Meditation – Page 2 – Denise's Scriptural Photography

Physical Reflections and Spiritual Reflections

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” James 1: 22-24 (NKJV)

There are physical reflections and there are spiritual reflections, for us to see. Let’s look at the physical aspect of reflections. We use mirrors to capture the physical aspect. Mirrors are used to reflect an image. When we look in a mirror, we might not always like the image that is staring back at us. We physically can see this. There might be some things that we can do to change our picture. Perhaps, we need to smile. A good brushing of the teeth could help. You might consider grooming your hair nicer. Let us not forget a little make-up to the rescue! All of these affect our outside appearance. Although this isn’t the most important factor about us, it can help us to be more confident. It is our storefront!

Now we want to focus on the spiritual reflection, which is the more important part of us; the actual product of the storefront. The Bible speaks to us about the inner self, the person we truly are. This is harder to be seen. It can encompass what we believe, our thoughts, our desires, our reactions, our nature itself, for good or bad. Although I say it is harder to be seen, believe me, what is on the inside, is reflected outward for others to see. What are you showing?

God’s mirror reflects the spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of our life. We use a glass mirror to show us our outside appearance. What can we use to show us the spiritual reflection? We need to use God’s Word, The Bible, as our inner mirror. Think about this, God’s word is a guide for us to live by. Are we learning and living what God teaches us in His word? As it says in James 1: 22-24, we cannot just read the word; we must also do or live what it says, as well.

What are some of the reflections we should be able to see? Let us look at Galatians 5: 22-25(NKJV):

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

How is your spiritual mirror? Are you reflecting what is in God’s word? We need to read, study and learn God’s ways. Let the fruit of His Spirit flow in and out of you. His light will beam forth; and reflect from you to others.

He Will Not Leave You Nor Forsake You

Do you ever feel alone, afraid, helpless, hopeless, sad, stressed, discouraged or like giving up? Sadly, this list could go on and on and on. At times in life, we all can feel these emotions. This isn’t necessarily bad; we are human. However, when these feelings don’t go away quickly, and they seem to be overtaking us, is when they can become a problem or stronghold in our life.

In this photo, the tree is standing strong. The branch is outstretched with the leaves hanging on. The leaves don’t appear to be struggling, they appear to be relaxed and calm, we might say, trusting. The branch reaches out, knowing it is being held up by the strength of the tree. Again, we can use this as an example to show the trusting relationship needed for this to take place. Now think about us and how this is a representation of us and our relationship to God.

God is our strength. Do we allow Him to be it? How are you doing? Are you letting God be your strength? Are you calmly resting and trusting Him in your life situation right now? OR ARE YOU A STRESSED WRECK?

God tells us in Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV):

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

In the background of this photo, the lighthouse stands with the light on. This stands for God and His ever-loving steadfastness in our life. The water is calmed for us by our God.

He tells us in Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV):

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

He tells us to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid. God is always there watching over us. Through everything, we can trust Him to light our way. We might feel like we are alone, but we are not, so don’t try to do it by yourself. God did not at any time, intend for us to be on our own. We read this fact all throughout scripture. We are His creation, and He cares for us. Let Him take the proper place in your life. Together, you can withstand all the storms of life. Remember, “He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

God Is Graceful And Glorious

While driving home, one autumn day, there was an especially beautiful display of color and light. God’s glory was shining forth. The sun was radiant, as it was nearing time to set for the day. The color of the leaves lit up, glowing brightly from the sun shining on them. It was an awesome show from God.

I was getting near this special spot, known as the point, on The Saint Lawrence River, where the sunsets are just amazing to behold. That day’s sunset was extremely effulgent. Of course, I pulled over and just had to try to capture its glowing beauty.

This sunset trumpets God’s glory and grace. Every day the sun rises and the sun sets. Faithfully, this occurs day after day, as designed by God. Each day is gracefully given to us from God, Himself! What a wonderful gift. We give Him all the glory.

The bible verse from Psalm 84:11 (NKJV) tells us:

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

God speaks to us through His word and creation. We see this is true by looking at the picture of the sunset; He created. Then we read about it in God’s word, both working together for His grace and glory. Surely, we can take comfort in believing Him when He says, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Walk in His ways and He will be with you.

Delight In The Lord

God is a colorful designer. This painted scene, is from a crisp autumn day, near The Saint Lawrence River. We delight in the wonder of the Lord, as His word tells us to in Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

This verse tells us to delight in the Lord. We can take joy, pleasure, contentment, happiness and so much more in our Lord. Yes, we have every reason to delight in God. He is ever caring, in every area of our life. What a peaceful time it is to walk along this splendid pathway of color, reflecting on the fact that God created it for us to enjoy. We see a glimpse of His unending creative beauty.

Have you ever considered that God is delighting in you as well? Further along in Psalm 37, verse 23 we read just that.

“The steps of man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.” Psalm 37:23 (NKJV)

When we let God guide our way, then He delights in us! What a comfort to know He truly is concerned about us. He cares for us! Let Him direct your steps, so He may be delighted with you. Take time to notice the beauty along your path in life. You only go through once. Delight in the Lord!

Come Unto Me, I Will Give You Rest

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

This setting is calling out to us to come and sit for a while. It says to take a rest; be still, learn and reflect. In these times of great busyness, this is a lost practice. In this world of stress, distractions and many troubles, we can lose sight of God and the peace we can have in Him. He wants to know us, and for us to know Him. Many things get in the way. We don’t make the time we need to build that relationship. It takes time to get to know Him and His word to us. He desires for us to have a relationship with Him. God wants to ease our burdens. We must give them to Him, and He will give us rest. Let us learn to stop, be still and listen.

