Spring is on its way!

 On March 20th we were informed that Spring has sprung. Since then the weather has been quite cold. In many areas people had snow storms. In our area we missed lots of snow this year and it even managed to stay away during Spring so far. This past week seemed to be particularly cold. Some days, when the wind blew it was bitter cold.

But you know what??? When the cold was making me want to run inside and snuggle under a blanket, I often found myself smiling. A true joyous smile even. Why? Ultimately it was because of the hope that I had set before me. Not hope in the sense of something I think may happen, but hope in something I know will happen, but just hasn't happened yet.

Listen to this scripture:

"While the earth remains, 

Seedtime and harvest, 

Cold and heat, 

  Winter and summer, 

And day and night Shall not cease." 

Genesis 8:22

Just about a month ago Japan suffered from a terrible earthquake and tsunami. Now the whole world is

wondering and possibly fearing, what is going to become of the nuclear reactors. As of right now there is highly radioactive seawater that is leaking out of one location and they are trying to plug it up.

When natural disasters of this magnitude strike its easy to get caught up in irrational fears. I am SO thankful I have the Bible to turn to. Global warming threatens many things, but the Bible is clear that as long as the earth is around we WILL HAVE summer and winter. So, have no fear, it won't be too long before we find ourselves seeking relief from the overbearing heat.

This verse was written after the flood, which occurred about 5000 years ago (correct me if I'm wrong on the date!). I think its interesting to note what this verse doesn't promise.

It doesn't say that the land as we know it will remain or the mountains. Think about it, the earth's land masses do change over time. Islands are formed, coasts are taken off the map, mountains erupt.

It doesn't say that the animals we know will still be here. Species go extinct, others are discovered and others adapt and change over time.

It doesn't even say the stars as we know them will remain. Did you know that over a 70 year period the whole stars as we know them slowly shift one degree? (So, it actually makes sense that the wise men saw and new star and were able to follow it, because the stars that we see shifted at that point.) Anyway, my point is that even the stars change.

It does say, however, that seedtime and harvest will remain. Famines have come and gone and yet during the dust bowl, when it seemed as though things would never grow, they were growing in other parts of the world and they started growing again in the USA later. The potato famine? Did you know there were other crops growing in Ireland at the time, but they had to deport them to England?

It does say cold and heat, winter and summer will remain. All these thousands of years later and it has still remained. God IS faithful who promised.

It does say that day and night not shall not cease. Joshua made the sun to stand still for one day, there was darkness over the whole land for three hours during the Lord's death and at a time during Revelation there will be darkness at one point, but do they cease, end forever? No.

Take heart in God's promises which will NEVER fail!