The Canopy

                                                             

The scriptures capture some beautiful images of God's love and protection for all God's children. Isaiah is one of those prophets who used many creative 'pictures' to share the message of God's mercy with the Israelites. Reading through Isaiah 4, I came to these verses which I want to share with you today:

"Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain."

What do you think of that? 

I love the image of the canopy - God's glory will be like a canopy protecting us from the sun (heat) and hiding place protecting us from the storms of life.

"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest." - Corrie Ten Boom

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Love them anyway

Have you ever felt so despondent with people that you are tempted to pack it all in and to stop giving of yourself? If you are nodding your head right now, then you will want to read these words -

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centred. 

Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. 

Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. 

Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. 

Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. 

Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. 

Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. 

Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 

Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. 

It was never between you and them anyway."

 

These words are attributed to Mother Teresa. They have been adapted from the original words written by Dr Kent Keith.

If you find them useful please feel free to pass them on and give credit to the original authors.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Medium is the Message!

After yesterday's quote from Malcolm McLuhan, about humans not having 'Earlids', I stumbled across another quote of his and thought it is worth thinking about.

“In Jesus Christ, there is no distance or separation between the medium and the message: it is the one case where we can say that the medium and the message are fully one and the same.”
― Marshall McLuhan 

The well known phrase, "The Medium is the Message", comes from McLuhan and so when you take his quote (above) into consideration we come to a greater understanding of what he is getting at. In simple, he is implying that "how" we deliver a message (and in what manner) determines how people receive that message. It is all in the "way" we communicate that a message is received.

So, when it comes to the person of Jesus, I believe that he always spoke with a heart of love, grace and mercy. And when he communicated, people could sense his TRUE HEART and so they received his message in that way. His medium of communication was 'love' and so was his content. Love was at the heart of all he did and said.

What do you think? I would love to hear from you....

1 John 4:16 - And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Living in Grace

D3LM3