Bird River Bible Blog

I’m going to admit something to you. I know a lot of you probably think that talk shows are “lame” and probably a waste of time, but I not-so-secretly like them. On one of my favorites there’s a segment where the host shows works of art that viewers have done of her and the DJ plays a song by Bread with a line that goes, “If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can’t I paint you?” It’s a very sweet song, but actually this song got me thinking a bit.
For thousands of years people have attempted to describe God. Words like “awesome, wonderful, fierce, great, big” are often used. That doesn’t give us an idea even of what God looks like. In Exodus 33, Moses asks God to show him His glory. So God says in verse 19-20,

“I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” He said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

So Moses climbs into this cliff side and God covers Moses with His hand while He passes by so that Moses just sees the Lord’s back. But even in this experience, Moses walks away, face so radiant that people are afraid to approach him. In the book of Ezekiel, the author describes a vision he has of God. The opening sequence is quite overwhelming but he goes on to describe God like this in Ezekiel 1:27

“I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.”

Then in Revelation, John describes the vision he had of God and in Revelation 1:14-15 he says,

“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like lazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.”

Notice that the narrators in those verses use the words “like” and “as”: “like glowing metal”, “white as snow”. These comparisons actually fade in light of who God is and his holiness. God is so beyond greatness that trying to paint a picture of Him with words is like trying to recreate Buckingham Palace with only an ice cream bucket and some sand- it pales in comparison! Maybe try and take some time today to worship God and think about how really awesome He is.

Just in case you missed it on our main page, we are having a Family Fun Day this Saturday, October 20 that from 11 am- 4pm at Grant Memorial Baptist Church (877 Wilkes Ave). This fundraiser event includes kid’s activities; puppeteers (Route 3:16); music; canteen; Silent Auction of desserts and pies; Live Auction of many excellent items such as a Log Cabin Bed & Breakfast, Quarry Oaks golf certificate, night and breakfast at Inn at the Forks, romantic ‘cutter’ ride from Miracle Ranch, Prairie Dog Central ‘Santa Run’, Fehr-Way Christmas Lights Tour & Buffet meal at Assiniboia Downs, willow furniture, paintings by local artists, and numerous gift baskets. Come join in the fun…everyone is welcome!

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year. I love the fresh autumn smell and the colours of the leaves changing on the trees. I love the crisp cool air in the mornings and in the evenings and wearing sweaters and drinking hot apple cider. It’s pretty easy for me to be thankful at Thanksgiving because there are so many things I love. It’s harder for me to be thankful in months like November and February when there’s not as much going on in my life that I’m thankful for.
I heard this story once of a man who was doing a business presentation. He held up a blank sheet of white paper with a small black inkblot in the middle. He asked the audience what they saw. Various descriptions of the inkblot were called out; one saw a dog, one saw a bat, one person saw a leaf. The man went on to tell the audience that what he saw was a small mark surrounded by widespread white.
So often we tend to focus in on the little black marks in our life that we tend to forget the widespread mercy that surrounds us all the time. If you were to start writing a list today of every small and big thing that you are thankful for, how long would that list take you? You could probably find yourself writing a list and not be able to stop. There are a lot of things in life that I take for granted and that I forget to thank my Creator for. I have friends, a family, food, and housing. I can walk and run, I can breathe, I am able to wake up every morning in a country that is beautiful and gives me the freedom to do most of what I want. These are some of the many things that I forget to be thankful for. What are some things that you’ve forgotten about? Spend some time today thanking God for his widespread mercies.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18