one, but the meaning is plain. It is, that the righteous will not always be in darkness; that there is in preparation for him a harvest of joy; that it will as certainly be produced as a harvest will from grain that is sown; that though there may be present calamities, there will be ultimate peace and triumph." 

The Lord wants us to know that when we're in the dark, He's sowing light. He's sowing and planting on our behalf. He's steadily working, placing His precious seeds in the soil of our lives, and He's going to nurture  them to full growth. 

The thought of God sowing anything in our lives is an exciting one. But what's even more exciting is this: there are seven specific laws of harvest, and they most certainly apply to God's sowing of light in our lives.

1) We reap only what has been sown. What is not sown cannot be reaped. God wants us to reap light and gladness later, so He's making preparation for that future joy today.

2) We reap the same kind as we sow. He sows light and we will reap light, never darkness.

3) We reap in a different season than we sow. The way I see it, the Lord plants His seeds of light during the darkest seasons of our lives, rather than the springtime of life. When all seems dead and hopeless, He's working ahead to give us beauty for ashes. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jer. 29:11)

4) We reap more than we sow. If God sows an abundance of seeds, then the harvest we will reap will be grander than we can ever dream! We will reap some of that harvest here on earth, but when we get to Heaven I think we'll be in complete awe of all that God will give to us. "And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Luke 8:8)

5) We reap in proportion to what we sow. The Lord doesn't "skimp" on anything He does. Our God is exceedingly gracious. He sows much and we will reap much.

6) We reap only if we faint not. The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not grow weary! (Isa. 40:28) You can count on a full harvest!

7) We can't do anything about last year's harvest, but we can do something about this year's harvest. We may have prevented the Lord from bringing a full harvest of light and gladness into our lives in the past, but if we're faithful and patient as He sows and nurtures His seeds in our lives, we can depend upon Him to give us all we need and more.

Dear reader, make certain your heart is "good ground" for the Lord to plant His seeds of light in. This promise is given to "the righteous" and "the upright in heart." Put yourself in position for God's blessings by living up to His precious Word.

Sometimes the work preparatory to sowing is difficult. It means breaking up hard, fallow ground that is full of stones, roots and weeds, three things that would choke His seeds from springing up into fruitfulness. We need to be patient with the Lord as He breaks up the fallow ground of our hearts.

I don't understand why, but God is so, so gracious. I think the Lord told us "it is more blessed to give than to receive" because He knows. He endured the old rugged cross and the shame of our wicked sins all "for the joy that was set before Him." (Heb. 12:2) He knows that it was truly more blessed to give because of all the joy that He has had in welcoming every lost, weary sinner into Heaven.

God's loving heart is blessed when He blesses us. He so wants to fill us up with good things, but sometimes we simply won't let Him because we see no present advantage, or we don't like the preparatory work He is doing in our lives. Let God do what He wants! It's not important that we understand right now. Only trust that God has very good plans in the works.

Just think, God wants to do all of this for us. He wants to do all this work just so we'll find joy in the life He's given us. If we'll only allow Him to sow His seeds in our lives, one day we will reap a rich, bountiful harvest of light and gladness.

How Will You Be Remembered?

The memory of the just is blessed:

but the name of the wicked shall rot.

Proverbs 10:7

In the photo: Fireweed seen in British Columbia, Canada while traveling the Al-Can Highway last summer. Pardon the nasty little mosquitoes on the stem of the flower. =D

My Needle Box

Two Christmases ago, my mom gave me this sweet little needle box. It's the handiest thing.

No more scurrying around and wondering, "Now where did I put those silly needles???" The base is magnetic so they're kept safely in their place.

Riches of Gratitude

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more

than we give, and that it is only with gratitude 

that life becomes rich.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This is not an ordinary life that we live in Christ Jesus our Lord. When we live our lives as God has laid out for us in His Word, life far surpasses the ordinary. In Jesus, ordinary life becomes abundant life.

