The Spiritual Sandwich

When I first started this blog, I envisioned using it to keep fresh news of happenings on the farm in front of inquiring minds. I guess other than the fact that I've been intermittent at posting regularly, that's what I've done, but it's kind of taking a different direction presently. If I continually write about cows and cheese this could get redundant. But if I write about what God is doing through cows and cheese, the adventure ramps up considerably!

As I mentioned in the last post, God does things in the natural to reveal the spiritual. Well, I was reading a verse in Isaiah the other day and saw something pretty cool. The verse was in chapter 55, verse 11. A great promise in and of itself, but it was what the Lord said through the prophet before and after it that revealed a magnificent pattern...

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."
Isa 55:10-13

Did you catch the physical, natural example in the rain watering the earth? With a physical purpose, to perpetuate life. God says, just like that, that's how it is with my word (Jesus is called the Word!). That right there is worthy of plenty of meditation (the meat of any sandwich takes more to digest than the bread that surrounds it). But fast forward for now to verses 12 and 13. I noticed He said, "For YOU will go out..." Maybe Isaiah was prophetically speaking of Jesus. But maybe, just maybe, the YOU refers to all of us who know this Creator, Speaker, Author God through the Word and Spirit. Regardless, "YOU" will go out with joy, FORTH with peace (his word goes FORTH from his mouth...perhaps He "speaks" us into mission).

Now get this...when "YOU" goes forth, the physical world responds! Mountains and hills shout for joy (don't ask me what this sounds like!) and trees clap. But what is more, those thornbushes and nettle--painful plants which are often part of the natural succession from wilderness to Eden--give way to the cypress and myrtle. If I did a study on those two plants there would be even more insights into the promises of God, I'm sure. Maybe you could call this sandwich Big Mac style, since just when you thought you found the edge of the sandwich you discover this piece of bread just leads to another layer (and that's where the similarity to the Big Mac ends)! I will claim this promise for the natural world in faith that we will see healing and increased fertility in our pastures and on our farm. But I claim this promise for my soul as well, as those difficult, prickly and painful circumstances God leads me through are sometimes a necessary evil for my own journey to true wholeness.

One of the bottom lines is that the Father desires and plans to bring healing and restoration to the physical world, but there is a spiritual connection that will come first. And before that He very well may share what He wants to do with those of His children who are willing to slow down enough to observe the world around them.

Right now as I type, a song is playing on my computer about restoration. The words hold incredible promise: "You take my mourning and turn it into dancing...You take my weeping and turn it into laughing...You take my mourning and turn it into dancing...You take my sadness and turn it into joy! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! You make all things new! You make all things new!" The word has been spoken. I can believe that it will be accomplished. So the lingering question is, am I living in a way that is causing the mountains to shout for joy? Some food for thought...chew carefully.