The dry leaves of fall is a reminder to us all that life is dependent upon certain factors, a delicate balance between life and death faces everything living. Without light we could not exist, without water nothing can survive. Two basic elements that can determine whether life goes on, or life ceases to exist. The fall colors are beautiful and are one of the wonders of this created world. I thoroughly enjoy this time of year because of the transforming process that takes place before our very eyes.
There is a process that takes place within the human species that can be very noticeable if one is aware of the process. We, like the changing of the seasons can go through many changes in our lives. During one period of time in our life span we can notice changes easily, other times they are subtle and hard to see, but changes do take place within us. Besides the natural process of growing older, and our bodies become more frail, there is a dryness in our spirits, and an emptiness in our souls. God in the beginning after He formed the human species breathed the breath of life into man (the human species) and gave man life, life filled with freshness like an early spring day when new growth sprouts out with new leaves that form a canopy over the forest. A freshness like coming out of the darker, colder and dreary winter days. God placed His Spirit within us to give us life. The problem is we didn't appreciate this life, we thought it wasn't enough so we took charge of things and tried to do things on our own. We separated ourselves from the life source that kept us alive and well. Since this was God's creation, He couldn't have His created beings try to set themselves above Him, so God cast man out of that beautiful place called the garden of Eden. Now man had to face the world on His own, alone and void of Gods Holy Spirit. Man now would go through many changes and must face death for the first time, his physical body would begin to deteriorate. Man would now feel pain and hunger for the first time and would have to solve problems on his own.
Like the leaves during the fall season when they loose their connection to their life source and fall to the ground, man had lost its connection to the life source that gave them eternal life. Man would go through many changes throughout its life span, and death would be waiting in the shadows of the very life source that created them in the first place. Yes, fall is a wonderful time of year, but it is a reminder that everything that is separated from the life source will die. A long, cold and dreary winter faces all of us for sure, but for those who look ahead and know that there is always a newness in the spring season find the hope and joy of that season with a new refreshing of life sprouting fourth from the life source that brings the hope of better days ahead.
Man has that same life source that will bring new life to its deteriorating soul and spirit. God in His infinite wisdom had already set in motion His plan to reconnect man to its life source, namely, Himself. This plan would be a painful and sacrificial process. Man had separated from the life source by rebelling against the God of creation, in doing so he allowed sin to enter the world thus bringing destruction not only on himself, but on the entire world. God, not willing to let His creation to be completely destroyed by man's rebellion set in motion His plan to redeem His creation back to Himself. One needs to read for themselves this plan. God left us with His instruction book on how to reconnect back to the life source, God the Creator. Look at Gen. 2:1-25 for the story of Adam and Eve. Notice how blessed they were, how connected to God they were. Now continue reading in chapter 3, Gen. 3:1-24. This chapter relates the winter of man's life, the disconnecting from the life source, God the Father. Man like the leaves of fall would now have to return to the ground from which they were formed. Man's spirit would face judgement for its actions in rebelling against its creator. If you notice in Gen. 3:14-15 when God cursed the serpent, He said that He will put enmity or a hostility between the serpent or the devil, an opposing force would come against the serpent and crush his head. Gen. 3:15 gives us indication that there would be someone coming to take back Gods kingdom. It says "He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." This is the first place that God tells us that He was going to send someone to reconnect us back into His presence and His kingdom.
No longer would man be empty and dry like the leaves of fall once they disconnect from their life source, no longer would death have its way. The question that we must ask at this point is, just who is this He? Who is it that God was going to send to us to reconnect us to the life source? All through the Old Testament of the Bible God gives us a symbolic picture of the one who was going to come. We will find man stumbling along the way, continually rebelling against that which would reconnect them to God. Yet, God never changed course, never changed His method, but kept leading man back to the point when He would send the one who would reconnect mankind back to Him, the life source. As you approach the New Testament of the bible we find the spring season has come again, the long, cold and dreary winter of man's life was coming to an end bringing new hope, new life, and a refreshing that would offer mankind new life, a reattachment to the life source, God. Let's examine this new life and how we can obtain it. Looking into the New Testament we find the person of Jesus Christ, sent by God the Father, entering the scene.