When we learn to live that abundant life with a spirit of gratitude, life is taken to an even richer level. God gives each one of us exceeding abundantly beyond what we could ever give back to Him. But those blessings do absolutely nothing for us unless we are truly, consciously grateful for them! Psalm 103:2 is such a good reminder: "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." We surely can't recall all the blessings God pours upon us, but neither should we forget them all. Let's try to remember as many as we can, shall we? The Lord is oh so worthy of our thanks.

He is worthy of my thanks.

My happy family. I so often take the happiness in my home for granted. We aren't a perfect family but we are richly blessed of God. We are kept from the strife Satan desires to sow in our home. We are well established on the Word of God. And it makes all the difference.

A good, faithful man to call my dad. He trusts God. He keeps on preaching the Word. He works hard to keep our building and vehicle in good repair when the weather keeps wearing them down. He helps me to be a better daughter/future wife even when I don't like his methods. =) I'm beginning to learn how right my dad is when he quietly but firmly says, "Don't argue." And I'm coming to realize that when I do just that with the right spirit, the next time it is a whole lot easier to quench disagreeable words when I feel them rising up in my heart. I need help. I need those firm reminders to stop doing what is wrong (disagreeing) and obey God.  Even if the disagreement seems such a little thing, and you may be right, arguing is never right. A fighting, contentious spirit will get you nowhere, girls. It also opens the door to the work of the enemy. A gentle, agreeable spirit is a blessing but it is very hard to come by. However, peace in our hearts and homes is always worth anything we have to lay down, particularly pride. I mean, really! Which would we rather have: satisfaction in wicked pride or satisfaction in sweet perfect peace? The key is keeping our minds stayed on the LORD JEHOVAH! (Isa. 26:3-4) So, to reiterate, I'm thankful for my dad. =) Having a happy home doesn't happen by accident. It takes work. And it's worth it, praise God!

The grace of God. It is enough and more. These past few months in our ministry have been difficult.  The Lord is keeping us encouraged in the work, but  from all appearances it seems that all our labor in this village over the past six years has come to nothing. Many of our church services have been unattended in the past three months, and attendance is low (one to three people) the rest of the time. If you think to, please pray for our little church, the needy people of our village, and for my pastor-dad. I praise God for the grace we have experienced through this time.

Good Bible preaching on DVD. We have been having "guest preachers" on Wednesday nights for church lately. =) I know it encourages my dad to hear preaching rather than being the one doing it all the time. It's been good for us all.

Our Bible Time children. I thank the Lord for them over and over and over. We have Sunday School for the children at 4 o'clock every Sunday. Around eight children (sometimes more) come faithfully most every week. This is one of God's graces to us. We're reaching the children. The Lord is doing a work in their tender hearts. I don't know how I could carry on without seeing their happy faces every week. God is faithful!!!

81-85.

A Trip Up the Beach, Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

The Ahmaogak family's cabin. It was built recently and is used often when people are caribou hunting. The family allows my Dad and brother to stay there when they are on hunting trips which lasts several days.

This looks so much a dandelion gone to seed, but it's much larger.

They Are His Mountains

"And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted." (Isa. 49:11)

God will make obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives. There are people and things that threaten to bar our progress in the Divine life. Those heavy claims, that uncongenial occupation, that thorn in the flesh, that daily cross -- we think that if only these were removed we might live purer, tenderer, holier lives; and often we pray for their removal.

"Oh, fools, and slow of heart!" These are the very conditions of achievement; they have been put into our lives as the means to the very graces and virtues for which we have been praying so long. Thou hast prayed for patience through long years, but there is something that tries thee beyond endurance; thou hast fled from it, evaded it, accounted it an unsurmountable obstacle to the desired attainment, and supposed that its removal would secure thy immediate deliverance and victory.

Not so! Thou wouldest gain only the cessation of temptations to impatience. But this would not be patience. Patience can be acquired only through just such trials as now seem unbearable. Go back; submit thyself. Claim to be a partaker in the patience of Jesus. Meet thy trials in Him. There is nothing in life which harasses and annoys that may not become subservient to the highest ends. They are His mountains. He puts them there. We know that God will not fail to keep His promise. "God understandeth the way thereof and knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven"; and when we come to the foot of the mountains, we shall find the way. 

