Daily Photo Parable

Photo ©2012 and Commentary ©2025 by Chuck Davis
Sunday, September 21, 2025

This week, our parable highlights a Washington State native plant. Azurite Lake offers a welcome campsite and stunning views to the few who are willing to cross never-ending talus fields and then bushwhack up steep mountain slopes.

On this trip the Cascade Azalea (Rhododendron Albiflorum) greeted me. These beautiful blossoms were on the edge of our camp and were displayed as if in a vase.

The absolute best of what God wants for us only comes with effort. A brother of Jesus put it this way: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NIV).

Persevering to Azurite Lake gave me flowers. Striving under trials and temptations in love of our Savior will bless us with a crown.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, September 21, 2025

I was parched. I was so thirsty. I was almost through shopping on a very warm day in a rather small store that I knew well. It was fully stocked with groceries, but what I craved before going to the check-out line was a bottle of water.

Shelves of beverages beckoned me – all manner of energy drinks and juices and kombucha and fancy flavors. I stubbornly searched the aisles for just plain ol’ water. Finally I saw, stacked near the front of the store, what you see in my photo – a big 2.5 liter jug of water.

This was more than I was searching for, but it had no additives and the price was right — $2.99. I hefted it into my shopping cart and rolled over to the check-out line.

And there was another selling point: how could I turn down the offer of something labeled Eternal?

That question reminded me of a middle-grade book I read many years ago. Maybe you’ve read it, or have seen one of the two feature films based upon it. I haven’t watched either movie, wary that they might not stay true enough to the story. I’ll never forget the story.

The book is Tuck Everlasting, written by prize-winning author Natalie Babbitt. Winnie, an unhappy ten-year old girl, meets Jesse, a seventeen-year old boy who’s drinking from a spring in the woods behind her house. She is whisked away by his family, who tell her that because they all unsuspectingly drank from this spring 87 years ago, they are now immortal. In a less elegant word, they are stuck. They have unhappily remained the ages they were when they first sipped the spring water, and have no expectation of ever aging or growing into more than they are.

Dilemmas abound. Will Winnie choose to drink the water? Will she protect Mr. and Mrs. Tuck and their two sons? How will they all deal with a villain who emerges from the shadows, who schemes to turn the spring into a money-making bonanza for himself? Would living forever on this earth be a blessing or a curse? The book asks the reader, If you could choose to live forever, would you?

Suddenly the chorus of a long-ago song comes to mind:

“Anybody here wanna live forever, say “I do,”
Anybody here wanna walk on golden streets, say ‘I do.’
Anybody here sick and tired of livin’ like you do,
Anybody here want a home with love forever, say ‘I do.’” *

The song shifts the forever-living from this weary, sin-plagued planet to the golden streets of heaven, so the question dramatically changes. And my answer changes! Yes to living forever with my loving God in heaven! That’s my kind of Eternal! Or, I should say, that’s His kind of Eternal.

But what about those who would answer the question with No? No, I do not want to live forever with God in heaven? Does that mean that they live forever, eternally tormented in the fires of hell?

I’m so glad to say that I don’t think so. I believe the Bible teaches us that, in the end, sin and sinners will be no more. Fire will cleanse this earth, and the result of that cleansing will be eternal.

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch . . . You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:1,3 NKJV)

This is only one verse in a fascinating study of Bible passages that speak about the purpose and nature of hell. See Hell for more verses.

Turning from fire back to water, let’s join Jesus and the Samaritan woman who encounters Him at a well, where He asks her the favor of a drink of water. Amazed that a Jewish man would speak to a Samaritan woman, she enters into a life-giving conversation with Him, which includes this eye-opening, heart-opening promise:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13,14 NIV)

As you walk through this brand-new week, be sure to drink enough water – the kind you find at the store, and from your faucets, and especially from Jesus!

* “Say, ‘I Do’” by Ray Hildebrand

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, September 20, 2025

Within the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed this large trailer parked in front of one of our neighborhood homes. On my after-breakfast walk, I approach it from the rear, and can therefore admire this workstation.

I can’t say for sure what kind of project this trailer’s owner has been hired to do. But I did see a large stack of new planks beside the house. These have now disappeared, so evidently this workman is building a new deck back there.

But every time I’ve walked past this open trailer, I’ve thought, Whoa. If I needed a project done, this worker is the one I would hire. I mean, if the owner was indeed the one who set this trailer up, it’s obvious he or she knows exactly what shelving is needed. See how the two power drills are carefully mounted against the cabinet wall at the upper right? The trailer’s interior is dark, so it’s hard to see all the details, but it seems that everything this worker would need is positioned so it’s easy to get to. Impressive. I can imagine that he or she is rarely or never caught off guard or embarrassed.

The apostle Paul, who always kept an eye out for ways to illustrate spiritual truth, used an analogy like this when he spoke to Timothy about being a careful Bible interpreter. “Be diligent,” the apostle said, “to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

One Bible topic it’s very helpful to learn about is Bible promises. Why not take a few minutes to add these important tools to your spiritual work trailer? Here’s the link:

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/help-bible-promises

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, September 19, 2025

A couple of weeks ago, on a post-breakfast walk around our housing development, I discovered that one of those large storage-pod containers was parked squarely on someone’s driveway. At one of its lower corners was this challenge: “Scan me.”

I didn’t scan it, mainly because the name of the company was right there on the side of the pod, and I didn’t need such a pod for myself. Also, I don’t exactly know where my scanning app is on my phone at this point – I use it so seldom.

