Issue 1688 – Hope – March 17, 2025

It was miserable and rainy on Saturday, but we needed to get out  of the house and go for a walk. So, as we sometimes do, we drove to a greenhouse/garden center and walked around there. There is always room to walk and interesting things to see.

On this trip, we headed to #Minters in Chilliwack, one of our favorite spots. The staff is knowledgeable and always friendly, and there is plenty to see at any time of the year.

We were treated to a wide range of bird sightings as we traveled to Chilliwack and back. There were plenty of the usual ducks, geese, cormorants, gulls, and crows. We also saw a pair of eagles and what looked like a vulture in one of the fields we passed. There were fields full of trumpeter swans.

What struck us most, though, were the great blue herons. We usually see a few on our travels, but the numbers were way up this trip. 

It’s heron mating season. They gather huge numbers from all over, forming rookeries ranging from a couple of nests to hundreds. When you get near the rookeries, it’s like listening to something out of a dinosaur movie and a little unnerving. They roar and make the strangest noises. Of course, I’ve never actually heard any dinosaurs roar, but the movie sounds and the rookeries are eerily alike. It’s even worse when they are disturbed.

Sometimes, Christians and the church can sound like that. We make a lot of incomprehensible noise, and people soon identify us with the noise. Unfortunately, that noise is mostly about what we fear and are opposed to.

When we should be the voice of grace, love, forgiveness, and hope, we can come across as just another panicked, hate-filled group.

My friends, that should not be so.

We have the answer in the gospel and hope of Jesus the Christ. We have experienced love and forgiveness. We know the victory is his and passed onto all who trust him. We have nothing to fear.

The world can strip us of everything, even our lives, but it cannot take our Jesus and His promises. We are called to share that marvelous truth.

Hate and fear-mongering have no place in our message to the world. We are called to trust Him and share the hope.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 16:3

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5

It may sound hackneyed and even cliche, but Jesus truly is the answer.

My friends, let us cling fast to our hope. Let us share the truth with a frightened world. If we don’t tell them, who will?

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

__________________________________________ 

Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, feel free to comment.

Did you know that we have an email version? It offers the same great content but in a different format. This is ideal for when you don’t want to check your Facebook or share with friends who don’t use Facebook. 

Subscribe today 

https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1

___________________________________________ 

All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

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