Our Bloomin' Hydrangea
I mentioned last Sunday in my sermon that our hydrangea had blossomed this year in a spectacular fashion. So, I thought I would share a photo of it with you. We ourselves were amazed to see it like this as previous summers were nothing like this. Neighbors (even visitors to neighbors) have been taking photographs of it. Someone talked about walking at midnight and it was as if the bush was 'glowing' (shades of Exodus 3:2-3?) People living in the neighborhood said they had never seen anything like it in over 20 years of being there. Sheer beauty to behold ... how amazing is our God!
Why do I mention this, certainly not to say it had anything to do with our horticultural genius! But we have felt the Lord speaking through this bush and one thing he has said is that this was always inside the plant, despite previous slightly more disappointing seasons, nevertheless this was always waiting for an opportunity to spring forth. Now here is my question to you, what do you believe that the Lord has placed within you, that is just waiting for the right time to spring forth?
I shared this Scripture with our Council as we met this week. It comes at the end of Peter's second letter and the context is Peter's reminder about the return of Christ and the coming end of the world; "the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). Then he asks this question, since this is true what manner of people ought you to be? In other words, now how shall we live?
It is certainly not to be preoccupied with numerous theories about the events surrounding the end of the world as we van easily find ourselves doing, but rather Peter says, grow in grace, grow in your relationship with Jesus so as not to lose your confidence and security. We grow by adding to our faith ... goodness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, affection and love. God causes the growth but it comes through the depth of relationship with the Father and with other believers as we speak truth in love and crave the Word of God, and the working of the Holy Spirit.
Something really significant is ahead, just like the hydrangea bush I believe that it has already been planted within us, now we are to believe that the season of favor is upon us and we have something of infinite beauty and power to be released through us as we yield to God's will, die to our own will, and allow Jesus to live more fully through us. The evidence will be this love abounding to the glory of God.
May we become a greater reflection of God's honest love as we seek to be a people 'Growing in love to live like Jesus'.
With love and prayers,
Pastor Mike