Crooked Things

Holy Land Picture of the Day

Pomegranates Today's picture is of a fresh pomegranate from an Israeli orchard. It reminds us of Deuteronomy 8:7-8; "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey." Solomon, in his quest to see all the works that have been done under the sun discovered “What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted” (Ecc. 1:15). Hey Gang, Now here is a piece of trivia that you will probably never need, “God made some things crooked.” ( I mean bowed and bent).  I am blessed to live on a beautiful six and one half acre plot of ground that has a hundred or more trees on it.  In a recent exercise in futility I set out to find a pole two inches in diameter and six feet long that was straight. After looking at nearly all of the trees I found none, not one. Have you ever come across a stick that was perfectly straight?  How about green beans or squash?  Did you ever come across a river that runs straight with no curves?  Job 26:13 refers to God’s modus operandi of making most things crooked.  “His hand has formed the crooked serpent.”  Since God looked upon all that He had made and said “it was very good” (Gen 1:31),  one must assume that His using the crooked or bent methodology was no mistake.  So, if it was not a mistake, He must have some purpose for the way He created every object, whether crooked or straight. God also made each of us the way He did for a reason.  It is always amazing to me how few people are satisfied with the way God created them.  If I would have created me, I would have given me far greater brain power, a warmer heart and the strength to move mountains.  But as I look at myself I realize I haven’t used very much of what He built into me. The point, God made each of us as it pleased Him.  Should that not be enough?  And then we take that raw material and with His guidance and help develop it into a being that brings honor and glory to Him.  So what is God’s expectation of us?  “To improve ourselves where we can, and to accept those areas we have no control over". Does that mean when we are within the will of God all will go well and smooth?  Not in your sweet bippy, adversity causes growth.  The adversity we face may seem like “crooked things” to us, but God has allowed them for a very specific reason.      Sooooo, when we learn to accept the events of life as God’s plan for us, we can experience God’s peace in our hearts.  The bad news, as long as we are in this life we will hit crooked things.  The good news is God can take even the most crooked and turn it into good for those that love Him.  Blessings,     Gramps