Way back in the time of Isaiah we will find reference to the one who would be coming onto the world scene to deliver Gods people from their sins. Isaiah 53:5 reads like this; "But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed or our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." God was continually telling man that a savior would be sent to them to redeem man and set them free from the slavery of sin. Isaiah 7:14 foretells that a specific sign would be given and just what His name would be. In the New Testament we find God fulfilling His word about the savior by telling Mary and Joseph just what the child's name would be. Luke 1:26-33 relates the story to us and brings the Savior into the picture now. In a short time Christ would be born, the one God said would come ever since man's first rebellion against the creator. Now new life would be brought back to man, an attachment to the life source would be available for anyone who wanted it. Just like the leaves of spring that come forth from the life of the tree, man's spirit would now have the ability to be attached to the vine and have life flowing through his veins once again.
Yes, the fall season is a beautiful time of year, it is a time of change, the leaves change colors and eventually fall to the ground, separated from their life source. Even though it is a wonderful time of year to behold, it is a stark reminder that death is just a moment away. When the leaves become detached from the vine they become dry and useless. Once one sins, or rebells against God, our life source, death has begun, our spirits become dry and useless like the leaves in the fall season. God left us with hope that a new spring day will come to those who stay attached or reattach to the life source and new life will spring forth for those who accept it. John 15:4-6 reminds us of how important it is to remain attached to the vine. We like the leaves will be useless if we become detached from the vine, we must have the source of life flowing through us if we want to remain useful and productive. The problem we face, every single one of us is that we were detached from the life source from the very start when Adam and Eve broke away from the source that gave us all life. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." The penalty for man's sin is death, but God's gift to us is eternal life brought to us through the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. All throughout the scriptures God painted us a picture of how He was going to bring us back into His presence. Don't let the beautiful fall colors of the worlds view fool you into believing that it has the answer's to eternity, only God can give you that. Yes, fall is a beautiful time of year, but at the end of fall comes the long, cold, wet and dreary winter, a reminder that death lurks in the shadows. For those who believe in Christ the Lord and allow Him to be the Lord of their life, winter is just a reminder of the spring that gives us life and hope as we live within Gods kingdom while here on this planet. Someday we will be with Him for eternity, but until then, stay attached to the source of life, Jesus Christ.
May the Lord bless and keep you today and forever as you walk this earth. Your journey is brief here so make the best of it by living in the presence of God through His Son Jesus Christ the Lord.
Like the leaves during the fall season when they loose their connection to their life source and fall to the ground, man had lost its connection to the life source that gave them eternal life. Man would go through many changes throughout its life span, and death would be waiting in the shadows of the very life source that created them in the first place. Yes, fall is a wonderful time of year, but it is a reminder that everything that is separated from the life source will die. A long, cold and dreary winter faces all of us for sure, but for those who look ahead and know that there is always a newness in the spring season find the hope and joy of that season with a new refreshing of life sprouting fourth from the life source that brings the hope of better days ahead.
Man has that same life source that will bring new life to its deteriorating soul and spirit. God in His infinite wisdom had already set in motion His plan to reconnect man to its life source, namely, Himself. This plan would be a painful and sacrificial process. Man had separated from the life source by rebelling against the God of creation, in doing so he allowed sin to enter the world thus bringing destruction not only on himself, but on the entire world. God, not willing to let His creation to be completely destroyed by man's rebellion set in motion His plan to redeem His creation back to Himself. One needs to read for themselves this plan. God left us with His instruction book on how to reconnect back to the life source, God the Creator. Look at Gen. 2:1-25 for the story of Adam and Eve. Notice how blessed they were, how connected to God they were. Now continue reading in chapter 3, Gen. 3:1-24. This chapter relates the winter of man's life, the disconnecting from the life source, God the Father. Man like the leaves of fall would now have to return to the ground from which they were formed. Man's spirit would face judgement for its actions in rebelling against its creator. If you notice in Gen. 3:14-15 when God cursed the serpent, He said that He will put enmity or a hostility between the serpent or the devil, an opposing force would come against the serpent and crush his head. Gen. 3:15 gives us indication that there would be someone coming to take back Gods kingdom. It says "He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." This is the first place that God tells us that He was going to send someone to reconnect us back into His presence and His kingdom.
