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Gleanings From The Word

Category: Image of God – imago dei

  • The True Miracle Cure – The Gospel

    The True Miracle Cure – The Gospel

    An AI-generated photo-realistic image of a patent medicine bottle, "Uncle John's Miracle Cure."

    I’ve been down with a bit of a bug since late last week. Mot enough to be really sick, just enough to feel tired, miserable, and sorry for myself. I’ve mostly isolated myself to keep from sharing it with others. I’m sure it will run its course in a few days. In the meantime, I’ll stay housebound. Now, the funny thing about being under the weather is that immediately, well-intentioned and compassionate people have the cure.  We all know that one miracle cure.

    Use these essential oils. Take this herb. Smoke this wildflower. Try the newest wonder drug. Kiss a toad whose mother was conceived under an oak tree during a full moon. Some of these wonder cures may even work, in some circumstances, for some people., and I always appreciate the caring behind the suggestion.

    I’m reminded of the words of Charles Dudley Warner from “My Summer in a Garden.” “This soothing syrup is said to contain no opium or anything that could possibly injure the tenderest infant. It is recommended for children of all ages. It is sure death to worms. It allays irritation, assists digestion, and cures wind colic. It regulates the function and promotes natural, healthy sleep. It is pleasant to take and is perfectly harmless. It is good for everything, and it does nothing, – and is good for that too.”

    Sometimes we treat Jesus as the miracle cure all. Yes, all things are possible with Christ and prayer, but that doesn’t mean we always get what we want, when we want it.  Sometimes His plan includes some suffering, persecution, and trials. Please note I don’t consider the bug to be either suffering or a true trial, even if it’s inconvenient.

    To paraphrase an old thought, God is not committed to your immediate comfort, but to your eternal conformity to Christ — and that conformity is your truest happiness. It isn’t that He doesn’t want us to be “happy” or “healthy,” it’s just that His benchmarks are much higher than ours. He can and does heal. He can alleviate every form of suffering. Sometimes that’s not what is best for us.

    What is it that God desires? We are set apart for Christ, to become like Him.

    “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29

    “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

    He wants us to be like Jesus. What an incredible thought. We will never be God but we can be Jesus-like in mind, heart, and character. Now that makes me happy despite feeling sorry for myself over this bug. He is our literal miracle cure.

    Hold fast, my dear friends. Everything you are going through has a purpose and God will complete His work in you.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Stormy Seas – Calming the storm
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
    The True Miracle Cure – The Gospel
    A long but vitally important list
  • Frogs -Some things are not as they appear

    Frogs -Some things are not as they appear

    Frog Rock, New Hampshire

    Another version of this image popped up on my social media. It had  obviously been greatly enhanced, but I was intrigued enough to do some research. This is Frog Rock, located in New Boston, New Hampshire.

    From one angle, it does indeed resemble a large frog. The frog was once a popular tourist destination. I’ve never been there, but if I ever get to New Boston, I’ll be sure to check it out.

    It’s a 10-foot-tall glacial erratic (a boulder left behind in a random place by melting glaciers). Glacial erratics can be found in many places; a well-known one is the Big Rock found on the outskirts of Okotoks, Alberta. They can be huge. One source speaks of massive erratics, “one large glacial erratic in Germany measures 3 by 6 km (2 by 4 mi) and is 9 m (30 ft) thick. Near Cooking Lake, Alberta, one of several large glacial erratics, which is called the Cooking Lake (Number 6) megablock, covers an area of at least 10 km2 (4 sq. mi), has a length of 4.0 km (2.5 mi), and is about 10 m (33 ft) thick. 

    As I thought about how well the random stone in New Hampshire mimics a stone, I was reminded that not everything is as it appears, and not every promise is true. The rock is called a big frog and looks like one, but it is not and will never be a real frog.

    Mirages in the desert or on the highway promise water that isn’t there. Politicians make promises that, even if they genuinely hoped to deliver, will never be fulfilled. Friends, family, and even church members can let us down. All the trinkets and whiz-bang-gizmos we long for and buy never deliver the fulfillment we crave.

    The book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, who regaled us with tales of how he had everything a person could ever want. Each task, triumph, and possession promised fulfillment, but none of them delivered.

    Ecclesiastes is a short book, an easy read, and often overlooked by many Christians. It’s probably best known for a repeated line, “Meaningless, everything is meaningless” (or “Vanity, everything is vanity”, in some translations). Yet, even that claim is untrue in a sense. Solomon recognizes at the end that there is something that has meaning, a purpose for our lives.

    The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV

    No matter what your circumstances tell you, or the lies you have believed, you have value and purpose.

    You were created in the very image of God and are loved enough that Jesus died for you while you were still a sinner. He is preparing a home for you in heaven.

    While we wait, we grow to be like Jesus and serve the Lord. It’s a noble quest that will deliver exactly as promised.

    Kevin

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