Faith – Page 5 – Denise's Scriptural Photography

Your Faith, Being Much More Precious Than Gold- Photograph of A Sunny Snowy Day

It was a pleasure to experience this awe-inspiring scene one chilly winter day. Despite the cold, barren setting, the brightly shining sun, gave out such a sense of warmth. Even though it was a snowy wintry day, the sun illuminated the entire area, covering it with a blazing glow. It appeared to be setting the trees on fire. It was an extraordinary sight to behold! I call it, “A Sunny Snowy Day.” The scripture in 1 Peter 1:7 (NKJV) tells us:

“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

How is your faith? Are you in a struggle? Are you fighting through various trials and temptations? Does the light seem to be going out or flickering? In James 1:2-4 (NKJV) we get inspiration to carry on.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Do we count it all JOY? Are we pressing on to the prize? We do not always see the working of God in us to grow our faith. He may use our situations, in life, to help us realize what really matters. Your FAITH is more precious than GOLD! Keep your faith, let it shine forth in all things, not just the good times. Your surroundings and situations should not matter.

Look unto Him, the “SON”. The “SON” is always there, no matter what season or place we are, in our life. As a child of God, we need to let Him be our refiner, purifier, and polisher. Let God’s perfect design for you shine forth. Let your FAITH in the SON glow. May God set us on fire, as He completes His work in each of us!

©Denise L. Calandra

God’s Colorful Promise

People tend to get excited when they see a rainbow. “Hey, look there is a rainbow!” “Wow, I just saw a rainbow!” “That rainbow was so awesome!” These might be some thoughts exclaimed upon seeing a rainbow. Have you ever wondered why it brings this reaction? Yes, it is a beautiful, colorful and wonderful sight to envision. However, maybe the reason we get such delight goes much deeper than this. Perhaps, deep inside we know it is a reminder of God’s love and promise to us.

“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13 (NKJV)

Let us remember God created us in the beginning, in His image. Sadly, it didn’t take long for mankind to sin and fall from God’s grace. God was repentant, sorry, that He had created us.

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:5-9 (NKJV)

God decided to destroy all, through a flood covering the whole earth. Thankfully, Noah found grace in His sight. God allowed Noah and his family to be saved, by entering the ark. This became their home and provision for safety throughout the flood. When the waters receded and land was visible, Noah and his family got off the ark. God made a beautiful rainbow in the sky. He said this was a sign of His promise to mankind, which is not to destroy the earth by a flood again.

“Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud.” Genesis 9: 11-14 (NKJV)

Upon seeing a rainbow, we are mindful of God’s love and grace. We also are reminded of God’s promise to mankind. Let us realize the rainbow goes all the way back to the flood with Noah. The fact that the rainbow is still in existence today shows us that God and His word are real! God keeps His word and can be trusted. This truly is a joy and comfort. What a colorful promise indeed! So, the next time you are enjoying the sight of a rainbow, never forget God’s promise and love for us. Honestly, this is the pot of gold. It is greater than anything the gold could ever buy. Rejoice and be glad. Enjoy!

I Am The Vine, Abide in Me

***Abide in Him, He is faithful and will be with you always.***

It is the winter, a season of cold and dreary weather. The trees are bare and empty. However, they still reach out their branches to heaven and stand strong. God is shining through; His love and light are ever radiating. Whatever season you are in, in your life, or no matter what situation you are going through, you are never alone. God says He is the vine and we are the branches. He also tells us that we need to abide in Him for us to bear fruit, to have success. If we abide in Him, He abides in us. It is this working together, in the right relationship, that produces a good result. He is faithful and will be with you. His love and light enfold all who welcome Him. In the verse John 15:5, it says without Him we can do nothing. We need Him and He wants us.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5(NKJV)

Do not let this get you down that you can do nothing without Him. I would not want to be without Him because He is our sustainer. God does not leave us helpless. The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Him. He is our hope, and that should comfort and strengthen us.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

Let His love and light enfold you. Abide in Him.

***If we abide in Him, He abides in us.***

God’s Harvest

***The Grain Of Wheat Dies And Produces Much Grain***

I live in a small rural “city” in Northern New York. I quote “city” not to diminish it, but growing up on Long Island, about 45 miles away from New York City; I view a city very different! Just a few minutes out of town, there is rural farmland. We also enjoy having a large Amish Community among us.

