Out of Ur

Bible verse and the Spirit of Prophecy insight

Genesis 12:1

Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.

God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him. He permitted affliction to come upon Job, but He did not forsake him. He allowed the beloved John to be exiled to lonely Patmos, but the Son of God met him there, and his vision was filled with scenes of immortal glory. God permits trials to assail His people, that by their constancy and obedience they themselves may be spiritually enriched, and that their example may be a source of strength to others. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. The very trials that task our faith most severely and make it seem that God has forsaken us, are to lead us closer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at His feet and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange.

Ellen G. White – Patriarchs & Prophets p.129.2

Present day application

Many a time I have found myself wondering: why is this happening to me? Is this what God wants? Is this where he leads me? If you are a Christian, then you probably know what I mean. The small still voice speaks to us, but the enemy does all that is in his power to instil doubts in our minds. He also continually distracts us by enticing us with worldly pleasures and carnal desires.

Abraham is called the father of faith. He had stepped out in faith, not just this one time when he got out of Ur. He had done that many times as he journeyed with the Lord. He had a few moments of weakness, as we all do. Nevertheless, his faith has been rewarded in the end. Ponder on those things each time you are in doubt regarding the way the Lord is leading you.

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Image by CopyrightFreePictures from Pixabay

The soul-healing sounds of nature

Adam and Eve, in their untainted purity, delighted in the sights and sounds of Eden.

Ellen G. White – Ministry of Healing p.261.3

Urban noise vs wilderness symphony

Those who live in cities or even some towns are suffering from unhealthy noise pollution. Some might say it does not bother them, but that’s only because they have gotten used to it. Or perhaps they have never actually experienced the serenity that comes when one is exposed to an ambient sound of pure nature. Even the scientists agree on the benefits of the sounds of nature.

It is not a secret that even in the rural areas we hear less and less of the sounds of birds, crickets, cicadas, etc. Anyone who has lived long enough has probably noticed it. I often go back to my childhood memories and I recall the variety of creatures, which delighted my ears with their joyful chirping. After I have moved to the cities, I have mostly been exposed to blackbirds, crows and seagulls. I do understand it is a matter of taste; but if you ask me, those three birds sound really annoying.

One of the first things that captivated me, when I first visited the Philippines, was the abundance of ear-pleasing nature sounds. There were times when I felt a strong urge to record and share what my ears were catching. Here are some of the sound clips. Please be aware – I do not own any professional sound recording equipment, thus the quality of those recordings is not the best. I advise you to listen to it on headphones if you want to catch all the little nuances of those symphonies of nature.

Enjoy!

Morning ambient sounds in the rural area of the Philippines

Sunset time ambient sounds at a seaside resort in Bohol, Philippines

Night-time ambient sounds in the rural area of the Philippines

Ambient sounds recorded at a peak of a hill on a remote island in Palawan, Philippines

Image by Med Ahabchane from Pixabay