Salt #atozchallenge

Salt (Photo credit: AloneAlbatross)

Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

Leviticus 2:13

New International Version (NIV)

         Thinking on the topic of salt I was wondering if the oceans were composed of saltwater at the time of Creation.   The saline composition of the ocean and other saltwater bodies are due to the collection of minerals as the runoff of water passes over the land on its way to its final destination.  Could it be that the oceans were originally bodies of freshwater until the rains came and leached the soil of the minerals that become salt?   

        Salt is one of the essential ingredients to the survival of humans and animals.  Food flavor is enhanced greatly by the addition of salt.   Throughout the centuries salt has been used for food preservation, medicinal applications, and many other uses.   Salt was considered so valuable in earlier times that it was used as a medium for payment and barter.  The Latin word for salt is where we get the English word salary.

        God even called for a "Covenant of Salt" which was the addition of salt to the sacrifices.  Salt has always been and remains one of the most important resources of humankind.   Would you want to live in a world with no salt?

         Food without salt lacks flavor and in some sense value.  Medical experts have recognized certain harmful effects of too much salt in our diet and look for substitutes.  This was probably not much of a problem in the past.   There are other dietary issues at hand in today's society.  Too much salt is one of those problematic issues.   No matter how we look at it though, the body needs some salt.

         And once again we see the use of metaphor in the Bible.   When we come to the New Testament we find the value of saltiness applied to the followers of Jesus Christ.   Salt has great value and the spokespeople for Christ should have that same value as salt.

 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot..."

Matthew 5:13

New International Version (NIV)

Related articles

• Please Pass the Salt
• The Great Commitment
• Is the Dead Sea really dead?
• Why must we be the salt and the light of the world?

Rain #atozchallenge

Landscape with Noah's Thank Offering (painting circa 1803 by Joseph Anton Koch) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”  So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.  God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8

New International Version (NIV)

          In the beginning there was no rain.   What is indicated in Genesis is that there was water on or in the Earth and water retained in a "vault" above the Earth.   A paradisiacal environment would preclude any destructive forces such as the forces that could be included in rain.   If we picture a greenhouse we get an idea of what the earthly paradise might have been like.

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth  and no plant had yet sprung up,  for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.

Genesis 2:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

          Another bit of evidence of the no rain in paradise theory comes at the end of the cycle of creation.  A sort of irrigation system is described.  Pictured from a modern perspective this system of watering the Earth is remarkable.  This is a way that some watering is now done in agricultural settings.   We also note the God had not yet sent rain upon the Earth.

 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.  And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

Genesis 7:11-12

New International Version (NIV)

        At this point we actually hear about the first occurrence of rain in the Bible.  Some scholars maintain that the incident as described in Noah's time would not have been the first rain, but there is no absolute evidence one way or another.  My conclusion would be that the "vault" which held waters above the Earth was broken, allowing the waters to be unleashed from the sky.  This conclusion is inferred by the statement that the "floodgates of the heavens were opened".   Additionally a major diluvial catastrophic event would account for much concerning massive erosion and fossil bearing sedimentary layers.

        This is all speculation based on my understanding of the Biblical account and my own reasoning regarding scientific findings.  Others agree with this idea while still variant theories exist.   

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous..."

Matthew 5:43-45

New International Version (NIV)

      The phenomena of rain is cited throughout the Bible to illustrate many points.  After all, we depend on rain for many things.   Without rain we suffer drought.  Rain refreshes and renews.  Rain can also be a destructive force.   Though rain can bring suffering, we have been promised by God that rain will never be used as a worldwide divine judgement.

        Perhaps if we see the Great Flood as a cleansing of the Earth from the sin of those days, we might see a metaphorical baptizing of our planet in this event.   The next destruction will not be a cleansing from rain.  In the words of John the Baptist regarding the coming of Jesus: 

Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 3:10-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

Related articles

• Planting #atozchallenge

A Savior Has Arisen

ANGELICO, Fra Resurrection of Christ and Women at the Tomb Fresco, 189 x 164 cm Convento di San Marco, Florence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.

Psalm 40:11-13

New International Version (NIV)

         For centuries the faithful waited for their Savior.  He came, was crucified, and resurrected.   And now he lives for all eternity to provide the help and salvation that David cried out for in the Psalms.

        Jesus is here to help us.  We are here to serve him.  Jesus will rule for all eternity.

       All praise to Jesus Christ on this Easter Day and for all days.  

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

New International Version (NIV)

Related articles

• he Servant's mission, a stairway to heaven
• I Am Capable...
• My Faithful Savior
• Strong Savior...

Questions #atozchallenge

King David in Prayer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

New International Version (NIV)

           Questions can be the beginning of belief and stronger faith.  Questions can likewise be the beginning of doubt and unbelief.    Our quest for knowledge and understanding is normal.  God gave us minds to use for our betterment and not just empty vessels to be filled with data.   We are supposed to think.  Thinking often calls for asking questions.