No longer would man be empty and dry like the leaves of fall once they disconnect from their life source, no longer would death have its way. The question that we must ask at this point is, just who is this He? Who is it that God was going to send to us to reconnect us to the life source? All through the Old Testament of the Bible God gives us a symbolic picture of the one who was going to come. We will find man stumbling along the way, continually rebelling against that which would reconnect them to God. Yet, God never changed course, never changed His method, but kept leading man back to the point when He would send the one who would reconnect mankind back to Him, the life source. As you approach the New Testament of the bible we find the spring season has come again, the long, cold and dreary winter of man's life was coming to an end bringing new hope, new life, and a refreshing that would offer mankind new life, a reattachment to the life source, God. Let's examine this new life and how we can obtain it. Looking into the New Testament we find the person of Jesus Christ, sent by God the Father, entering the scene.
Way back in the time of Isaiah we will find reference to the one who would be coming onto the world scene to deliver Gods people from their sins. Isaiah 53:5 reads like this; "But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed or our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." God was continually telling man that a savior would be sent to them to redeem man and set them free from the slavery of sin. Isaiah 7:14 foretells that a specific sign would be given and just what His name would be. In the New Testament we find God fulfilling His word about the savior by telling Mary and Joseph just what the child's name would be. Luke 1:26-33 relates the story to us and brings the Savior into the picture now. In a short time Christ would be born, the one God said would come ever since man's first rebellion against the creator. Now new life would be brought back to man, an attachment to the life source would be available for anyone who wanted it. Just like the leaves of spring that come forth from the life of the tree, man's spirit would now have the ability to be attached to the vine and have life flowing through his veins once again.
Yes, the fall season is a beautiful time of year, it is a time of change, the leaves change colors and eventually fall to the ground, separated from their life source. Even though it is a wonderful time of year to behold, it is a stark reminder that death is just a moment away. When the leaves become detached from the vine they become dry and useless. Once one sins, or rebells against God, our life source, death has begun, our spirits become dry and useless like the leaves in the fall season. God left us with hope that a new spring day will come to those who stay attached or reattach to the life source and new life will spring forth for those who accept it. John 15:4-6 reminds us of how important it is to remain attached to the vine. We like the leaves will be useless if we become detached from the vine, we must have the source of life flowing through us if we want to remain useful and productive. The problem we face, every single one of us is that we were detached from the life source from the very start when Adam and Eve broke away from the source that gave us all life. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." The penalty for man's sin is death, but God's gift to us is eternal life brought to us through the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. All throughout the scriptures God painted us a picture of how He was going to bring us back into His presence. Don't let the beautiful fall colors of the worlds view fool you into believing that it has the answer's to eternity, only God can give you that. Yes, fall is a beautiful time of year, but at the end of fall comes the long, cold, wet and dreary winter, a reminder that death lurks in the shadows. For those who believe in Christ the Lord and allow Him to be the Lord of their life, winter is just a reminder of the spring that gives us life and hope as we live within Gods kingdom while here on this planet. Someday we will be with Him for eternity, but until then, stay attached to the source of life, Jesus Christ.
May the Lord bless and keep you today and forever as you walk this earth. Your journey is brief here so make the best of it by living in the presence of God through His Son Jesus Christ the Lord.
