High Places

 

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights." (Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." (Hab 3:19 KJV)

It has been many years since I read, "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard. The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

This is a familiar story to many of us as even daily we journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; we, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patiently as at other times) for the LORD to deliver His people from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

 

The Lord is our strength. With Him we shall walk through dark valleys to the high places where the light does surely shine. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Hunter's Dinner and Fellowship

I have  been doing a lot of peeling lately. Every fall, I can expect to go out to my car after worship and find gifts of bags of apples. I make apple pies, baked apples, apple bars, and applesauce out of them. I usually share the applesauce as Christmas presents. It gives me a good excuse to stop and visit people who I normally would not and who are not members of my congregation.

This morning, members of my congregation and I am sure some visitors will be gathering together to peel potatoes and rutabagas. We are preparing for our annual Hunter's Dinner which is tomorrow. I am looking forward to spending this time sitting around buckets of veggies and just communicating with others that I don't usually get to spend too much time with. Tomorrow is the eve of the first day of the Yooper Holiday known as deer season. We will celebrate that event as we gather together in fellowship over a meal in the church basement with visitors from near and far that we have not seen since the last hunting season. We will share many stories. But, most importantly we will give thanks for all our friends who return annually to our community and take the time to come and fellowship with us.

We give thanks to God for all of His children and the opportunity to know and love them.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. The only hunting I do is with a camera or at the Hunter's Dinner. That would kind of be like fishing for people. Fellowship while peeling potatoes or at a community dinner is an awesome way to share you lover for Jesus and his love for all people.

Habakkuk 3 - Hinds Feet on High Places

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights." (Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." (Hab 3:19 KJV)

I remember a book I read years ago. "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard, gets its' name from Habakkuk 3:19 (KJV). The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

I can't remember too many of the details of the book, as it has been quite a few years since I read it. But, I can look around me daily and watch (and even join) others as they journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; I, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patient as others) for the LORD to deliver His people, who I also love, from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

God's Peace - Pr. J