It’s a Psalm of praise kind of day!
1 Come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great King above all gods. Psalm 95:1-3
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I want to make a somewhat narrow illustration and by that, I mean that it is only applicable to what I am speaking about and cannot really be carried forth any further and still be applicable. So…that being said…
Where I live, one of the wonderful parts of the world around me is that we have four distinct seasons – winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Each of these seasons is marked by specific tell-tale signs of change and character. Winter is marked by very cold – sometimes frigid – temperatures, frequently accompanied by snow and ice. Spring has more moderate temperatures and what plant life has been dormant through the winter comes to life once more – seemingly dead plants green up once more. Our spring flowers are beautiful! Summers are warm – sometimes quite hot – crops, flowers, and wildlife abound.
I love each season in that they offer such variety and change in the beauty they display. Autumn is a favorite of many. Moderate temperatures return and one of the beautiful attributes of this time of year is that the leaves on the trees begin to change color and fall to the ground.
Every day is a visual smorgasbord of colors and hues! Vibrant reds and oranges, along with yellows and browns bring beauty at every turn.
I may have heard why they change the way they do at some point in my life but I had forgotten, so I looked it up. A Popular Science article gave me the information I needed.
Leaves are loaded with chlorophyll, which makes them green. But all green plants also carry a set of chemicals called carotenoids. On their own, these look yellow or orange—carotenoids give color to corn and carrots, for example—but they’re invisible beneath the chlorophyllic green of a leaf for most of the year. In the fall, when the leaves are nearing the end of their life cycle, the chlorophyll breaks down, and the yellow-orange is revealed.
Before coming to Jesus, we are all pretty much the same – we are “green” if you will. But when we give ourselves over to Him, we change. The chlorophyll of the world is broken down and the other God-given aspect of our lives – which we each have – begins to show through. Those “carotenoids” that were once hidden, shine forth brilliantly in a dying world.
If we will seek out Jesus’ will for our lives, every one of us has in us the gifts to bring glory to our Creator. You can’t tell me that vibrant colors don’t stand out in a field of green. Today’s image was purposely chosen because it shows how the vivid colors of red, orange, and yellow cannot be hidden.
As followers of Jesus, we must allow Him to break down what makes us blend in with the world. We must stand out. We must proclaim His glory. The illustration cannot be taken any further but It stresses the importance of our calling in Christ. We are here to shine forth His glory – and something trees cannot do – we must be about showing others around us that change is possible for them, as well! Amen!
“Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1 (AMP)
Oct 21st, 2019, Mon, 8:43 pm
