~~~Listening with Lisa
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(Prokopowitz)
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God makes Himself so evident in what surrounds us every day. Autumn is such a wonderful time of year to see His hand at work, painting the landscape surrounding us, especially in the North Eastern US.
Much of the North East is now "past peak", yet over the next several weeks, the color is descending down toward the Southern states.
What a great time of year to open our eyes, and hear words spoken to our spirit.
At a recent Loving Grace Ministries retreat, our brother-in-the-Lord Pete Foti spoke a beautiful word that resounded, as we looked out over the peak foliage of the Pennsylvania hills.
He said, in part, that it was interesting that the leaves never look quite as beautiful as they do during this time of year, when they are actually in a phase of the "dying" process.
As I meditated on that word-picture later in the morning ... looking out over the hills ... watching the vibrant trees dancing and bending with the wind; some words from one of my songs began going through my mind.
The words are from my song called "Listen". This song was inspired by scenes such as this, urging our hearts to listen to what God is saying through all He has placed around us every day.
One of the lines in the songs says "Bowing trees lay down their leaves, in the stirring of the breeze, He speaks".
I watched the glorious scene before me, as the trees bent beneath the weight of the wind ... knowing that eventually, they would fully give way to its intent, and release those beautiful leaves into the current.
Have you ever had a time in your life that felt like a "dying" process? Did you know, that if you allow Him to shine in your life, you may never look quite as beautiful as you do during such times? Just like those glorious leaves, He can color your life with intense beauty through the process.
And just as the trees eventually submit to His desires, we can choose to embrace His will, even if it "feels" like death. We can "let go" and surrender to His will ... not out of "giving up" necessarily, but out of embracing His ways above our own.
We can lay down, or submit our lives and ways into His hands, by His grace.
In the days following the retreat, as I contemplated all He had spoken to my heart; again He whispered another word to my spirit.
I was spending some time alone with Jesus, singing another one of my songs, called "Tree of Life".
This song compares Jesus to the "Tree of Life", of which Revelation 22:2b speaks:
On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
As I sang, looking out my window at yet another scene filled with exuberant color; I thought of Jesus, as the Tree, Whose leaves are for the "healing of the nations".
Suddenly, these two word pictures came together vividly. There is One Who went before us, laying down His "leaves" on our behalf, so that THOSE leaves would be able to bring US healing. For Him, it meant "death"; but to us, "life".
Maybe it was just a word for my own heart ... yet I wanted to share it, in case He might use it to speak to your spirit as well.
Romans 1:20 says "...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
He's speaking every day, in so many ways ... we are the ones who choose whether or not we'll actually listen to Him.
I'd encourage you to take a look around you, especially if there are any trees in your area "laying down their leaves". Or maybe YOU are in the process of laying down some of your leaves.
Think about Him, laying down His own comfort and wishes ... all because He knew that in so doing, He would provide nourishment and sustenance for you.
Thank You, Jesus, for each and every one of Your beautiful, colorful, life-filled leaves...
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For more devotionals and meditations, see the Listening with Lisa Archives.
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May Jesus always use this website to draw your heart
~~~closer to His own~~~
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