            David asked many questions. Some of David's questions were bold inquiries concerning the state of his life and the world around him.   Other questions were contemplative searches for more knowledge and wisdom.  When we are pursuing any education we are expected to ask questions.   The questions we ask are doorways to greater knowledge which encourages us to do more research and ask more questions.  The person who stops being curious about the universe and life is a person who has become intellectually stale and lifeless.

            Non-believers like to ask questions intended to shake our faith and refute the scripture and the existence of God.   If we have not armed ourselves against such attacks then we strengthen the enemy and make ourselves look foolish.   We should expect to have our faith under attack even if it never is.  Readiness will instill confidence and in the end might win souls.

            Don't be caught off guard by those who question you and what you believe.  Keep learning as much as you can.   Always ask questions and seek the answers to those questions.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:5

New International Version (NIV)

Related articles

• H is for Holy Spirit
• Get Wisdom (Proverbs 4:5-7)
• "Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot." ~~King David
• Why Believe? Part 6: David, Son of Jesse
• How to Understand the Bible

Planting #atozchallenge

English: A midwestern farmer tills and fertilizes his land near Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Genesis 8:22

English Standard Version (ESV)

        According the creation account given in Genesis, on the third day God created seed bearing plant life.  It is interesting to note the importance given in this passage of seeds and fruits with seeds in them.  Seeds are the foundation of existence and regeneration of life.

            In early history society was agrarian.  Life depended on planting seeds for the food that would be harvested when it was ready.  This has been the case throughout history.  In our time we are dependent on farming for our subsistence.  Without a controlled agrarian system in place our food supply would be in chaos.   Hunger would be rampant. 

         There is the cycle of planting and reaping that has continued from earliest times until our time.  When the great flood waters subsided and the land was restored, God made a promise.  Most often we think of the rainbow and God's covenant not to ever destroy the Earth with flood again.  What is typically passed over is God's promise that the cycle of seasons for planting and harvest would never be disrupted (Genesis 8:22).  Could this be an argument against the warnings of global warming or other destructive climatic changes?

           There have been reports that farming is on the decline.  In places like the United States farmers still produce an abundance of food.   Some of the smaller farmers have stopped growing for political, sociological, or economic reasons.   In some places farmlands are being developed for other use.  Famine could be on the horizon if these trends of non-farming continue.  Whatever countries control the food will control the earthly destiny of the people.  When famine strikes, we can't blame God.

 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

2 Corinthians 9:6

New International Version (NIV)

Related articles

• Divine Harvest
• G is for Growing Gardens in #Alaska - Container Gardening #AtoZChallenge
• Gardening without a "Green Thumb"
• Late Summer Garden Tips and Tricks

Openings #atozchallenge

Come unto Me 22 (Photo credit: Waiting For The Word)

The opening of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.

Psalm 119:130

American Standard Version (ASV)

       The word "openings" is synonymous with beginnings. Opening can also have other meanings that suggest that which can lead to or facilitate beginnings. The Bible is filled with various openings--the opening of the heavens to bring the rain that caused the great flood, the opening of the Red Sea that allowed safe passage to the Israelites escaping Egypt, the opening of the age of Jesus Christ, and so on. 

       If we open our minds to God's Word and open the pages of the Holy Bible we will be ready for an opening of our comprehension regarding God's message for us. Some will complain that they don't understand what the Bible says, that it is too complicated with details, genealogies, laws--give it time. Open your hearts to accept the Word.  Just because a feast is laid before you it doesn't mean you have to devour it all at once.  Savor the bread and sip the wine slowly.  Understanding will come.
       

        God waits patiently with open arms ready to assist those who need help, guidance, and clarification. The gates of heaven stand open as they wait for you to enter. God does not force feed you. He provides the table that is set before you and gives you help when you are ready.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

Matthew 7:7-8

New International Version (NIV)

Related articles

• Open Heavens Devotional - Monday - 17/2/2014 - Divine Champion Ii by Pastor E.a. Adeboye
• The answer to Jesus' question
• Seek the Lord Daily
• The need to get out of anxiety and depression

Needs #atozchallenge

English: The Garden of Eden by Jacob Savery (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have everything I need.

Psalm 23:1

Good News Translation (GNT)

        In the first domain of man, the Garden of Eden, all needs were provided.  Man tended the Garden and saw after the animals.   There was abundance of the things required for human existence. God walked with Adam and Adam lacked nothing.

       After the fall, Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise.   Life was tougher as humans were required to toil more to sustain their existence.  And yet God still watched over his creation.   There are so many instances when God provided His people what they needed for survival.

         This holds true to our time.  The faithful are taken care of.   The evils of this world such as disease, hunger, and war cannot be blamed on God.   God is the solution to these problems, the escape from them.  When people blame God for evil they are not looking within themselves to see where evil really dwells.

          God will provide what you really need.  Need is the key word here.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?    You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

James 4:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

      

Related articles

• Noah: A dissection.
• G is for God #AtoZChallenge
• The God of Goodness and Grace
• Why Does God Allow Evil?