Furthermore, Matthew 11:29-30 (NKJV), speaks to us still more:

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

As I think about how being still and spending time with the Lord is quickly becoming a missing practice, this old hymn came to mind. Sadly, hymns have become a lost entity as well. Really listen to the words in the hymn William Longstaff wrote. We are inspired to “Be holy, for I am holy” as said in 1 Peter 1:16(NKJV)

Hymn Lyrics:

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; Find rest in Him always, and feed on His Word. Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak, Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushing on; Much time spend in secret, with Jesus alone. By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide; And run not before Him, whatever betide. In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord, And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

Let us be sure to come to Jesus and take time to be holy. The picture bids us to, “Come Sit Awhile.”

Hymn “Take Time To Be Holy” Written by William Longstaff, 1882. Public Domain

He Is Our Covering

“He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.” Psalm 105:39(NKJV)

The picture featured, illustrates this scripture very well. It shows the cloud, as the covering. The sun, with the red glow, portrays the fire. Psalm 105:39 tells us how God was there for the Israelite’s all through their exodus and journey in the wilderness. God led them out, but didn’t desert them, even though the Israelite’s complained like He had. That is not true, He supported them all along the way. They weren’t living a luxurious lifestyle, but their needs were being met in miraculous ways. Some thought it would be better to go back to Egypt. Had they already forgotten why they cried out to be delivered? They were living under harsh bondage. God is loving and caring.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13: 5-6(NKJV)

We really can’t say too much about the Israelite’s and how they behaved, because we must honestly look at our own lives to see we have fallen into the same attitudes. We, who have the Holy Spirit as our helper, cannot even walk as we should. We grumble and complain. We are not content, as it tells us in the verse in Hebrews. God does care for us and is there for us through everything. He hasn’t deserted us either! His word teaches and guides us.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

This scripture says a lot. Simply put, it tells us that God doesn’t change. He gave us the Bible, His word; Holy Spirit inspired, for us to have and live by. It is His Story from creation (Genesis) to His coming again (Revelation). It has the beginning, the fall of man, His plan to redeem us, guides to life, many promises, the end; basically, everything we need to live by. God was with the Israelite’s as they wandered along their pilgrimage, and He is also with us as we travel on ours. May we at no time forget that He is our God, He is our helper, and He will not at any time leave us nor forsake us. God does not change; He will always be there for us. God is our covering.

Every Good And Perfect Gift Is From Above

***Every Good And Perfect Gift Is From God Above***

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) NKJV

Reflecting on God’s word, in James 1:17, we are reminded that every good and perfect gift is from the Father of lights. As I contemplate this photo, I can sense these words come alive. I can feel His warmth, as God sends His love and light down on us, illuminating our way. Let us ponder this verse throughout the day, knowing that our Father desires to bless us with every good thing. Let His light radiate for all to see. God is love! He is always with you.

Let The Rivers Of Living Water Flow

At the end of a family hike was this stunning waterfall. If you were never there, it is a wonderfully, refreshing surprise! A rewarding end to an adventurous day.

On our path in Christian life, we must continue along, pressing forward to the prize. This is stated in Philippians 3:14 (NKJV):

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Then the rivers of living water will flow.

“He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38 (NKJV)

God Is Our Rock

A rock is not a living object but is inanimate. However, this lifeless object brings pictures of understanding concerning God. The rock, in this photo, is a large mass of stone, forming a hill, with a cliff. We use the term ROCK to represent a firm foundation or support. The Bible refers to the LORD as our ROCK!

Let us look at what the Bible says about this.

“There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2 (NASB )

Looking at the image, we can visualize this. We can see in the picture the rock is not a pebble; it is not a small stone, or even a boulder, but it is a large foundation stone, which can withstand much, just like our God.

The Bible further states:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 (NKJV)

Looking closer at some of the words used in the above scripture will help us get a fuller understanding.

Rock- A rock signifies something solid and strong.

Fortress- This is a place we feel protected.

Deliverer-Is someone who can rescue from harm.

Strength- Is being firm, courageous and powerful.

Trust- To have confidence, certainty and to rely on.

Shield- An Armor used to protect.

Salvation-Is to be saved from one’s sins.

Stronghold- Someone or something has a grip on you. This can be good or bad.

All the above words were used in Psalm 18:2 to help us to understand more about God and who He is. In these descriptive words, God is portrayed as, strong in nature; a person who supplies shelter for protection. The one who can rescue, give courage and power. Through these, we can take confidence in Him. Furthermore, we can always rely on Him. He shields us, saves us from our sins and will never let us go. He is the foundation stone we can build upon and stand on. Surely, He is worthy of our trust and adoration. How can we look upon creation, read His word and not see that it all falls into perfect place? Our God is our ROCK!

The Word Of Our God Stands Forever

These Black-Eyed Susan flowers are bright and pretty. God created them, for a season, for us to enjoy. They are standing strong and tall, in all their glory. Sadly, they will fade away. God likened our lives to the grass and flowers that dry up, wane, then vanish. We are reminded, in God’s word, of the shortness of human life on the earth. All life is strong and glorious for a season, but we are fleeting. He created us for His good pleasure. In our time and purpose, let us not waver. Stand strong and tall in your season, giving all glory to God.

^“Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.” Ephesians 1:9 (NKJV)

This is His word, let us take comfort in knowing that the word of our God will withstand all time on earth and into eternity. While our time on earth fades, we too, if in Christ, can share eternity. Not only will His word stand forever, He does as well. Let this comfort you as you walk along your earthly journey. He will not, at any time, leave you nor forsake you!

“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

The Bible is His living word to us. It is up to us to read, memorize, study, hide, believe, receive, claim and love it! It will “Stand Forever.” LIVE IT!

^“The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV)