{"id":361,"date":"2010-02-08T10:00:20","date_gmt":"2010-02-08T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/?p=361"},"modified":"2011-06-29T06:46:48","modified_gmt":"2011-06-29T13:46:48","slug":"the-sun-flower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/?p=361","title":{"rendered":"“The Sun Flower”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n[Translate]<\/a>\"\"\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Good Morning Folks! Well\u2026 it\u2019s no surprise that our Lord has blessed us with another
\nbeautiful day! Did you look outside to see what the Lord our God has brought this day?
\nAs I’m writing this, it’s hard to escape the beautiful start to the morning here in Las
\nCruces. The sun is beginning to rise over the Organ Mountains — clear skies abound —
\nSpringtime is on its way! The Moon is shown waning, which will make way for some
\ndark, starry-nights in the week ahead \u2013 a chance for all of us to look up at the night sky
\nand behold the \u201cGlory of our Lord\u201d. Isn’t it great to wake and give thanks to the Lord
\nwith our “first thoughts”.<\/p>\n

I think we could all admit however, that sometimes we wake up finding ourselves
\nburdened by our thoughts, thinking, \u201cYeah\u2026 another day\u2026 another day to face what the
\nworld is throwing my way. If only I can only get through another day. Does anybody
\nreally care what I’m going through?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer of course, is that God indeed cares. In fact, He cares about everything in our
\nlives. When you think about it, it\u2019s amazing that He has created all that we see, even that
\nwhich is unseen \u2013 He even created us! All that, and He still has time for you and me. In
\nthis regard, it\u2019s important to re-reflect on the fact that we were created in God\u2019s image.
\nGenesis 1:27, \u201cSo God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
\nhim; male and female he created them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why then, if God created us in His image? — that sometimes, it is so hard to get through
\nthis life? Why can\u2019t things be easier if God cares so much about us and what we are
\ndoing? When we talk to God, does He truly listen?
\nThere are lots of answers to these questions, but in order to understand them, we must
\nfirst humble ourselves and embrace one simple fact — \u201cGod is God, and we are not!\u201d
\n(Purpose Driven Life). This sounds pretty basic, but unless we come to grips with this
\nfundamental understanding, we will not be able to get beyond our worldly existence.
\nEven when we do acknowledge this, we sometimes find ourselves \u201cfeeling\u201d distant from
\nGod \u2013 at times, even disobedient to God (our sinful nature at work).
\nThe simple truth is that God never gives up on us, He does care, and He does listen — to
\nall of us! Let us search our hearts on this matter, and consider a just a bit of \u201cwhat we
\nknow\u201d from what is written in the Bible.<\/p>\n

We know that we can make our request of God.<\/p>\n

Psalm 54:2, \u201cHear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.\u201d
\nWe know that God encourages us to bring forth our requests.
\nMatthew 7:7, \u201cAsk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will
\nbe opened to you.<\/p>\n

We know that God has our best interest in mind.<\/p>\n

Jeremiah 29:11, \u201cFor I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for
\nwelfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.\u201d
\nWe know that God looks after us, and that He has a plan for our lives.
\n1 Corinthians 2: 9-10, \u201cHowever, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no
\nmind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” — but God has
\nrevealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of
\nGod.\u201d<\/p>\n

We know that God, in protecting us, understands our limitations.<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 10:13, \u201cNo temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
\nGod is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
\nare tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.\u201d
\nWe know that God gives us rest and hope \u2013 He is our safe harbor.<\/p>\n

Psalm 62:5-8, \u201c Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone
\nis my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and
\nmy honor depend on God; he is my might rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O
\npeople; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.\u201d<\/p>\n

We know that someday, God will make all things known to us.<\/p>\n

1 John 3:2-3, \u201cDear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet
\nbeen made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall
\nsee him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.\u201d
\nWe know that God constantly encourages us.<\/p>\n

I Corinthians 15:58, \u201cTherefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
\nAlways give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that you labor in
\nthe Lord is not in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best of all \u2013 we know the God is with us always.<\/p>\n

Matthew 28:20, \u201c Jesus said, \u2018Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.\u201d
\nThis is but a brief look at the many good Truths we know about God as written in the
\nBible. In God’s Word, we can find the comfort and peace that we need to get through
\neach and every day — He make all things possible \u2013 even in our most difficult and trying
\ncircumstances.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 let us take to heart in the Truth found in Philippianss 4:13, \u201cI can do everything
\nthrough him who gives me strength.\u201d It is reassuring that God has blessed us with so
\nmuch. Even in our most challenging times and worldly difficulty, the Lord our God is
\nwith us \u2013 He is faithful — so too, we need to be faithful and obedient to Him \u2013 the One
\nwho makes all things possible.<\/p>\n

I like what is says in Matthew, 6:28-30, \u201cLook at the birds of the air; they do not sow or
\nreap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
\nmore valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And
\nwhy do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor
\nor spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
\nthese. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow
\nis thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?\u201d
\nAs Springtime approaches, I’m reminded of a beautiful flower that is found growing wild
\nin the fields in some areas. It is called the \u201cSunflower\u201d — and it grows even in the
\nharshest conditions. It’s clear that God sees to it that this beautiful flower survives,
\ndisplaying its full beauty throughout the day.<\/p>\n

There is another kind of Sunflower that God takes care of. It is a distant galaxy named
\nM63, commonly called \u201cThe Sunflower Galaxy\u201d. Above is an image of this beautiful
\nspiral galaxy that I took recently from our remote observatory near Mayhill, NM. This
\nobject lies in a group of galaxies and is about 37 million light years distant from Earth.
\nNotice the wonderful structure in this rich, densely formed galaxy. Also notice the
\nmassive \u201clinear jets\u201d. You might say that this beautiful object is part of \u201cGod\u2019s Heavenly
\nGarden\u201d \u2013 God\u2019s Glory on full display in the universe — for all to see!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let this day, in all its splendor, be a blessing to all of us. Let us never cease to look to
\nGod in all that we do — giving Him thanks and in humble recognition for what He has
\ndone in our lives. Let us never forget the blessed hope that we have in Jesus.
\nJohn 14:2, \u201cIn my Father\u2019s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told
\nyou. I am going there to prepare a place for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wonder what our first thoughts will be when we wake up tomorrow?<\/p>\n

Have a great day!<\/p>\n

Your Brother in Christ,
\nMike Sherick<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Translate] <\/p>\n

Good Morning Folks! Well\u2026 it\u2019s no surprise that our Lord has blessed us with another beautiful day! Did you look outside to see what the Lord our God has brought this day? As I’m writing this, it’s hard to escape the beautiful start to the morning here in Las Cruces. The sun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=361"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1335,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361\/revisions\/1335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}