A wonderful field of yellow ragwort, and purple rosebay willow-herb and green grass with the odd white from some thistles and dandelion heads. Seeds floated upward and the scent of this field was wonderful. The sounds of buzzing bees pollinating the plants and ladybugs climbing grass stalks to eat their fill.

Another day spent with my son. A bike ride to some climbing rocks, a good couple of hours climbing. Some time tidying the garden later. Then playing games and finally making some bread.

I would say it has been a fruitful day.

I’ve not converted anyone to the light but I think God just wants us to spend time with family somedays.

I did see a family walk past all the flowers and wildlife all staring at mobile phones and ignoring each other. They needed someone to shout look up, look around, look at each other. Interact and show love.

I have been reading Nahum and I have been thinking about this prophet. In effect he was called to shout out and warn this city. We must all head his warning though. Do we sometimes skip past passages because they challenge are assumptions about God?

Nahum 1:2, 7-8

God is jealous, and the Lord avenges;
The Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;

…..

The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make an utter end of its place,
And darkness will pursue His enemies.

Grim reading at the best of times. God is jealous, he avenges, he takes vengeance and he reserves wrath, but first this is a warning to the city of Nineveh who were worshiping other idols and living an evil sinful life. It must apply to anyone who turns away from God and lives a life of sin.

When I was tidying up the garden I saw two roses. One was blooming and the other had died away because a spider had set up home in there and perhaps nothing could get in to pollinate the rose. Perhaps sin is like the spider, unhealthy for our souls and so what naturally follows is a decay of our souls, a shrivelling up as they look hard and selfish. When we die, or shed our body as Paul puts it, we will meet God in all His glory to be judged, and I do not want to meet him with any sin within me, or with a shrivelled up soul. As God appeared to the Israelites and Moses they were petrified and they had right to feel that way.

Exodus 20:18

The People Afraid of God’s Presence

18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.

They denied God many times and questioned Him and his leaders.

The good news is that God also provided a permanent answer.

Isaiah 53

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Any sin we have done in the past, today or are likely to do in the future we can lay this on Jesus as He has already died for our sin. We will not meet God with a vengeful heart because God will not even remember these sins because in effect Jesus has cast them from memory. Many of us lead blessed lives but we still must remain mindful of the sacrifice God has paid for us so that we can be acceptable in God’s eyes.

The answer is to confess and believe in Jesus Christ and this is the only way, through Jesus.

Sadly just enjoying nature and praising the wonderful works of God will not give us salvation, only through confessing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour will we gain that glorious joyful news and be taken to eternal life with God.

Dear Lord thank you for this time with our families. I pray that we all can remain faithful to you and point others to your Son Jesus, so that we may all gain that privileged position of sharing this life and the next with you in joyful communion.

Amen