While traveling across the back roads one day, my husband and I came across this Amish farm of winter wheat. It was harvested and stacked in shocks. The Amish use a machine that is called a binder to harvest the wheat. They hitch the binder up to their horses to do the job. They do not use modern machinery. How they live is interesting, and the field of wheat sparked my curiosity. Of course, I had to get a picture.

Photos inspire me to think of God’s word and relate it to His creation. Planting, harvesting and sowing are all a part of His plan. The Bible verse I used for this photo is John 12:24.

“Most assuredly, I say to you ‘unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.’” John 12:24 (NKJV)

In the verse, John 12:24, we can see, metaphorically, that Jesus is the seed that fell to the ground and died. He, even so, rose up to bring about an abundant harvest, for the glory of God. Through His sacrificial death, eternal life was made possible. This is the way God planned to redeem a lost world, through Christ, Himself, the perfect seed dying and rising again. We, who believe, are admonished to die to ourselves and live for Christ. By God’s grace, we can become a fruitful branch that produces a harvest for our Lord.

God not only shows us His spiritual provision for us, but His provision for our human needs as well. He cares for us through the planting, growing, and harvesting of the food we need to sustain our life. The farmer knows the cycle well. The picture of the field of winter wheat portrays the food, we need to eat here on earth, while John 12:24 speaks to us about our spiritual needs. Truly, this depicts God’s Harvest!

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

A Secure Life.

Thought for today . . .

Plant yourself firmly in the Lord. Keep your mind fixed on His word. In keeping this discipline, God will help you flourish in all things. Praise God.

Jesus’ Light Shines Bright

Thought for today . . . If you are in the tunnel of darkness, always remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. The light at the end of your dark tunnel is the living Christ. Travel through that tunnel and come to the light. Let Jesus light your path. He is the way, truth and life. Fear not for He is with you. Believe and trust.

In All Things

In our life, we seem to focus on the large concerns, to petition God to help us with. This is not wrong; He wants us to come to Him, in all things. However, in our focusing on these, we sometimes miss all the multitude of little things, God is doing. When I first read the Bible, cover to cover, I was astonished at how many of our daily sayings were there. These sayings I heard and used throughout my life. This, once again, solidified the fact of God’s existence and word for me.

This picture is of a glorious sunset, painting the sky red. Admiring this sight, I was reminded of the saying, “Red sky at night, sailors delight, Red sky in morning sailor take warning.” I’ve heard and used this saying many times, and there it was, rooted in the scriptures. For a new Christian, this was a discovery from God. It may seem like a little thing, but nothing is minimal with God. As you wait on the Lord to answer your prayers, look for all the small blessings along the way. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking He isn’t there! He surely is there, guiding your way. Let the word and signs He gives, light your way.

“He answered and said to them, when it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’” Matthew 16:2 NKJV

He is in all things.

He is Lord

On a recent visit to our hometown, my husband and I took a walk. Along the path we came upon several sections of the sidewalk with interesting engravings. One inscription said, “Jesus Saves.” Another section said, “Jesus is Lord.” How uplifting this was to us! Even on a simple walk we were reminded of the glory of Jesus.

As I look at nature to see God’s word come alive, I also see this in the things of the world. It is always there no matter where you go or what you see, whether in the heavens above, or on the earth below, there is always the reminder, Jesus Is Lord!

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV

Truly it is engraved in stone forever!

The Skies Proclaim The Work Of His Hands

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be your name . . . just looking up into the painting God has placed in the sky above assures me that God, our creator, is there! He is allowing a little glimpse of His majesty to shine forth. God wants us to know Him and be aware of His presence all around, we see it in all things. Romans 1:20 NKJV is a comfort to us:

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Remember God tells us, in His living word, in Genesis 1:1 NKJV, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” We see that His word proclaims the creation to be true. This should be a great assurance for us to grasp. Feeling down, unsure and alone, meditate on His words, and behold His glory in all you see. He is there!

“And the clouds are the dust of His feet.” Nahum 1:3 NKJV

Now gaze into the skies and see His handiwork.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; The skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1 NKJV

To God be the glory!