Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Sunday and Monday, September 1 and 2, 2024

The words stopped me in my tracks: “Big fan of God’s plan.” I picked up the bag, which was large, roomy, and well-made. But what really lightened and brightened my eyes was the price; it was in a clearance section marked 75% off! Quality for not much quantity!

But those words held my attention and made me ask myself, “Am I a big fan of God’s plan?” Which led me to the question, “Exactly what do they mean by ‘God’s plan’?”

Since “they” are not around for me to ask, it’s left to me to wonder.

Perhaps the most oft-quoted Bible verse concerning God’s plans is Jeremiah 29:11:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

I have heard people object to a personal application of this verse, saying that it’s been wrested out of context.

I’m a big fan of context, so I reviewed Jeremiah 29, and it’s true that the Lord was sending a message through His prophet to those taken from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon. He is telling the people to literally settle down there; to build houses, plant gardens, marry, have children, and to:

. . . seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. (Jeremiah 29:7 NKJV)

I don’t know if the captives were at peace hearing this message. How they must have longed for Jerusalem and home. But the Lord went on to say that He would bring them home after 70 years of captivity – and then comes verse 11, that is quoted so often as assurance for us today.

Fond as I am of considering context, I still think it’s appropriate to read this verse as describing God’s heart for us today, too. Because the Bible bristles with verses that describes God as our hope-bringer. He’s all about securing our future:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NKJV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NIV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)

That’s God’s Plan, and I’m a fan!

Back to the bag. Why, you may ask, would such a well-made item be offered at such a deep discount? You may have noticed the dark black smudge near the bottom edge of the bag. And if you enlarge the photo, you will read two small words neatly printed on the tag: “AS IS.”

With the words “75% off” ringing in my ears, I bought the bag, as is, confident that our trusty little bottle of Goo Gone® would take care of the dark smudge. And, with several applications and a lot of rubbing, it did.

That takes me back to the Garden of Eden, God’s original plan. But Adam and Eve did more than merely smudge His creation – so He moved on to Plan B.

And all these years later, here I am, a smudge of a sinner, saved by God’s grace. It took only one application to erase my sin, but that was the sacrificial application of the blood of Jesus.

How thankful I am that He accepts me, and you, “as is,” and promises us a future and a hope.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, August 31, 2024

After a bit of online searching, my wife Shelley came up with the name of the flowers in the photo above (panicle hydrangeas), which I snapped earlier this week in our neighborhood. It’s obvious that their burgeoning growth has made them too heavy to stay upright by themselves.

That’s where the wood supports come in. Don’t they resemble crosses? And don’t they remind you of the cross of Jesus, placed beneath our sagging souls, lifting them to face the nourishing light of heaven?

When’s the last time you reviewed what the Bible says about salvation? You’ll find amazing comfort in the passages at the link just below. And remember, as you read, to place your heart’s weight upon the cross on which the Savior died.

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

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, August 30, 2024

This past Monday morning in a walk in our neighborhood, I noticed an unusual dark streak in the clouds. For a moment I was puzzled, but then noticed the jet contrail to the left, and also the sun, which is farther to the left out of the photo. The sun was shining on the contrail, and the contrail was casting its shadow on the clouds.

It was 10 a.m., which means the sun was fairly high in the sky. I know that jet airliners normally cruise at roughly 30,000 feet. A quick bit of online research tells me that contrails form at these same altitudes if conditions are right.

So what we have here is a contrail, high enough to cast a shadow on clouds which are far lower in altitude. And this is possible because the sun itself is much higher—93 million miles out.

And can you spot another contrail, a needle-thin one in the lower half of the photo, intersecting a couple of clouds? This one must be very recent, and hasn’t had the time to widen out the way the one on the left has.

Okay. What makes this a devotional photo parable? I’ve called this blog “Influence.” The jet on the left is long gone, but it has left its contrail, which has gradually widened out, leaving a dark shadow on the clouds.

