In the midst of the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan on this day, back in March, the 11th, I read the reading for this day (but because I was not blogging due to my own PRAYER CHALLENGE, I saved this for WFW for today) from "God Calling":
Seek Beauty
"The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air."
Song of Solomon 2:12
"Draw Beauty from every flower and Joy from the song of the birds, and the color of the flowers.
Drink in the beauty of air and color. I am with you. When I wanted to express a beautiful thought, I made a lovely flower. I have told you. Reflect.
When I want to express to man what I am - what my Father is - I strive to make a very beautiful character.
Think of yourselves as My expression of attributes, as a lovely flower is My expression of thought, and you will strive in all, in Spiritual beauty, in Thought - power, in Health, in clothing, to be as fit an expression for Me as you can.
Absorb Beauty. As soon as the beauty of a flower or a tree is impressed upon your soul it leaves an image there which reflects through your actions. Remember that no thought of sin and suffering, of the approaching scorn and Crucifixion, ever prevented My seeing the beauty of the flowers.
Look for beauty and joy in the world around. Look at a flower until its beauty becomes part of your very soul. It will be given back to the world again by you in the form of a smile ;0) or a loving word or a kind thought or a prayer.
Listen to a bird. Take the song as a message from My Father. Let it sink into your soul. That too will be given back to the world in ways I have said. Laugh more, laugh often. Love more. Love often, I am with you. I am your Lord."
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and
the firmament sheweth his handiwork."
- Psalm 19:1
************
Difficult to think of BEAUTY or JOY in the midst of such incredible magnitude of horrendous destruction and loss of life, yet here is God, the Father, reminding us.
I immediately went out on this 11th day of March, beckoned by the chirps of the sparrows, (and my dogs chasing after them and barking at them) to take these photos...
[I tried to capture the colibri in the flower but he was too quick and tiny.]
(colibri=hummingbird)
"Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die..." NLT
"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;.." NIV
Psalm 103:15
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Oh, I loved that, Dear. We both had the same verse! Thank God for the beauty in His creation. Love you ~
ReplyDeleteI am filled with joy when I see the beauty in His creation.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good word you have here about reflecting joy to those around us by what we see. If we focus on joyful things, that is what we will give others.
I like this a lot.
Blessings, Peggy
Janis
You are a blessing, Peggy! Thank you
ReplyDeletePeggy! I imagine if we "absorbed beauty" we would find ourselves "seeing" in ways we haven't for years, maybe ever. We would have the clarity that only Jesus can give. What a PERFECT Easter message! Thank you for this!! It's a compliment to my "revival" devo today...in order to have revival, we must "absorb beauty." Not the beauty the world tells us, but His beauty!
ReplyDeleteLove this! I'm blessed abundantly by it!
Peace friend!
lori
Beautiful. All of it. Reminds me to stop and smell the roses. Life is sweet with Jesus in our hearts, no matter what may be going wrong around us.
ReplyDeleteLOve basking in God's creation! :)
ReplyDeleteDuring trying times it is hard to see the beauty that still surrounds each day. May He open our eyes that we might see in fresh new ways. Happy WFW!
ReplyDeleteNow I just loved this! I will always remember this whenever I hear the birds singing....
ReplyDeleteBernice sent me here today to encourage me..I'm glad she did. Love ya girl.
ReplyDelete