But there was something charming in this challenge. It seemed to be saying, “No surprises here! I’ll be transparent if you take the trouble to check me out!”

And that is exactly what human beings are encouraged to take part in with their Creator. It goes both ways.

For example, King David opened his heart and begged God to “scan” him:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23 – 24 NKJV)

And many times in the Bible, God challenges us to study His own words and ways so that we can satisfy ourselves about His love and justice. Satan, speaking through a serpentine ventriloquist dummy, lied about God during his conversation with Eve in Genesis 3. Ever since, God has been on trial. (In fact, there’s an entire theological topic about this, called “Theodicy,” which seek to discover whether the Almighty is consistently righteous.)

You see, rather than responding to Satan’s lies with obstinate cover-ups, God has opened His heart. Though He could have instructed the Bible’s 40 or so authors to report only positive events, happenings which made Him look good, God allows the full truth of the complex cosmic conflict to be revealed. None of the Bible people we name our kids after had lives free of sinless acts. God recorded history truthfully, and in many an agonized passage in the prophets, He tried to reason with His rebellious children.

A good place to contemplate the character of God is to read the verses about Him in the link just below.

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/god

Photo ©2025 by Amber Jurgensen
Commentary ©2025 by Russell Jurgensen

This baby bunny seemed out of place in the coils of a water hose, so my wife carried it to a thick grassy spot where it could hide. She made sure it had water and she kept an eye on it for a while. Over the next few days, we spotted it hopping around in different places.

Being soft and cute may not seem like a defense against predators out there. But it reminds me about the words of Jesus in the Beatitudes. Here is one verse.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth
Matthew 5:5

It seems to go against our worldly instinct. But like this bunny, people who are gracious and mild can get along successfully even when there are dangers around. This bunny was highly alert and was ready to move when we came around. So it seems people can be gentle and alert, also.

Photo and Commentary (c)2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, September 17, 2025

There’s something deeply calming about lush green grass. Maybe it’s because green symbolizes life and vitality, while dry, brown grass feels like the absence of it. Whatever the reason, I find great joy in the imagery of this beautiful hillside.

This particular hillside lies just off the shore of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. In the first image, you can see a charming village nestled into the slope—several homes, a few barns, and an abundance of trees and grass stretching in every direction. The second image reveals more of the terrain: it’s a fairly steep incline, and the only creatures I can imagine truly benefiting from such a slope are sure-footed cows. I didn’t capture any in the photos, but they were definitely nearby.

When I first saw this scene, my mind immediately jumped to the cost of my summer water bill—since I have to water my lawn two to three times a week just to keep it alive. But here? This lush hillside thrives naturally, nourished by rainfall and mountain snowmelt. No expensive irrigation, no effort—just nature doing its thing.

Whether I’m looking at the wide-angle image filled with homes or the close-up of a solitary barn nestled in nature’s green carpet, one question comes to mind: What surrounds us?

Do we choose to surround ourselves with things that are vibrant, life-giving, and beautiful? Or—often without realizing it—do we allow ourselves to be encircled by what’s dry, fading, or unhealthy? I truly hope it’s the former.

This quarter in our Sabbath School class, we’ve been diving deeper into the life of Moses. Naturally, that means we’re also learning more about the journey of the children of Israel.

In our most recent lesson, we explored the awe-inspiring moment when God descended from Heaven, allowing His people to see and hear His presence. He surrounded them with His glory—an overwhelming display of divine love and majesty. But was that enough for them? Were they content with the lush, living landscape of God’s love that enveloped them at Mount Sinai? Sadly, no. They believed they needed more—something shiny, something tangible. That object, though dazzling to the eye, was lifeless and hollow. It stood in stark contrast to the vibrant, nourishing presence of God right before them.

It’s a powerful reminder — not only does God surround us with exactly what we need, but when we invite Him in through prayer, He also protects that space — keeping it pure, peaceful, and untouched by anything that doesn’t belong. So, all we need to do is ask.

Pray now that God will surround you with His presence and shield your life with His love – creating an oasis of and providing you with the green grass all around.

Photo ©2009 and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Maybe you’re not one of those who stops and takes pictures of road-kill you find along the highway, but this particular encounter held special interest to me. Before taking a trip to Australia I had read that that country held 21 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world. Since I was going to be searching for birds in some out-of-the-way places, this created some concern as to what I might encounter that might cause me problems. Of the 170 species of snakes native to Australia, around 100 of these are venomous. So, the idea of hiking through tall grass and fallen palm leaves caused me some apprehension.

It was in another part of the country I came across this Mulga, also known as the King Brown Snake, as well as Pilbara Cobra, a highly venomous snake. Reading about it later, I found that its poison is not as potent as some of Australia’s other dangerous snakes, but that it holds the world record for delivering the largest amount of venom in one bite. To make matters worse, they are known to hang onto their victim, chewing the flesh which allows them to deliver up to 150 mg of their toxic venom! And this predator can grow up to 11 feet in length. Fearful!

So, why was I willing to venture into habitat that could make me vulnerable to such creatures? The answer was simple: I followed behind someone who knew the area and its creatures well, someone who was aware that it was too cool for the snakes to be out that time of day, someone who would break that path before me. It was this same kind of encouragement Deborah gave to Barak when she stated: “…Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand; is not the Lord gone out before thee?…” (Judges 4:14 KJV) The CEV phrases it this way: “In fact, the Lord has already gone on ahead to fight for you.” What assurance it is to know we have someone who has already gone before us.