It’s the same way with our influence. Think back on the people in your life. Some were kind and generous, even joyous, and didn’t block the sun at all, but glowed with happiness. Others, wherever they went, left behind them a murky trail of anger and cynicism, which managed to poison many relationships.

What kind of trail do you want to leave behind you? A joyful one, right? For three Bible passages on joy, click the link just below:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, August 29, 2024

This picture interested me not because of the sea anemones in the tide pool but because of the people crowding around to look.

The granddaughter is exercising healthy caution upon encountering a tide pool for the first time. Meanwhile she watches curiously as different things are pointed out in the pool. It is a supportive environment as they examine an underwater environment.

It seems like that is how God wants us to feel as we learn about what is expected of us. God provided a supportive environment by sending his son.

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:29

God did not take us out of our environment where we need to make our own choices. But Jesus provides hope and a model. When we believe in Jesus we will listen to his words and follow his commands. In other words, Jesus gives us support and all the information we need to know about what is expected of us.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, August 28, 2024

In a recent entry, I mentioned the weather we had and how it was unusual for the time of year. There was heavy rain and wind. During a visit to the garden, between downpours, I found this little friend hiding in a single petal “tube” of this dahlia bloom. There was shelter from the elements and he (guessing on pronoun) was tucked away. Eventually I found him wandering around, on the other dahlia plants. Maybe he was checking for food options, or larger shelter accommodations. Either way, he was safe and sound after the storm had passed.

In Isaiah 4, the prophet was providing a vision to Jerusalem. A vision of how God was going to cleanse, shelter and protect.

Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

We certainly live in a stormy world and knowing God has shelter for us, is a belief to hang onto. Like our little amphibian friend, cling to the faith that God has His protective hands over our heads – keeping us safe and dry (mostly). When the clouds and rain subside, we have the faith we are free to move about – going about our daily lives. We can do these things because of the promises we have with our Maker. Thank you, Lord!

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, August 27, 2024

As far back as grade school I can remember being told that the Monarch butterfly, with which we were all familiar, had a double that mimicked the appearance of the well-known species. We knew this was true because it was pictured right there in our Christian textbooks.

What we and apparently our teacher failed to recognize was that this was based upon evolutionary logic, which employed something known as Batesian mimicry. In this model a palatable species would develop into looking like a toxic species in order to avoid predation. It was assumed that once a bird took a bite of a nasty tasting Monarch, it would avoid the similar appearing Viceroy. It made perfect sense, even though the evolutionary overtones were lost on us.

Ah, but times have changed. This long-accepted example has now been rejected as invalid by many entomologists. It is true that the Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed which gives them a bitter taste, but the Viceroy feeds on members of the willow family from which they get salicylic acid which also makes them bitter. Experiments have been done with both, where the wings were removed, and birds found both species to be just as unpalatable.

Does this prove that creationists have it right? Of course not. What it should tell those of us who are creationists is that we should think carefully about what underlying principles we are asked to accept when “truths” are proposed. It should also encourage us to test for ourselves to determine if the evidence holds up under careful examination. Good advice whether one is in the classroom or walking the streets of life.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Cheryl Boardman
Monday, August 26, 2024

This photo was taken in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, on a family trip ten years ago. This is an iconic scene on Maligne (last part pronounced as lean) Lake. I used to think the view was of an island before I saw it for myself but it’s actually a little peninsula. You can take a boat to reach a landing where you have very little time to stand at the view point before you have to get back on the boat to go back.

We had a nice time in Jasper National Park and had lunch in the town of Jasper. Unfortunately, about 1/3 of the town was razed in a wildfire this year. Tourists and residents were evacuated with limited escape routes prior to the fire. As far as I know, there was no loss of life, thankfully.

It’s really strange to think that a place that you visited and enjoyed and have fond memories of is no longer the same and may never be the same as it was again. I’m sure homes and businesses will be rebuilt but it will be different.

Change is inevitable in this life. We need to remember that we can’t necessarily adjust to some of the changes that come up by ourselves but we need to remember that God is always faithful.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.
Psalm 36:5-9 (NLT)