God's Word Illustrated

God's Word Illustrated 

      One of the things I especially enjoy is illustrating God's Word through photos I've taken.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these photos comprise a lengthy chapter.  The photo above reminds me of Psalm 45:1:  "My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."

           These first six photos were taken on a recent visit to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

    The sundial in Bruton Parish Churchyard reminds me of the amazing story of Hezekiah found in 2 Kings 20.  The king was sick unto death and he prayed to God for mercy.  Not only did God answer his prayer and add 15 years to his life, God also gave him a sign that what He said would come to pass.  "Then Isaiah said, 'This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing which He has spoken, shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?'"  When Hezekiah requested it go backward, scripture says, "He brought the shadow ten degrees backward by which it had gone down on the sundial," (verses 9 & 11).

    "So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations," Psalm 79:13.

    "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, 'He who has the key of David. He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.  I know your works,'" Revelation 3:7

This is a tasty-looking display in the dining room of the Governor's Palace.  It reminds me of two verses - one in the Old Testament from the well-known twenty-third Psalm where God supplies our needs:  "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies," verse 5.  And the second from the New Testament about John's vision of the future when he was told, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" Revelation 19:9.

     This display of colonial clothing hanging from pegs in the shop of the seamstress, reminds us of the need to be clothed in the proper garments.  "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience," Colossians 3:12 NIV.

    This final photo is my youngest granddaughter at Chrysler Museum in Norfolk,  She was delighted to find this tiny doorway at the entrance to the museum.  And I'm delighted that God opens doors when we need them opened:  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened," Matthew 7:7-8.

                  "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path," Psalm 119:105.

Williamsburg in December

   We spent the first week in December in Williamsburg.  Our visit started off with a bang -- fireworks on the Green in front of the Governor's Mansion.  The colonists back in the day would have run for the hills, thinking they were under attack by the British!

The Governor's Mansion was dressed up for Christmas with a few wreaths, some apples and garlands.  We enjoyed a nice tour of the mansion and learned more about the Revolutionary era.

The most special aspects of Colonial Williamsburg during the holidays are the beautiful wreaths and natural decoration on the historic houses.  They use all natural materials and they are not only works of art, some of them look quite tasty as well. Apples are used in abundance!

Here is a clever design, with a pinecone deer pulling a "barrel" sleigh through cotton snow on the way to the North Pole.  Oh, and the driver is carrying a giant pomegranate in his sleigh. I like the stars too.

My sister Ava and hubby Mike spent a day with us.  Here, she stands by one of my favorite wreaths.  This one features a basket with three loaves of bread, along with sheaves of wheat from which the bread is made.  They represent Jesus, the Bread of Life, whose birthday we celebrate this week.  "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst,'" John 6:35.

One final wreath -- although this one is not on a door, but rather the gable above a doorway on the Randolph Peyton house.  We toured the house and what an interesting story they shared about that 18th century family.  Notice how many different elements are used in this arrangement.  Hope you enjoyed a glimpse of the colonial decorations -- we certainly did!

May you enjoy a Blessed Christmas as we celebrate our Savior's birth!

 

What's in a Name?

 

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Do you know who wrote the famous phrase, "That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet?"  I'll give the answer at the end of this post, but first, let's think about that phrase.  Do you believe it's really true?  Suppose we call a rose by the name sewage or maybe scum, would it still smell as sweet to you?  Chances are, the word would perhaps subconsciously influence your feelings about the rose.

And so, we might examine the question:  What's in a name?  Here are some examples of questionable names:

--The town of Graveyard Falls.  Is this a place you would choose to live?

--A tattoo parlor called "Poisoned Pen" (sign pictured above).  Would you bare your arm for a tattoo there?

--Jezebel.  Would you choose this name for your daughter? 

--You might own a house that is not really a home.

Are you satisfied with the name you were given at birth?  One woman (1882-1975), who became a philanthropist and art collector, could surely have gone to court and changed her name - and one wonders why she didn't.  Her name?  Ima Hogg.  Ima was named after an epic poem written by her uncle.  It's no surprise that she went through a lifetime of questions and teasing about her name.  They say she tried to downplay her name by scrawling it illegibly.

There is a Roman proverb that says, nomen est omen, which means "the name is destiny," which was a common belief in the ancient world - and there is some truth to that.  

What's in a name?  Let's look at some names that the prophet Isaiah listed in chapter 9 of his namesake book:  "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end," verses 6-7.

These powerful names describe Jesus Christ and He IS wonderful!  In fact, scripture makes it plain when Peter made the statement, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved," Acts 4:12.

Names can make a difference, and there is no name in creation that makes a bigger difference than the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Answer to first question:  

William Shakespeare wrote the famous quote in his play, "Romeo and Juliet."

My Life is in Your Hands

 

My Life is in Your Hands

     There's a Christian song sung by Kathy Troccoli that goes, "My life is in your hands, my heart is in your keeping - I'm never without hope, not when my future is with You..."  If we could hold onto that truth, there would be a lot less fear and stress in our lives.  We're going to consider a couple of examples where God plainly shows the truth of those words.

     First of all, let's consider God's control over our safety.  Psalm 91 says, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge."  While that is a sweet, gentle promise, the next promise relates to a dangerous pitched battle such as the one in the picture above:  "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you...Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you."

      Imagine walking down the middle of that grassy field between the two opposing armies as they raise their battle cries and plunge forward to certain death for many.  There you are, calmly walking among the fiercely fighting soldiers, safe within the protection of your heavenly Father.  That's a picture of that verse in Psalm.  What that means is - you are safe until the time that God has ordained to call you from this mortal life.  Even then, if you are His child, He brings you safely to Himself.

       From the day we are born, God has a plan for our lives and He has recorded the date and the time of the end of our earthly life.  Scripture says, "And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them," Psalm 139:16.

     So, we are basically immortal until that day arrives.  In contrast to being safe until your number is called, once your number is called, you can't do anything to change it.  Job 14:5 says, "Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass."  Here's an example of that truth in the life of an ancient king of Israel.

      1 Kings 22 records a situation with wicked King Ahab that happened a few thousand years ago.  It's one of those ironic events that fully illustrates the truth of God's control of everything -- including our number of days.

      When the king asked God's prophet if he should go into battle against his Syrian enemy, the prophet told him that God said he would die if he went.  

      Well, Ahab wanted to go, so he thought he would be smart and make sure that prophesy did not come true.  He disguised himself as a common soldier and stayed at the back of his army as they met the enemy on the battlefield.  He thought he could control his destiny, but man's puny efforts are never enough to thwart God's will.

      "Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor," 1 Kings 22:34.  The picture below illustrates a soldier shooting an arrow without even aiming it at anyone in particular.  This soldier didn't know where King Ahab was standing, but God did.  And it's interesting to note that the arrow found the tiny slit between the joints of the king's armor to pierce the most vulnerable place on the king's body.

      King Ahab was mortally wounded and he died before the sun set that evening -- just as God said he would.  Ahab attempted to evade God's judgment by putting himself in a supposedly safe place on the battlefield.  This was his day to die and he could not change it.

     If God wills it -- it will be done.  "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases," Psalm 115:3 and "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me...I have purposed it; I will also do it," Isaiah 46 9 & 11.

      And so -- knowing God loves us and controls our lives from birth to death and beyond, should fill us with peace and the assurance to walk fearlessly through each day with confidence.  "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?" Psalm 56:11.