With spring fast approaching, there are added surprises of bright orange, yellow and hues of purple wild flowers covering the hills and mountains as one looks out for miles seeing various colors, bringing a whole new outlook and beauty in the same trail we have hiked dozens of times.
I just LOVE to be out in God’s glorious creation and joining with all of nature in praise and worship.
With these great aspects to hiking, there are bound to be some not so pleasant times.
Even in the sweetest trails and most awesome scenery, the human body has a tendency not to keep up with what the mind wants to achieve. Often times in the middle of the heat as sweat increases on my forehead, I look forward to pausing underneath the shade tree miles ahead and anxiously picking up my pace to get there quicker.
Likewise, when one feels completely undone by the heat, like when you cannot take another step, there is a joy that comes with the refreshing cool breeze encouraging with gentle puffs of wind to assist you in finishing your goal. Nature’s air conditioning cools down your body giving it the strength and the joy to endure until the end instead of overheating.
And no matter how fresh the air is and how energized my body might feel, my mouth will strongly disagree, longing for a drink of water to quench my parched throat and dry lips. Taking a sip then gulping down some water replenishes the much needed oxygen and hydrogen to the body.
There is nothing more restorative to relieve the body from the heat, than a cool breeze, a glass of water or the shade from trees.
These are great bible parallels that apply to us spiritually.
King David, who loved the Lord and served Him, wrote in Psalms 121, an encouragement to all who read. In this song of ascents, he encourages others with the words that... “The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand.” Confirming and solidifying that the Lord is much like the shade, relieving you from heat of this world. Have confidence in this holy Shade He is faithful!
Much like the refreshing of a gentle breeze, the Apostle Paul when writing his letter to Philemon seeks the pardon and forgiveness from Onesimus who was in debt to Philemon. Paul pleads for Philemon’s forgiveness. The Greek word for refresh is anapauō, which means to give rest, refresh, to give one's self rest, take rest. This same word as it relates to forgiveness is the same function of a natural breeze.
Finally we know that Jesus Himself is much like a cool drink of water that refreshes as He shared with the Samaritan woman. “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘…but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ “Jesus offers Himself
as the living water declaring Himself “I AM” Almighty God in all of His splendor, glory, majesty, holiness omnipresence and sovereign righteousness, takes great joy in becoming our closest friend, and through Jesus Christ, it is possible. Imagine have a Savior that is truly your BFF (Best Friends Forever).
One who is faithful in His promises to:
Keep you
Shade you with His right hand
Refresh you
Enable you to forgive others.
Provide living water, Himself, so that you do not need to thirst again
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