Promises Sure and Steadfast

The sun sends its silvery darts through the leaves of the large ash tree that sets east and slightly north of the house. It has begun to warm the lazy fog as it sleeps in the dips and hollows of the fields that sit across the dusty chalk colored gravel road on the other side of our front lawn. It was cool early this morning. Not cool enough for a jacket, but a comfortable cool. Just the right temperature to put 'roses' in the cheeks as rounds are made doing the chores.

Now, as I pick up my walking stick and begin my morning walk, I breathe deeply of the fresh air. My path takes me out under the huge hard maple tree that sits right outside of our 'sun porch' window, where the night's condensation falling from the leaves makes it look like it's raining. I continue under the large linden tree and on around the circle of the driveway.

"Walking in circles again?" my brother-in-law asked yesterday as he was on his way to the 'shop'.

"I guess it's just my lot in life," I answered with a smile.

"Well, at least your consistent."

We both laughed and went on our ways.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if when you put your book on the table...it wouldn't stay down? What if it floated off up into the air? Or anything else. Your coffee, or glass of water? Consistency, we like it in many things...and we too often take it for granted.
"Well, if you don't like the weather right now, just wait an hour...it will change."

I thought that statement only applied in our part of the world, but no, I was listening to a reporter interview an 'innocent bystander' when an ice storm hit a neighboring state. It was February in the Midwest.

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14) And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, 15) and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

There are different theories as to what the earth looked like/was like before the flood, but we don't know. It isn't necessary to know. It was different, we can know that, because the flood of Noah's day was a catastrophic event that saved Noah and his family from the ungodly, (2Peter 2:5 "and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;").

We don't have the same covenant that Noah and the Patriarchs had, (God spoke to the fathers). We don't have the same covenant that Moses and the Israelites had (God delivered the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai), but we do have a better covenant, (God gave us salvation through His Son).

Hebrews 1:1 "God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, 2) hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds;"

Hebrews 2:1 "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. 2) For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3) how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard;"

How comforting to know that we who have come to Jesus, have obeyed his commandments (and are still striving to walk in His light) have a hope, both sure and steadfast.

Hebrews 6:18 "that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us: 19) which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil;"

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!