spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Jul 25

What Was God Thinking?

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 96:12- “Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

I saw a television host recently, wearing a blazer which one might describe as a modern day “coat of many colors.”

Although I didn’t really like this guy’s choice of color combinations, it got me thinking about how dull our world would be without the vibrant pinks, blues, and yellows. 

Thank God for the beautiful colors He has given us in sunsets, flowers, rainbows, oceans, eyes, birds, and so on. Artists use them to weave beautiful fabrics, paint breathtaking landscapes.

The sheer beauty of color. 

It speaks to our innermost being. Affects our mood, lifts our spirits, provides energy, conveys love and appreciation.

What was God thinking when He created color?

Like everything else in creation, He was thinking of you and me. His Word says that He created the world and all that is in it for our good pleasure.

Every time the moon rises, flowers bloom, or a rainbow appears, God is painting a huge love picture for us. 

When life gets tough and you wonder if God has forgotten you, take that glass of iced tea to the backyard. Observe nature. Thank Him for the sights, sounds, and smells of creation. 

Relax, knowing that He loves you with an everlasting love. 

From the beginning, as He hung the stars in the heavens and spoke the earth into existence, He was thinking of you.

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Jul 7

God’s Billboards

by Brenda Poulos

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Psalm 19: 1-4. ““The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

 

I don’t think there are as many billboards along roadways as there were years ago.

And, people tell me that with so much information coming at them all of the time, they simply tune out the occasional one they do see.

Computers, television, cell phones, iPads, tablets—even our watches keep us connected nowadays with new products and ideas.

Despite all of these changes in our lives, God is still into the visual—sunrises and sunsets, rainbows after storms, stars in the night sky…

God is spirit and so is invisible to our human eyes, so he often makes us aware of His presence and great love for us in ways we can understand and appreciate. These little gifts from God are interspersed throughout our days as gentle reminders that He is with us.

But, as wonderful as these all are, we cannot deeply know Him without prayer and the truths we read in scripture. He doesn’t just want us to be aware that He exists. He wants us to really know Him because He knows us and—even with all of our flaws—He wants a relationship with us. 

All of creation testifies to His presence.

God’s “billboards” are everywhere. 

We will see them if we routinely take our eyes off our computer screens and, instead, spend time with God.

 

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Jan 14

Message in the Stars

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 19:1- “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

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As my husband drives, one of my favorite things to do is watch the moon and stars, thanking God for these beautiful points of light created so long ago for our pleasure.

But the Bible tells us that they have also been put in the skies to declare God’s presence and glory.

If you are “into” astrological signs, keep reading.

I am betting you aren’t aware that the entire story of creation through the events in the book of Revelation have been written in the stars so that we would know of God’s great love.

Here are some fascinating books that go into this amazing truth in great detail. Warning: you will not be able to put them down:

The Real Meaning of the Zodiac by Dr. James Kennedy (out of print, but you may find in church libraries or used bookstores. Originally printed in a special TBN edition).

The Heavens Declare by William D. Banks.

Witness of the Stars by E.W. Bullinger.

The Gospel in the Stars by Joseph A. Seiss.

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Jan 15

Blessings in Imperfections

by Brenda Poulos

 

Exodus 4:11– “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

 

 

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One of my early assignments was teaching severe and profound disabled children.

People used to ask me how I did it. All I can say is that those kids blessed me in ways that no average students ever could.

 

If you’re the parent of, know, or teach this type of child, you know what I mean.

Even so, have you ever asked yourself if God sometimes creates people to be less than perfect, physically or mentally?

Or, perhaps, permits disabilities, and imperfections?

And what about life’s tragedies? Does God have a hand in those?

Difficult questions. Difficult answers.

Let’s start with what we know:

*Psalm 139 tells us that God is personally—and intentionally—involved in the creation of each and every person in utero.

*Proverbs 13:33 says He is even behind what we may view as random acts of creation, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

*In Exodus 4:11, He says that He is sovereign in creating people with disabilities.

*And let’s not forget the story in John, chapter 9. In it, Jesus talks about a man’s blindness as having a divine purpose, “…so that the work of God would be displayed in his life.”

This side of Heaven, we will never fully understand the ways of God. For now, however, we must exercise faith and trust because of the things we are sure of, like His unfailing love for us and His attributes of goodness, mercy, and grace.

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Feb 9

The Ultimate Valentine

by Brenda Poulos

Romans 1:20- For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

We hadn’t used binoculars since we camped in northern Arizona. Now, I pulled them out of the closet and packed them into our suitcase. We were heading for a whale watching excursion in the Pacific Ocean as part of our vacation in San Clemente, California.

The binoculars would help us detect the large mammals from a distance, bringing them into focus even from far away. Without them, we might never know that these spectacular creatures were anywhere nearby.

The Bible says one day we will see God. We will “Behold Him” in all of His Glory. We won’t need binoculars—we’ll see Him face-to-face!

But what about now? Is there any way to see Him—to recognize Him in our daily lives here on earth?

His Word tells us we can see evidence of Him all around us— in the heavens and on the earth. That even in those places where the gospel hasn’t been preached, people can know of Him because all of nature testifies of Him!

This earth, this galaxy, didn’t come into existence because of some “Big Bang!” They were created for us to inhabit, for our enjoyment, in order to increase our awareness of our Heavenly Father. All of creation gives evidence of the great love of God for His children.

The rainbow…a waterfall…the hummingbird…sunrise and sunset…ocean waves…a summer breeze… a colorful butterfly…sunbeams streaming through a windowpane…stars, moon, planets, and puffy clouds… Take a second look at them, today. Think about the one who created them: our Heavenly Father.

He loved us so much that He made all of nature for our pleasure, but more than this, he made them to send us a message. A message that He exists, that He loves us, that He wants to connect with us. They tell of His divine nature and His great power.

God was in control as He created. Today, He IS still in control. Although things may not always seem to be going “right”, He IS near us. He will have the ultimate victory!

This world may be all about Valentines and lace and sparkly diamonds, but He is about a universe filled with reminders that His love is unfailing, unending. Love in its purest form, for by His very nature, HE IS LOVE.

Brenda

 

 

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