F.B. Meyer

Christ in Isaiah 

"The oak is not only tested by the storms, but toughened by them." 

Unknown

A Trip Up the Beach, Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

 

Shall we continue our adventure? =)

It really isn't any wonder that the big fish God made was able to swallow Jonah whole. These rib bones are from a bowhead whale, and they're nothing compared to the great blue whale. The Lord sure made some huge critters! (The thing sticking up from Dad's back is a rifle, by the way. Never, ever roam the tundra without it!)

Thy Glories Known Photography

I love to get a fresh start on things!

Those who visit my photography blog might notice that beyond this entry, all of the photos are of a rather small size and poor quality. I at one time had hoped to update every last photo on my blog but then realized what an impossible undertaking it would be.

So, I have created a whole new blog devoted to my photography of God's beautiful world. 

Thy Glories Known Photography

Isaac Watts declared in his hymn, "There's not a plant or flow'r below, but makes Thy Glories Known." The glory of God is exactly what I wish to portray in my photography.

I plan to keep my posts short and simple from now on as it should enable me to share photos more regularly. And share those photos I must for I have simply hundreds languishing within dozens of discs. =)

I hope this new endeavor will be a blessing to you!

Two Sons

The proverbs of Solomon. 

A  w i s e  son maketh a glad father: 

but a  f o o l i s h  son is the heaviness of his mother.

Proverbs 10:1

The Truth & Goodness of God

Recently I have been listening to some excellent sermons preached by Bro. Tom Sooter. (Visit his website at SooterSpiritualWarfare.com) Brother Sooter is a preacher who deals with topics such as spiritual warfare, the lies of Satan, and bitterness. I have been so helped by his preaching. Every new message gives me a new truth to cling to.

Satan's lies are so subtle and become such a part of our lives that it is impossible for us to recognize them for the lies that they truly are. The Lord Jesus said that Satan is the father of lies. "There is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." (John 8:44-45) Once the devil can get us to accept one lie as truth, countless other lies descend from it. Once those lies sink their teeth into us, we believe that those lies are truth, and we reject God's Word as truth. By the way, I believe that is exactly why so many people get mad at the preacher when he preaches the truth and leave the church in a fit. Satan has sold them a lie, clothed in truth, and they reject God's Word as Truth. "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not."

Satan is subtle with his lies because he knows how it works. He is slow and sneaky, feeding us one "chocolate-coated" lie at a time. Do you think we would so readily accept his lies if he startled us with them? I don't think so. His subtle deception worked on Eve and it works the same on us, only our enemy has had 6,000 years to improve his tactics.

We must go to the Lord to show us the real, changeless Truth of God and make us free. When I realized this and did some honest soul-searching before my God, I was amazed at the things He opened my eyes to. Things I had struggled and fought and wrestled with. Things I blamed on others. Things I had given up hope of ever resolving. But then, as I prayed and the Lord removed the devil's blindfold from my eyes, I could see! I could see the truth about myself. I could see the lies for what they were. Lies so simple and unassuming, they masqueraded as truth.

Believe in Order to See

"Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel; but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." (Ps. 106:12-15)

We read of Moses, that "he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." Exactly the opposite was true of the children of Israel in this record. They endured only when the circumstances were favorable; they were largely governed by the things that appealed to their senses, in place of resting in the invisible and eternal God.

In the present day there are those who live intermittent Christian lives because they have become occupied with the outward, and center in circumstances, in place of centering in God. God wants us more and more to see Him in everything, and to call nothing small if it bears us His message.

Here we read of the children of Israel, "Then they believed his words." They did not believe till after they saw -- when they saw Him work, then they believed. They really doubted God when they came to the Red Sea; but when God opened the way and led them across and they saw Pharaoh and his host drowned -- "then they believed."

Dew Dropping Down

The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth;

by understanding hath he established the heavens.

By his knowledge the depths are broken up,
and the clouds  d r o p  d o w n  the dew.

Proverbs 3:19-20

In the photo: A splenderous summer rainstorm in Florida.

