The Love of Christ for All Time

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
— Song of Solomon 2:3 KJV

22 January 2019

Dear Pat:

This recent past year 2018, as in all years gone by, will soon be if not already a memory dissolved. The doors to the past are permanently shut.

Here we are already, nearing the finish line of the first month of this New Year 2019. As in every circling year, new joys and sadnesses abound. Paradoxically, the ever flowing tide of time obliterates our every footprint and every moment silently and swiftly. There is no starting over time and space allotted us.

We are God’s creation, and “the steps of a man are established by the LORD.” He ordained that “to everything there is season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” So then, we are to meditate, to “ponder in [our] own hearts on [our] beds and be silent,” and pray in “making the best use of time, because the days are evil.”

In 2017, we spent ten days touring Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Beautiful and verdant states. All steeped in artifacts and much history. We stayed two days in Knoxville. Shopping at Mast (the L.L. Bean of the south, as it were) was fun. But we missed seeing the Art Deco buildings due to the rain.

By the grace of our Lord, you, we, and others in His pasture have started another new year trekking “to unpath’d waters, undream’d shores.” Let's you and us continue to rely on God’s grace in our walks.

We can not depend on our unchangeableness, but we can depend on Christ. The Lord can never fail since He changes not. Because of the unchangeableness of our Savior, we are assured of our continuance state of grace of Him.

For every moment of every year, let us in humble thanks and prayers praising the Lord that He is our unchangeable portion. A precious, life giving, life sustaining portion is He, as we rest in His shadows and eat His fruits.

Take care. Write when you can.