Beautiful Foliage: the Comfort and Love of God

-Scotland/not Ireland! FB

Dunnottar Castle 

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"The greenest grass is found wherever the most rain falls.  So I suppose it is the fog and mist of Ireland that makes it "the Emerald Isle." 

And wherever you find the widespread "fog of trouble and the mist of sorrow", you always find emerald green hearts that are full of the beautiful foliage of the comfort and love of God.

   

Dear Christian, do not say, 

"Where are all the swallows? They are all gone---they are dead."  

No, they simply skimmed across the deep, blue sea, flying to a faraway land; but they will be back again soon.

Child of God, do not say, 

"All the flowers are dead---the winter has killed them, so they are gone."  

No! Although the winter has covered them with a white coat of snow, they will push up their heads again and will be alive very soon.

O believer, do not say the sun has burned out, just because a cloud has hidden it.

No. it is still there, planning a summer for you; for when it shines again, it will have caused those clouds to have dropped their April showers, each of them a mother to a sweet mayflower.

Above all, remember---when God hides His face from you, do not say that He has forgotten you. He is simply waiting for a little while to make you love Him more. And once He comes, you will rejoice with inexpressible "joy of the LORD". 

Waiting on Him exercises your gift of grace and tests your faith. 

Therefore continue to wait in hope, for although the promise may linger, it will never come too late."

---Charles H. Spurgeon  

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Nehemiah 8:7b-12

[they all]..."explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. 

They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, 

“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” 

For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

Then he said to them, 

“Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. 

Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, 

“Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 

All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them."

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