Sabbath Walk in the Forest With My Bride—Reflections

My wife, Sandi, and I took a walk down by the river this Shabbat afternoon. It was a beautiful day—mild for this time of the year, and after spending most of the day indoors  reading the Bible, writing, studying and praying, I needed to get out for some fresh air and to connect with the Creator through his creation. This is part Elohim’s the river of life I need to get into regularly. It’s part of my personal “God bubble” in which I live. Please enjoy.  Natan

I like photography and I love my iPhone because I can snap quality pictures wherever I go. Every day in our haste, we simply walk by beautiful pictures. One has to have an eye and a love for  beauty as one is walking down the path of life. All around us are beautiful scenes waiting to be seen and appreciated. They are opportunities to stop and pray, to reflect and to worship Elohim. Let’s work hard not to miss these opportunities.  We must learn to extract the precious from the mundane, and sometimes even from the vile. May YHVH, give us the eyes and heart to find the beauty and blessing in everything and everyone around us, and use it as a trigger to move into praise and worship of him for it.

Even a rotton log has its own beauty with the peeling bark, moss and vines growing on it and the  dead leaves. This log has value. In its death, it provides life-giving nutrition for the next generation of plants and animals. It will eventually become precious topsoil out of which everything grows. Life comes out of death. Death of loved ones, death of dreams, death of innocence,  death of hopes, death of finances, death of health or death of relationships. When one door closes, another door opens taking us into new vistas, experiences, opportunities and possibilities. May Yah, help us to wrap our brain around this reality and to embrace life-giving death with these things in mind.

There is a river of life out there. We have to find it. When we do, the light of YHVH’s Presence will shine on it encouraging us and guiding us into his perfect will for our lives.

Follow the path of life that leads to the light of truth. Yeshua is the Light of the world and the Sun of righteousness. Yah, help us to follow the Lamb of Elohim wherever he goes.

YHVH has not called the great and mighty people of this world, but the ordinary, foolish ones that he will use  to confound the wise for his glory. May we be such a people that he can use.

Like these trees that are wading out into the river, we too must get into YHVH’s river of life. The psalmist says that a wise man plants himself next to the river like a tree from which it gains nourishment. But sometimes, like Ezekiel, we have to actually get into that river—even get in over our heads. That’s called passion and zeal.

It’s good to feel small. It keeps life in perspective—that we’re not as great or as big as we think we are. Maybe then YHVH can actually use us for big things—for his divine plans and purposes.

 

9 thoughts on “Sabbath Walk in the Forest With My Bride—Reflections

  1. Long before there was a written word for us to use to try to know Abba, there was….just this. I think that we get so wrapped up in trying to gain knowledge ABOUT Him and how to “do” things, that we MISS Him in our everyday walk. Good reminder Natan. Thanks.

  2. B/t/w……I will enjoy the great outdoors today via your pix because it is currently minus 2 here !!! Expecting minus 41 on Wednesday!!

  3. One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth…thanks for these photo reminders…just lovely

  4. Thanks, Natan. I always appreciate you sharing this part of your world. Where is the path your wife is pictured standing on and what kind of tree is that you’re standing in front of in the last picture?

    • The path is at our local city park in Wilsonville, Oregon where we live. The park is along the Willamette River, which starts in the Cascade mountains about 150 miles south of here and flows through the Willamette Valley. This is the same river that flows through downtown Portland, Oregon just 20 miles north us where it empties into the mighty Columbia River. The tree is a black cottonwood (Populus trichocarps). These trees populate the river bank in vast numbers and grow very quickly. This tree is probably only about 100 years old and is five to six feet in diameter and is about 130 feet tall.

  5. Thank you for sharing the photos Natan…fresh air clears away all the cobwebs.Enjoying his wonderful creation.. the size of the trees are amazing the ones with the moss on them
    We have had temps of 42 degrees Celcius on Friday….very hot & sunny ….then down to 29 degrees and a few light showers early hrs of the morning..when I heard the rain it was comforting & brings refreshment.

  6. Thanks for taking me on a walk in God‘s great creation! I especially like the photo of you posing in front of the black gotten wet. It reminds me of man’s diminutive power and presence compared to the mighty creator. In the middle of our freezing temperatures here in middle Tennessee last week, we were happy to welcome a new little lamb in the world. The sheep is a first-time mother and is doing well keeping a baby lamb warm and fed.

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