A Trip Up the Beach, Part 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

One gorgeous Arctic summer day, my dad, sister and I took a trip. We finally found an opportunity to travel around forty miles up the beach of the Arctic Ocean to "see the sights." Nearly a hundred years ago, the ancestors of the Eskimo people in our village lived in another community. Their houses were made of driftwood and sod and they lived entirely off the land. I can't express the wonder of seeing firsthand these remains of Eskimo history. The Lord truly blessed our little journey -- and He gave me a beautiful day for capturing these timeless scenes, besides!

The temperature was around 50 degrees so, with the additional chilliness of the sea air rushing past us as we drove along, we found it necessary to bundle up as if it was winter. Our ride was not exactly a comfortable one. Three to a four-wheeler made for a tight squeeze, and the one riding hindermost was placed in a most awkward position, with legs stretched out and feet dangling over the tires. My sister and I switched places every twenty minutes or so relieve the other. Even so, we were quite sore the following day. =) But all in all we had a very enjoyable trip!

The colors of autumn had appeared on the tundra. This land has a beauty all its own.

There were still bits of green here and there.

A Bright, Busy, Beautiful Day

Yesterday was a busy but blessed one. We started it off at 9:30 AM by hauling several tubs full of groceries home. The day progressed into the loveliest, sunniest day we've seen since the first week of November. I love the rosey hues of an Arctic sunrise but nothing compares to true, beaming sunlight. Oh, it was so bright, so clear, so glorious, so invigorating. However, as our house was flooded with the brightness from the heavens, I was appalled to realize how dusty our house was. (cringe) Dusting has never been a favorite chore but we keep up with it. Even so, when you don't have good lighting, the surface of furniture tends to be overlooked far more than it would normally. (chuckle) Ah, it felt wonderful to dust everything in sight today. How much better it is, though, to have the Son shine His brightness upon the "dust" of your heart. How much more wonderful is the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit! "Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults." (Ps. 19:12)

Sunlight completely transforms your world. My camera has been rather still during the dark winter months. It makes me so happy to find beauty to capture once again!

The outside of our windows were so dusty that I found it impossible to get a decent shot of the world's beautiful brightness. And I just couldn't stay indoors on such a beautiful day! So I bundled up and stepped into the light. This is what I saw...

Dear old Duke

The Arctic Ocean engulfed in ice

See the crack in that gigantic block of snow/ice? It would be incredible to walk through it but I am not stepping one foot on that frozen ocean. =)

What Is the Fear of the LORD?

The fear of the Lord is having a Biblical understanding of who and what God is. It is the knowledge of His character and His ways. The fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom, and wisdom is seeing life from God's perspective. If we fail to fear God we can never find wisdom. Wisdom is gained only by knowing God. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)

When we know God, a desire to obey His Word begins in us. However, we will never understand the expectations and commands God makes until we have a right understanding of God Himself. A fool rejects instruction and counsel because he has no desire to know God. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Prov. 1:7)

A lack of the fear of the Lord is the fruit springing from the root of wrong beliefs about the character of God. For example, God is a loving God. He is merciful and long-suffering. However, God is also a just and righteous God and condemns the guilty. If we do not understand that all of God's attributes are one, we have a wrong view of God. If we see God only as a God of love, our concept of God will tell us that we can do anything we want and get away with it. On the other hand, if we see God only as a God of justice and devoid of mercy, nothing will compel us to draw near to Him. 

This is a "misunderstanding" of the Holy; this is a lack of the fear of the Lord. A wrong view of the character of God results in a rebellious spirit. It creates in us an unwillingness to obey the Word of God.

Those who do not have the fear of the Lord in their lives are missing so much. They have no true desire to know and serve the God of Heaven. They may strive to know Him, but what they refuse to do is where they must begin. Instead, they are deceived and led astray. Because they fail to fear and obey God, they lack a firm foundation and strong convictions to guard and guide their lives.

The fear of the Lord affects every part of our lives. Without a fear of God, we will be ruined. We cannot endure without fearing God and obeying His Word to us. "And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure." (Isa. 33:6)

The fear of the Lord compels us to depart from sin. Job 28:28 tells us, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." God calls His children to live holy lives because He is the Holy God. When we understand who and what God is, we will be compelled to live a life that honors Him.

