Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”
Even though I have always heard this phrased as “the grass is not always greener on the other side,” meaning that things ‘may look better’ on the other side, but often it is not, kind of like an optical illusion or a ‘mirage.’ Apparently, this phrase is an ‘idiom’ that usually says, “the grass is always greener on the other side,” meaning that when one is ‘not content’ with their lot in life, they tend to assume that ‘things are finer’ somewhere else.
1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
When one thinks of ‘Greener Pastures,’ one often thinks of a rolling countryside with its fresh sunlit air, variety of trees, and animals grazing peacefully. In Malachi, we read that those who Reverence (Fear) the Lord shall have healing and will go out and leap like calves from the stall! Can you see it, all of us Saints dressed in white, joyous because we are finally free, and our response is to leap before the presence of the Lord while singing His praises with ‘Jubilant Hallelujahs’!
Recently, I ‘ambitiously thought about’ getting a chicken coop on our 3-acre property, along with two Bantam chickens (whom I would have affectionately called ‘Daisy Mae and Minnie Pearl’). Mainly, we would have kept them for their eggs, seeing how organic, cage-free and pasteurized eggs are ‘pretty pricey’ these days. Why eggs, you may ask? Well, because we have been seeing results by doing a ‘healthier version’ of the Keto diet, one which includes high-quality eggs, grass-fed meats, and lots of vegetables. Basically, carbs and sugars are not our friends, but fats, proteins, and vegetables are!
Anyways, after some ‘realistic deliberation’ on the chicken coop idea, we realized that we like our ’empty nesters get up and go lifestyle’ too much to be ‘bogged down’ with more ‘cumbersome chores’ around the house. Self-sufficient cats are about as much as we want to handle right now; therefore, the chicken coop and my ‘Bantam chicken friends’ will just have to wait until another day. (wink)
As of this writing, there has been a white rooster hanging out at the back of our pasture. Part of living out in the country is to have random animals come over for a ‘visit’ from time to time. A few years back, our neighbors had this ‘happy potbelly pig’ whom we nicknamed ‘Babe.’ She would trot on over and ‘make her presence known’ at least a few times a week, if not more. There was also this ‘sweet black and white duck’ from across the street who had a ‘limp.’ Every so often, he would slowly waddle-limp all the way over to our property for a ‘friendly evening gander’ and for any bread crumbs we may have had for him as well. Throughout the past decade of being out in the countryside, we have taken various snapshots of us petting and/or standing beside these ‘cute neighborly animal visitors.’ Not to mention pics of us each Spring with the adorable baby bunnies that are born out here too.
In Heaven, I imagine that there will be a lot of animals, and from reading of the instances in the Bible where a serpent and a donkey were able to talk, I picture us being able to ‘converse’ with them there as well. Think of the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve were surrounded with the animals before the ‘fallen nature,’ before ‘fear’ came between them and the animals, and before any ‘limitations’ such as on an animal being able to talk.
When I think of ‘Greener Pastures,’ I tend to ‘humorously recall’ this stanza from the old Green Acres song:
“Green Acres is the place to be.
Farm livin’ is the life for me,
Land spreadin’ out so far and wide.
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.”
As much as we may love the countryside, we know that this world is not our home. Like Abraham, we desire a better country, a heavenly home and citizenship! Where moth nor rust doth corrupt, where no thieves break through and steal, where no GMOs are in our crops, where no chemtrails are in our skies, where no smog is over the horizon, where no corrupt rulers are leading, and where there is no darkness nor night!
Hebrews 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
The Home Improvement Shows with ‘farmhouse style and decor’ are my favorite. Often, I ruminate on the verse where it says that Jesus goes to prepare a place for us, and I imagine Him finally revealing our space to us and the ‘magnificence’ of it all surpassing every show-reveal that we have ever seen! After all, the Bible says that He is familiar with all of our ways and that He knows the desires of our hearts; therefore, the place He has for us is more than likely going to be ‘spectacular,’ even beyond all human comprehension! Either way, I cannot wait to go home and be with Jesus!
John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Psalm 139:2-4 “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”
Consequently, there is an ‘unspeakably beautiful place’ where the countryside and pastures are ‘truly greener’ in more ways than we can even begin to imagine! Ultimately, it is up to us to decide if we will go there. As the verse at the top says, those who fear (reverence) the Lord will be the ones who will go forth into this ‘unfathomable country,’ leaping as calves let out of the stall!
Yes, things are getting more ‘dark and ominous’ here by the hour, but there is coming a day when there will be nothing but ‘Glorious Light and Gladness’ in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ! All one has to do to ‘seal this deal’ is to become a ‘Born-Again Believer’ by trusting and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and in what He did for our sins on the cross! Trusting that His’ Sacrificially Shed Blood’ atones for all of our sins! Realize that His Righteousness is then imputed to us, thereby qualifying us to enter into His Kingdom! Be sure to make this decision today, because tomorrow is not promised to any of us!
Side note, this Beautiful Song may be a ‘tear-jerker’ for some:
“One Day I Will” – The Johnson Trio
Until next time… Maranatha!
JESUS = THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE!
Jesus Will Come!
Candy Austin is an Ambassador for Christ/Freelance ASL Interpreter/Writer, just passing through on this Narrow Path with her Beloved Husband and Best Friend Doug, along with their 2 fur baby cats Harley (12) and Dallas (9). (Instagram: kingdomofheavenisathand21)