I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall blossom like the lily; He shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; (Hosea 14:5).
Today I learned the plural for gladiolus is gladioli. This flower is also known as a sword lily and is in the iris (Iridaceae) family. Deriving this name from this action: each flower emerges, bursting forth, from a sheath like covering resembling a sword.
The author of Hebrews describes the word of God (Hebrews 4:12). God’s WORD is alive, LIVING and POWERFUL. Sharper than ANY two-edged sword, dividing, piercing, discerning thought and intent.
And Peter teaching about being born again from this LIVING and POWERFUL seed that is from above, this incorruptible seed, which is the LIVING WORD of God who is Christ, quotes Isaiah…
“being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1:23-25 KJV).
The fragrance is heavenly and petals are soft as angels wings. Yes, I’m sure of it.
Oh how I missed the fragrance of privet blooms this year. The heavenly fragrance permeating the fresh spring air with the tender white pedals adorning the trees, they didn’t happen this year. The butterflies visited but without the sweet nectar couldn’t linger. Typically the spring would find privets a busy metropolis, amassing with excitement, the working of the bees and the butterflies gathering and distributing the precious pollen.
This year was difficult, desolate and sadly different. The privets were bare, unable to offer their delightful fare. No nectar or long visits from the honey bees and butterflies. Were the privets dead? I had almost given up hope. Not from the root for life was emerging with tender new shoots, but what about the branches, could they live? Would they bear fruit, fruit of the vine or would they require cutting off, only to be thrown into the fire and burned? Oh the thoughts, the uncertainty, the unanswered questions. No one had the answers I searched for or longed for.
Researching, I learned pruning would be necessary and then to watch. You know wait and see! Like faith, when we hope but haven’t seen.
We must be patient and filled with expectation as we wait. Think about the farmer who has to patiently wait for the earth’s harvest. So you also, keep your hopes high and be patient, for the presence of the Lord is drawing closer. (James 5).
Seeing this little bloom gave me hope. The excitement I felt was different. This wasn’t an emotional excitement, believing everything would continue as usual, no hallelujahs and dancing, but rather a deep understanding of rebuilding from deep within and getting back to the basics. Like the farmer waits, yes waiting for the precious fruit, the fruit of the vine.
The darkest hour is on the verge of day…
My understanding has grown much deeper, giving me new perspective concerning “indelible hope”. We cannot be moved by what we see or how we feel. Every faith person would agree but this is a hard fight. We cannot quit, Especially not now. America has suffered a hard freeze, a damaging freeze, and time like I’ve not seen in my lifetime but there is life and new growth in the branches.
America will recover. I truly believe America will bloom again. We will be covered in blooms and nourish nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most importantly we will guard and protect Israel. If you search the beginning and the prosperity of the United States of America from our inception, we find Christianity as our rebar and protecting Israel our blessing from the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12).
“He cares for the branches connected to Me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest” (John 15:2 TPT).
And yes just as Jesus taught, those who abide in Him will bear fruit, fruit that lasts. (John 15) This is fruit that not only nourishes, but teaches allowing seeds for planting. Those who refuse Him will be destroyed, cut off and thrown into the fire.
The spring rains softened the ground, allowing me to dig up and remove the entire root ball of green briars. There is indelible hope in everything that is happening.
Sing o barren one, We will bloom again!
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Yesterday my heart jumped with excitement seeing the tiniest new rose bud. Can you find it? I don’t believe I’ve seen such a tiny bud. This small plant is approximately 3X3” wide and about 3” high. A root from a rose bush I transplanted last year; freeing it from a pot to a bed. A very determined main root had grown through the drain in the bottom of the pot. In search of and finding the lush, nutrient rich, moist ground beneath, this root began to grow deep into the soil. I’ve protected this tiny shoot since noticing the growth.
I actually expected it would grow into a new rose bush. When cutting the root to free the rose bush from the pot, I believed and wondered. I was careful to cut the root, not wanting to uproot it. When noticing the new growth, immediately I placed a guard around this tender new shoot.
I’ve protected this tender shoot through the hot summer, watering it, prayed for it during the bitter harsh cold leaving it beneath leaves for mulch desiring so much for it to survive, guarded this new growth from being mowed down or forgotten. And yes, according to His promise, from Isaiah 55: 10-11 we have a new emerging rose bush.
How much more our God watches over the redeemed, and those not yet redeemed during this season. The life springing forth from this root will be another beautiful white drift rose bush, soon bursting forth with life, flocked with fragrant white blooms, filling the air with a delightful aroma as only roses can. This gives me hope.
We can take comfort in knowing He will not fail. Yes we will awake, and yes we will rejoice in our God! For we are growing from the Main Root which is Christ our Lord, and He watches over our coming and our going from this day and forevermore. Because it is a promise from Him and we are the planting of The Lord, (Isaiah 61:3).