The fear of the Lord produces in us a heart to obey Him. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (Ps. 111:10) Understanding comes to us not before we obey, but after we obey. "The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Ps. 19:8) The commandments of God do nothing for us until we obey them.

Having a right understanding of the Lord and His commands also makes it easier for us to obey the authorities He places in our lives. When we fear the Lord, we come to realize their purpose in our lives and the value of their correction and guidance.

The fear of the Lord teaches us that keeping His commandments is always to our benefit. "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" (Deut. 10:12-13) God desires to bless us, and the wonderful thing is that He requires only one thing from us in order for His blessing to be ours: that we fear Him. When we live in the fear of God, we are in the position for Him to make our lives rich with His goodness. The fear of God is progressive, as we see in the verses above: when we fear God, we learn to walk in His ways, then to love Him, to serve Him with all our heart and soul, and finally we understand so fully that obeying God's commandments is for our good.

 

The fear of the Lord constrains us to serve Him. As the Lord reveals His character to us, the more we love Him and rejoice in the wonderful God that He is. As we learn the attributes of His character, we understand that He is for us (Rom. 8:31). The fear of God creates in us a love for God. This love constrains us to serve Him. We are not forced against our will to obey, but His love leads us to obedience as we willingly submit to our gracious Heavenly Father.

The fear of the Lord reveals to us that God desires for us to know Him personally in a real, enduring relationship. It shows us that God wants so much to be Shepherd, Hiding Place and Friend to us, to reveal Himself truly as Emmanuel, God with us. It shows us how much He longs to be near us. It shows us that He delights in us. This is one of my favorite verses that tells me how much God loves us: "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." (Zeph. 3:17) God's rejoicing over us make Him sing. Oh, is that not wondrous?

The fear of the Lord is a wonderful, amazing thing. Every man, woman and child that learns to fear God finds it the source of the richest blessing. Why? Because the fear of the Lord leads us to the knowledge of the Holy in such fullness that we cannot fathom.

The fear of the Lord will endure forever. (Ps. 19:9) When we stand before God's throne one glorious day, we will know truly what it is to fear the LORD. We will know what it is to fear Him because we will know Him as we have never known Him before, for "we shall see Him as He is." (I John 3:2)

The fear of the Lord is not something to dread, but to embrace.

The LORD Thy Confidence

Be not afraid of sudden fear, 

neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 

For the LORD shall be thy confidence, 

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Proverbs 3:25-26

While God gave us the instinct of fear and we should make every effort to avoid dangerous situations, our fear should never be greater than our confidence that God will keep us safe.

In the photo: Four-wheeler tracks on the beach forty miles from our village, taken last summer during a fun trip. I hope to share more pictures from the trip in the near future!

Scarlet Lace Shawl

Last month, I closed down my handwork blog, so from now on I plan to post about my crafty endeavors from this blog. I have many projects to catch up on eventually. Hope I don't bore anyone too much. =)

It is rare indeed that I have the opportunity to plan a project and "physically" look for yarn for said project at the same time. I usually have to order my yarn online, something that drives me mad because I have no idea what exactly I'm buying! =) Viewing a resolutionally-poor photo of yarn and seeing/feeling yarn in person are two entirely different experiences. Last summer, I found a booklet of knitting patterns in the yarn aisle at Fred Meyer's in Fairbanks. (Ha! Yes, I do spend a lot of time in that department whenever I shop.) It had a wonderful collection of patterns I knew I would use, and a beautiful lace shawl pattern in particular caught my attention. I was right there and nothing was stopping me from finding the perfect yarn for this lovely shawl. It made me glad. =)

This shawl took a good deal of time to complete but it was well worth it. It is so warm and cozy and it drapes beautifully. It feels like a dream! I gave this shawl as a Christmas gift to a dear lady who comes to church. Nothing make me happier than knitting something special for someone dear to my heart!

PATTERN DETAILS

Source: Knitting Made Easy by Red Heart (booklet available for download!)
Title: Garter and Lace Wrap
Yarn: Red Heart Soft
Color: Cherry Red