Issue 1288 – Downpour – November 2, 2023

I awakened to the sound of a diluvian deluge of rainfall. It was pouring, raining cats and dogs, coming down in buckets. In case there is any doubt, it seemed to be raining very hard.

I had to sneak a peek out the windows and have a look. In truth, while it sounded like that and was raining pretty good, it sounded far worse than it was.

It’s late autumn in the Lower Mainland, so rain is a fact of life and, to my mind, much preferable to snow. As I have gotten older, my body doesn’t tolerate being cold as well as it used to, and I don’t have to shovel rain.

I miss the beauty of a fresh snowfall and some winter activities, but I am pretty content to do without them. We will undoubtedly have a few wet snowfalls a little later in the year, but most of the snow will be gone the next day.

We are enjoying life here. It’s quite a change from living in the interior of BC, and that was a significant adjustment from living in Alberta. Each has its good points and its weaknesses.

I’ve been blessed to live in or visit a great number of places, mostly living in Canada, but seeing Western Europe, Mexico, parts of our neighbour to the South, the USA, and parts of Asia and Africa.

Across them all, there have been a couple of constants. First is the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. He never changes and is always at work. Secondly, the nature of people showing the best of being created in God’s image and the ugliest of darkness.

No matter where you go, people need Jesus. To meet those needs, we are called to “bloom where you are planted.” It’s an ancient sentiment, even if it isn’t in the Bible.

According to one source, “The earliest mention of this phrase is credited to The Bishop of Geneva, Saint Francis de Sales, who lived from 1567 to 1622. He is credited for the following: “Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence.”

God has placed many people in need of ministry right in your sphere of influence. There are family members, neighbours, work or schoolmates, fellow church members and randomly encountered people around us who need God’s love.

There are so many that it’s like an almost overwhelming torrent of needs. Of course, no one person can meet the needs of everyone around them, not even with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Yet, we are called to do what we can. We are called to generosity with our money, resources, time and compassion. If each of us genuinely gave what we could and did what we could, there would be a surplus beyond measure. We read an example of this in the Old Testament.

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. Exodus 36:2-7

The flood of needs out there is incredible, but God has equipped us to hold back the tide. He has prepared us to push back the darkness and assured victory.

Hold fast in the flood; there are people who need rescuing. God has uniquely placed you where you are and will cause you to bring bright blooms for his glory.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

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, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 KF “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

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