Issue 1528 – Refreshing – August 20, 2024
Kathy and I spent Saturday with some friends visiting from Alberta, enjoying various local sights. It was a great day.
It was a hot day, with temperatures in the high 20s-low 30s, and we opted for a stroll. We knew the perfect spot for a day like that and stopped at the Campbell Valley Regional Park.
The park is well-forested, making walking easy when the temperature is high. Of course, in the hottest part of the day, you don’t see as much wildlife as usual, but we saw a few squirrels, chickadees, and mallards.
We were surprised to find that much of the riverbed was bone dry. The normally placidly flowing river bed was a mass of grasses. I suspect that some of the local beavers have dammed the river up somewhere upstream. We know they are very active in the area.
Still, the stroll was enjoyable. We followed it up with a visit to a local farm stand and then a local dairy where we enjoyed the ice cream made on-site (Birchwood Dairy). It’s worth a stop if you are ever in Abbotsford.
The shaded walk and the delicious ice cream made the hot day more enjoyable and refreshing.
Sometimes, life seems dry, and we need to refresh. I have found the Scriptures helpful in those times, particularly the Psalms.
The words of the 23rd Psalm, arguably one of the most well-known passages of Scripture, fit the bill nicely.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. Psalm 23
That psalm brings to mind the faithfulness of God at all times of my life, even when I didn’t see His hand in the moment. He has loved me, saved me, and provided for all my needs.
When life is a dry struggle, I can be reminded that He is always there, and no matter what comes, I can stand in Him.
Things sometimes turn out differently than I hope they will. I don’t always get my way. Life can be hard at times. I don’t always understand the whats and whys of what I see and experience.
Yet, the Lord remains on His throne and knows what is best for me.
That gives me comfort and peace and refreshes my soul.
Whatever you face today, trust Him to carry you through it.
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)
© K.F. “Kevin” Corbin 2024 – Used by permission – All rights reserved.