“They will enter Zion with singing, everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35: 9-10).
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Romans 1:19-20 ESV For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Until next time. Thank you for listening with me. Laurette
During the Passover Seder (Order) we recite from the Haggadah (The Telling), “if You had only delivered us out of slavery or out from under the hand of the Egyptians cruel bondage, it would have been enough.” Yes it would have been enough, but there is so much more required.
Petals from peach blossoms
Hello Spring-God’s Panoramic Calendar
Velvet buds and blossoms Aromatic sweet fragrant smells Soft petals blowing about Springtime’s show and tell
Sweet smelling sights Season of new birth Welcome sweet springtime What saith ye the earth
Worship only The Creator Never the created We are only a picture of How to be liberated
The flowers do bloom And life is all around All springing forth Rising Up out of the ground
What a picture What a story Spring is ‘The Telling’ Jesus Resurrection glory
Now do you get it Can you see Springtime comes To remind you and me
He did rise From deaths cold grave Welcome springtime No longer a slave
Death could not hold Him The grave had no power Springtime is earths celebration Of His finest hour
So hello springtime Tell us the story again Jesus Christ arose Yes it’s all a picture of Him
He left panoramic signs So we would never forget Take this lesson to heart So you will never ever regret
The signs yes this season Hello springtime glory Thank you oh thank you For Retelling The Story
I’m reminded this morning the walk of faith is for the journey ahead. Yes, goodness yes, salvation is astoundingly, exponentially, abundantly more than enough, more than we could think or imagine; however, our Mighty God has a destination for His Church during this wonderful eon, or age, or kairos. A destination for this right and critical time.
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:3-5, 20, 55-57 NKJV).
“The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth. Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers, “There is change in the air.” Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me.” Song of Songs 2:11-13 TPT
Peach tree after serious pruning. Looks to be saying TaDa!
Don’t miss this wonderful Resurrection Season that speaks of heavens glory. He is reminding us that we can rise from any hardship. The enemy is a master distracter but Oh our God has so much more in store.
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Have you ever stopped to consider Jesus Christ’s intentionality when He fashioned the whip?
The purpose, The plans, The Passion of driving out what was not Holy from the house of God. He worked literally and diligently while preparing to cleanse once and for, making propitiation for our sin, placing His blood on the mercy seat in heaven.
He fashioned, working with His hands, with intention, with purpose, making, twisting or braiding a whip where with to drive out the money changers from the temple courts. This gesture was neither weak nor passive. This was intentional and bold!
“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.” Matthew 21:10-15
He is able to save all who come to Him!
If you haven’t already, now is the time and today is the day, prepare your heart, be intentional!
Blessings as we enter the remembrance of the Holy season of our Great Deliverance.
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette
Praying, I caught a glimpse of a child, looking intently, totally focused, standing in front of a staircase. I remembered I’ve never seen a child that doesn’t immediately attempt to climb stairs or staircases.
What is in the crawling baby or toddler that intrigues them, what or perhaps the question is Who is calling them to the climb? What is it about the challenge; devoid of fear, not understanding the daunting trial that lay ahead, not to mention the fatigue sure to ensue from the immature muscles not yet mastering the motor skills? Why are they so determined? Not only physically incapable, they are not steady enough and certainly cannot comprehend the height, the length, the depth…then I paused, oh!
Oh, this is a truth we need to grasp and begin the climb, or begin again. Look at this challenge with excitement and determination, not dread of failure.
I’m so amazed that children immediately tackle the tough stuff, you know impossible staircases unmoved by the possibility of failure or falling. Unaware they are alone. Not comparing their climb with anyone else’s. With short legs, no instruction, no teaching, and without OSHA available pointing out the dangers, and lack of safety equipment, the endless violations; they climb, over and over and over again! And then I prayed, Lord Jesus, give me the wonder of a child where faith is concerned.
I remembered Jacob at Bethel, his dream encounter about stairs, angels ascending and descending. Then I sensed, as children we are not unfamiliar with the stairs at all, we are born inherently knowing we are born for the journey.
The message I sense is that no matter how overwhelming the obstacle or calamity of our day, this is our climb, we are made for the obstacles and we are never doing it in our own strength! Over and over is how we gain strength. We’ve climbed before and we will again.
“Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom. Until next time, thank your for listening with me. Laurette
Salvation, all encompassing, made perfect by faith in Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Have Faith in God, and push through in-spite of consequences.
From Isaiah 51:5 My salvation has gone forth… My salvation יִשְׁעִ֔י (yiš·‘î) Noun – masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong’s Hebrew 3468: Deliverance, rescue, salvation, safety, welfare
God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.
Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette
Through All Seasons 