“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great king above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”
(Psalm 95:1-7)
I have spent the day in the glorious sunshine, working in the yard, tending to a grapevine that must be about 75 years old. The base of its vine is the size of a small tree! It is gnarled and twisted. And determined.
As I worked with its trailing branches I thought of its life story. Someone many years ago planted it with great care. I can imagine them tilling the soil, watering it, propping it up when its reach was a little farther than the gardener planned. This old grapevine has survived droughts, floods, hail, snow and wind strong enough to topple the grandest of trees.
Yep, it’s a survivor.
In my little creative mind I think I know why.
It’s because of praise.
Maybe not praise as we know it, but praise just the same. No, my grapevine exudes a true expression of praise. Praise that resonates deep within, through the winter storms, the bitter cold, the harsh winds. Praise that courses through the vine with a knowing that the time of joyful new life will come just as sure as the gardener that planted it.
Read carefully the words spoken by the Holy Spirit to Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved, during a time of devotion:
“It is My Life I am giving you. It is not an emotion; it is not a virtue, though these may subsequently follow. It is Myself. Divine grace, heavenly love, infinite mercy, fathomless peace – all these will spring forth unbeckoned and irrepressible out of the depths within you because My Spirit has taken residence there. If there is dryness within your soul and you do not have this life flowing forth, you need not grieve or chide yourself for being empty. Fill up the empty place with praise. Through praise you may open to Me the gates to your soul’s temple. The King will enter and bring His glory. The Rose of Sharon shall bloom in your heart, and His fragrance will be shed abroad.”
Fill up the empty place with praise. Let it course through your veins stirring the life within you, “For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.”
Father, You are our God. You are worthy of our praise. We recognize Your hand in our lives and thank You for it. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit that dwells within, guiding, comforting and teaching us of Your goodness. You, Lord are the Great King, the Mighty God. We give You praise.
Oh Wow! The wisdom of filling up the empty/dry times in our lives with praise as we await the outpouring of God's Grace and Mercy in our lives, as we await answers, as we await the fulfilling of what He has promised us!!
What a treasure, this post!
What a treasured friend you are to me!
Yes! Thank you, Nan!
Ya'll are so precious! Thank you for the kind words. I think this grapevine is going to teach me a lot of lessons. The one about praise came to me very unexpected. As I prayed and listened for God's direction for this post the Holy Spirit gave me this beautiful expression of the evidence of praise even when life is gnarled and twisted. I love it when the Lord does that!
Love this piece. I also love working outside and flowers and trees. Reminds me of a grapevine my father-in-law had years ago. My mother-in-law always says I have a beautiful yard no matter where I live. I always enjoy the beauty of nature God has given us and feel closer to Him in the garden. Blessings, BJ Robinson
I'm with you Barb! My daddy and granddaddy were both big gardeners. I guess that's where it comes from. Isn't it interesting how often the Lord uses metaphors of gardening to teach us His truths? I love that!