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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

All flesh is grass...

Our front pasture...

                               Also see below for a homemade cough medicine recipe!

Isaiah 40:6-8

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.


From a farming standpoint, grass is life. A famous contemporary farmer, Joel Salatin, who has been made famous by such recent documentaries as Fresh and Food, Inc proudly states that he isn't a cattle man despite having hundreds of cattle, or a poultry farmer despite having thousands; he is a grass farmer. Grass to most is the green jewel of manicured lawns and the bane of gardens everywhere, but it is so very necessary since it is the natural food of just about every piece of meat that we consume. It is a staple of survival, yet more often than not I used to view it more as a chore than a blessing.  So, if we are what we eat then truly all flesh is grass, I suppose.

In Isaiah 40, our mortality and fragility in this life are compared to the grasses of the fields. As I look out over my field, I see that the grass has turned golden, brittle, and yet still beautiful. In August before the hay was cut, I remember seeing some of those stalks at eight foot tall! How the mighty have fallen! The Lord provides such an important reminder to us in this scripture of our limited time in this place and how we must take seriously His calling of obedience to be a witness. Notice also how the flower of the grass fades because the glory to be had in this life apart from the Lord is for naught. It truly is a fleeting gesture of short lasting importance. Does this mean that all is for nothing and that we shouldn't waste our time? If we are merely grass, should we seek to rise above the ground? Absolutely! I would say to you what I would always say to my class of young men in the youth at church, “We are involved in the only calling that can actually affect other people's eternities.” It is so extremely encouraging that the Lord would allow us to seed and water His fields. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a person that we may not only serve the true and living God but also reveal Him to hearts darkened by the sin in this world. So, my challenge to you is not to see our lives as grass that will wither as a negative thing at all, but a call to leave a grass stain on this Earth that will exalt and glorify the King of Heaven and Earth!


Prayer: Father, please help me to wrap my heart around knowing that what I do with the limited time I have here is of eternal importance to myself and other lost souls out there. Please, Lord, help me to see that the glory that I claim for myself will dissipate in the wind like a dandelion's puff, but if I look to you and have your kingdom in mind, my actions can echo in eternity. Thank you for showing me who I am in you and please give me the heart to be in your Word and even more so live it.


Also, recently a cough has been going around and I have found a remedy for alleviating it.  If you are interested, please see the recipe below.  It helps stop the coughing and breaks up the yucky stuff in your throat.  It’s especially helpful before going to sleep so you will not cough your head off. See below:

Ingredients:
Apple Cider Vinegar ½ cup
Lemon Juice ½ cup
6 tablespoons Honey
Teaspoon Cayenne
Teaspoon Ground Ginger

Simmer ½ cup apple cider vinegar and a ½ cup lemon juice then mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir well.  We store ours in a pint mason jar and it should keep on your shelf for a long time.  It has quite a kick when taken by the spoonful so I mix mine with a glass of water.  It actually tastes great in hot tea or hot apple juice/cider!  I would recommend the same recipe minus the cayenne for a cold preventative tonic too.

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