Rooted in Faith: The Cedars of Lebanon as Our Mirror скачать в хорошем качестве

Rooted in Faith: The Cedars of Lebanon as Our Mirror

Read online: https://biblehub.com/devotions/Mornin.... The New Morning Devotional is inspired by Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Morning and Evening: Daily Readings. Have you ever considered the cedars of Lebanon? How do these magnificent trees reflect the journey of a Christian believer? How does the Holy Spirit nurture our faith, much like the cedars are nourished by God Himself? Psalm 104 16 says: The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted, The cedars of Lebanon are allegorical representations of a Christian, in that they owe their existence completely to the Lord. This truth is mirrored in each child of God--not planted by human hands, not self-planted, but God-planted. The Holy Spirit mysteriously sows the living seed into a heart prepared by Him for its reception. Every true child of heaven acknowledges the Great Husbandman as his planter. Interestingly, these great trees do not depend on humans for their nourishment. They stand tall on the towering rock, untouched by human watering. Yet, our Heavenly Father sustains them. This stands as a vivid metaphor for the Christian who lives by faith. He is independent of man, even in material matters, looking to the Lord, his God, for his ongoing maintenance. The dew of heaven is his portion and the God of heaven, his fountain. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not preserved by any human force. They owe nothing to man for their safeguarding from the fierce wind and storm. They are God's trees, cared for and preserved by Him, and Him alone. Similarly, the Christian is not a hothouse plant shielded from temptation. He stands in the most exposed position with no shelter, no protection, except this--that the vast wings of the Eternal God always cover the cedars that He himself has planted. Like the cedars, believers are full of sap, possessing enough vitality to remain evergreen, even amid winter's snows. The thriving and majestic condition of the cedar is for the praise of God alone. The Lord has been everything to the cedars, and therefore, as David gracefully expressed in the Psalms, "Praise the Lord, you fruitful trees, and all cedars." In the believer, there is nothing that can glorify man; he is planted, nourished, and protected by the Lord's own hand. To Him let all the glory be ascribed. Eternal God, who gives life and sustains, To You, we look for our nourishment. May Your broad wings forever be our shield, As in Your glory we humbly bask.