In times of brokenness, nature beckons me to draw closer to God. God invites me to see glimpses of His glory all around me as He opens my eyes to truly see.
The day I took these photos God gave me glimpses of Himself and it turned from a day lost in myself to one focused on Christ, His suffering, His victory, His love, and His call for me to follow.
Will you walk with me and share in what He has done?
"And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him."
Matthew 27: 28-31
This tree was uprooted and leaning at just the right angle that I could imagine someone straining to carry it.
"As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Matthew 27: 32-37
"So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha." John 19:17
I cannot say enough about this picture. The scar, the crimson red. He captured my attention with this little leaf. While pulling out of the parking lot, I spotted it, halted, leapt out and snapped this shot. I stand in awe to see that God paints His story throughout creation.
"Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53: 4-6
The heart embraced in crimson points to how great His love for us is.
"The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him."
Psalm 103: 8-13
He is risen! He stands victorious over sin and death. He rose out of the darkness and back into God's glorious presence. Through Him we share the victory!
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,
so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Matthew 12:40
"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death,
because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Acts 2:24
"He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.'”
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.'”
Isaiah 25: 8-9
The story does not end with the Resurrection. Christ comes back to comfort His followers, promise His return, and give them direction. His last words tell His followers their new role of sharing the message of His victory over sin and death so that we could have new life.
"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 16-19
"For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts." 1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT
"And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Luke 9: 23-24
, is to make God's promises personal by inserting your name. At first this seemed kind of silly, but I have found this helpful in allowing God's Word to seep into deeper levels of who I am. In a sense it's like speaking Scripture to myself.
