Hyacinths, tulips and primroses currently blooming in my backyard—all smiling joyfully in the cold rain!
Even though the weather has been almost non-stop cold, dreary, dark, gray, raining and snowing in western Oregon for weeks, the flowers keep blooming!!!
Let us take a lessons from Elohim’s creation around us and be like those flowers and declare the glory of Yehovah Elohim no matter the physical and spiritual climate in which we find ourselves. The spring season of Yeshua’s second coming is just around the corner… Natan
Now thanks be to Elohim who always leads us in triumph in Messiah, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
For we are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiahamong those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. (2 Cor 2:14–16)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of Elohim and not of us.
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Master Yeshua, that the life of Master also may be manifested in our body.
For we who live are always delivered to death for Yeshua’s sake, that the life of Yeshua also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So then death is working in us, but life in you.
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Master Yeshua will also raise us up with Yeshua, and will present us with you.
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of Elohim.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:7–18)
Have a glorious day in Yeshua the Messiah!
Thank you so much for the encouragement that is much needed today!!!! Blessings to you in Yeshua HaMashiach.
Thankyou Natan. Oh how I needed those words. Our King is present even when the oppression tries to convince otherwise. Praise our King. Shalom FJ
Those Tulips look so healthy : standing nice & upright…..a picture perhaps of what believers should look like to Elohim.
The truth is that I just purchased them the other day from the local garden center. They’ve just recently come out of the greenhouse and are now being exposed to the rigors of real life weather and adverse environmental conditions. Hopefully they’ll continue to look great now that they’re in the real world. So far so good despite being rained and snowed on the last few days. Same with us. When confronted with trials, persecution and tribulations, will we continue to bloom joyfully and demonstrate the fruit of YHVH’s Spirit and evoke the sweet fragrance to those around us of his love, joy and peace? May YHVH help us all in the the lofty and auspicious goal to be like Yeshua who, while hanging on the cross, said, “Father forgive them….”