On the hillside of Beacon Fell walking down from the summit, we occasionally paused to pick blackberries and bilberries from the bushes. I noticed that there was moss surrounding the plant. Both the berries are still in season and they are ripe and ready to eat, if they haven’t been taken already by the animals and people that travel by. Even though Autumn is here, the plants are still busy. They are busy preparing for the Winter. Whether we will have a hard Winter or a mild one, I do not know, but there is preparation to be done.
As Christians we should be preparing for the times to come through prayer and by producing fruits, showing love to all and doing good deeds, but not out of duty, but out of joy, and these plants are joyfully producing fruits. But we should also be thankful that there should be people, friends around us that will protect us when the times get hard, and we also should be prepared to protect others. Now by protecting others I do not mean covering up, and lying for anyone. We must always be true to our faith and be prepared to suffer, or carry Christ’s cross. But we should build our fellow Christians up with prayer, with action and with praise.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, …
If God is prepared to protect us with His love, and we have His love within us as His Spirit, then we should be fruitful and be like the moss and protect and build one another up in love.
I pray for my wife especially today as it is her birthday and she has always supported me through all of my mad ideas and ventures.
Have faith as a shield to defeat the arrows that fly by day and pray for one another, especially our leaders who are under so much pressure.
Lord, I pray for our families and friends, for our fellow Christians, for the people that give me guidance and I ask that you keep them from evil, that you deliver them from snares that they may be tempted by and give them the strength to lead with the Spirit’s guidance being evident everyday. May we be protected by you and in turn may we protect others, always through love and not through lies and deceit. Allow us all to feel your love on this earth and see it fully for what it is so that we thank and praise you for your protection through the years.
Amen
365 Exhortations 