I am still here

I was reading Psalm 65 this morning and the last two verses particularly caught my eye.

The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture
And the hillsides blossom with joy.
The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep
And the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!

I love the word pictures in these short lines – “blossom with joy”, and “clothed with flocks”. “Carpeted with grain”. So expressive. Directing thoughts into musings about pastoral pictures based in our local rural landscapes in Scotland.

This winter has been milder than last and we have been blessed with an early display of snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils. It’s been a year since my friend David passed away. His legacy lives on in the community – in fact it is growing, because the daffodils and crocuses he planted are multiplying. And they came early this year to increase the blessings. The leaves on the trees and shrubs are starting to bud and burst into new growth. My rose tree is reaching out heavenwards with new shoots, confirming to the doubters that I didn’t kill it with the last pruning!

Talking about doubts, is there someone reading this blog this morning, who has doubts about God? Perhaps they have looked at world events, despairing over the political mayhem, the terrorist atrocity in New Zealand. Or their own circumstances filled with pain, or a lack of hope for the future? Perhaps the thought of having to face another day is starting to prevail, a thought forcing itself into your mind, even though unwelcome and intrusive, but still strident in its despair. Well, I felt God say to me in a gentle whisper, “Helloooo! I am still here – just look around at My creation”.

God never slumbers or sleeps. He never leaves things undone. He is constantly working to complete His plans, His will, His purposes for His creation. And that includes you and me. And I never get over the fact that the beauty and life in our natural world is under a curse, blighted and stunted by Adamic sin. One day creation’s groans, and our griefs and mourning, will be no more. And what will all creation, including you and me, be like then! It’s definitely worth lifting our eyes into the heavens, to get a glimpse into the real Heaven, our future home. And feel the relief of no more terrorism, Brexit, pain and grief flood into our souls.