Breath of God

By the breath of God . . .

. . .  frost is given . . . Job 37:10 KJV



By the word of the LORD, the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.  Psalm 33:6



And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.  Genesis 2:7

All the while, my breath is in me . . . Job 27:3

Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it:  "I, the LORD have called you  . . . and will hold your hand.  Isaiah 42: 5,6

And I will . . .  put breath in you and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.  Ezekiel 37:6

Thus says the LORD God, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these  . . . that they may live."  Ezekiel 37:9

The Spirit of God hath made me  and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.  Job 33:4

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD.  Psalm 33:6

Photos:  Hoar Frost, Willow River, BC  
Taken by Susan van Dijk, used with permission and deep gratitude.

They Sing

"He sends the springs into the valleys . .

. . .  which flow among the hills.

By them the birds of the heavens . . .

. . .  have their habitation,

. . . they sing among the branches.  Psalm 104:10,12

. . . the time of the singing of birds has come.  Song of Solomon 2:12 KJV

Sing out the honour of His name; make His praise glorious.  Psalm 66;2

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him, talk of all His wondrous works.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those rejoice who seek the LORD.   1Chronicles 16:9,10

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me - a prayer to the God of my life.   Psalm 42:8

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming  and I will dwell in your midst.  says the LORD."  Zechariah 2:10

Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD . . .  and they shall sorrow no more at all.  Jeremiah 31:12

 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High.  Psalm 9:2

I will sing to the LORD because He has dealt bountifully with me.  Psalm 13:6

But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, the God of my mercy.  Psalm 59:16,17.

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.  Psalm 89:1

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.  Psalm 104:33

The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save,  He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, 

He will rejoice over you with singing. 

Zephaniah 3:17

Photos:  Song Sparrows at Surrey Lake Park, summer and winter these little fellows always have a song.

Hope For a Tree

"For there is hope for a tree . . .

. . .  if it is cut down,

Tree at  Surrey Lake Park.



 . . .  that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease.



Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, . . .

. . . yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant."   Job 14:7-9

Where then is my hope? Job 17:15

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.  Psalm 33:18

O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.  Psalm 130:7

For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O LORD my God.  Psalm 38:15

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.  Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I hope in Him!"  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  Lamentations 3:21-26

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope . . .  1 Peter 1:3

    . . .  rest your hope fully on the grace that is to be brought to you, at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  1Peter 1:13 

And you would be secure, because there is hope . . .  Job ll:18a

Watering the Earth

"He shall come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth."
(Hosea 6:3)

 

"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth."  (Psalm 72:6)

" . . . but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven."  (Deuteronomy 11:11)

"He gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields."  Job 5:10

" . . .  earth-refreshing rain showers . . ."  (Psalm 72:6  The Message Bible)

"Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?"
(Job 38:28)

"Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving, sing praises on the harp to our God, who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth . . ."  Psalm 147:7,8

" . . .He'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time . . . " 
(Deuteronomy 11:13  the Message Bible)

"You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water,

You provide their grain for so You have prepared it. 

You water its ridges abundantly,

You settle its furrows;

You make it soft with showers,

You bless its growth.

                     

You crown the year with Your goodness,

 and Your paths drip with abundance.

They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,

and the little hills rejoice on every side.

(Psalm 65:9-12)

For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven,

and do not return there,

but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,

and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." 

(Isaiah 55:10,11)

Bottled Tears

A treasured bottle collection.



“You number my wanderings:  put my tears into Your bottle;  Are they not in Your book?”   Psalm 56:8

Some excerpts from Matthew Henry's commentary:

 "God has a bottle and a book for his people's tears . . . .   

      . . . . as the blood of his saints, and their deaths, are precious in the sight of the Lord (Psalm 116:15), so are their tears, not one of them shall fall to the ground.

The tears of God's persecuted people are bottled up and sealed among God's treasures . . ."

     . . . and . . .

                the beautiful promise from Psalm 126:5,6 . . . 'Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

                       

Luke records this moving account in chapter 7:37,38; 

.  .  .  "And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood at His feet behind Him, weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil."

The woman took what was very likely her most valuable possession and broke open the bottle and poured out .  .  .  poured out love  .  .  .  having been forgiven much, she loved much. And as she wept and bathed His feet with her tears, I see Him catching those salty drops in cupped hands and slipping them into His bottle .  .  .  sealing them up with His treasures.