Issue 1427 – Darned Cats – April 20, 2024
If you have been reading Gleanings for any length of time, you know that we have several bird feeders in our yard. Our yard backs onto a multi-acre green space, which birds heavily populate.
That combination makes for busy feeders. It’s impossible to get a count because the birds come and go during the day, but hundreds of birds, of dozens of species, visit daily. It makes for delightful watching.
Unfortunately, like many suburban neighbourhoods, ours has cats who visit. At least three cats pass through our yard regularly to hunt the birds. I do my best to chase them away, but they know they aren’t supposed to be there. When they see me, they all run.
They do manage to get the occasional bird. The evidence is in the messy little piles of feathers they leave behind. It annoys me, but they are just cats doing what cats do.
We also have squirrels that visit. They are cute but annoying because they chase the birds from the feeders and pig out. Like the cats, they are just being true to their natures.
People often do messy, annoying things as well. It’s part of the nature of our fallen state. God created us in his image and said the work was very good. Unfortunately, we opted to reject God and chose sin.
Every person is a sinner by nature (imputed from Adam and Eve) and by choice. We like to think that people are mostly good, but that isn’t true.
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
That doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of doing good things; after all, we are created in God’s image. That doesn’t mean our good works are pleasing to God.
People often think that because they do good things or are “nice” or “moral,” they can earn their way into God’s graces. That doesn’t work because,
…without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6
and
For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Hebrews 14:23b
That doesn’t mean we are without hope. Christ has come, He died in our place and He gives us the opportunity to be reconciled to God.
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 8b-9
Our natures can be changed.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthian 5:17
We can be made new. We will still struggle in the process, but with Christ, we have hope. We can rejoice that He saves us by grace … through faith alone in what He has done.
Once we repent and accept Him, we are justified, and our sins are forgiven. The process of being sanctified (made holy) takes a lifetime.
Praise Him for that. If you don’t know this, Jesus, find Him today before it’s too late.
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)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV)