Issue 661 – The Delta – February 20, 2022
Gleanings From the Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life
Thanks to everyone who sent words of encouragement and blessing as Kathy and I celebrated our 45th anniversary yesterday.
I have mentioned the changes wrought by the flooding on several occasions, including many along the McKay Creek trail. The image this morning shows where McKay Creek enters into the Sumas River. The alluvial fan (the name for the fan shape where all the stones and sand, i.e. the alluvium, enter the larger body of water) is quite pronounced.
There wouldn’t be anything exceptional about the picture unless you knew the pre-flood delta. Before the recent flooding, it was perhaps 10% of its current size. It is impressive to see how much material washed down the creek and what a change it made.
The floodwaters just sped up a process already happening day by day and moment by moment.
Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God as something that starts small, perhaps almost imperceptibly so and grows. If we could see it from His perspective, the incremental changes would add up to a view of change happening at an incredible rate.
He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” Luke 13: 18-21
Each of us is changed when Christ enters our lives. The changes may be almost invisible at times, but they are ongoing. As we are changed and impact our world, the world is changed, and the kingdom grows.
Most people don’t have many moments where they get to see the kingdom growing due to God working in them unless perhaps it is in retrospect. Still, the kingdom grows.
It is easy for us to despair about the state of the church and the state of the world as we look around us. It can sometimes seem like the church is stalled or even retreating.
The world grows darker, sin seems to be winning the battle, and we wonder where God is.
If we think of the batch of flour, it would seem silly to believe that a bit of yeast could change it all. Yet, we know it is true. A tiny seed containing a huge plant, what a ridiculous idea, yet it does. The kingdom of God defeating the darkness? It seems unlikely, yet the Scriptures proclaim it is already finished.
Our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is the Sovereign Ruler of everything. Nothing can stop His plans. His divine will will be done. The Kingdom grows despite opposition; history shows it grows best under resistance.
The stream washed down tiny bits of material and left a relatively massive beachhead. The yeast multiplies and takes over the entire dough. The seed sprouts and produces a tree. We might not see it happening now, but it is true. How much more so is the kingdom of God?
The church has her issues, but she serves under the headship of an omnipotent king. The world rages against the light, but it is in its death throes.
Take heart, my dear friends. I have read the book and know that God has already won the battle.
Moment by moment, heart by heart, the kingdom never stops expanding.
The kingdom grows in the hearts and minds of believers every day. The kingdom cannot be stopped because our God reigns.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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All contents are © 2001, 2022 K. F. “Kevin” Corbin and Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required.
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