God's Work: Perfect in Every Way

By James Uline

Behold the beauty of God’s work. Everywhere you gaze the awesome wonder of His unmatched skills of creation are revealed. Observe the varied bouquets of wildflowers in Spring and the colorful palette of leaves in Autumn. Listen to the ocean’s roar and watch the eagle soar. At God’s beckoning, Summer brings a bright orange sunrise with its welcome warmth. During the day he hangs white clouds in an azure, blue sky and in the evening, he paints stars by the millions for all to admire. He spreads seashells of every kind, color and shape along the shoreline and fills the air with the scent of sea air. At dawning He awakens the creatures of night for them to witness the dew in the meadow and then He leads them to a stream to taste the pure, cold water.

We often overlook such displays and rarely consider why or how they are sent our way. Make this the day that you give thanks to God for His countless gifts and blessings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638147183

Book preview

A Cabin in the Sky

In this world, we are all destined to acquire a measure of disappointments and fears,

some days will even bring us additional misery, maladies, and tears.

However, there is happiness in abundance for those who have opened their hearts to Jesus,

for it is only by His sacrifice, forgiveness, and grace we are able to have any success.

One cannot totally eliminate or even curtail the storms of life that illicit dismay,

but knowing Jesus as your friend will allow you to safely navigate through and survive each cloudy day.

I often strayed down dangerous paths that threatened my destruction,

but Jesus was ever-present with outstretched arms, waiting for me to accept His invitation and spiritual instruction.

When my day of enlightenment arrived, it completely altered my life,

now I have Jesus sharing my burdens and strife.

I am pleased now to reveal to you an inspirational story,

about a dismal period in the past when I lost my way but thankfully found Jesus in all His brilliance and glory.

Off the beaten path I wandered aimlessly for countless hours, struggling to traverse the thicket, tangled vines, and dense underbrush of a wilderness,

the road I selected was bleak with numerous detours and harrowing pitfalls that led me to incur a considerable amount of distress.

The seeds of doubt were harshly sown but swiftly uprooted as an uncanny event convinced the dreadful pall to temporarily subside,

a bright beam appeared from out of the heavens, bringing into view a broad expanse where a stand of poplar and cypress trees had fashioned a small divide.

As soon as I set foot into the open space, an ominous force swept over my being and sought to consume me,

there was dead silence, except for the musical offerings of a few crickets and a lonely sparrow serenading sweetly in a hardy balsam tree.

The once cruel wind continued to wane, but the haunting, crackling sound of the barren and brittle branches of decayed trees continued to increase,

it was unsettling to observe the prevailing winds switch direction in seconds and diminish in their intensity to a timid breeze.

As the hours passed, every movement proved more painful than the last, nevertheless; I forged onward even though my senses assured me I was off course,

I pondered retreating, but it was too dark to retrace my steps to the source, and I was fearful of stumbling in the treacherous terrain, thereby increasing my remorse.

Things were quite different when I originally contemplated an adventure that would be a departure from the safety and comforts of home,

my body was strong, and I harbored no qualms about attempting to roam.

With the precipitous decline in the physical elements, I realized my obvious lack of foresight and wisdom to prepare,

now regrettably I was suffering the consequences, here I was with no provisions and nary a stitch of appropriate clothing to wear.

In only a few minutes, the temperature plummeted more than forty degrees,

I felt a numbness in my fingers and a tingling in my toes as they began to freeze.

The air was bitter cold and literally took my breath away; I was beset with grief and overcome with desperation,

at first, I dismissed any hope of surviving, but I did not relent, instead I continued to be resolute in my faith and firm in my loyalty to God and prayed for His guidance, mercy, and consolation.

Suddenly He answered my petitions, and all trepidations were set aside, for straight ahead my eyes beheld a wondrous sight,

my heart rejoiced and skipped a beat; there lay a picture of tranquility, a cabin shrouded in a curious almost mystical light.

The radiance cleaved the veil of darkness like a lightning bolt pierces through a dark, turbulent sky,

but oddly it chose to favor the cabin and its immediate surroundings and nothing else nearby.

The remarkable, almost angelic glow permitted a white picket fence to come into view,

its gate was partially swung open as if to invite me to approach with confidence and safely pass through.

With new resolve and determination, I lengthened my stride and picked up the pace,

though there was a full moon on high, heavy cloud cover obscured its normal illuminating benefit and curious face.

Smoke from an old, brick chimney was billowing like strands of silk pure white,

a spectacle certainly extraordinary for this location or setting; in any event, it was a visual delight.

There was a perfectly paved, ornate, cobblestone walk winding its way in a serpentine manner toward the cabin’s door,

the roof was smartly thatched and looked to be very sturdy; firewood was piled high and neat against the wall on the porch floor.

The yard was overpopulated with hundreds of beautiful wildflowers of every imaginable size, color, and kind,

violets were bunched together with red ivy geraniums in a small window box, an unconventional but rewarding find.

A broad-limbed oak tree in full bloom flanked the cabin on the right,

off to the left, a babbling brook was running crystal clear and bright.

It was pleasing to witness the presence of a welcome mat appropriately positioned on the porch floor and quite convenient to see the front door slightly ajar,

I mustered all the power remaining in my body and sprinted toward the cabin; the cold had been unforgiving, and I was dead tired after many hours of travelling from afar.

I knocked on the cabin door and called out in a reserved but relatively loud voice, Hello, may I come inside and rest my frozen and weary bones at your fireside?

There was no response, so I slowly pushed the door open hoping therein to reside.

Upon crossing the threshold, my worldly cares floated like feathers on soft midsummer air,

an indescribable sensation of contentment and warmth wrapped around me there.

Eerie shadows of human figures performed a dance on the cabin walls, their elaborate designs resulting from flames burning in a rustic stone fireplace,

there was a rough-hewn wooden table of moderate size with two small matching

benches taking up most of the cabin’s limited living space.

I paused briefly and then decided to recline on a wooden rocking chair that was placed where one could profit from the heat,

my intent was to relax until the chill was removed from my weary arms and legs and then make my retreat.

There was an imposing mantle above the hearth upon which sat an old rugged cross exquisitely carved in superb detail from a piece of native hardwood,

its presence brought warmth to my heart and rekindled fond memories of my early boyhood.

It was an ordinary and modest cabin, but I did notice something unusual, a pristine full-length cotton robe of the purest white hanging on a hook and, directly below, a pair of new leather sandals propped against the wall.

I remained uneasy and knew I dared not linger, I was keenly aware that the cabin’s owner might return with no warning at all.

And in an instant, that premonition came true; the cabin door creaked ominously as it swung open wide,

I was startled and immediately sprang to my feet; I blurted out, "Thank you stranger for permitting me to take shelter