Weekly Uplook - August 20
Good evening Seattle Saints,
Some of you may remember how around Christmas we had a problem with the oil tank at the parsonage. Since then it has been an adventure having a temporary tank installed above ground, the old tank removed, the contaminated soil tested and removed, a new tank installed and connected and covered with new soil. While this may seem like the end of the story, in fact there was about half of our front yard which now was in need of landscaping anew. We have put this off for months due to camp meeting, travel to Korea, and extremely hot weather but the time finally arrived in which we have begun to complete the new landscaping.
Lori drew up a plan and together we picked out appropriate plants and finally purchased and brought them home. That has opened the floodgate of physical work in preparation for planting, sprinklers, mulch, and the paver walkway to be installed. The work is not complete yet but it is beginning to take shape with only the pavers left to install. It was much more time and effort than I had planned or expected but the final result has our neighbors sharing high praise. (not that we were looking for that at all) All of this reminded me of a scripture in Psalms in which the writer declares the husband/father who trusts and reverences the Lord is promised a family which is thriving and fruitful.
Psalm 128:3–4 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine By the sides of thine house: Thy children like olive plants Round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
Now of course, the Psalms are songs within the Wisdom literature of the Bible and as such, like the Proverbs often make general observations about how life works as opposed to specific promises. Yet, there is hope and promise for homes and families when they put their trust and confidence in the Lord. I was struck by the fact that the landscaping at the parsonage did not just grow by itself but needed planning, preparation, and some old fashioned hard work to get things arranged. It will take continual care with water, occasional pruning, and protection from extreme temperatures as well as the small bunnies that like to nibble on the young plants. Families are like that…we love it when they turn out well but others seldom know the time, prayer, work, and effort in general which must be expended in order to realize and enjoy the promises of the Lord toward them.
May you each have a thriving and fruitful life beginning with what God has done for you in Christ. And may your thriving fruitful life extend to your own family as well as to the families around you with whom you have influence. There will be plenty of hard work and effort and the results will sometimes seem much slower coming than you might hope. The Apostle Paul encouraged the churches in Galatia to be faithful in their efforts for it was God who would reward them with fruit.
Galatians 6:9–10 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
May we all keep planting righteousness in our families and to all those around us. God will surely bring forth a thriving crop in the days ahead until Jesus returns.
God bless,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
Some of you may remember how around Christmas we had a problem with the oil tank at the parsonage. Since then it has been an adventure having a temporary tank installed above ground, the old tank removed, the contaminated soil tested and removed, a new tank installed and connected and covered with new soil. While this may seem like the end of the story, in fact there was about half of our front yard which now was in need of landscaping anew. We have put this off for months due to camp meeting, travel to Korea, and extremely hot weather but the time finally arrived in which we have begun to complete the new landscaping.
Lori drew up a plan and together we picked out appropriate plants and finally purchased and brought them home. That has opened the floodgate of physical work in preparation for planting, sprinklers, mulch, and the paver walkway to be installed. The work is not complete yet but it is beginning to take shape with only the pavers left to install. It was much more time and effort than I had planned or expected but the final result has our neighbors sharing high praise. (not that we were looking for that at all) All of this reminded me of a scripture in Psalms in which the writer declares the husband/father who trusts and reverences the Lord is promised a family which is thriving and fruitful.
Psalm 128:3–4 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine By the sides of thine house: Thy children like olive plants Round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
Now of course, the Psalms are songs within the Wisdom literature of the Bible and as such, like the Proverbs often make general observations about how life works as opposed to specific promises. Yet, there is hope and promise for homes and families when they put their trust and confidence in the Lord. I was struck by the fact that the landscaping at the parsonage did not just grow by itself but needed planning, preparation, and some old fashioned hard work to get things arranged. It will take continual care with water, occasional pruning, and protection from extreme temperatures as well as the small bunnies that like to nibble on the young plants. Families are like that…we love it when they turn out well but others seldom know the time, prayer, work, and effort in general which must be expended in order to realize and enjoy the promises of the Lord toward them.
May you each have a thriving and fruitful life beginning with what God has done for you in Christ. And may your thriving fruitful life extend to your own family as well as to the families around you with whom you have influence. There will be plenty of hard work and effort and the results will sometimes seem much slower coming than you might hope. The Apostle Paul encouraged the churches in Galatia to be faithful in their efforts for it was God who would reward them with fruit.
Galatians 6:9–10 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
May we all keep planting righteousness in our families and to all those around us. God will surely bring forth a thriving crop in the days ahead until Jesus returns.
God bless,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
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